Sometimes when you read social media surrounding Southampton FC you would think that the Saints supporters are deserting their team in droves and an air of anger & negativity regarding regarding both the club & Sport Republic, but ticket sales do not seem to reflect this.

Of course no one was happy with Saints getting relegated, but when you support a football team, you have to take the rough with the smooth, 15 years ago we were certainly taking the rough and for a while things looked desperate, but a core of 20,000 supporters kept going to matches and that grew as we moved up the leagues again.

The perception is that back in 2009 everything became rosy again with immediate effect after the arrival of Markus Liebherr, the reality though was different, we started the season with a 10 point deduction, given the amount of money we were spending back then in relative terms compared to the other teams in the division, we really should have at least made the play offs and been promoted through that channel.

But we started the season badly and were always playing catch up, a late rally meant that after the 10 point deduction we finished 7 points short of the play offs, we paid the price for not winning until our 8th League game and only taking 9 points from our first 10 games.

Truth is in 2009/10 we underachieved big time, the fact that Markus has saved the club sweetened the blow and add to that the Johnstone Paints Trophy win at Wembley, it makes that season seem a success and not a failure.

But a failure it was, it took time for the new regime to turn things around and get promotion and indeed in 2010/11 we started just as badly, 9 points in our first 9 games and only in the 10th when we beat Bournemouth at St Mary's did we start to get going.

We moved forward and prospered back then because the supporters got behind the team and more to the point they gave the owners a chance to turn things around and get things right.

The other perception is that the Saints fans were right behind Markus Liebherr from day one and packed St Mary's whilst it is true that 50,000 went to Wembley for the JPT, in the League it was different, the average at St Mary's was 20,982, just 3,000 up on the previous season that saw us relegated from the Championship, even in 2010/11 when we stormed to promotion it was only a slight increase to 22,161.

That was less than the average in our first season after relegation from the Premier League in 2005, our first season in the Championship saw an average of 23,614, a drop of almost exactly 7,000 supporters, of course you have to factor in larger away supports in the premier League, but it was still a big drop.

But this season it seems to be different, although on social media it seems that it is all doom and gloom around St Mary's, the supporter base seems to be rallying around.

When it was announced that Sheffield Wednesday away in the opening game would be televised on a Friday night, I thought we would be lucky to get 1,000 fans travel, so I was shocked when we quickly sold out the initial 2,400 allocation and now with extra tickets we are approaching 3,000 supporters backing us in Yorkshire.

Back to 2005 and we played Wednesday at Hillsborough in the 3rd game of the season in the Championship, the first away game on a Saturday, we won 1-0 with Kenwyne Jones scoring, there were barely 1,000 Saints fans up there on that day to see it.

It is not just the away support that is staying loyal, it seems the home supporters as well are keeping the faith, reports say that we have sold more season tickets this year than we did last, a look at the online ticket site for the visit of Norwich City next week suggests that there are only around 3,000 tickets available in the home sections, given that Norwich have a good away support that could see a gate of around 28,000 for this game, around 4,000 more than saw our season opener in 2005 against Wolves.

So it seems that whilst some on social media work hard to drag up something negative to talk about, the bulk of Saints supporters are quietly getting on with not only supporting the team, but also giving Sport Republic the chance to put things right.

So why is our support increasing when it would be natural that it decrease, my thought is that it is due to returning Saints supporters, back in the 2009 there was a hardcore of 20,000 or so fans, that gradually increased in our two promotion seasons, but as the second Premier League era wore on many of the fans who had followed the team through thick and thin in League One and the Championship drifted off, disillusioned with the Premier League and all that surrounds it, they lost interest.

I would say that by about 2018 the demographic of the home support had changed, perhaps only 10,000 of the 2009-12 era still remained and they had been replaced by not only the younger generation coming through, but by those who were attracted by Premier League football.

I often speak to people who went to virtually every game in the 2009-2012 years but haven't set foot in St Mary's for 5 years or more.

Bizarrely some of them have bought season tickets at St Mary's for the coming season !

No it seems that a sizable chunk of them are returning and not only that but we are not losing last season's support in the numbers we did 18 years ago when we last were relegated from the Premier League.

So it seems that a lot of our supporters feel that there are a lot of positives surrounding Southampton FC, that we can bounce back to the Premier League, that yes relegation was a blow and mistakes were made along the way, but that is true of everything in life, that mistakes do not have to be terminal, that they can be rectified.

They also see the reality of the situation, in my opinion the Premier League cannot survive in it's present form, certainly the Saudi Arabian Super league could rival it as a major force due to the money being thrown at it, a European Super League, even a World Super League is inevitable.

That being the case, clubs such as Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United etc will re brand themselves as not members of the Premier League, but the European Super league etc.

Football will change and although it will be tough initially for the rest of us and the money will drop, perhaps the surge in ticket sales at St Mary's suggests that the appetite is there for those that want the experience of being in the stadium and supporting their team.

We all used to be just football fans. now we are split into those that go to games and those that watch on TV, the televised audience is the most lucrative as Saudi Arabia are about to start to prove.

So this season could be a good one for Southampton FC, perhaps it won't be as good as we all hope, but it seems that a lot of Saints fans are positive about it and going to enjoy supporting their team, watching football should be enjoyable, watching your team and supporting it whether you win or lose, every defeat does not have to be doom and gloom, we need to all get back to enjoying football for what it is and not frothing at the mouth.

For those that disagree and feel that Sport Republic have to go, then there is always the option of protesting outside St Mary's, but that is perhaps too old school and Social Media offer a far better and effort free alternative,

Photo: Action Images

Peterx added 10:48 - Jul 31 There is a certain amount of appeal to winning more games in a season no matter what the level.
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Boris1977 added 11:04 - Jul 31 Good article Nick and it is curious that despite Sports Republic contributing to our relegation with some very strange managerial appointments, scatter gun approach to player purchase and other questionable decisions at crucial moments we know they wont be around forever and Saints is our club not theirs. I think you are partially correct that people are bored/fed up/disillusioned with the premiership I think (speaking from my own point of view) they/we were fed up with frustratingly limited football and the predicable way we'd lose games and the strange player selection by all 3 managers last season. The club was considered to have lost it's way and identity and is struggling to get that back. At the time of Saint Markus arriving as Saints we'd come out of an avoidable administration and so we were relieved to just have a club. That is no longer enough. We want a club that we can be proud of - which over the last 3 years we have not experienced and finishing bottom of a weak league was the predictable outcome of 3 seasons of questionable ownership decisions. Sports Republic's specialise in running teams in the lower leagues of European football and that is where they have put us. Where we go from here who knows but I support the club rather than the charlatans who own the club and when Sports Direct get bored of their reductive way of running our club I'll still support Saints regardless of who pays the wages COYRs

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Boris1977 added 11:11 - Jul 31 My prediction of how Sports Republic's ownership will end would leave me open to accusations of negativity but when that day comes I cannot imagine they will have much choice in having to sell up. I just hope the club's position is salvageable when it happens.
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JoeEgg added 11:28 - Jul 31 "So why is our support increasing when it would be natural that it decrease" Almost all relegated Premier League clubs have witnessed the same expereince. As Peterx says - it might just be something to do with the fact that we might actually see our team WIN a game!!
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davenbennett added 11:40 - Jul 31 Relegation has meant selling, ot trying g to, our best players. I can never forgive SR for forcing KWP out. Even worse if goes to West Ham! We still don't have a striker. Both Adams, and AA have good past records in the Cship. But just don't look like scoring now. The style of football under Martin needs lots of goals, as we will let in loads. Swansea fans say they could have 85% of the ball, lose it, and let in after 3 or 4 passes in a quick counter attack. If sell Tino, KWP, Lavia, Tella, JWP, Sulemane, can't see promotion.

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SanMarco added 11:57 - Jul 31 Social media is an echo-chamber for the angry and the dishonest - some of those 'Saints fans' aren't even Saints fans. It is always interesting to talk about fan numbers over the years. So many variables. It is interesting for me that in the season Nick highlights I was 48 and my Dad was 72 with a dodgy hip. We went to games but less than we used to. Now I am 62 with a dodgy knee and go to less games while my Dad is 86 and can't really go at all. So 'generational replacement' is an issue - I have no kids so no Saints fans to replace us. My feeling is that we do have a lot more away fans as a rule than back in my heyday of the 1980s. I remember a wet day at Sunderland for a 3pm k/o in the second place 83-84 season where we had about 50 huddled in the away end - I bet we get many, many times that this season in a division lower and a team without Shilton, Williams, Danny Wallace, Moran etc!!!

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Monksway added 11:58 - Jul 31 I'm looking forward to the season whatever it brings, at least we won't be cannon fodder for the super rich clubs and their sycophantic media. Hopefully we will score more goals and win more matches than over the last few years. PL survival isn't much of an exciting aspiration for the supporters even if it is for the owners and players.
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robhythe added 13:26 - Jul 31 Good article Nick ! It is fascinating how the support changes ! It is a fact that negative people are more likely to comment on social media in all subjects ! The last game of the season against Liverpool was a really positive atmosphere at st Mary's and nearly everyone stood to stand up if you love the saints ! Even klopp was surprised with our support ! Looking forward to the new season ! With be a tough start though

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saintmark1976 added 14:04 - Jul 31 Reduced season ticket prices together with four extra home games has been beneficial. Add in the fact that this season there will be none of the hated and despised V A R and what’s not to like ?
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Bowlercow added 15:48 - Jul 31 The cost per game for my seat has been reduced by over £10 I hope they will realize the benefit of reduced prices when we return to the PL Thanks to the Arab influence it may only be the second best league in the world by then As for a Euro League it became inevitable when the initial attempt was made It really is all about money
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ericofarabia added 16:10 - Jul 31 SM76 has beat me to it. Alongside the fact that we are more likely to win some games, there will be no VAR to kill that spontaneous goal celebration 5 mins later! Just a quick glance at the ref and lino as you leap into celebration mode is all that is needed
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ItchenNorth added 19:25 - Jul 31 I've renewed, but definitely having no VAR, more games, more under the lights midweek and none of the Premier Leagues endless messing around with fixtures and kick-off times to fit around European cup competitions is why I'm looking forward to The Championship. The fans that attend games also tend to be proper supporters and not so many tourists (the half and half scalf brigade ! ) visiting just to watch the likes of Liverpool.

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