spyinthesky

I'd be VERY surprised if season ticket sales are anywhere near expectation. Whilst I think the idea of a Saints 'end' the scaffold like structure doesnt seem conducive to safe standing. Also the move of away fans will not go down too well with supporters in that area or people like me who will now have to put up with away fans impacting on my stroll to and from the game and my choice of watering hole after the game. The 10%-15% hike in season tickets will also impact on non Northam end season ticket holders. I am not short of a bob or too but have recently have to pay for car insurances, home insurance and these have finally been negotiated down to around 20% uplift after renewals were offered up at between 50-65%!! Those on tighter budgets may decide that they will select their games or give up entirely.

For us dwindling band of older Saints 1st May is always a day of positive refelction. Today 48 years ago I was up early polishing my flag, scarf and entry ticket (£6.00 for a seat not far from the Royal Box) expecting to see Second Division Saints brushed aside by a top rated Man Utd team. Five us us left our local pub jammed into a Morris Marina Coupe, waved to all the supporters without tickets at the Chilworth roundabout, managed to get through the Hockley lights on the dual carriageway at Winchester without too much of a queue and join a procession of Saints supporters heading for Wembley in the sunshine. The rest is history but gloating at the Man Utd supporters club coach broken down outside of Basingstoke after the historic victory was great fun as was the amount of people on bridges waving to us as we returned home. A brilliant day which unfortunately for all the younger Saints fans is unlikely to happen again.

Could Pompey be next year's Ipswich or the version of Saints the year we went straight up from League 1 to the Prem?

I remember Lawrie McMenemy getting booed when he first took over from Ted Bates due to a run of poor results!!

I dont blame the Manager for making changes for an non event team for us. That said, the performances of all the players apart from McCarthy and KWP left an awful lot to be desired. Its OK for the Manager to say the team is tired but what's the difference between us and the rest of the teams in the League who have had a similar amount of games to play. There is no urgency in our play even when chasing the game at the end. The bubble has truly been burst both on and off the field.

Back to my usual negative thoughts after feeling positive that we would comfortably dispatch Blackburn and Cardiff. Reflecting on the last time we were in the Play Offs under George Burley. Lost 1-0 at SMS to Derby, beat them at their place then lost on penalties, a result I was unaware of until I woke up about 2am and switched on the TV in my hospital bed after recovering from a 4 hour operation. We then went into free fall and ended up wallowing in League One until being rescued by dear old Markus. I fear a repetition when Sports Republic either lose interest in us or we suffer another financial meltdown. Whatever the outcome, I dont see us ever being a force in the Premiership in my lifetime and suspect my end days will see the team return to the level I started watching them ie Third Division South (nowadays League One)

I was relatively optimistic that the appointment of Colin Calderwood as First Team Coach last October would make us more defensively astute bearing in mind he was a decent defender in his day. The team certainly doesnt look that strong defensively at the moment but, of course, that may well be down to Russball and the fact that RM's style of play has resulted in a shed load of goals being conceded at his previous clubs.

Leicester fans were critical of their Manager for playing tippy tappy football and missing loads of chances. They were far more direct than us on Tuesday whilst we went more direct with Baz Ball missing yet got slaughtered.

Awful performance but really puts into perspective that if we, by some fluke, manage to get through the play offs, unless Russell Martin can pull a rabbit out of the hat and adept the teams style of play and the owners manage to find the cash and the scouting ability to rebuild the team, the performance at Leicester will become the blueprint for next season in the Prem. Worryingly, as other posters have pointed out, Sports Republic have said that there is little money available for transfers next season in the Championship so, at best, we can anticipate mid table obscurity and at worst flirting with relegation and a double loss to that lot down the road.

Will a Security Box be built at the away end to replicate the one in the corner at the Northam?

Spurs was the only one I have been to. All fine but think the steps were built specifically for railed standing/seating so that may have helped.

Couple of interesting views on the recent total eclipse of the sun. One that is had been planned by 'globalists' to affect world events, a sign from God that we all have to repent our sins and that it would promote disastrous earthquakes, the end of the world etc etc . Heaven knows what the conspiracists will make of the forthcoming cicadas invasion in Louisiana.

Just imagine GM is your Financial Adviser and asks you to invest in a company where the CEO is a former career politician who has never run a major company. The founder and chairman, the real driving force behind the company, has a record of multiple bankruptcies in sectors ranging from airlines to casinos and is facing several criminal charges. The founder's son is one of the four main directors. The founder himself is facing a cash crunch that means he may have to dump his large stake in the company after six months. And, of course, the founder will be spending the next few months looking to take up another position. Think back to Feb 2022 when Trump's previous incarnation Digital World Acquisition plunged from $84 to $25 and the new company, The Trump Media & Technology Group (DJT) which is a merger with a SPAC, is likely to go the same way. To be fair DJT has been able to muster 1 million monthly active users per annum (as per Mr Trump's figures, so assume less than half of that) which is what Twitter get in a day. There is the suggestion that there is a planned TV and News service but both require patience and organisational skill nether of which is dear old Donald's forte. As GM has mentioned there are possible upside if the Orange One wins the election (God forbid) but that could mean he will be too busy playing golf to set up a media empire but who knows. I just wonder if his fans in the UK, eg Farage, Truss and co are piling in to help their bestest friend in the good old USA??

I am not a scientist but from a personal perspective I can attest to my own observations that our climate is different now than when I was a lad. Warmer and wetter winters and warmer and wetter summers. I am sure there are plenty of examples of this happening around the world. One interesting aspect of all this in the 'developed' world is that statistics show that the birthrate in 'developed' countries is running below the average 2.1 reproduction rate to ensure we have enough workers and tax revenue, to keep us all looked after in our dotage. However in Africa, where climate change is likely to cause drought and a lot of other issues, the birth rate is over double 2.1. Africa is heading towards a combined population that will surpass China and India who both seem to be on a downward trend in the population stakes.

It cost me a 1/- (5p in new money) to go into The Dell as a nipper and probably anything between a 1d and 3d for a four page programme. If I was feeling flush I could buy a 1d On The Ball ticket to win the match ball (if it got kicked out of the ground, the game stopped whils it was retrieved - no multi balls in those days!! Mind you we lived in a hole on the road and ate scraps that fell off the back of coal lorry. Those were the days.