That's great news.

The discount deadline still has over 2 weeks to run and a lot of people hold on to their cash as long as possible. Me and my family have still to get ours and I suspect a few more are the same.

Some people won't be happy with the good news

Some people won't be happy with the good news

'normal people' dear oh dear. And as far as I'm aware we are still 3000 off last year's sales so I don't understand the smug talk of 'tumbleweed moments' etc...

Same with our mob, still 10 passes to get before the 31st deadline.

Always have the good intention of getting them early to get the cost out of the way pre Christmas but always end up buying them last week of December!

Yes I think I would agree that there is still a long way to go Garry and I feel that perhaps setting a headline about 10,000 is mischief making by the Mail but 1000 up on last year at this time, particularly as other clubs across the league are experiencing some resistance, taking every thing into consideration is a great tribute not to the game or the club but simply to the loyalty of the fans and is good news!

Because, as pass sale timings follow a profile year on year, to be above the sales at the same point last year indicates there is likely to be an increase in total passes sold, or at the very least a slight dip, but not the 2000 dip in sales that some have been predicting.

I guess a few people (maybe a fair few) will have asked for money for their season pass for Christmas as well.

Great news to be 1000 ahead of last season, IF we can manage 10,000 that would be great.

I realise that, but since yesterday me and a couple of others expressed the perfectly reasonable view that a drop in sales may facilitate better rugby being played in the long-run today some strange people have said that those with that view are an 'embarrassment', 'disgraceful' and 'not normal'... It really doesn't help the image of this forum.

The "image" of this forum? What's that then?
Any drop in sales would have been put down to tough economic times. The governments cuts are only just starting to bite and people could be forgiven for not committing to a pass with possible job cuts looming. Some people (not necessarily you) seem to think the recession is over, its only just beginning.
I expect pass sales for 2012 to be hit harder than any other year.

When I first started posting I got a couple of PM's from people saying not to bother as the regular posters on here were mostly to$$ers who gang up to shout you down if they decide you don't toe the forum line. This thread has shown me what they meant, 'disgraceful', 'not normal', 'embarrassment' etc are not phrases I'd normally associate with an opinion on season ticket sales. Yesterday I even had one imbecile telling me that she wouldn't send me an email as it would somehow place her at risk!

You have no more idea than I do how the board would view a drop in pass sales but as I've said several times it would be relative to other clubs' sales, and I'm sure that's one of the main ways the board would try to assess any fall. The recession is over, I realise the effects of it aren't but there's no reason to believe it's biting any harder than it was this time last year.

I think what this does prove is despite reading the boards negativity at times and people wrongly presuming to be speaking for the "majority" in saying "Agar out", "Rule out" etc. most fans are pretty happy with current state of the club both on and off the field.