x

Saints Season Ticket Deadline Is This Saturday !

One thing that hasn't been changed in the new administration is the fact that bizarrely season ticket sales are ending long before the season actually starts.

The deadline for new season ticket sales for the 2014/15 season ends this Saturday July 12th, after that no more season ticket applications will be accepted.

Given the trauma of the last couple of months and the fact that the feelgood factor of the Ronald Koeman era is yet to kick in, I think there is a strong case for the club to re think their strategy on this one and at least extend the deadline.

If a football club wants to build up a hard core of support that means that it is less reliant on form on the pitch and one off events for increases/decreases in crowds then it is essential that it has a strong core of season ticket holders.

The reality of the situation is that Brighton have more season ticket holders than us for the coming season and they have achieved this through not only competitive pricing but spreading the cost making it easy to be a Brighton season ticket holder and making it harder not to let the ticket go, as instead of renewing each year you have to effectively resign your position as it renews automatically.

So for Saints to shut down sales some six weeks before the first home game of the season is baffling, surely we would want to use this period to not only encourage a few who haven't taken up their ticket from last season to renew, but also to attract new supporters to a season ticket, something that might well happen as Saints make some hopefully exciting new signings.

Our old Chairman was not keen on season tickets, he apparently could not see why Saints should want to sell a ticket cheaper to a supporter just because they were willing to pay for it well in advance, he thought that the privilege of having the same seat should have been enough.

Saints are now going through choppy waters, some supporters bailed at the first sign of a crisis, perhaps most in a knee jerk reaction, in the coming weeks many will start to see the Koeman era building, we should give them every opportunity to come back and commit to every home game.

Over the first two seasons in the Premier league our commercial income was well below just about every other club, breaching that gap is not going to be easy, what business turns away customers who are willing to commit to buying its services for the next year and pay now, I can't think of many offhand.

So come on Southampton Football Club, a new era is about to begin, lets try to get as many fans as possible there to witness it.

What to read next:

Southampton V Brighton The Preview
Saints travel along the South Coast to take on the Seagulls, with even their own supporters not holding out much hope of anything other than yet another defeat where we have been the architects of our own downfall.
A Rough Guide To Brighton
A Friday night away for Southampton fans, but at least it is a close one, however on the downside it makes it virtually impossible to get there and back on public transport on the same day.
Southampton Will Recall One Player But Send Another To Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Rohl spent time at St Mary's and there are those Saints fans who would not be unhappy to see him back, but in the meantime it looks like it could be a recall for one Saints player but another going in the other direction in January.
The Amex Stadium - A Visitors Guide
Our friends at the Brighton & Hove Albion Supporters Club have sent us a very informative guide to having a good visit to the Amex Stadium, at least off the pitch anyway.
Southampton V Liverpool The Verdict
A performance from Saints that veered from one end of the spectrum to the other, but ultimately a battling performance was ruined by all 3 goals being gifted to Liverpool in one shape or form.
Southampton 2 - 3 Liverpool - Player Ratings and Reports
If you saw the match, please give us your player ratings and a mini match report.
Will Saints Be Cast Adrift At The Bottom Before They Kick A Ball This Weekend
The Premier League table does not make good viewing unless you turn it upside down, Southampton are rock bottom 2 points adrift from the team above and 4 points off Ipswich 4th from bottom, so will that gap be worse before we kick off on Sunday.
Southampton V Liverpool The Preview
Usually the visit of Liverpool to The Dell & St Mary's was something that Saints fans looked forward to in the calendar, it was a game that often threw up a shock result for the home side, but as we go into the latest clash with the Merseyside men, there seems little hope of that this year.
Return Dates Set For Injured Southampton Duo Ramsdale And Bednarek
If you thought that things couldn't get worse for Russell Martin after the defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers, then think again, injuries to two key players in the past fortnight have added to his woes.
Do Southampton Need To Recall Bella-Kotchap For Liverpool Clash
With Jan Bednarek seemingly set to miss his first Premier League game of the season, Saints are struggling for central defenders to take on the League leaders Liverpool at St Mary's, is it time to bring in a player out of the cold.