It is the worst kept secret that Southampton FC have been determined to force through the Northam Stand as a safe standing all home fan area. But it seems that in order to give a financial encouragement for this to work, the majority will pay for it.
Southampton FC have announced their plans for a safe standing home area, said to be the brainchild of our CEO, it seems to have ridden roughshod over the majority to please a minority.
It should be said first up that of course the idea of a big home end would be welcomed by all, but merely providing that, does not mean that suddenly 3,000 fans who currently sit in the Northam will be joined by 3,000 other like minded souls who will mean they all turn into a loud swirling mass of noise & colour.
Having a good home support is about the people who are in the stand not about the stand itself.
But the main issue I see here is that in order to do get another 3,000 Saints fans in the Northam, then far more than that number are going to be disadvantaged.
The first kick in the teeth financially is that the club have announced that they will be giving an early bird discount for those who who go in the Northam, this will cost £499.
Good to see cheaper tickets, but then on the other hand those supporters in other areas are told that they will face price increases of 10-15% and it is unclear whether the current cheap £399 season ticket will still exist in the Itchen/Chapel Corner, I would say not as the majority of this area is now taken up by the family zone that has been forced to move because of the location of the away fans.
I'm actually offended by this, a faceless person within the club has pushed this through, offered discounts to encourage people to move seats and go into the Northam and I'm going to pay an extra 10-15% on top of last year to fund this discount.
In fact the club has not seemed to take into account the disruption they have caused, a couple of thousand family centre members have been displaced, alongside a couple of thousand who previously had the cheaper season ticket and indeed another couple of thousand in the Kingsland stand.
But it is not just those who have to move who face disruption, those in block 29 in the Kingsland Stand now face finding themselves right next to the away fans, the type of fan who sits in that area currently does not want to be faced with that sort of hassle.
Not to mention that there will now be a number of fans who will want to position themselves next to the away fans so may be getting tickets in that area as well as in the chapel.
What is also not clear is those fans who are currently in the Northam, they are in the 3 blocks to the Kingsland side, they are not in the centre, will they be given the opportunity to move more centrally or is it just the new season ticket holders who will have that privilege.
If that is the case that is absurd, leave our most vocal fans in the worst seats in order to accommodate newbies.
Then there is the disruption outside the stadium, whereas the away supporters were located in an area that can be easily segregated, the space outside the Kingsland/Chapel corner is extremely limited, many Saints fans arrive at St Mary's through the adjacent industrial estate, they may now face this corner being blocked off and now having to go the long way round to get to their seat.
But perhaps the biggest hassle will be away fans travelling by train, how do you get them in and out, they usually come on mass from the designated away pub in the City Centre, what route will the police take them on, there is little room behind the Kingsland stand for home fans to queue, let alone away supporters.
When some of the more volatile clubs come it will be a nightmare, the police must be very worried how they will escort a couple of thousand Pompey fans to that corner if we are still in the Championship next season.
Put bluntly this hasn't been thought through, it is disadvantaging far more than it is benefitting, my worry is that many fans will just see this as another kick in the teeth from the football club and not bother renewing their tickets.
It will just be too much extra money and also too much hassle to choose a new seat and indeed actually get to it on a match day, given the fact that a major entry route into the stadium could now well be blocked by a blocked off away zone.
Sadly and I hope I am proved wrong but I do not think this is the catalyst that will suddenly turn us into the loudest home end in the country, the sea of red & white the club have trumpeted, but it will give people and excuse to stop going and suddenly we will be taking in less money than before and our attendances will drop,