Saints are ready to take the money and open the boxes at the Friends Provident St Mary's Stadium.

All 47 executive boxes have been sold for next season and there is a waiting list in case any companies drop out.

The other hospitality packages are also selling well, with very few spaces in the two most prestigious suites.

Head of marketing Paul Blanchard said: "The Executive Club is completely sold out and there is only very limited availability for our gold service and patrons club.

"There are more spaces in the banqueting suite but these are going fast so we would urge companies not to leave it too late."

The team's early Premiership survival though has not had a significant impact on sales, which have been steady all the way through.

Blanchard added: "Clearly it is a lot easier making calls on a Monday after they have won but to be fair the league position has not been an issue since November.

"At the start, potential corporate clients and season ticket holders were asking what would happen if the team was relegated. The answer was that they would get four more games for their money.

"But the question has not even been posed for the last four months so it is not as though there has been any marked upswing as we climb the table.

"The selling has been a bit more professional and structured than it has been in the past and we have sold the packages irrespective of how the team is doing."

Saints expect to have the stadium finished by the end of July, despite being marginally behind schedule.

In the club's half yearly report chairman Rupert Lowe said: "Barr Construction has made considerable progress despite petrol supply strikes and some unhelpful weather conditions.

"They have already changed the Southampton skyline and the roof is virtually complete.

"The FA Premier League 2001/2 season will start on August 18 which gives us longer than we might have reasonably hoped to prepare everybody for the transport plan by staging some pre-season fixtures.

"It is absolutely essential that people are able to get to the stadium and away from it as easily as a town centre location allows, even though some early disruption is probably unavoidable."