The Issue of St Mary’s

[LGTL]

Our home form has been horrendous for some time and shows no signs of improving. I can’t help but feel we are just a lovely day out for every other team that comes here;

 

Away fans pride of place, slap bang behind a goal that the opposition shoot towards second half. So often we have a decent first half and then the opposition get some momentum shooting towards there own fans and all hell breaks loose.

 

£20 tickets for all away fans, subsidised by our own ****ing sponsors that not one other team has replicated for us. Gives many teams an improved following - why oh why does anyone think that’s a good idea.

 

Stewards and OB stood on the home side of the divide. Any away game we go to they are always on the side of the away fan. Small point but allows good congregations of them to get behind their team without constant interruption by ****y stewards.

 

As a club we can’t do bugger all about who we’re playing each week but why not make it a bit more of a difficult place to come? We’re too interested in promoting some ‘nice’ image. If we have to keep the away fans where they are, why not attack the Northam 2nd half? Must be better then the morgue like Chapel and prevents momentum building for the away team. Then get rid of the £20 tickets and tell Virgin Media that’s it’s not exactly helping out the team they actually sponsor. Might help reduce the away following. Get OB and stewards in the away end more often, disrupting and generally irritating the away fans like we have to put up with every week.

 

Any other ideas? I know it mostly boils down to 99% of teams being better then us, but we really don’t seem to want to actually help ourselves.

[JRM]

I agree with you. Atmosphere has been steadily declining at home games as well, 70% of home fans make no noise whatsoever.

[benjii]

Our home form has been horrendous for some time and shows no signs of improving. I can’t help but feel we are just a lovely day out for every other team that comes here;

 

Away fans pride of place, slap bang behind a goal that the opposition shoot towards second half. So often we have a decent first half and then the opposition get some momentum shooting towards there own fans and all hell breaks loose.

 

£20 tickets for all away fans, subsidised by our own ****ing sponsors that not one other team has replicated for us. Gives many teams an improved following - why oh why does anyone think that’s a good idea.

 

Stewards and OB stood on the home side of the divide. Any away game we go to they are always on the side of the away fan. Small point but allows good congregations of them to get behind their team without constant interruption by ****y stewards.

 

As a club we can’t do bugger all about who we’re playing each week but why not make it a bit more of a difficult place to come? We’re too interested in promoting some ‘nice’ image. If we have to keep the away fans where they are, why not attack the Northam 2nd half? Must be better then the morgue like Chapel and prevents momentum building for the away team. Then get rid of the £20 tickets and tell Virgin Media that’s it’s not exactly helping out the team they actually sponsor. Might help reduce the away following. Get OB and stewards in the away end more often, disrupting and generally irritating the away fans like we have to put up with every week.

 

Any other ideas? I know it mostly boils down to 99% of teams being better then us, but we really don’t seem to want to actually help ourselves.

 

Agree with all that.

 

Should certainly move the away fans and create a proper home end for singing. If the police whinge about it, tell them to **** off. Call their bluff.

 

Increasing numbers of children / families / women / overseas students are infiltrating the Northam and it helps no-one. Singing section should be over 16s only and cheaper season tickets. Take the clacker budget and spend it on subsidised alcohol in those blocks.

[alehouseboys]

Our home form has been horrendous for some time and shows no signs of improving. I can’t help but feel we are just a lovely day out for every other team that comes here;

 

Away fans pride of place, slap bang behind a goal that the opposition shoot towards second half. So often we have a decent first half and then the opposition get some momentum shooting towards there own fans and all hell breaks loose.

 

£20 tickets for all away fans, subsidised by our own ****ing sponsors that not one other team has replicated for us. Gives many teams an improved following - why oh why does anyone think that’s a good idea.

 

Stewards and OB stood on the home side of the divide. Any away game we go to they are always on the side of the away fan. Small point but allows good congregations of them to get behind their team without constant interruption by ****y stewards.

 

As a club we can’t do bugger all about who we’re playing each week but why not make it a bit more of a difficult place to come? We’re too interested in promoting some ‘nice’ image. If we have to keep the away fans where they are, why not attack the Northam 2nd half? Must be better then the morgue like Chapel and prevents momentum building for the away team. Then get rid of the £20 tickets and tell Virgin Media that’s it’s not exactly helping out the team they actually sponsor. Might help reduce the away following. Get OB and stewards in the away end more often, disrupting and generally irritating the away fans like we have to put up with every week.

 

Any other ideas? I know it mostly boils down to 99% of teams being better then us, but we really don’t seem to want to actually help ourselves.

 

You make some excellent points, however it would have to be a Virgin decision alone on the tickets, they probably see it as a way of keeping all other club fans onside with their products. I'd ditch Sky/Virgin/whoever if they sponsored certain teams.

 

Unfortunately our fan demographic is one of mostly polite passive types (strangely not really reflective of the city of Southampton's population), if we had more partisan support there would be more pressure on the board not to just bend over and take it from the Police about where we put away fans. There are solutions but would cost the equivalent of a couple of players wages of a few months to implement.

[saintalan]

Our home form has been horrendous for some time and shows no signs of improving...

 

Yep agree with all that!

[Lord Duckhunter]

Considering we’ve only won one home game this year I thought our support was pretty good yesterday. Of course the ground emptied when they scored, but that’s par for the course.

 

Nothing will change, footballs changed forever. Grounds aren’t as atmospheric as they used to be, and never will be again. There maybe the odd special occasion when it’s rocking, but week in week out it’s gone.

 

 

 

 

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[Dellman]

I agree with you. Atmosphere has been steadily declining at home games as well, 70% of home fans make no noise whatsoever.

 

We have had nothing to get excited about for two feeble seasons. How many home goals have we scored under Puel and the Clown, must be near the lowest in the whole league

[LGTL]

Considering we’ve only won one home game this year I thought our support was pretty good yesterday. Of course the ground emptied when they scored, but that’s par for the course.

 

Nothing will change, footballs changed forever. Grounds aren’t as atmospheric as they used to be, and never will be again. There maybe the odd special occasion when it’s rocking, but week in week out it’s gone.

 

 

 

 

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I agree although as a club we do seem to be far more welcoming then just about any other team in the league. Probably just a coincidence that our home record is probably the worst in the division, but still, it can’t help.

[East Kent Saint]

The positioning of the away fans seems to be related to where the away coaches come in to allow easier policing so where would they moved to ? They don't make alot of noise unless we let a goal in .................

[Pilchards]

This same issue comes up every year and still nothing is done about it.

I would love to know one club in the premiership that gives the away supporter almost half of the goal end where they have its main singing stand next to it.

 

It would be great to merge the northam, kingsland and Itchen behind one goal as it would help us out drown any away support.

[supersonic]

Agree with all that.

 

Should certainly move the away fans and create a proper home end for singing. If the police whinge about it, tell them to **** off. Call their bluff.

 

Increasing numbers of children / families / women / overseas students are infiltrating the Northam and it helps no-one. Singing section should be over 16s only and cheaper season tickets. Take the clacker budget and spend it on subsidised alcohol in those blocks.

 

We can't really move the away fans with ease, the stadium was build and designed around police and football league advice on where would be the best place to put them.

 

A better method that I've long thought about for a number of years, and one the club I know would support, would be the loud fans to move to the Chapel and create a "Kop" to give the team support in the second half as we always attack that end second.

 

Think of Liverpool's Kop, Everton's Gwladys Street End, Newcastle's Gallogate End and Villa's Holte End.

 

Will never happen though as those in Blocks 41/42 are more interested in acting hard and giving the away fans hand gestures behind numerous Police Officers and Stewards.

[obelisk]

Build a 2nd tier on top of the Northam and chuck the away fans up the back of that. All done for the same cost as one more record signing failure.

[benjii]

We can't really move the away fans with ease, the stadium was build and designed around police and football league advice on where would be the best place to put them.

 

A better method that I've long thought about for a number of years, and one the club I know would support, would be the loud fans to move to the Chapel and create a "Kop" to give the team support in the second half as we always attack that end second.

 

Think of Liverpool's Kop, Everton's Gwladys Street End, Newcastle's Gallogate End and Villa's Holte End.

 

Will never happen though as those in Blocks 41/42 are more interested in acting hard and giving the away fans hand gestures behind numerous Police Officers and Stewards.

 

I'm sure it can be done if there's a will.

[bazza]

I'm sure it can be done if there's a will.

 

Absolutely.

[GGalpin]

This same issue comes up every year and still nothing is done about it.

I would love to know one club in the premiership that gives the away supporter almost half of the goal end where they have its main singing stand next to it.

 

It would be great to merge the northam, kingsland and Itchen behind one goal as it would help us out drown any away support.

 

Yesterday's opponents, for one.

[supersonic]

This same issue comes up every year and still nothing is done about it.

I would love to know one club in the premiership that gives the away supporter almost half of the goal end where they have its main singing stand next to it.

 

It would be great to merge the northam, kingsland and Itchen behind one goal as it would help us out drown any away support.

 

Again, if everyone moved to the Chapel where we always shoot in the second half it would help but with the ignorance of people they won't so we'll keep going round in circles as the club will not, under and circumstances, move the away fans.

[LGTL]

The club should ignore the police, why do they tell us where to put them, it's none of their business. Still, we're a weak club and they'll never be moved.

[Pamplemousse]

Again, if everyone moved to the Chapel where we always shoot in the second half it would help but with the ignorance of people they won't so we'll keep going round in circles as the club will not, under and circumstances, move the away fans.

 

This. Just move to the Chapel end, problem solved.

[LGTL]

Isn't the whole of the Chapel a designated Family Stand now? Something like that would require input from the club and it's just not going to happen. Perhaps someone on that fans board thing could bring it up, hell it can't get any worse at St Mary's.

[Super_Uwe]

Interesting stats from the BBC match report:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/45230640

 

"Southampton have lost 24 points from leading positions in the Premier League since the start of 2017-18, the most of any team currently in the top flight."

"Southampton have won only one of their past 13 Premier League matches at St Mary's (W1 D6 L6)"

 

The first one isn't necessarily home-related, but it goes a long way to explaining fans' frustration at the moment. The second stat highlights just how bad our home form has been.

[alehouseboys]

Build a 2nd tier on top of the Northam and chuck the away fans up the back of that. All done for the same cost as one more record signing failure.

 

That wouldn't solve it, as of this season, a % of the away allocation must include pitchside seating. Unless you're Newcastle United.

[adrian lord]

^ why are Newcastle exempted? Especially given that the away fans are watching from low-earth orbit where they put them!

[obelisk]

That wouldn't solve it, as of this season, a % of the away allocation must include pitchside seating. Unless you're Newcastle United.

Oh yeah. Forgot about that. St Mary's will continue to be visitor friendly then.

[alehouseboys]

^ why are Newcastle exempted? Especially given that the away fans are watching from low-earth orbit where they put them!

 

Newcastle said it wouldn't be safe to relocate away fans so the PL said something like 'oh, OK then, you don't have to'. The Geordies are seen as one of the big clubs so rules are different.

[adrian lord]

Newcastle said it wouldn't be safe to relocate away fans so the PL said something like 'oh, OK then, you don't have to'. The Geordies are seen as one of the big clubs so rules are different.

 

I suspected as much....

[Pamplemousse]

The Premier League should then say that they can't play at St James's Park. I'm sure they'd find a way to put the fans by the pitch in that scenario.

[RedArmy]

Isn't the whole of the Chapel a designated Family Stand now? Something like that would require input from the club and it's just not going to happen. Perhaps someone on that fans board thing could bring it up, hell it can't get any worse at St Mary's.

Not behind the goal any more. Only the corners.

[ladysaint]

Don’t know where to start but fwiw my observations.

1 Get rid of the drum we don’t need it.

2 Bloody clappers are a waste of money luckily we didn’t get them in the Northam yesterday

3 Get some original songs and don’t sing about Pompey all the time who cares about them

4 The music is awful why can’t we play OWTSGMI

5 kids for a quid in the chapel stand

6 The red ring needs to be green again

7 Make the Northam stand safe standing area

[wadesmith]

But the away fans were in the same place when we came top 8 in four consecutive seasons recently?

[Saint Without a Halo]

I agree with you. Atmosphere has been steadily declining at home games as well, 70% of home fans make no noise whatsoever.

Hasn’t really been much to make a noise about in the last two seasons and this one so far to be fair!

[Saint Without a Halo]

Our home form has been horrendous for some time and shows no signs of improving. I can’t help but feel we are just a lovely day out for every other team that comes here;

 

Away fans pride of place, slap bang behind a goal that the opposition shoot towards second half. So often we have a decent first half and then the opposition get some momentum shooting towards there own fans and all hell breaks loose.

 

£20 tickets for all away fans, subsidised by our own ****ing sponsors that not one other team has replicated for us. Gives many teams an improved following - why oh why does anyone think that’s a good idea.

 

Stewards and OB stood on the home side of the divide. Any away game we go to they are always on the side of the away fan. Small point but allows good congregations of them to get behind their team without constant interruption by ****y stewards.

 

As a club we can’t do bugger all about who we’re playing each week but why not make it a bit more of a difficult place to come? We’re too interested in promoting some ‘nice’ image. If we have to keep the away fans where they are, why not attack the Northam 2nd half? Must be better then the morgue like Chapel and prevents momentum building for the away team. Then get rid of the £20 tickets and tell Virgin Media that’s it’s not exactly helping out the team they actually sponsor. Might help reduce the away following. Get OB and stewards in the away end more often, disrupting and generally irritating the away fans like we have to put up with every week.

 

Any other ideas? I know it mostly boils down to 99% of teams being better then us, but we really don’t seem to want to actually help ourselves.

 

You forget that by the sponsor subsidising away fans they are increasing the clubs gate money

Can’t see our lot wanting to stop that? Can you?

[LGTL]

You forget that by the sponsor subsidising away fans they are increasing the clubs gate money

Can’t see our lot wanting to stop that? Can you?

 

Our home form will, eventually, relegate us. I can't see the club caring about a few extra ££ then, can you? And since we are nowhere near as good as a few years ago, we are playing with increasingly fine margins. We need to make it as difficult as possible for the opposition to come here. At the moment, it's a walk in the park on and off the field.

[DuncanRG]

The club should ignore the police, why do they tell us where to put them, it's none of their business. Still, we're a weak club and they'll never be moved.

 

It very much is their business, but ok.

[Red]

As I said elsewhere, we need the White Witch to top up her spell and we'll be fine! Mock all you like, but it worked last time.

[Shandy_Top_89]

While I agree that the atmosphere can be a bit muted at times, I don’t think that we are any different from most PL teams, and given the clubs form at home the atmosphere should be stone dead by now.

 

The atmosphere against Leicester was pretty good until Højbjerg decided to perform his dying swan act and even then it wasn’t silence, more incorrectly directed anger at Jon Moss.

 

I would also say that I’ve found most PL grounds welcoming.

 

I don’t think the atmosphere is so bad that it is is dragging the teams performances down, if anything it would definitely be the other way around.

 

Placing away fans next to our core support helps the atmosphere and I like how we surround them with the Itchen corner, I actually don’t think any movement would help things.

[Micky]

While I agree that the atmosphere can be a bit muted at times, I don’t think that we are any different from most PL teams, and given the clubs form at home the atmosphere should be stone dead by now.

 

The atmosphere against Leicester was pretty good until Højbjerg decided to perform his dying swan act and even then it wasn’t silence, more incorrectly directed anger at Jon Moss.

 

I would also say that I’ve found most PL grounds welcoming.

 

I don’t think the atmosphere is so bad that it is is dragging the teams performances down, if anything it would definitely be the other way around.

 

Placing away fans next to our core support helps the atmosphere and I like how we surround them with the Itchen corner, I actually don’t think any movement would help things.

This. Our fans are retired, with their kids, don't want to sing....! FFS what bollux.

 

Our fans are the same as every other teams fans. In fact, given the dross that has been served up over the past season, our fans deserve a lot of credit. If you were at the Bournemouth, Swansea or City games at the end of last season then I don't know how you can't see our fans deserve a lot of credit.

 

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[Mr Brightside]

Probably been said before, but why can’t we give the away fans less than the required allocation rather than more and add block 43 to the home end?

[Saint-Fred]

Yesterday's opponents, for one.

 

Unless they have moved the away fans since I last went, Leicester have the away fans in the corner and to the side, not behind the goal.

[team-saint]

Almost all of this has been true for years and yet in the past we have had good home form, for example:

 

2013-14: W8 D6 L5 F32 A23

2014-15: W11 D4 L4 F37 A13

2015-16: W11 D3 L5 F39 A22

 

It is basically just the players and management that have got worse

[Griffo]

Unfortunately the club is f*cked and it's going to take a relegation to sort it out. I'm not talking financially or even particularly on the pitch, but the fanbase.

 

We have without doubt one of the most subdued and passionless supports in the league now. We have clappers, a middle-class silent 90% of the stadium, neutrals and away fans sitting all round our ground and a club who seem to want to ban anyone who goes against the grain and show a bit of passion. The club are more interested in becoming a virtue signalling brand supporting LGBT, refugees etc and soon we'll give a block away to transvestites and have gender neutral toilets so the club can show everyone how forward thinking they are.

 

This may not necessarily be a bad thing for many people, but if you look round at the people around you at an away game, there is a serious lack of young males. The demographic is much similar to that of a theatre crowd, so it's no wonder we make no noise whatsoever. The problem is a lot more deep rooted than where the away end is positioned or where the stewards stand.

 

For many I know the attraction of going to football has been lost completely and many don't bother. There's more to football than discussing 'net spend' and moaning about transfers like the majority of our fans now do.

[whelk]

Unfortunately the club is f*cked and it's going to take a relegation to sort it out. I'm not talking financially or even particularly on the pitch, but the fanbase.

 

We have without doubt one of the most subdued and passionless supports in the league now. We have clappers, a middle-class silent 90% of the stadium, neutrals and away fans sitting all round our ground and a club who seem to want to ban anyone who goes against the grain and show a bit of passion. The club are more interested in becoming a virtue signalling brand supporting LGBT, refugees etc and soon we'll give a block away to transvestites and have gender neutral toilets so the club can show everyone how forward thinking they are.

 

This may not necessarily be a bad thing for many people, but if you look round at the people around you at an away game, there is a serious lack of young males. The demographic is much similar to that of a theatre crowd, so it's no wonder we make no noise whatsoever. The problem is a lot more deep rooted than where the away end is positioned or where the stewards stand.

 

For many I know the attraction of going to football has been lost completely and many don't bother. There's more to football than discussing 'net spend' and moaning about transfers like the majority of our fans now do.

 

I’ve fought hard not to get old but to no avail. Mates are the same and still go too.

 

I fear your memory may be deluding in thinking it used to be a hotbed of noise though. We have never been the best.

 

Agree though fcking stupid subsidising away fans. Although sRe not many make the journey just cos they save a tenner.

 

We could shut away support up by hammering them on the pitch.

[benjii]

Unfortunately the club is f*cked and it's going to take a relegation to sort it out. I'm not talking financially or even particularly on the pitch, but the fanbase.

 

We have without doubt one of the most subdued and passionless supports in the league now. We have clappers, a middle-class silent 90% of the stadium, neutrals and away fans sitting all round our ground and a club who seem to want to ban anyone who goes against the grain and show a bit of passion. The club are more interested in becoming a virtue signalling brand supporting LGBT, refugees etc and soon we'll give a block away to transvestites and have gender neutral toilets so the club can show everyone how forward thinking they are.

 

This may not necessarily be a bad thing for many people, but if you look round at the people around you at an away game, there is a serious lack of young males. The demographic is much similar to that of a theatre crowd, so it's no wonder we make no noise whatsoever. The problem is a lot more deep rooted than where the away end is positioned or where the stewards stand.

 

For many I know the attraction of going to football has been lost completely and many don't bother. There's more to football than discussing 'net spend' and moaning about transfers like the majority of our fans now do.

 

Classic Griffo

 

(although some truth in there)

[alehouseboys]

Probably been said before, but why can’t we give the away fans less than the required allocation rather than more and add block 43 to the home end?

 

I'd imagine there's a collective sigh seeing this asked again but there are rules (that most of us have to adhere to). For league games the hosting club must offer 10% of the capacity up to a maximum 3,000 for larger stadiums and which includes Block 43 at St Mary's (some clubs offer slightly more due to segregation issues, ie. us). For cup games it's 15%.

 

We rarely have cause these days to make Block 43 available to home fans as displayed when the visitors chose to take a lower allocation and it becomes possible. We're gradually hemorrhaging support these days rather than growing it.

[pluto]

Many of the atmosphere comments made really only get mentioned when the football is bad on the pitch !

 

Fans were not talking about it when Koeman / Poch / Adkins were around.

 

Its a good point though about our sponsor subsidizing the visitor tickets, which has seen at some games more away fans than before.

 

 

I just hate the 'fake' atmosphere that has now seen tens of thousands of pounds wasted on folded bits of card, when fans should be using their mouths and hands.

[Griffo]

Many of the atmosphere comments made really only get mentioned when the football is bad on the pitch !

 

Fans were not talking about it when Koeman / Poch / Adkins were around.

 

Its a good point though about our sponsor subsidizing the visitor tickets, which has seen at some games more away fans than before.

 

 

I just hate the 'fake' atmosphere that has now seen tens of thousands of pounds wasted on folded bits of card, when fans should be using their mouths and hands.

 

These are the sort of things that the fans forum should be used for. It is not for a club to decide how its fans should make noise. Clappers, some tw*t dressed up as a dog banging a drum. It's completely fake. Cheaper tickets, safe standing, better concessions pricing etc would allow us to create our own atmosphere, it'll never work and never does when a club tries to impose fake Americanised crap on its fans.

[Pamplemousse]

When's the next fan panel meeting?

[LGTL]

I'd imagine there's a collective sigh seeing this asked again but there are rules (that most of us have to adhere to). For league games the hosting club must offer 10% of the capacity up to a maximum 3,000 for larger stadiums and which includes Block 43 at St Mary's (some clubs offer slightly more due to segregation issues, ie. us). For cup games it's 15%.

 

We rarely have cause these days to make Block 43 available to home fans as displayed when the visitors chose to take a lower allocation and it becomes possible. We're gradually hemorrhaging support these days rather than growing it.

 

We have to offer 3000. We offer a maximum allocation of 3300 just to get a few extra quid. Typical Saints.

[LGTL]

I’ll add too that this thread wasn’t meant to be a swipe at our support. It’s largely middle aged, passionless and full of idiots and me posting about that on this forum won’t change it. It’s more geared towards the clubs attitude towards home/away supporters and it’s incosistencies with other clubs.

[Cabbage_Face]

Get that witch Strachan used to release the curse! Also our “atmosphere” and “songs” are horrid.

 

 

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[Charlie Wayman]

Considering we’ve only won one home game this year I thought our support was pretty good yesterday. Of course the ground emptied when they scored, but that’s par for the course.

 

Nothing will change, footballs changed forever. Grounds aren’t as atmospheric as they used to be, and never will be again. There maybe the odd special occasion when it’s rocking, but week in week out it’s gone.

 

 

 

 

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Do you think it might have something to do with the total imbalance of the premier league in finances and player quality and the fact that 14 clubs have no hope of winning anything anymore or even attracting even half-decent players?

 

The romantic ideal of any competition is that you are in it to win it but quite evidently at least 14 clubs including us are just making up the numbers in the PL. In the Championship for example you can win it and there's the goal and incentive that players and fans need. In the PL there is nothing, it is hard for anybody to get excited about finishing 7th, squabbling over that 'honour' with the likes of Leicester, Everton & Burnley!

 

We are not in it to win it as we cannot possibly win it (or even get close) so what exactly are we in it for so what exactly are fans supposed to get excited about. The surprise to me is that so many turn up week after week but surely the situation is unsustainable and gradually the habit of watching what is now on offer as entertainment will lose its appeal.