The News

[GHA EFM]

So, George Clark, Seeby and Deacon have been offered new contracts. And Richard Thomas is now assistant manager, whilst De Souza is player/coach. Season tickets are still £200, and the Saints are taking on Charlton XI and Millwall XI in pre-season friendlies.

 

In the season just gone, we finished 19th out of 24 clubs. We would have only narrowly avoided relegation in a normal season, this season it was avoided through last gasp goals in play-offs. Last season, in my opinion, should not be viewed as a success.

 

Surely something, or many things, need to change. Next season we are going to be playing in a league where all but around 3 of the clubs finished below us in their and our respective leagues.

 

Playing a Charlton XI and a Millwall XI in pre-season friendlies will not bring in gates of any more than 750 people, in my opinion. Don't season tickets include entry to friendlies anyway? (Season tickets at £200. Originally they were £120, with an £80 donation to the club which was just out of suspension. The word donation is no longer mentioned, it would seem.)

 

What was our average attendance this season?

 

What's going to bring the crowds flooding back?

 

<img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

[AFF]

Lots of questions there, GHA, but the only one that I can answer is that the average official attendance at Clarence Park for this last season was 306, down 228 from the average of 534 in 2002/03.

 

There was not one attendance of 500 or more at t'Park, the highest being 470 for the F.A. Cup match against Grays Athletic.

 

Away from home the average attendance for Saints matches was 371, down from 466 in 02/03.

 

The highest attendance for any of our League games was 746 at Bedford until the final play-off game of the season, again at Bedford of 1087.

 

 

[Rob_the_Saint]

I think you meant to say 'all but 3... finished above us', old chap.

 

Richard Thomas eh? Presumably Rob Smith has been advised his services are no longer required?

 

Millwall and Charlton could be four-figure crowds with the right publicity up front.

 

Early days vis a vis players/contracts etc. Let's see what unfolds over the next two months.

 

Keep the faith. <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

[AFF]

I heard a rumour on the terraces that Rob Smith extended his contract until the end of next season, Rob.

 

Seeby, Clark and Deacon were not the only U24s in the squad, were they?

 

 

 

[GHA EFM]

Home: 306. Away: 371. So supporters weren't exactly flooding in, in a league largely enclosed within the M25. Yet season ticket prices and matchday prices are saying the same?

 

Rob. Any idea what the attendances were for Arsenal XI, Gillingham and Rushden?

[AFF]

Rob may know, GHA, but my memory is 250 or so for Gillingham and Rushden and 2800 or so for Arsenal U18s but I might be wrong.

[herts blue]

My understanding was that our aim at the start of the year was to get in to Conference 2. We did. It could be argued that therefore the season was, in the end, a success.

[AFF]

Hi hb.

 

A refreshingly positive approach, hb. It's truly good to have you around.

 

I imagine that all Saintsfans wanted us to get into the new Conference set-up, and indeed we did. In my view, that is probably the one thing that prevents the season being considered to be an unmitigated disaster.

 

Fortunately, it's behind us. Roll on August 14th.

[GHA EFM]

Wasn't our aim at the start of the season to finish in the top 13 and thus automatically qualify for Conference 2?

 

 

[EFM The Firm, The Voice]

I though the aim was to finish higher than the previous season (when we finished 4th BTW)

[GHA EFM]

4th to 19th in the space of a season. Not exactly successful, is it?

[Canary Saint]

 

As Rob says "keep the faith" - lets see what what players come and go.

 

Personally I think Castle should be looking at improving/replacing the existing defence. Signing a 'hard man' for mid-field as well as someone who can play the odd through ball. Funnily enough the current forward line seems okay but then again in this area cover is never a bad thing. (I think what I'm saying is that the team as it stands is not very good - check last season's final league position !)

 

If the Saints are near the top of the league people will flock (or at least trickle) back as the season goes on.

[AFF]

Hi Canary Saint.

 

I have a well known quotation about 'faith' but I'll refrain for now.

 

"...the current forward line seems okay...." Hmmmmnn.

 

The forward line over the last few games of the season was Watts and Clarke with Perkins and Gough as cover on the bench. Parker was pushed forward when needed but we can ignore that option for the moment. Cogger had been tried as a sub and discarded and none of the Reserves were in contention.

 

Hmmmnn. For me? Thanks Lee. Good luck back at Peterborough. Keep Watts, of course, and put an advert in the NLP. New faces to come.

 

The defence?

 

Thomas and Zoricich shared the right back position over the last few games of the season with Deacon as cover. The preferred left back was Sargant with Butler as cover on the bench. Jones had been discarded. The preferred centre backs were Brown and De Souza with Seeby and Davies as cover although it should be said that injuries prevented any semblance of a settled combination in the middle of the back four over the last couple of months. Both Thomas and Zoricich played there at times.

 

Campbell and Smith were long term injured, of course.

 

As ever, anything printed in the newspaper should be treated with extreme caution. However, it would seem that Thomas and De Souza have accepted terms for next season and George Clark, Deacon and Seeby have been offered new contracts. Castle can play, of course. Brown is waiting to receive an offer, it would appear.

 

Lots of new faces to come, methinks.

 

 

[Claire!]

Quote:

GHA EFM said:
4th to 19th in the space of a season. Not exactly successful, is it?

I don't think we should keep dwelling on last season. We got into the conference south division, like we wanted, and yes, maybe we didn't finish as high up as the season before. But we can't walk into the new season still going on about last season.

Look ahead to the new season with a fresh, new attitude. We can't do nowt about last season, but we have a brand new season to look forward to!!!!!!!!!!!!

[AFF]

Quote:

Claire! said:


Look ahead to the new season with a fresh, new attitude.

What's yours, in outline Claire?

[Claire!]

What, my attitude towards next season?

 

Well, as always, get behind the team, and support them!!!!!

 

I don't see the point in being negative. If you feel and behave negatively, you aint gonna get anywhere.

 

Be positive, and feel positive, and then your outlook on the situation becomes clear and we can accumplish all kind of things!!!!!!!!

[AFF]

Jolly good, Claire.

 

You said in that post "Well, as always..." and yet, in your earlier post, you said "Look ahead to the new season with a fresh new attitude..."

 

Where's the 'new' bit?

[Claire!]

I am doing what i have always done.

 

I'm suggesting to other people who are still negative about last season. They should adopt a new attitiude. Can you see where i'm coming from AFF?

 

 

[AFF]

It's beginning to take shape, Claire.

 

Others can speak for themselves but I don't regard the views expressed on here as "negative" in themselves. Rather, it seems to me that one or two people are saying that, in order for things to improve, it is first necessary to look at the immediate past and analyse the successes [if any] and failures and learn from them.

 

In this specific context, last season for The Mighty Saints fell just short of being an unmitigated disaster and we should look at that and see where changes have to be made for things to improve. One thing's for sure, improvement wont come 'on its own'.

[Claire!]

Quote:

AFF said:
One thing's for sure, improvement wont come 'on its own'.

Granted, improvemnent wont come on its own, and yes we have to learn from any mistakes, and obviously learn from them - isn't that how it's always been? Everyone learns from their mistakes, and hopefully it makes them better people/team.

But i don't see the point in dwelling on the past. The future is what we have to look to now!!!!!