Southampton City Council is stepping up the campaign calling for Saints to erect a permanent memorial to Ted Bates by telling the football club: You can't have it both ways.

Plans to pile pressure on Saints to put up a statue in honour of their former manager and club president have received cross-party support.

A motion put forward following pressure from the True Saints Association supporters' group was unanimously backed by all councillors present.

Saints have blamed access problems as the reason why they would not put up a lasting memorial to the man who laid the foundations for recent successes.

However, Labour group tourism and leisure spokesman Derek Burke claimed that defence was nonsense - and said the club were all too keen to talk to the council when they needed help.

"Saints could easily put a statue on the concourse outside the players' entrance. It wouldn't be a problem at all," said Mr Burke. "There would be no problems regarding access."

Another councillor, Alan Sayle, group leader of development control with Southampton City Council, said there was unlikely to be a problem with a memorial being erected.

Mr Sayle said: "When the stadium was designed one of the requirements that was made was that there would have to be an uncluttered space around the ground.

"We haven't seen any proposals, but in principle a statue in the vicinity of the club sounds fine. We'll just have to wait until there are any proposals made."

Mr Burke added: "The club are keen to speak to the council and local residents with regards to their plans to hold concerts at St Mary's, and we are keen to listen to what they have to say. But it has to be a two-way thing.

"Saints seem to forget the local councillors did a lot of hard work for them when they moved to St Mary's - talking to local residents' groups and the ethnic communities and telling them the stadium was a good idea.

"The club would do themselves a power of good if they were to do something.

"The impetus has come from the True Saints Association and the council - now it's up to the club."

Any statue would cost in the region of £50,000 but the council has admitted that it can't help financially.

Deputy leader Peter Wakeford believes Saints should pay for any memorial, saying: "Ted worked for the club for more than 60 years and gave them great service.

"They should pay - £50,000 is nothing when you consider how much they pay their players, but it might be they decide to ask supporters or businesses to help with the cost.

"I hope they engage supporters before deciding what to do. It's the supporters, after all, who have been kicking up about this - they are the ones who approached the council.

Saints chairman Rupert Lowe said the council's backing for a statue at St Mary's was "good news".

Mr Lowe said: "In the past Andrew Cowen, our managing director, has always been told that it would not be possible to build a statue at the stadium in his memory but if that situation has now changed then nobody would be happier than Southampton FC.

"Everybody would be in favour of a statue outside the ground and this appears to be very good news."

Mr Wakeford said: "I find it strange the club say they were told they couldn't build a statue - as far as I know they have never sought permission."

Ted Bates, a Freeman of the City of Southampton, served Saints for more than 50 years as a player, manager and administrator before finally becoming club president. He died last November aged 85.