Surprisingly the game against FC Midtjylland on Thursday evening is far from looking like a sell out.

Last season Saints worked hard all season with the aim being to qualify for Europe either by finishing in the top four and getting in the Champions League or by our highest finish since 1985 and winning a place in the Europa League, in the end we would fall just short of that, however the 7th place we did achieve was still our best since 1990 when we finished in the same spot in what was then still called Division One.

Times in general have been hard since those days and in the 25 years we have mainly seen seasons of if not always struggle certainly mid table mediocrity with the only real season of what could be termed success being in 2003 when we reached the FA Cup Final and achieved 8th in the Premier League.

So last season was our most successful since 1985 in terms of what we achieved with the exception of 2003 as back in 1990 there was no European places for English clubs due to our ban for Europe.

So last season was seen as one of triumph for Southampton Football Club, it was one of fighting adversity and coming through stronger after Katharina Liebherr had to wrest back control of her own football club and truly make it the club her Father had hoped it would become.

Therefore it didn't matter that we had got into the Europa League through the back door, qualification for it was another step forward, it put the name of the club back on the lips of World Football and it certainly has enabled us to sign or try to sign a far better quality of player than we could perhaps a year or two ago.

In 2010 the Johnstones Paint Trophy win was a sign that the club was back from the brink and no Saints fan can forget the sight of Markus Liebherr that day, sadly he was not to see much more of us, but his name lives on in Katharina and this seasons Europa League campaign perhaps like Wembley in 2010 is the next sign that we are back where we belong.

This being the case it is sad to see that St Mary's looks set to be far from full for the visit of FC Midtjylland on Thursday and it is surprising given that 30,850 attended the last round against Vitesse.

A quick look at the online ticketing system shows that there are sill plenty of seats available, I would say that we are heading for a crowd of around 23-24k looking at what has been sold so far.

Given that the fact that an adult ticket is only £15 and that under 17's are only £5 and under 11's only £1 I would have thought that like the last round St Mary's would be rammed.

Of course some have genuine excuses, but if we as supporters want to see the club progress then that means backing it with full houses and on this occasion price cannot be given as an excuse, personally I want to see Saints keep moving forward and I ant to see us challenge the best and win trophies but If we want Katharina Liebherr to put her hands in her pocket, then so should we be prepared to do the same.

Many talk of wanting to see the stadium expanded, they talk of thousands out these who would flock to St Mary's if it was bigger and the price was right and its games like this that show Katharina and her board that they are right and the support is there for a bigger ground, unfortunately swathes of empty seats for a game like this send a different message and that is the time is not right for expansion.

Hopefully there will be a late surge in the next couple of days and those unsold seats will be filled, after all there are many reasons why Saints supporters should be there to back their team, firstly the price is right and secondly and perhaps more importantly, this is a vital game, perhaps FC Midtjylland are not in as big a League as Vitesse or as well known, but they are probably a better side.

Fom eople I have spoke to there seems to be an attitude that qualification for the group stages is a formality and that thy are saving themselves for that, that could turn out to be a big mistake.

Saints supporters have been waiting many years for the good times to truly return at the highest levels, they are here now why are some now missing them.

Photo: Action Images

Shano added 10:46 - Aug 18 Dam.. being in Australia I'm so envious of those Saints fans who can get to the games.. I just have to watch on tv from afar.. If I was there I'd be at the games with bells on and drag the wife along too..
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Olley added 10:57 - Aug 18 This should come as no surprise, look at the [plastic] fans departure on Sat when the 3rd goal went in, I thought I can't of heard the fire alarm, and this is something unfortunately we have seen, as we dropped own the leagues in the past or when we are on a suposedly ban run, to be honest we have about 15K real fans and the rest go with the wind
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BUCK added 10:57 - Aug 18 Got my ticket. Saints will cruise this again and I'm going for 4 nil. Bet of the season saints to win to nil.
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helpineedsomebody added 11:02 - Aug 18 becouse you are not allowed to sell beer on the night thats why hang on yes you can have a beer if you go in the corperate area as for the stadium expansion i would love to see st marys expanded if they can spend 40 mil on the training ground which i dont think they have, why when next season epl money will double how & where will they spend this huge amount of money. sorrey i know im going off the subject this dof wants to produce 5/6 players for the 1st team in the coming years that will never happen . the only team i know that did this was man utd in 1990 yes thats 25 years ago.

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saintsnutcase added 11:07 - Aug 18 I am not a plastic fan but not am I that interested in the Europa League in the early stages. I think it will just damage us in the Prem, and we can t afford that. You can t make fans be interested in games against teams they have never heard of!
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JGH added 11:08 - Aug 18 I would love to go but live in London and have a proper job. I went to the Vitesse game but can't keep chinning off work to go to football. I know that you only value season ticket holders who walk to the ground via the pub every weekend but don't think that the rest of us who can't commit the same amount of time don't care just as much as you... I know this isn't the Sunday Times and I'm sorry to be anal but please start using the spell check on you PC Nick! Your articles are great but the awful grammar/spelling is so easily avoided!

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jazzdougan added 11:33 - Aug 18 I would have a season ticket if I didn't work every weekend. But always try to make the midweek games. However, I always used to make it a get-together with friends who I hadn't seen for a while as we all live away from Southampton. Unlike me, they're not saints fans but are very fond of them and used to enjoy watching them and cheering them on. But the introduction of individual membership fees has taken it too far and they no longer come. That's just one reason saints are 5 sort during midweek games. I'll still be there tho!

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Ddobsy added 11:39 - Aug 18 I've bought tickets but can't make the game. Like an earlier post I have to take time off work to make mid week games. Still having the ticket will hopefully secure my qualification for later rounds if we get there. August is always difficult to fill stadiums due to vacation and for many back to school costs. It's a shame because I too share the dream of 40k watching every week, even at £10 a ticket. Stadium expansion will have to wait it seems.

2

mesquita added 11:52 - Aug 18 I live in Portugal and my son in Denmark, we bought tickets even though we cannot go, gave them to friends, went to Arnhem have tickets for away game (home areas). I think that we will find this round really difficult, They've won every game but one and do not let in goals, our fans are needed on Thursday
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legod7 added 11:57 - Aug 18 How can anyone call himself saintsnutcase and not be interested in the Europa League in the early stages.The early stages of the competition is when the club needs the fans backing the most. Winning these 2 qualifying rounds will ensure we qualify for the more lucrative group stages. So I assume saintsnutcase would only want to finish 8th every season and not qualify for Europe because if we are in Europe it will distract us from trying to finish 8th the next season. Unbelievable.

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Zambucco added 12:23 - Aug 18 As mentioned before, plastic fans, when we played Vitesse we were ona good winning streak. As we haven't started so well in the Premiership, they're not that interested. I can see to a certain extent, that this game isn't seen as 'big' possibly due to the fact that not many will have heard of FC Midtjylland. Similarly a Capital One tie against Dagenham & Redbridge would not attract a sell out crowd? I'll be there, in full voice #COYR #WeMarchOn

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saintsnutcase added 12:53 - Aug 18 Hi legod7 there is nothing lucrative about the Europa League at any stage!
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DPeps added 13:09 - Aug 18 Just to add my own excuse... I live 150miles away and the attraction of watching the match on the tellybox is just too great I'm afraid. If that makes me a bad fan then so be it. I think they will provide much tougher opposition than Vitesse, so we need to start well. No passengers on the pitch this time please
0

Justin33 added 13:20 - Aug 18 If I could I'd love to watch the match. My first...but the flight ticket from Singapore would kill me (most expensive football ticket ever!)
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dirk_doone added 13:44 - Aug 18 The crowd should be around 25,000, which I believe will be the biggest gate Midtylland have played in front of in their entire history. There are very few teams in Europe who could attract such a big crowd against the minnows of Midtylland. There were only 17,200 at Eastlands when Man City played them in the UEFA Cup.
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SaintBrock added 15:59 - Aug 18 Well, I'm going and really looking forward to it. Shame 'though if the ground is half empty as it was for Espanyol - no atmosphere at all. Unlike some, I enjoy seeing new teams at SMS with a different style of play. It is disrespectful to think they are only minnows, they're in the same cup as us at the same stage and on the night it'll be XI v XI Saxons v Vikings. We have a few old scores to settle!

2

legod7 added 16:19 - Aug 18 So as I said previously how can you can yourself saintsnutcase if you don't want them to finish as high up the league as possible. So 8th position will be ok for you every season.
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ItchenNorth added 16:26 - Aug 18 It's a rubbish competition and we are playing a team hardly anyone has heard of; that's the real reason ticket sales are slow. If it was a big team, fans would find a way to make it alright. I'm going Thursday but it's hardly a match to get excited about. I'm just hoping to see the new players given more game time to gel and use this game to build on for the next Prem game

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Olley added 16:35 - Aug 18 Legod7 is spot on, so saintsnutcase you want to have a good season and win nothing [no cup runs, they damage league form], and don't come higher than eighth, or you will need to do European competitions, so you would have said that if we were in place of ManU tonight in the CL qualifier!!!!, when at one stage last season there was a small chance we might make 4th....
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REEDYREEDOREEDZ added 16:42 - Aug 18 A poor start to the Premiership season hasn't helped ticket sales. I think if we'd beaten Everton 3-0 then Thursday would be a sell out. There were a lot of disappointed fans on Saturday.
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saintsnutcase added 19:04 - Aug 18 I completely agree with Itchen North. Also we have already lost Clasie for several matches because of the Europa. Can we afford that?
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gpsgm added 20:32 - Aug 18 To say there is nothing lucrative about Europa at any stage is a questionable statement. OK you might only get 1-2m euros from the Euro-pot plus game revenue but how about the strengthening of Saints profile across Europe and the benefits that gives commercially and in attracting players with ambitions to get into the CL? Shirt sales in Denmark could go through the roof after the play-offs !!!

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saintsnutcase added 21:35 - Aug 18 Gpsgm Once you have taken into account the extra squad members needed for the Europa, it will definitely not pay for itself unless we get into the semis or thereabouts. Of course I would love us to win it but...
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legod7 added 22:50 - Aug 18 So nutcase it's an ok competition if we make the semis but not before. As a matter of interest are you going on Thursday or are you waiting and hoping we get knocked out early so that we can concentrate on coming 8th in league
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Dperc added 06:56 - Aug 19 This article and comments thread is embarrassing. "Of course some have genuine excuses" - sorry, who are these people excusing themselves to exactly? It's this mentality and the heroes who bang on about plastics who have let ticket prices run out of control. Mindlessly going to every game regardless, so they can pat each other on the back and scream "Southampton till I die" with veins popping in their necks and, away from the stadium, questioning the validity of online forum usernames if people don't meet their expectations of fandom. However, there are varying levels of commitment that fans want to put in. There are also plenty of others who prioritise other things like family, friends, work and financial security. When we do sell out both of these fans will be there. That's just the way it is, and will be for a while. Converting these fans in to STH's takes longer than a few seasons in the Prem, so yes the board are absolutely right not to increase the stadium capacity for a while. We're not as big as the egos of the die-hards yet. Also, you can't simply single out the cost for this one game, when many will have forked out £40+ on Saturday too. The Vittesse game was an earlier round, but against a better known side and more importantly the return of European football for us. Focus on the positives. If we get a Thursday night European gate of 25000 (televised) against a side most of us don't even know how to pronounce, that's a pretty good step forward for me. But then what do I know, I'm only a plastic...

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