BBC Solent Fans’ Forum & Fan Advisory Board Q&A follow-up

You told us about the need for Wi-Fi installation in the stadium.

What we're doing about it:

We remain committed to progressing with Wi-Fi installation in the stadium. However, due to our relegation we had to review timelines and unfortunately, we didn't have the funds to continue the project this season. Planning continues though and we’ll pick up the project as soon as possible to enhance the fan experience at St Mary’s. We’ll provide you with an update in due course.

You asked us about the reopening of Block 1.

What we're doing about it:

The closure of Block 1 was requested by the Safety Advisory Group, who required work on separation and barriers to be undertaken. Block 1 will be reopened once this necessary work is finished. We're targeting a reopening date in February or March 2024.

You asked us about the progress in implementing Safe Standing.

What we're doing about it:

We’re continuing to move forward with safe standing and we’re working closely with the FAB to make sure the fan voice is central to this. To date, we’ve been surveying and designing what needs doing to the stadium, while also making sure we implement safe standing in the areas where there’ll be maximum benefit to our fans and the atmosphere on matchdays. The installation will start as soon as that work has been completed and we have a full, final design. We’ll share an update on timings with you soon.

You told us stewards sometimes obstruct views during gameplay.

What we're doing about it:

Some stewards need to be positioned in certain areas during matches. We realise this shouldn’t interfere with your view of the match, other than for short periods, and we brief colleagues working on matchday to be aware of this issue at each game. Where this isn’t the case, we advise you to have a word with the steward, they should be able to move. If this isn’t possible or doesn’t work, then to help us identify where we might have problem areas, please text the reporting line on 60060 or email Supporter Services (supporterservices@saintsfc.co.uk) to report the issue (please provide your seat details and a brief outline of your experience). We can then address those directly in the areas most affected.

You told us about your concerns regarding ticket allocation and seating at away matches, whereby some fans who aren’t able to stand have their view obstructed by other fans standing.

What we’re doing about it:

We’re one of the only clubs in the division to allow our fans to select a seat position on away matches, as the majority just give fans any seat meaning the front row is often taken by fans who’ve been to a large number of games and so have first choice of seats. We do this so that our regular supporters who need to sit are able to get seats at the front. Please help us to continue monitoring this and if for any reason the problem persists drop us an email on supporterservices@saintsfc.co.uk and we’ll take action in the future.

You asked us about ticket prices and booking fees.

What we're doing about it:

Booking fees are in place to cover our ticketing costs which include system charges and annual fees, postage and stock, access control and staffing. Instead of having separate adapted prices, we have a consistent price of £1.50 per ticket, whether it’s an online or in person booking, or your ticket(s) are being posted/include multiple tickets. While multiple tickets do indeed cost the club slightly less than £1.50 per ticket, individual tickets do cost more and sticking with a single fee helps to keep things straight forward for all fans. In comparison to many other clubs and in particular many other venues, our booking fee is relatively low and hasn’t gone up over the last 18 months. We’ll continue to monitor and compare with other teams, as well as looking at our overall costs so we can review ahead of the 2024/25 season.

You told us your concerns about away ticket prices.

What we're doing about it:

We understand it’s difficult to have to pay more for away games than you did in the Premier League. We're talking with other EFL clubs about away ticket prices and the potential for selling tickets to Saints fans at the same price we set for their fans. Furthermore, we've already subsidised ticket prices for specific away games, such as the Sheffield Wednesday match (£30 tickets) and reduced coach fares for the Sunderland game. These efforts align with our commitment to making away games more accessible and enjoyable for you.

You told us that welcoming away fans to women's games is important.

What we're doing about it:

We intend to continue extending a warm welcome to away fans at future women's games, following a similar approach to what we did during the Durham game. We made away fans feel welcome through our public announcement system, and we aim to replicate this in future matches. 

You told us about the need for accessible platforms for friendly matches.

What we're doing about it:

Accessible platforms are available in all stands that are open on any given gameday. Any fans who’ve been given incorrect information or weren’t able to access these platforms during our friendlies, please get in touch with us via supporterservices@saintsfc.co.uk to help us investigate the issue further. We believe this could have been an isolated issue that didn’t affect most disabled fans.

You told us about your concerns regarding staffing queues at our concourse kiosks.

What we're doing about it:

We’ve made reducing the length of queues at our bars and retail outlets a key objective, through improved staffing and other initiatives such as opening the gates to reduce concourse crowding. We’ve already seen an improvement in queue times, which we expect to continue over the course of this season.

You told us about the necessity of contact methods for fans who aren’t online.

What we're doing about it:

We understand not all fans are online and we're committed to providing alternative contact methods. We’ll be looking into other methods of sharing information at key times, whether this be through local written media, radio or post. We’ll also examine our database to see how best to identify fans who prefer different forms of communication from the club.

You asked us about safety and stewards at away games in the EFL.

What we're doing about it:

Sending stewards to away games isn’t compulsory in the EFL and unfortunately, we’ve had to stop this as part of our cost reduction programme following relegation. We recognise the advantages of this approach though and will look to reintroduce this when budget allows.

You asked us about the increase in the costs of coach travel to away games.

What we're doing about it:

There’s now a legal requirement for a second coach driver to be on coaches for long-distance travel. Unfortunately, this has inevitably increased the costs of these trips. As always, the club continues to not make any profit from these trips.

We're excited to welcome you back for our next Fan Forum and FAB Q&A Session soon. In the meantime, if you want to get in touch with the Fan Advisory Board, please drop them a line by emailing: southampton.fc.fab@gmail.com.

Our Supporter Services Team is also at hand to help with any queries you have. You can reach us via supporterservices@saintsfc.co.uk