In recent years staffing cuts at the Daily Echo have meant that increasingly they have relied on what are essentially letters from readers to be published as news stories on their website, but today's offering hit an all time low.

The headline "READER LETTER (sic) What Is Wrong With Saints" seemed to promise a tirade against the club's transfer policy and perhaps a rant about Saturday's defeat against Borussia Monchengladbach, but the reader who sent the letter Jeff Easter from Bassett was more concerned about the communication or not he receives from the club.

"Why is the only contact the club has with it's season ticket holders, is the call for renewals.

There has been absolutely no contact at all this close season, nothing to tell ST holders that the pre-season friendlies were free , if you got them before 9th July!

Nothing about transfers, either in or out, in fact NOTHING, full stop.

You do realise it doesn't actually cost anything to send an e-mail. Surely you must have a data-base of all ST/members e-mail addresses.

I've had far too much going on in my life this summer to be chasing around web sites looking for information, that, in the greater scheme of things isn't really very important, start being pre-emptive, just think about the good-will you would generate with the fans, for nothing, if you told them stuff.

Incidentally, with only 12 days to go before the first game when are the season tickets being delivered?

again no information.

It really is about time the club started treating it's fans with a little more respect and a little less contempt!"

Jeff Easter

Bassett, Southampton

Now although i agree with Mr Easter about about the fact that the club does lack communication with its fans, what he is claiming is not my experience.

A look in my trash box confirmed that I had received e mails about all the events he was claiming that he hadn't, about the pre season friendly tickets, each new signing including a competition to win a signed shirt, about when tickets where going on sale for home and away matches and about pre match previews and post match reports.

Indeed Mr Easter seems to have been stitched up by the paper when he mentions that with 12 days to go there where no sign of season tickets being delivered, presumably his letter to the Echo was sent a week ago, because season ticket's were delivered through most doors by Friday or Saturday.

Sadly although I can sympathise with Mr Easter who may for some reason not be receiving these e mails, the fact is the club are sending them and this summer have been making stringent efforts to communicate with the supporters far more than they have ever done in the past with the formation of a supporters council and a fans forum to be held and also being broadcast.

But the biggest culprit here is the Daily Echo who have printed a readers letter and clearly made no effort to check the facts behind his claims !

There are some good journalists at the Daily Echo still, sadly many more have been made redundant leaving a small staff who are struggling to come, shockingly given the size of the paper's circulation area and the fact they are covering a Premier League football team a National League team in Eastleigh and a first class County Cricket Club in Hampshire, not to mention a raft of other sports, with clubs and individuals at all levels they no longer even employ a sports editor, the previous one being made redundant at the end of last year.

Much of the sub editing isn't even done at it's offices in Southampton but from a main office in South Wales by people who have absolutely no knowledge of this area.

What this means is the coverage is often sub standard and too often stories like this are put up on their website to fill content, but all they actually do is spread misinformation and put it forward as the truth.

I don't blame Mr Easter, but if he is unhappy with the club why did he not e mail them directly with his concerns rather than contact the Echo who have now made him look a little foolish in his claims, indeed if I can check out his claims and find them to be untrue in less than a minute why can't the Echo.

All this piece did was stir up some fans a little bit more, half the replies on the Echo website ignored the content of the article but just had a good moan at the club for other things, the other half confirmed they had been receiving all the e mails ok.

The Daily Echo used to be a help to Southampton Football Club, now it seems to be part of the problem we have at present with a negative vibe surrounding the club and making even the most trivial issue an opportunity to berate the club, this has to stop, we have to create positivity and look forward not backwards.

Photo: Action Images

A1079 added 10:11 - Aug 7 In the world of journalism August was always known as "slow news" or "silly season".
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davepid added 10:13 - Aug 7 Try living in Sheffield. The sub editing is just as distant and hopeless but coverage of Saints or Hampshire ccc is nonexistent! Which is worse no coverage or inaccurate coverage?
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saintmark1976 added 10:41 - Aug 7 I was told some time ago that the Echo is part of the same group that publishes the Daily Fail. If what I was told is correct I'm not surprised at the quality of the journalism and their grasp of reality. "There are some good journalists at the Echo still,sadly many more have been made redundant leaving a small staff who are struggling to come". That will be down to pressure of work then Nick?

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saintswhite72 added 11:02 - Aug 7 As a season ticket holder I also receive no emails from the club and have missed out on a number of offers. I've called them, emailed them but still get no emails. It is frustrating as it used to work fine up until last season. Mr Easter has obviously got nowhere with the club to get it fixed in the same way I know deep down the ketchup dispenser in block 29 will also never get fixed.

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legod7 added 12:03 - Aug 7 I am also a season ticket holder and must be only one who seems inundated with emails from the club. I received an email telling me about the free tickets for the pre season friendlies and how to claim them. I have also received emails telling me when I can apply for the Everton & Palace away games. I have also received pre match information about the pre season friendlies & also post match reports.

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jasmerlick added 12:08 - Aug 7 I live in the U.S., am not a Season Ticket holder, and still received updates on new signings, ticket sales, entries into contests for signed jersey's, etc. from the club. I have no idea how this lad can miss it.
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sotonian added 12:32 - Aug 7 Has he checked in his junk mail
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redandwhitedee added 13:03 - Aug 7 Surely the main question is.. Is the ugly Inside so desperate for stories about saints that they have to repeat the most boring articles from the echo ?
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SaintNick added 13:18 - Aug 7 The main answer is Yes !
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ItchenNorth added 14:03 - Aug 7 There is loads of coverage, from the club itself and all over the internet. If you want information you can get it on any number of official Southampton FC social media sites, the clubs own website, let alone the endless emails received almost every day ! Bloke sounds like a luddite ! As for The Daily Echo (or any newspaper for that matter); it's all yesterday's news ! Don't understand why anyone bothers reading them these days. Their decline is purely down to printing and distribution costs compared to publishing on the internet.

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wibbersda added 14:06 - Aug 7 saintswhite72 Check you spam folder
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saintswhite72 added 17:01 - Aug 7 wibbersda The spam folder is bare of Saints related emails. :-(
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