The Kraken Posted 25 August, 2012 Share Posted 25 August, 2012 And there is nothing in your post I would not agree with - but I do think there are ways of increasing demand and access to a broader sphere of potential support.... but I kinda done that to death Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank's cousin Posted 25 August, 2012 Share Posted 25 August, 2012 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CB Fry Posted 25 August, 2012 Share Posted 25 August, 2012 Gary Lineker tonight tweeting Le Tiss along lines of "shame to see so many empty seats". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Kraken Posted 25 August, 2012 Share Posted 25 August, 2012 Gary Lineker tonight tweeting Le Tiss along lines of "shame to see so many empty seats". Yep, just seen it. "@GaryLineker: Surprisingly poor turn out for Saints first game back in PL. Ground looks half empty. Any reason?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank's cousin Posted 25 August, 2012 Share Posted 25 August, 2012 .... the official figure may have ben 29k, but I think quite a few ST holders probably on hols etc.. never remember whether the official figure is ST sales + day sales or just turnstile numbers of actual bodies in the ground - I always thought it was the latter for Health and safety reasons? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank's cousin Posted 25 August, 2012 Share Posted 25 August, 2012 Thnk Linaker is blind - half empy is a bit over an over statement ..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Kraken Posted 25 August, 2012 Share Posted 25 August, 2012 .... the official figure may have ben 29k' date=' but I think quite a few ST holders probably on hols etc.. never remember whether the official figure is ST sales + day sales or just turnstile numbers of actual bodies in the ground - I always thought it was the latter for Health and safety reasons?[/quote'] As chatted with Griffo; I don't think that 29,600 or whatever figure is accurate, I think the number of people inside the stadium was way below that. Online ticketting up until lunchtime was showing many areas as completely sold out, yet in blocks 1 2 and 3 (sold out online) there were huge swathes of seats not occupied. Same in the Itchen lower, same in the Chapel. Something's not quite adding up about it, and its far, far more than ST holders or people who bought match tickets not showing up IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Latheal Posted 25 August, 2012 Share Posted 25 August, 2012 Yep, just seen it. "@GaryLineker: Surprisingly poor turn out for Saints first game back in PL. Ground looks half empty. Any reason?" Half empty is pushing it, we're only 3k short. Had it been Pompey v Wigan it would have been "what a great turnout". think the crux comes against the "B" category teams. If we sell out those and as well as the "a" games, there is a pretty good case to expand. For the record though, if we have sold 22k season tickets, and Wigan brought less than 1k, I'm taking it that means we attracted 6k in other supporters? Not bad, but like you, was expecting more. Signings will help I think. Jury's out whether we can fill a bigger stadium. Personally, would prefer the money going on players, as quite frankly, right now, we ain't good enough, and that's not Adkins fault. On another note, couldn't fault the support today. Great stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melmacian_saint Posted 25 August, 2012 Share Posted 25 August, 2012 It's August, people are on holiday! That happens everywhere. Attendances won't improve until mid-september. That applies to pretty much most grounds and clubs in the UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Kraken Posted 25 August, 2012 Share Posted 25 August, 2012 On another note, couldn't fault the support today. Great stuff. I think you'll be in the minority there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aintforever Posted 25 August, 2012 Share Posted 25 August, 2012 It was Wigan FFS, I was more excited about some of our League 1 games than watching ****ing Wigan. If they had brought more than a few hundred down the ground would have been pretty much full anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Latheal Posted 25 August, 2012 Share Posted 25 August, 2012 I think you'll be in the minority there. Really? Sounded loud from where I was. Not from where you were? Always makes me wonder how loud it actually is when people say that. I was in block 40. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
La BoIS Saint Posted 25 August, 2012 Share Posted 25 August, 2012 I think it's accepted that the official attendance consists of tickets sold regardless of whether people turn up. As I thought it was sold out I didn't go but can anyone provide an estimate of the actual number of people in the stadium? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitey Grandad Posted 25 August, 2012 Share Posted 25 August, 2012 August, innit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turkish Posted 25 August, 2012 Share Posted 25 August, 2012 A bizarre line of enquiry/logic from both of you. It shows as a newly promoted team, with a relatively weak squad Saints can attract circa 29,000 fans against a weak Prem team. For a large number of games this season many people will be left disappointed. If 29,000 Saints fans want to goto the Wigan game, do you honestly believe the 29,000 Saints fans with tickets for the Man Utd game is all there is wanting to goto that game? Wigan is the low mark, Man Utd the high mark but the 29,000 seats in the home end restrict home attendances to the same amount. Plus consider any stadium expansion would be done to support/help achieve a higher level of product/players on the pitch. At the moment we are the relegation favourites. Give it a few years and if we are mid table/upper half the matchgoing fanbase for games vs Wigan will grow. What happened to all the fans from Warwick, Cirencester, Weymouth, Ashford, Lewes and Newquay you told us would be coming to Southampton on Saturdays to watch premier league football? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turkish Posted 25 August, 2012 Share Posted 25 August, 2012 No. I'm talking about a good 100 seats, not a few here and there. The back few rows were virtually empty yet the online ticketing website showed the block unavailable for season ticket purchases and matchday purchases. All in the same area as well. What a coincidence that all the people that bought tickets but couldnt be arsed to go should all sit in the same place! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Kraken Posted 25 August, 2012 Share Posted 25 August, 2012 What happened to all the fans from Warwick, Cirencester, Weymouth, Ashford, Lewes and Newquay you told us would be coming to Southampton on Saturdays to watch premier league football? His argument seems to have changed since the season started. Check the bit about "Give it a few years and if we are mid table/upper half the matchgoing fanbase for games vs Wigan will grow." The bravado and bullsh*t of "build it now" and all the references to historical sell-outs has diminished, unsurprisingly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turkish Posted 25 August, 2012 Share Posted 25 August, 2012 ...helmets on as this always seems to get nasty... yawn.... But a quick question to Fry, Turks, etc - we get your point - you have made it as clear as you possibly can, albeit laced with the usual sarcasm etc. You do not believe we have the demand blah blah... but can you expalin why you are SO against others talking about the merits or otherise of it or of ideas or hypothetical situations where it might be an option? You seem determined to try and ridicule anyone who is interested in that topic - Which I assumed was because you were sort of worried that fans of other clubs might think we are all 'mongs' (sic) - something that seems to concern Turks especially (and something most people grow out of when they leave their teens) - You are entitles to your opinion and we all get it rammed down out throats whenever it comes up, but if it upsets you so much when its discussed, why not ignore it? By not it gives teh impression that you are desperate for the attention..... Talking about challenging Man City for the title is pathetic and embarassing when you are buying players from the championship and are out of your depth at home to Wigan. Talking about expand the stadium when on your glorious return to the premier league after 7 years over 10% of the stadium us empty despite Apparantly having the most ambitious and well funded chairman in our history, being the best time ever to be a Saints fan and being told you have a catchment area which covers most of England and are going to be welcoming thousands of new fans here to see Premeir league football ever week is pathetic and embaassing. HTH. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turkish Posted 25 August, 2012 Share Posted 25 August, 2012 His argument seems to have changed since the season started. Check the bit about "Give it a few years and if we are mid table/upper half the matchgoing fanbase for games vs Wigan will grow." The bravado and bullsh*t of "build it now" and all the references to historical sell-outs has diminished, unsurprisingly. Weren't tickets massively difficult to come by last time we were in the premier league? Doesn't seem to be the case now. It seems our fan base has shrunk despite the ambition and resources we've never had before and access to the massive catchment area which has only just materialised. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
View From The Top Posted 25 August, 2012 Share Posted 25 August, 2012 What was more telling was the empty boxes etc. The club have seriously overpriced everything corporate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colehillsaint Posted 25 August, 2012 Share Posted 25 August, 2012 I thought we would have to wait 10 games to get an idea of the true demand, but today didn't bode well. We should forget about building until such time as people are literally pleading to get in. Atmosphere and passion are more important than ticket sales for big games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turkish Posted 25 August, 2012 Share Posted 25 August, 2012 What was more telling was the empty boxes etc. The club have seriously overpriced everything corporate. I'll be shouted down for this but Cortese has f*cked off a lot of local businesses who aren't prepared to put money into SFC anymore. Those on here won't like it, but it's true. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Kraken Posted 25 August, 2012 Share Posted 25 August, 2012 Weren't tickets massively difficult to come by last time we were in the premier league? Doesn't seem to be the case now. It seems our fan base has shrunk despite the ambition and resources we've never had before and access to the massive catchment area which has only just materialised. Sold out weeks in advance for pretty much every game, apparently. Tickets were like gold dust. Simple piffle such as the recession and increased prices wouldn't make a difference to us, we are Southampton and we should be building a bigger stadium right now. I'm sure he'll invent some complete different nonsense as to why he isn't completely full of sh*t, but the lad has been exposed as a sham. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Kraken Posted 25 August, 2012 Share Posted 25 August, 2012 I thought we would have to wait 10 games to get an idea of the true demand, but today didn't bode well. We should forget about building until such time as people are literally pleading to get in. Atmosphere and passion are more important than ticket sales for big games. Hallelujah. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colehillsaint Posted 25 August, 2012 Share Posted 25 August, 2012 What was more telling was the empty boxes etc. The club have seriously overpriced everything corporate. Funny, I called them in the early summer about corporate for our business for the tottenham game, and was told someone would get back in touch, but no one has! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Kraken Posted 25 August, 2012 Share Posted 25 August, 2012 Funny, I called them in the early summer about corporate for our business for the tottenham game, and was told someone would get back in touch, but no one has! You don't mean to say our wonderful marketing department let themselves down, do you?! :lol: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colehillsaint Posted 25 August, 2012 Share Posted 25 August, 2012 You don't mean to say our wonderful marketing department let themselves down, do you?! :lol: Yes. I've got no agenda, but that is true. We still want to do it. I am always as busy as f*** so I haven't chased it up. I will try again next week, unless someone from the club reads this tripe and wants to PM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loz1991 Posted 25 August, 2012 Share Posted 25 August, 2012 On fact. More SAINTS fans at the game today than there will be next sunday! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saints_is_the_south Posted 25 August, 2012 Share Posted 25 August, 2012 Really poor attendance IMO. Thought once block 43 & 44 were opened up they'd be snapped up. About the away following, Doncaster brought a similar following (maybe a little less) to that of Wigan today, yet we managed 31K+ in that game, in the Championship. Gets me thinking, have the match day ticket prices been hiked up too much? Time will tell, but I'm already thinking about that Fulham game at 1.30pm on Sunday, on SKY - can see there being less than 25K for that if today was anything to go by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Kraken Posted 25 August, 2012 Share Posted 25 August, 2012 Yes. I've got no agenda, but that is true. We still want to do it. I am always as busy as f*** so I haven't chased it up. I will try again next week, unless someone from the club reads this tripe and wants to PM. I don't doubt it. SFC seems to think that marketing involves putting the prices on the website and simply waiting for people to call and book. No external marketing, little effort in attracting new business, alienating local companies who previously bought corporate boxes and no longer will, it all adds up to empty seats. The spat with the Echo is a case in point, needlessly banning the local paper from the ground and training ground and thereby negating the possibility of countless free advertising. You couldn't make it up, really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Kraken Posted 25 August, 2012 Share Posted 25 August, 2012 On fact. More SAINTS fans at the game today than there will be next sunday! Can you talk us through those numbers please? How have you arrived at that notion? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loz1991 Posted 25 August, 2012 Share Posted 25 August, 2012 Can you talk us through those numbers please? How have you arrived at that notion? 29,604 fans today including wigan fans 32,*** fans next sunday simple you take 3200 off 32*** add corporate away/neutral and away/neutral fans in the home end in league one we had games where we had way more saints fans than we will ever have this season Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Kraken Posted 25 August, 2012 Share Posted 25 August, 2012 29,604 fans today including wigan fans 32,*** fans next sunday simple you take 3200 off 32*** add corporate away/neutral and away/neutral fans in the home end in league one we had games where we had way more saints fans than we will ever have this season Too many ***** to be clear. How many home fans did we have today? Its quite simple, you take the number of away fans in attendance from the total number in the crowd. Also, how many Man U/neutral fans will we have in corporate and home ends, as you suggest? If you could provide those numbers, that would be great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doddisalegend Posted 25 August, 2012 Share Posted 25 August, 2012 Really poor attendance IMO. Thought once block 43 & 44 were opened up they'd be snapped up. About the away following, Doncaster brought a similar following (maybe a little less) to that of Wigan today, yet we managed 31K+ in that game, in the Championship. Gets me thinking, have the match day ticket prices been hiked up too much? Time will tell, but I'm already thinking about that Fulham game at 1.30pm on Sunday, on SKY - can see there being less than 25K for that if today was anything to go by. Can't be everyone on here was happy when the prices were realesed. Aren't we only 10th most expensive in the PL or something? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sergei Gotsmanov Posted 25 August, 2012 Share Posted 25 August, 2012 Pretty poor attendance figure, all things considered. First game back in the PL, feelgood factor all around, Saturday 3pm kick off. And we couldn't make 30,000. Disappointing to say the least. Wigan returned around 1,500 tickets, which obviously went to Saints to put on sale with at least a week to go until the game. As it was, we wouldn't have sold out just the regular number of home seats when the away side take their full allocation. A lack of external marketing doesn't help the club; the only medium advertising the fact there are tickets remaining is the OS, and non-diehard fans don't go there very often. The lack of external marketing in the local papers and on local radio is surely a factor in this. But maybe some just have to face facts that filling a 32,689 capacity stadium is a hell of achievement for a club our size, and we should look to do that consistently before lustily looking to the stars for somewhere bigger. You seem to forget that Hampshire were playing in the final of the 2020. We probably took 10,000 fans up there if not more. Most of them would be Saints Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Kraken Posted 25 August, 2012 Share Posted 25 August, 2012 You seem to forget that Hampshire were playing in the final of the 2020. We probably took 10,000 fans up there if not more. Most of them would be Saints Of course, that must be it. Another one to add to the list. Good work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jawillwill Posted 25 August, 2012 Share Posted 25 August, 2012 I wasn't there, but it looked less than 29,000 there on the TV...didn't look great. I wonder if the new ticketing system has anything to do with it? I looked at the ticket website the other day and when you come to choosing your seat, the default view shows seats towards the back of the stand. Being the idiot I am, it took me a few minutes to figure out how to drag if and see the front rows (i.e. when you clicked on some blocks it looked sold out at first, when in actual fact it quite clearly wasn't). Seemed odd to see so many empty seats at the front of the Chapel - normally it's the back Chapel corners that are last to sell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffo Posted 25 August, 2012 Share Posted 25 August, 2012 Our support looked embarrassing again on TV. No way was there 29,000 there today. That Fulham game live on Sky will be even worse. We will be lucky to get 26/27k for that one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Kraken Posted 25 August, 2012 Share Posted 25 August, 2012 I wasn't there, but it looked less than 29,000 there on the TV...didn't look great. I wonder if the new ticketing system has anything to do with it? I looked at the ticket website the other day and when you come to choosing your seat, the default view shows seats towards the back of the stand. Being the idiot I am, it took me a few minutes to figure out how to drag if and see the front rows (i.e. when you clicked on some blocks it looked sold out at first, when in actual fact it quite clearly wasn't). Seemed odd to see so many empty seats at the front of the Chapel - normally it's the back Chapel corners that are last to sell. That may be part of it. But the simple fact is that, at midday today, the online system showed that zero seats were available in blocks 1, 2 and 3. And onlt a handful of available seats in the Itchen stand lower. Yet come gametime in those areas there were various big areas of empty seats, far more than just one or two here or there. I'd estimate there were actually only around 27K - 28K people actually inside the ground today, nowhere near the actual figure published. But then the club do have form in publishing attendance figures which could be construed as dubious (particularly when records are at stake); so who knows? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaintBobby Posted 25 August, 2012 Share Posted 25 August, 2012 Have to say, I'm a bit disappointed with 29K. If we have 23K season tickets and 1K away fans, that means the uptake from other members of the human race was pretty thin tbh. Reaffirms my gut view that a 32K stadium is almost exactly the right size for Saints. We'd need at least an extra 10K people to be desperate to get in every week to make expansion worthwhile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaintBobby Posted 25 August, 2012 Share Posted 25 August, 2012 That may be part of it. But the simple fact is that, at midday today, the online system showed that zero seats were available in blocks 1, 2 and 3. And onlt a handful of available seats in the Itchen stand lower. Yet come gametime in those areas there were various big areas of empty seats, far more than just one or two here or there. I'd estimate there were actually only around 27K - 28K people actually inside the ground today, nowhere near the actual figure published. But then the club do have form in publishing attendance figures which could be construed as dubious (particularly when records are at stake); so who knows? The ticket systems may be awful. But it did look like about 29K to me. (from the mid of Itchen, it looked pretty full in Kingsland, Chapel and our slice of Northam) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Le God Posted 25 August, 2012 Share Posted 25 August, 2012 (edited) Have to say, I'm a bit disappointed with 29K. If we have 23K season tickets and 1K away fans, that means the uptake from other members of the human race was pretty thin tbh. Reaffirms my gut view that a 32K stadium is almost exactly the right size for Saints. We'd need at least an extra 10K people to be desperate to get in every week to make expansion worthwhile. We won't play Wigan every week. Take next week vs Man Utd for example, Saints are limited to selling 29,000 home tickets, they sold that many today. Do you really think they couldn't sell a lot more if there were more seats available. The demand for the Man Utd game isn't the same as the Wigan game, yet Saints are limited to selling 29,000 next week. Edited 25 August, 2012 by Matthew Le God Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shurlock Posted 25 August, 2012 Share Posted 25 August, 2012 We won't play Wigan every week. Take next week vs Man Utd for example, Saints are limited to selling 29,000 home tickets, they sold that many today. Do you really think they couldn't sell a lot more if there were more seats available. The demand for the Man Utd game isn't the same as the Wigan game, yet Saints are limited to selling 29,000 next week. We dont play Man U every week either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Le God Posted 25 August, 2012 Share Posted 25 August, 2012 We dont play Man U every week either. But we do play Man City, Chelsea, Tottenham, Arsenal, Everton, Liverpool, Newcastle, Sunderland, West Ham, Aston Villa etc. All large clubs which will sell out St Mary's. Even fixtures vs Reading will probably sell out as they will fill the away end and Saints will sell 29,000 home tickets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shurlock Posted 25 August, 2012 Share Posted 25 August, 2012 But we do play Man City, Chelsea, Tottenham, Arsenal, Everton, Liverpool, Newcastle, Sunderland, West Ham, Aston Villa etc. Such mouthwatering fixtures?!? The fact is that until we start to becoming successful in our own right -something that won't happen overnight- our attendances will be hostage to who we're playing -and for your average daytripper, there are only 4-5 truly glamorous ties in this league. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hypochondriac Posted 25 August, 2012 Share Posted 25 August, 2012 Mlg which games will we not sell out this season then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Le God Posted 25 August, 2012 Share Posted 25 August, 2012 Mlg which games will we not sell out this season then? It is hard to tell as it isn't solely down to the opponent. The league situation at the time has an influence, if we have things riding on games late in the season attendances will be strong. And dates play a factor, for example the Stoke game is aided by being on the final day of the season. The Arsenal game on New Year's day would sell out regardless of when it was, but any game being the club's only home fixture over Christmas/New Year would sell out. I think we will comfortably average over 30,000 as we did in the four previous years at St Mary's in the Premier League, with the majority of games selling out in the home blocks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlakeySFC Posted 26 August, 2012 Share Posted 26 August, 2012 Is this thread just another MLG witch-hunt? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaintBobby Posted 26 August, 2012 Share Posted 26 August, 2012 We won't play Wigan every week. Take next week vs Man Utd for example, Saints are limited to selling 29,000 home tickets, they sold that many today. Do you really think they couldn't sell a lot more if there were more seats available. The demand for the Man Utd game isn't the same as the Wigan game, yet Saints are limited to selling 29,000 next week. That's a slightly weird argument. Man Utd is an outlier. Virtually any decent club in the world could probably sell 50,000 for a Man Utd game. It does not follow, of course, that virtually every club in the world needs a 50K stadium! Because that club may also face a long stretch in the lower divisions playing teams like Stevenage and Dagenham in the JPT on wet Tuesdays in a cold February. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaintBobby Posted 26 August, 2012 Share Posted 26 August, 2012 (edited) We won't play Wigan every week. Take next week vs Man Utd for example, Saints are limited to selling 29,000 home tickets, they sold that many today. Do you really think they couldn't sell a lot more if there were more seats available. The demand for the Man Utd game isn't the same as the Wigan game, yet Saints are limited to selling 29,000 next week. I also think you're failing to grasp the price mechanism. I think Saints could probably get 50K+ to every league game if the price of entry was, say, 10p. But that isn't a great business model. Edited 26 August, 2012 by SaintBobby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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