If results go our way on Saturday we could find ourselves second in the Premier league if we beat Fulham in the evening kick off, there should be a buzz going round about this game, but there isn't ! Yet !

If Saints beat Fulham they cant catch Arsenal, whatever the Gunners result against Palace at Selhurst Park, but they could leapfrog Liverpool into second if the Anfield team lose at home to West Brom, the chances of that happening aren't great, but even if the Reds get a win, Saints would still sit in the heady heights of third on Saturday night if they despatch the Cottagers.

Chelsea are hosting Man City on Sunday with Spurs playing Hull so our sojourn in the top three probably would only last a day, but we would still be guaranteed fifth place and that would be a hell of an achievement whatever way you look at it.

So why are there seats available for the visit of Fulham on Saturday, OK its a 5.15 kick off and a Sky game buts that's no excuse, in fact its a chance for a lot of the people who play on a Saturday to watch the team so in fact the potential for a big crowd increase not the other way round.

Put bluntly and I know I have said this many times before, how much more do some Saints supporters want from this side before they put their hands in their pockets, only 1 defeat in 8 games, conceding only 3 goals and 6th in the league, not to mention a draw at Old Trafford and this the chance to make it three in a row at home.

Saints supporters need to create the buzz, forward this on to their friends, encourage people to buy tickets and go I want to see us third and the more that are there to roar us on to do it the better, there has been much said this week about how Nicola Cortese has built this club in the past four years, now the supporters have to show that they want it just as badly, how must the Chairman fell when he thinks of the money he has invested in the team, how well its done, but then sees a few thousand empty seats, at this rate the average crowd is going to go down from last year and that's wrong.

Today on the message board I have had accusations of negativity thrown at me because I have suggested things about our performance at Manchester united etc, so now im going to be positive, lets fill St Mary's on Saturday, lets encourage all our Saints supporting mates who cant be bothered going at this point to think again and get along and support the team.

So if you are reading this through Facebook or Twitter, forward it on to every Saints fan you know, create your own posts on social network, lets all be pro active and help get those seats filled.

Let me say this again "Saints can go third in the league if they beat Fulham guaranteed" how much more encouragement do people need !

Photo: Action Images

st_mike added 19:57 - Oct 22 Well said - completely agree Nick.
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saintmark1976 added 22:53 - Oct 22 As I have posted before Nick,in my opinion the problem is not one of lack of desire to support the Saints.The problem is one of costs. If I have read the official web site correctly the lowest adult full price ticket for this match costs £37. Quite simply we have reached a tipping point where fans are unable to keep shelling out this type of money on a regular basis. So what do they do? They watch the match on T V and save not only the cost of the ticket but also the cost of travel and refreshment. The Saints (and other Premier League clubs)will soon have to accept that the days of ever increasing ticket prices are over or suffer continued falling attendances. A fact that some clubs (but it would appear not the Saints) have already grasped by reducing their ticket prices for away supporters.

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winchesterbob added 09:04 - Oct 23 Sadly Nick I am on a three-line whip to my daughters 30th Birthday party and the late kick-off means I can’t be there. I have to say that I am gutted to have to surrender my season ticket to my mate for the game, especially as there is a fantastic band in the Richmond Arms, Portswood road, after the match at which we can continue the party!!
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SaintNick added 09:40 - Oct 23 St mark, you are right about the ticket prices, but to be fair they are not much dearer than they were a year ago when we were getting bigger crowds at the bottom of the league than we are this season near the top, as you say the issue is the cost and it needs to be addressed
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bstokesaint added 12:28 - Oct 23 I couldn't agree more Nick that it's sad we can't fill our ground. It makes me emotional when I see and hear a full St Mary’s. I don't think it's not for the love of the club though, as others have stated ticket prices are a huge factor, particularly for televised games. Selfishly speaking I only have to worry about my own ticket, as my wife and her dad have season tickets and my little ones are a few years from being old enough to go. I often look at big families at matches and wonder how they can afford all the games. We might be coming out of a recession, but football seems to be blindly ignorant of that fact. Players want bigger wages regardless and this filters down to ticket prices. In my personal opinion, particularly for televised fixtures, a large amount of tickets should be handed out cheaply to schools in the area. The reduced income from gates will largely be covered by television money, and the impact of having lots of enthusiastic children at the games, is we produce the next generation of Southampton fans, as opposed to Liverpool and Man U and all those other local teams. What's more children create noise and that's what we want. If SFC give something out they’ll get it back in years to come. I’d like to think the next generation will more than fill the ground and we’ll get that 40,000+ extension and rail link that Rupert Lowe used to talk about.

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GeordieSaint added 12:30 - Oct 23 That £37 doesn't include the £2.50 PER TICKET booking fee on the phone. Last time I went I booked 5 tickets. £12.50 for ringing a company and buying their product in a 2 min phone call leaves a bitter taste in the mouth. However, third would be amazing.
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Chesham_Saint added 13:50 - Oct 23 £37 is a liberty. Against that this is the highest and most positive Saints have been Since the Channon and Keegan era. I say make the most of it and go as it may not last.
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BoondockSaint added 14:20 - Oct 23 bstokesaint has an important point: cheap tickets for children is good business. They can't go alone, so you get a parent in at full price. Once inside, they spend money on food, refreshment, and souvenirs (although a better looking kit would help there). Years ago Garth Brooks was being praised for not raising his ticket prices like other acts, he said( I paraphrase)"Save your thanks, it's good business. I make money from tickets and merchandise at the show. I can't make money on people who are outside, you have to get them in the seats to do that". Plus, as bstokesaint says, you are developing future fans, who will then bring their children. For a club that's supposed to be "run like a business" our marketing needs work!

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Whatsforpud added 18:35 - Oct 23 In Sky's commentary, They seldom make any comment about empty seating, probably because they are one of the factors in causing it. It certainly doesn't look good showing empty seats at St. Mary's. It's a pity that the most consistently filled stand, the Kingsland, is not seen on TV as that's where the cameras are. Whatever the reasons are for people not filling the ground, it is for sure disappointing to be averaging under 30k after such a good start.

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