Still leased as far as my Wikipedia research can find out. Cost £112 million to build originally and the club paid £20 million of the conversion costs, plus an unspecified amount for the expansion. They currently pay £3 million a year rent.
Personally I think the club should think of me. I'm fairly healthy and fit but I'm 53. If this long-term plan is going to take effect within the current way the Premier League is going I'll be dead before the club is 'up there'. As I don't believe in any afterlife I won't be watching from anywhere else after I'm gone either...
Shame the Commonwealth and Olympic Games didn't happen round here. We could do with a cheap white elephant (even though that is a contradiction in terms).
Listen, kid. You think you got worries! As for Godders, is this yet another wind up? Comparisons with Newcastle stop after acknowledging we both play in stripes.
I don't have any issue, with the club having a long term plan to progress to the European Champions League, but it is probably unachievable, unless we get lucky and string together a number of players, the big clubs aren't sure of, and they instantly gel and remain consistently good throughout the season. The moment we fail to make the top four, we stand the risk of losing any player we have brought in, and improved, because of their "short term plans" in getting ECL football/higher wages.
Like Fran, I sincerely hope our ownership does not move too far away from the fans. Wednesday night, despite the result, showed the true heart of the passionate fans singing the team home non stop for the last 15 minutes, whilst many headed for the exit doors from as early as 20 minutes to go. We have the potential of a massive fan base, but this will take years (maybe generations) to build into the passionate following of our team. Having sold out or nearly sold out St Marys many times this season, the debate will continue about expanding the stadium etc as a means of showing ambition. Choices are to be made - players or stadium, growth on the field or off it, academy players or bought in players - all examples of antagonistic pairs which need to be balanced in a business. To date these have been pretty well balanced since our darkest days. All my children have grown up following Saints from lower divisions up to the top flight and get excited when we score, let alone win - look at the fans of some of the top clubs who politely applaud a goal as if it is their right - not for me or my boys - we want the genuine excitement that comes around every game, rather than just two or three times a season.
I think people need to remember that we are a small club. We have done amazingly to get to where we were, but staying there was always going to be the hard part. We seriously cannot compete financially, we are absolutely miles off. So no, we are not like Newcastle at all. We are ridiculously well run club, with everything going for us. We just have to accept that the owners will do all they can do, but football is a horrible game. (Off the field) Which is why it annoys me so much to read posts like this. It's so ungrateful to turn around and start saying the club lacks ambition after a couple of bad games.
Nothing to do with a couple bad games. It's just a feeling 4 of our best players have gone with a couple likely to go in the summer. More than half a decent side.
Last summer we let two players go...one of whom we had prevented from leaving the season before. We also kept Wanyama and Mane who wanted out, so not a complete pushover. However, rather than fight the inevitable, we let them go when we have prepared replacements, so I expect both to go in the summer. We may come out ahead with some super purchases or we may not...every season in every club (even in the top 4) some purchases fail...that's life. You can delay the inevitable, but rarely fight it. I am expecting some serious purchases this summer as Ronald has put a shot across the bows of the club...though we must also bear in mind Koeman's habit of philosophising out loud.
Not quite, we got into Europe a couple of times under Ted Bates. Don't forget that before the Bates era we were traditionally a 3rd tier club.
It's everything to do with losing a couple of games. Literally 3 weeks ago everyone was positive, upbeat saying our new signings look good. I'm sure we will turn it around. Keep the faith!
I don't normally drink before a match but the Liverpool game coincided with my son's birthday. We had a few! I can definitely recommend alcohol for games like this. All the bad stuff doesn't seem quite so bad somehow Mind you lets not go anywhere near Thursday morning
You forgot Everton!! There's Southampton here in Hampshire (a wonderful club to support) so why would the glory hunters pick a London club?
I would love the club to take a tour to South America and not the USA. How many top European clubs have undertaken a tour there in recent years? Zilch!! if the club could arrange a mini tour of Argentina and Brazil it would be novel, innovative and proactive. Why go to a place that the likse of Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Barca, etc are already exploiting?
