THE football season is almost on us - and at least one of Saints' season ticket holders is getting nervous.

In today's Daily Echo Martin Philip van Tuyl writes: I AM one of over 13,000 Saints fans who parted with their hard earned money and invested in a season ticket.

As such, it gives me every right to be critical, scathing even, about the disasterous course the club's board seems to have set for our club.

I am absolutely aghast at the goings on at St Mary's.

Like most, I renewed my season ticket hoping we could build on our play-off spot and make a real fist of things this season.

Instead, even before a ball is kicked in anger, my hopes for promotion have long since gone.

After the bloodletting of this summer, there can be no pretending promotion is a priority.

The way things are going, I would be more than happy with a midtable finish.

There seems to be no end to the board's lemming like desire to sell its assets. I was absolutely amazed to read they were even considering bids for Rasiak. Our top scorer? What next, St Mary's itself on eBay?

I cannot help thinking we are being run by asset strippers who seem to have a collective deathwish.

Burley was forced to sell most of our defence. We now rely on an ageing Claus and a very injury prone Powell. It does not bode well, I fear.

The buffoonery in the boardroom is a farce.

Inflated egos doing their worst and dragging our club down.

It would appear that as far as the board are concerned, the fans (paying customers!) do not figure very high on the agenda.

Amid all the strife, rumours and other capers, the fanbase are crying out for a statement of intent.

Instead they seem hell bent on washing their dirty linen in public.

They cannot possibly argue with any degree of credibility to have the club's best interests at heart.

The whole thing is descending into a shambles and disgrace.

We have now spent two seasons in this division. A division which, for me, can be summed up by two games: Watford at home and the Derby play off at St Mary's.

Two very physical sides with big lumbering centre halves kicking everything in sight.

As a footballing side, we were hacked out of it and duly lost both games.

Both sides went on to win promotion of course.

The saying horses for courses' does not seem to have registered at the new Dell.

Yes, trying to play our way out of this league is very commendable, but the reality is very different.

How do the powers to be think we are going to fare playing a load of youngsters against the hackers and assassins?

Burley, above, should certainly know better.

Steve Bruce and Roy Keane led their sides to the promised land. They did so by using a considerable amount of loan players from the big clubs.

If we cannot afford to buy players, why can't we do the same? Why are we always selling our promising players with such indecent haste?

Perhaps Bruce and Keane have the benefit of a united board who all pull in the same direction for the sole benefit of the club. Football people who do not gamble away the club's future for short term gain.

These boards also appreciate that loyalty works both ways.

I readily admit to being fickle but which football fan isn't.

But we are not stupid and we certainly know when we are sold a pup.

We are in for a hard and long, if not torrid, season. I am certainly bracing myself. Let us hope it does not end in tears.

The circus is back in town.

Martin Philip van Tuyl, West Africa.

What are your views? Write to the sports editor at the Daily Echo, Newspaper House, Test Lane, Redbridge, Southampton SO16 9JX or e-mail echosport@dailyecho.co.uk