SAINTS enter this afternoon's match against Birmingham protecting the Premiership's best current home record.

It is in sharp contrast to last season's first campaign at St Mary's, when Saints failed to win at home in the league until late November.

That fact, coupled with Saints' position in the top half of the table, is expecting to contribute to a superb 30,000-plus attendance today.

And that's for a match against less glamorous opposition than next week's Newcastle visitors, and at a time when Christmas shopping can affect attendance figures.

Gordon Strachan's men have gone nine Premiership matches unbeaten at St Mary's - eight this season plus the 3-1 win over Newcastle on the final day of the 2001/02 campaign.

They are one of only three clubs still unbeaten at home in the top flight this season following Liverpool's 2-1 defeat against visiting Manchester United last Sunday.

Middlesbrough haven't lost any of their eight games at the Riverside, but were beaten in their final home match of last season.

And revitalised Everton, unbeaten in seven games at Goodison Park this season, also lost their final home game of 2001/02.

Diehard Saints fan Dave Ford admits "there's a great buzz" around the city following the club's improved form of late.

"There's a great atmosphere in all the clubs and pubs before games," he admitted.

"Fans are going to games believing the team can give anybody a good game, and knowing they have a team to be proud of."

Ford added: "At the start of last season the team were lacking confidence in home games.

"But Strachan's done a marvellous job. It's amazing what he has done. He's got the confidence of the players and the fans.

"He has organised them so well. He's a disciplinarian and he's added extra discipline, extra fitness and extra confidence.

"He's also had the whole of last summer to work with the players. He inherited some good players but he's made them even better.

"I don't want to get complacent, but things are going so well.

"Even on Monday we played only average but still won. Before we would have played only average and got tonked!

"The squad are so fit, they must be one of the fittest in the Premiership, if not the fittest. And Fabrice Fernandes must be one of the fittest players.

"But it's the confidence which is so good to see. Even when we went to Old Trafford the players, and the fans, thought we could win.

"In the past, even for home games against United, we would have been happy to keep the score down to one or two, but not this time."

Ford was also delighted to hear the news that the 30,000 crowd figure could be broken again this afternoon.

"When we started to play well last season the sold out signs were going up three or four days before home games, and we could be getting back to those days again," he said.

"Hopefully the fans who don't go all that often can get tickets for games against less glamorous sides like Birmingham, they will like what they see and they will stay with us."

Ford, meanwhile, has been voted chairman of the newly-formed Fair Oak Saints Supporters Club.

Anyone wanting membership details can email dave@fairoaksaints.co.uk