Saints are setting a precedent with the news that directors whether current or ex have to pay.

Saints new regime look to put an end to the politics of the past decade or so in the boardroom of the Club and the first step towards ensuring that, that happens seems to be the announcement that there will be no freebies for Ex directors and players at St Mary's

Markus Liebherr has lead the way by paying for his season ticket himself and making his advisor Nicola Cortese and Chief Operations Manager Andy Oldknow do likewise, but after entertaining a plethora of ex directors on Saturday against Ajax, they were all informed that although they are welcome in the directors box for the coming season, they will be expected to pay for their tickets, this shouldnt present many financial problems to them because they are all wealthy men.

However its sure to cause a stir, because in football terms this doesnt happen and unlike any other industry ex employees of football clubs expect to be treated like royalty when they return.

In truth though this move is more about making a point and that point is that although all are welcome from old regimes, no matter what their stance was on old boardroom battlegrounds, that they are now all equal in their positions with regard to the club, that none are being favoured over any of the others and that there is a new regime in place and that is the future, with the past being consigned firmly to history.

This will probably meet the approval of most supporters, with regard to ex directors, although there are those that would have some of them banned from St Mary's for life, most would recognise that in truth all of them have done some good things for the Club at some stage and for that reason they should be welcomed back, however why should they not pay for the priveledge like the rest of us, after all in most other forms of employment ex employees arent invited back to partake of the benefits of the job after leaving.

If Saints offered free seats to every ex manager & coach for instance, it would virtually fill the directors box if they all acccepted and not all would be popular. 

Its the same with Ex Players, where do you draw the line ? Saints have hundreds of ex players in the area, how do you decide who to invite every week, in truth many supporters have lowered their estimations of ex players, in the three months of administration, the contribution of these was literally one question & answer session with Mick Channon in the first weeks, after that none did much to help the cause.

Perhaps the answer is to have a day each season when the ex players and managers etc are remembered, I know something like this was mooted over the past year, but now is a good time to do it properly, with a proper All Saints Day.

On that day a couple of hundred ex's could be invited to a game to dine in the Mick Channon suite with the same number in paying guests, who would jump at the chance to mix in their company, thus filling a suite that has been empty for the best part of four years, the ex's could also take the applause of the crowd at half time who would surely give their appreciation.

Football supporters, not just those at Saints are being increasingly disallusioned with professional footballers and the money they are paid, in this tough time of the credit crunch, there arent many who feel that asking them to fork out for their tickets is unfair, indeed the bulk of those i have spoken to think its a great idea and will soon sort out those who purport to love this club and are vocal in the press about it and those that actually do care.             

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