There may be a few Saints supporters grumbling about not going this season due to the problems at Saints, but the die hard away supporters are staying loyal.

It can't be denied that Saints have had their problems and when football club's have problems there are always going to be those supporters who have a knee jerk reaction and don't renew their season tickets or decide not to go to the games anymore.

In truth usually its a case of last in/first out, this time four years ago we had an average of 22,000, brilliant for the third tier in English football, since then we have attracted another 10,000 to the cause and at any football club its usually your top portion of support that jumps in and out when times are good or bad.

Last season our away support was excellent, having followed Saints away for four decades I have to say it is the best that we have ever had away from home both in terms of numbers and the noise generated.

With the shenanigans of the summer I have to say I wondered whether that support on the road would tail off, last season at Liverpool we sold out the 2,000 allocation, but that was for a Saturday 3pm kick off, I did wonder about our ability to do so again this season given this was a Sunday televised game and a 1.30pm kick off meaning that those travelling up on the day would be needing to leave at around 6.30am in the morning.

Pleasingly my worries have been unfounded and we have sold out all the tickets for the trip to Liverpool and will have great backing, whilst not everyone can travel to support a football team when it plays away and it has to be said that nowadays it is an expensive business in the Premier League, the die hards of any football club's support are usually those that follow it away and it is good to see that the backbone of our support is still staying loyal despite the trials and tribulations of the summer and at a time when good news has been in short supply this is pleasing to see.

Before anyone starts to get uppity, as some do, I appreciate that for several reasons mainly financial or family, it is not possible for everyone to follow Saints away, but those that do should be applauded and if the same level of support is replicated for the opening game at St Mary's then the talk of Saints demise is premature.

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