SAINTS have arrested a five-year decline in crowds after fans flocked back to St Mary’s this season.

The club saw a whopping 18 per cent increase in attendances this campaign, despite having dropped into the third tier of English football.

Thanks to the feelgood factor created by boss Alan Pardew and his £3m signing spree, Saints attracted an average gate of 20,982 over the course of the League One season.

Last year, in the Championship, it was a paltry 17,849.

This year’s number is all the more impressive, since most League One clubs bring a smaller away following than their Championship counterparts.

Saints’ crowds were even higher than three Premier League sides managed this season – Burnley (20,654), bitter south coast rivals Pompey (18,249) and Wigan (17,998).

Full story in today's Daily Echo