Buyers want to see St Mary’s sold out again (From Daily Echo)
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Fry’s warning as only 16,000 tickets sold for Crystal Palace
11:00am Thursday 9th April 2009 in News Review
Buyers want to see St Mary’s sold out again
SAINTS are appealing to fans to turn out in force again to help save their club and it was revealed only 16,000 tickets have been sold for the Easter Monday clash with Crystal Palace.
Saints supporters rallied behind their team as a season’s best league crowd of over 27,000 turned out for the fixture against Charlton in the wake of Saints’ parent company going into administration and warnings that the club might not see out the end of the season.
Ticket sales for Palace, which is a ‘Kids for a Quid’ fixture, suggest there may be some complacency that because there are over 30 parties interested in buying the club it will automatically be saved.
However, administrator Mark Fry insists that the potential buyers he is talking to want to be convinced that the attendance seen against Charlton is more than a one off.
Fry has challenged Saints fans to prove them how big the club’s fan base is and in the process generate funds that can give him more time in which to sell the club.
He said: “One of the things prospective purchasers are asking me is whether the substantial attendance for the home game with Charlton was a blip or whether it will be seen through to the end of the season.
“Therefore it is still desperately important that Southampton fans turn up and get behind their team.
“In doing so they not only show potential purchasers that the support is out there but they generate much needed revenue and give the team the best chance of winning.
“Mark Wotte and some of the players have already spoken of what a wonderful atmosphere it was against Charlton and we are encouraging fans to turn out for their club again for all these very important reasons.”
Saints are in desperate need of two more big crowds in the final home matches of the season against Palace on Monday and Burnley on Saturday, April 25.
The money generated will help the club stay in existence until the end of the campaign by which time a buyer may have been found, and the Daily Echo is urging fans to back the Save Our Saints campaign and turn up.
The deal with Monday’s game at St Mary’s is that all supporters aged 16 and under will pay just £1 for their ticket, making it a great opportunity to give the family an affordable Easter treat and at the same time support the club. Other admission prices are as normal.
The club also continues to run its promotion which sees every fan that purchases a home shirt from the club’s official outlets receive a voucher for a free ticket for a home game of their choosing this season.
The box office will remain open tomorrow, Good Friday, 10am-4pm to continue to sell tickets, which are on general sale, and again on Saturday 9.30am-4pm. To book tickets you can also call 0800 2800 050.
Comments(28)
homegrown
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12:19pm Thu 9 Apr 09
East End Saint
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12:25pm Thu 9 Apr 09
brizzsaint
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12:47pm Thu 9 Apr 09
SFC4EVA
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12:56pm Thu 9 Apr 09
Berkshire Saint
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1:31pm Thu 9 Apr 09
Le Tissier's Nose
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1:33pm Thu 9 Apr 09
We don't always get we want though do we.....!!!
AD74
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1:36pm Thu 9 Apr 09
Dr What
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1:49pm Thu 9 Apr 09
AD74 wrote:You say there is no excuses, well there is. People were not going to games just because Lowe was there, it is because at nearly £30 a ticket it costs to much to watch poor entertainment. The two highest league attendences this season are a result of the ticket prices being dropped to £15, one of those games was last week, just so happened to tie in with the everybody get to the game shouts and scaremongering from Mr Fry.
The fans should be there, as for the past 6 months plus all you can hear on these threads is how no one is coming to watch Saints purely because Rupert Lowe was at the helm. Well he's not there anymore, so there is no excuse. We were crap when he was around and we still are so we should have another 27000 similar to the Charlton game after all the media attention both national and local or maybe upto 30000 like the Man Utd game (naturally those that came to the Man Utd game had forgotton that Rupert was still in charge or had in fact come to support Man Utd!)
chapelsaint
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1:51pm Thu 9 Apr 09
8 Expensive council car parks
SF76
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1:53pm Thu 9 Apr 09
Dr What
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2:13pm Thu 9 Apr 09
Invidia
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2:32pm Thu 9 Apr 09
I cannot and do not believe that any genuine Buyer has asked that Question in that form. A proper enquirer would have done their homework and know the future potential of the club. It may be the case that some enquiries from mere speculators has asked the question as an off the cuff question.
I do believe we need a large attendance with Palace and Burnly, which will keep the club afloat to the end of the season, buyouts etc take time and we need to be able to give them time. It is nice to see Mr. Fry trying to drum up support but do not make the mistake that Rupert Lowe made and treat fans as mugs, Mr Fry!!
BP
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3:06pm Thu 9 Apr 09
Come on, fill SMS for 2 more games.
Fans could then take the credit if we
a) stay up
b) get a decent investor.
Le Tissier's Nose
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3:55pm Thu 9 Apr 09
Invidia wrote:Exactly!! Its verbal bribery to make us turn up!!
Mr. Fry said: “One of the things prospective purchasers are asking me is whether the substantial attendance for the home game with Charlton was a blip or whether it will be seen through to the end of the season". I cannot and do not believe that any genuine Buyer has asked that Question in that form. A proper enquirer would have done their homework and know the future potential of the club. It may be the case that some enquiries from mere speculators has asked the question as an off the cuff question. I do believe we need a large attendance with Palace and Burnly, which will keep the club afloat to the end of the season, buyouts etc take time and we need to be able to give them time. It is nice to see Mr. Fry trying to drum up support but do not make the mistake that Rupert Lowe made and treat fans as mugs, Mr Fry!!
lunalovegood
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4:04pm Thu 9 Apr 09
Dr What wrote:If they keep cutting ticket prices then the true supporters of this club who bought season tickets will lose out and we're the only ones who have stuck by the team through thick and thin this season and not used Lowe as an poor excuse not to turn up.
Saints cut tickets prices, then the crowds will come. Sadly football is not for the working man anymore.
Dr What
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4:08pm Thu 9 Apr 09
Saints4Eva
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4:22pm Thu 9 Apr 09
brizzsaint wrote:£1 for your Kids - that's cheaper than 2 bars of chocolate for goodness sake. Please stop moaning and looking for excuses not to come to the games this is about keeping our Club in existense at least until the end of the season. I'm a Season Ticket Holder and I really don't give a **** that I have paid full price and somebodyelse is getting in for £15 - lets just fill the Stadium and get behind the Team. You never know maybe some sort of reward will be given to STH's when the new prices are announced.
I came from Bristol again to watch them, bought my youngest a shirt etc etc as well. If the players cannot be bothered as they were last Saturday, then I am not sure why I should give up another weekend's time and money !!
ChapelSaint, your reason no. 8 leave your car at home and travel by Bus at 50p each way.
The 2,000 fans at Watford on Tuesday night were superb and made the noise equivalent to that of 15,000 - lets get behind the team in the same way at Wolves tomorrow and again on Monday. I'm sure the support on Tuesday night lifted the team. Don't forget if we don't survive all the players pulling on a red and white shirt are looking for a job in the same way as many of the fans at the moment.
Lets get behind the team from now until the end of the season and then we can discuss ticket prices, reasons for not attending etc. this is our Clubs future that is on the line so dig deep and get to the last two home games.
COYR's
normsted
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5:31pm Thu 9 Apr 09
c0rsa28
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6:06pm Thu 9 Apr 09
robhythe
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6:30pm Thu 9 Apr 09
Invidia wrote:I agree , any buyers will have done homework you would think! They would have compared attendanced over the years and seen that they went down when Lowe came back last May! The 16000 sold so far On Thursday doesnt include the away tickets and there are a few days left, i havnt got my ticket yet but i will be getting 5 for the family! Does anyone know how big a walkup we usually get on a bank holiday???
Mr. Fry said: “One of the things prospective purchasers are asking me is whether the substantial attendance for the home game with Charlton was a blip or whether it will be seen through to the end of the season". I cannot and do not believe that any genuine Buyer has asked that Question in that form. A proper enquirer would have done their homework and know the future potential of the club. It may be the case that some enquiries from mere speculators has asked the question as an off the cuff question. I do believe we need a large attendance with Palace and Burnly, which will keep the club afloat to the end of the season, buyouts etc take time and we need to be able to give them time. It is nice to see Mr. Fry trying to drum up support but do not make the mistake that Rupert Lowe made and treat fans as mugs, Mr Fry!!
Ciaran
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6:40pm Thu 9 Apr 09
If you're not prepared to pay for a ticket now, then when will you be? When we have a good season? A good cup run? Play-offs? Not until we get to the Premier League? Well if you don't do it now, there might not be a club come the end of the season.
If people just admitted they are glory hunters, they would garner a lot more respect then repeatedly coming up with any old excuse not to go.
If you can't go then fine - people can't help their circumstances, be it time or money. Going to football is not cheap, after all.
It's the people who repeatedly try and pretend they care when they're sat on their computer or in the pub but aren't willing to put in a bit of effort to actually go and support the club, instead coming up with pie-in-the-sky reasons - unless we play Man Utd, of course.
Southampton Heart
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7:57pm Thu 9 Apr 09
SAVE OUR SAINTS
supermac
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8:07pm Thu 9 Apr 09
lunalovegood wrote:The only fare way of offering cut price tickets is to do it at the start of the season before the die-hards pay their full fare for the season.Bradford have shown that this works in the lower leagues by cutting season ticket prices as to fill the ground week in week out.Suppose those at the helm assumed success on the pitch would bring in big crowds,however this soon backfires when the team is not performing and many lose interest.
Dr What wrote: Saints cut tickets prices, then the crowds will come. Sadly football is not for the working man anymore.If they keep cutting ticket prices then the true supporters of this club who bought season tickets will lose out and we're the only ones who have stuck by the team through thick and thin this season and not used Lowe as an poor excuse not to turn up.
Irate Wintonian
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10:47pm Thu 9 Apr 09
SFC4EVA wrote:Standard price applies for adults, so £22 - £28 depending where in the ground you prefer.
How much are adult tickets? Not £28 surely? There is nothing on the OS
Click on the "ticket" section on saintsfc.co.uk OS for more details.
jandat44
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9:17am Fri 10 Apr 09
emsworth steve
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12:08pm Fri 10 Apr 09
F Fan
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2:14pm Sat 11 Apr 09
chapelsaint wrote:And t0o many glory hunter fans who won't turn up when their club needs them.
Several possible reasons for this apparent lack of support:-
1 Easter Hols
2 Palace are not "earth movers"
3 Poor result last Saturday
4 Footie fatigue
5 Recession
6 Genaral apathy brought on by sitting watching rubbish most of the season.
Security word is thin-sale (most appropriate)
chapelsaint says...
12:10pm Thu 9 Apr 09
1 Easter Hols
2 Palace are not "earth movers"
3 Poor result last Saturday
4 Footie fatigue
5 Recession
6 Genaral apathy brought on by sitting watching rubbish most of the season.
Security word is thin-sale (most appropriate)