After another disappointing season for Southampton with fans again not looking up the table and instead staring bleakly down at the relegation places for large parts of the year, thankfully a Championship return didn’t come to pass as manager Mark Hughes narrowly got us over the safety line by three points.
With eyes turning to the season of 2018/19 with some hope restored for the campaign ahead, fans were clearly hoping that their patience with the club would be rewarded on a financial front with a reduction in season ticket prices for the year ahead.
❄️ Prices frozen
👕 10% retail discount
🥤 20% food and drink discount
🚌 Money off away travelSecure your 2018/19 #SaintsFC Season Ticket: https://t.co/C08iY57ZOS
— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) May 17, 2018
Not an entirely unreasonable request or thought, Southampton have secured new investment in recent times, securing Premier League safety means we don’t miss out on that financial cash cow and in terms of transfer fees I’ll simply say Virgil van Dijk.
A 5% or 10% cut for long-standing season ticket holders would not have crippled our ability to compete. The club should certainly be applauded for freezing prices as that does send a message of its own, but they’ve missed a trick in not going a little bit further and that hasn’t been lost on fans.
With the season ticket package giving discounts, supporters were quick to point out that still requires an extra spend so in reality, it’s not saving – Southampton are far from alone when it comes to that trick though in modern day football.
6th most expensive in the league? Not good.
— Henry Smith (@HenrySmith39) May 17, 2018
Joke!
— Home & Away Saint (@Saintmike_sfc) May 17, 2018
????????me too!!
— Teegan Mist (@MistTeegan) May 18, 2018
The 'benefits' are taking the piss because each one requires the STH to spend MORE MONEY.
I think the club are tone deaf, because it was an ideal opportunity to get some good will back by having a minor reduction for renewals.#saintsfc
— SaintM (@SaintMikeB) May 17, 2018
Not sure I'd say that £28 per goal was value for money @southamptonfc .. probably the worst season of football I've ever witnessed and I'm expected to pay the same next yr. Buying for a family of 4 as well … Not an attractive offer! No reward for the fans?! #saintsfc
— Lisa J (@lisjefferies) May 17, 2018
I genuinely think that, after the last season, you could have offered a bit of a discount to those of us who had to sit through it (having paid in advance). Really not sure if I'll bother renewing.
— Tony (@lftony) May 17, 2018
Yet another terrible slogan and you really consider by freezing the prices you’re doing us a favour? Shambolic.
— Coin???? (@coinhurford7) May 17, 2018
Me and my mate were talking and all those "perks" cost you more money as you wouldn't buy any of that stuff normally, it's just made those things slightly overpriced instead of overpriced ????
— Mark Wilkins (@w1lkins82_mark) May 18, 2018
Got to say pretty disappointed in this. Two of the perks are utterly pointless to anyone living outside of Hampshire. I think a price reduction was in order after last season.
— Paul Manzotti (@manzanotti) May 18, 2018
£107,000,000 earned from the league & tv this season and you guys couldn’t give us a bit of a discount. Fingers crossed that £100m is reinvested in the squad, not sure I can take another year of what we’ve just paid to watch.
— Paul Pope (@Paul_Pope) May 18, 2018
Really missed a chance to show thanks to supporters who have stuck with you through two years of crap. Would a 10% discount have really broken the bank ? Not like relegation would eh ? Pure greed Saints ????
— Lee Curtis (@beatlesaint) May 17, 2018
It’s beyond laughable……the club has received over £100 million from TV money etc and with the last 3 seasons of crap football I would have thought a discount on season ticket prices would have been in order……????????????????????
— Shazza (@pink2944) May 18, 2018
Personally I don’t think it’s good enough. I had my first season ticket last year and had to travel over 500 miles for each home game. I won’t be renewing myself
— Tom Christopher (@tom01525062) May 17, 2018