It was meant as a bit of fun as part of the Daily Echo’s support for the Saints’ We March On campaign, but it didn’t seem to bring a smile to the faces of too many fans.

When the Daily Echo revealed plans on the website last night to carry a poster in today’s edition of the newspaper showing an arrow for fans behind the away goal at tonight’s match against Crystal Palace to encourage the team to find the target, reaction was more or less: "We are not amused."

The poster then in its original form does not appear, but here it is for anyone to have a laugh or a groan over.

Instead, today’s centre pages carry a We March On poster, continuing support for the campaign that began in the paper over a week ago.

Daily Echo Editor-in-Chief Ian Murray said last night: “It was meant as a bit of light humour for fans at a family club, but we accept the joke wasn’t well received and apologise to those who failed to see the funny side.

“We are certain that the club and players understand the paper is totally behind them.

“We were disappointed that a very few so-called fans did use social media to threaten physical harm to members of the Echo staff and we will be passing on any information to the police to investigate.

"I am certain that the club and all true fans will agree with me that there is no place for violent threats in football, even when the joke falls flat.”