The problem with getting promoted via the play offs is that it leaves little time to sort out a decent pre season programme and that seems to be the case for Saints with the first four friendlies announced hardly exciting the fans.

The news that Saints would start their pre season friendlies with a trip to Eastleigh on Friday 19 the July, followed by two behind closed door friendlies, against French 2nd division Bordeaux and then Sport Republic’s 3rd club Montpellier newly relegated to the 3rd tier in France, hardly set the Saints fans saliva drooling and now the announcement that the team will travel to Millwall on Australia the 3rd, means that 3 out of the 4 Saturday dates available before the big Premier League kick off are now taken.

Only August 10th is now free and usually Saints reserve that weekend for a home friendly against a European side, many though that would be Goztepe. Sport Republic’s 2nd club whose we played in Turkey last season, but that now looks out as the Turkish League starts on the 9th August.

It is unlikely that Saints would want to travel abroad the week before the League season starts, so it looks like it is going to be a very low key pre season this year and let’s be blunt, a national League team and two lower League teams make Millwall look a top side with all respect to the South London club.

I would suspect that there will be a home friendly at St Mary’s, but truth is the late ending to last season has not helped our pre season and it does not look good at the moment.

Photo: Action Images

UgandaSaint added 19:40 - Jul 4 Pre-season friendlies are only to increase fitness and avoid injuries. Doesn't really matter who we play, if we bring in Real Madrid we have to pay them a lot of money and they mainly use their squad players. Millwall will be just as useful and a lot cheaper.
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LondonSaint76 added 20:35 - Jul 4 Also, I think this season you have to factor in the alterations being made at SMS, that schedule would also have been squeezed a bit with the play off semi 2nd leg being the home game. Not only the safe standing and the new away segregation to undertake but also our new exterior Berlin Wall to be erected. Perhaps with that in mind the Club have decided to give the workers the maximum time allowable as of course it will all have to pass safety inspections so no room for mistakes - just a thought…. Now watch them announce a home friendly for the final free weekend 🙂⚽️

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