SAINTS are on target to score a huge success by matching last year's season ticket sales.

The club broke the 20,000 barrier over the weekend and are hopeful that come kick-off time at the start of the new season they will be up to almost 21,000.

Saints scored their best ever season ticket sale last year by netting 21,000 - a figure that rose to 22,000 after Christmas when people bought half-season tickets for the remainder of the campaign.

But last year's sales were on the back of reaching the FA Cup final for the first time in 27 years, securing a place in Europe as a result and finishing eighth in the league - the club's highest-ever Premiership finish.

This year's are on the back of finishing 12th in the league and no decent cup run.

Ticket office manager David Luker said: "To be honest, we're over the moon. This is a great result for us and we are confident that we will be up around the same mark as last year come kick-off time.

"In terms of renewals, we've had 18,000-19,000 and then added about 2,000 new customers which is great."

Luker also reported that there has been a quick response to the membership renewal forms which have recently been sent out, with over 1,500 arriving over the weekend.

Saints fans willing to shell out £40 for a ticket at Stamford Bridge next month are being urged to get their applications in quickly.

Last season many season ticket holders were annoyed that Saints only took an allocation of 1,500 tickets for the May trip to Chelsea. Those tickets sold out in three hours.

Now, following discussions with the SaintsAway Supporters group, Saints have agreed to change the way they take away ticket allocations.

They will accept the full 3,000 allocation for the Chelsea trip on Saturday, August 28 - providing enough fans pre-register with the club by July 21.

Saints will either take 1,500 tickets on a sale and return basis or the full 3,024 allocation on a guaranteed sale basis - meaning the club will pay for all tickets whether they are sold or not.

Saints have to let Chelsea know their decision by July 28 - hence they want all fans to apply in writing by seven days earlier.

"We need to let the club know that we can take all our full allocation," said Steve Grant from the SaintsAway group.

"If you apply now for a ticket you're almost sure to get one."

The £40 ticket price is the most expensive adult Saints fans will pay on their travels this season and represents a whopping £9 rise on the price they paid at Stamford Bridge just a few months ago.

Concessions are £24 OAPs and £16 Under-16s.

"Those prices are absolutely ludicrous," said Grant, "but I suppose Chelsea have to fund their massively over-priced players somehow."