SAINTS chairman Rupert Lowe today called for common sense to prevail after the Professional Footballers' Association last night served notice of industrial action.

The union has called its first ever strike for the weekend of December 1-2 following the breakdown of talks with the Premier League and other football bodies.

PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor is asking members not to play in any fixtures with cameras present either for live screening or recorded highlights. And that puts a major question mark against Southampton's televised game at Everton a week on Sunday with Saints stars having already overwhelmingly backed the call for strike action.

However Lowe stressed: "There is no dispute between the club and any of our players and I think this action could put them in a very difficult situation.

"It is unnecessary because it is a thoroughly affluent business and it is not as though they have not been offered a reasonable sum.

"The danger is that this could damage football and that could ultimately affect the livelihoods of the union members.

"The Premier League are likely to take steps to try and declare the proposed strike illegal claiming that industrial action on contributions to the players' benevolent fund is not a legitimate basis for a dispute.

The PFA are demanding five per cent of the television revenue for its welfare schemes. That works out around £27 million a year while football has offered £50 million over the next three years.

That is a 66 per cent increase and £20 million more than previously received by the PFA who are one of the wealthiest bodies in football with £17.5 million in assets.Saints' PFA representative is Paul Jones who is now waiting to hear officially what his members will be expected to do.

He recently confirmed the Southampton players had backed the action which now looks more likely to be put to the test but he stressed it was not about more money for the top stars but to look after the less well-off.