The feelgood factor surrounding Saints could take their season ticket sales beyond the 20,000 mark for the first time.

After finishing eighth in the Premiership and reaching the FA Cup final, fans have been eager to get their hands on a season ticket which is the only way to guarantee a seat at every St Mary's league match next season and the first option to buy a place in the crowd for European and domestic cup games.

Last season Saints had 15,500 season ticket holders and the club have already renewed 12,000 who took advantage of an 'Early Bird' discount that ran out at the end of April.

There is a further discount on renewal until the end of June when they will go on general sale and the club hope to break the 20,000 mark for the first time.

That figure is only 2,000 short of the number that Rupert Lowe has said will need to regularly commit themselves for St Mary's to be extended beyond it's current 32,500 capacity.

Ticket office manager David Luker said: "We have had a lot of fans wanting to take up season tickets and have already received a big pile of application forms to be dealt with on July 7, the date for new applications.

"The FA Cup run has obviously had a big impact here because supporters now know that is the only way to guarantee priority for these big games.

"A lot of fans missed out on a wonderful occasion in Cardiff because they were not season ticket holders and, with European football returning next season and the hope of a repeat run to the Millennium Stadium, people want to be sure of their place.

"I'm hoping that we can make 20,000, which would be a superb achievement for a club, who, two years ago, only had 8,000 season-ticket holders."

For existing season-ticket holders renewing before June 30, adult prices range from £434-£502. General sale tickets bought between July 7-31 cost £456-£528 and, after August 1, for £478-£554 with discounts for teens, OAPs, children and Team Saints members.