LaptopSaint

Best hat-trick I've ever seen. Still outraged that it wasn't in the Guardian's best all-time hat-trick list. Brilliant brilliant game. Also beating Man City after extra time in the League Cup. I thought the Archers was going to explode.

Fortunately so was Fabrice's 90th minute curler into the far corner. Good game that. But yes, it was clear Rooney was going places.

Anarchy in the UK... from the album Never Mind the B0llocks - Here's the Saints.

If we could get £1.2 million for DMG (plus decent sell-on clause) and spend it on Jon Main from AFC Wimbledon (a man who can't stop scoring and would be ours for £100,000 tops), a lower league Jimmy Case (names anyone?), and another old warhorse centre forward (a Steve Howard clone) I'd say that'd be a decent bit of League One business. We are where we are.

Just to add to the cheerful mood of the day - Claus is up in court and has admitted to drink-driving on the M3. Not clear where the other accusation of fleeing the scene of an accident is going. But doesn't look good for him.

How about 'Hey Buddy, can you spare a dime?' If not, I always thought 'Anarchy in the UK' would get the crowd going. Or how about a rocked up version of Bing Crosby's The Bells of St Marys - that could bring a tear to the eye. The Bells of St. Mary's Ah, hear they are calling The young loves, the true loves Who come from the sea And so my beloved When red leaves are falling The love bells shall ring out, ring out For you and me Not sure what love bells are though.

I like this. Comparing the plight of SFC to one of the greatest military debacles in history, in which an estimated two million people died. Good to get things in their proper perspective.

Muslims have Saints too. HTH. We could be huge in Sufi-dominated areas of central Turkey.

On my pessimistic days I'm with Sir Topham Hatt. This could be the team... and it could struggle. But still live in hope that new owners will bring a little more to the table...

I'm sure DMG will get a couple of CCC offers. For all the whinging on here, he scored more than most in the league in a ****e team. We'll surely lose DMG, Surman, Lallana, Saga, Schneiderlin, Rasiak, John. I think Kelvin and JPS might stay but it obviously depends on new manager and new owners. If they do stay, though, we;ve got the makings of a decent defence for the Third Division. Of course if it all goes tits up and we start life in the Conference next season then all bets are off.

Spot on my friend. Crouching alongside you in the bunker.

Along with Yeovil, Swindon, Brizzle Rovers, Brentford, Charlton, Southend and a couple of others, some good localish days out. If Dagenham and Redbridge sneak into the League Two play-offs even better. We're all going on a third division tour, a third division tour, a third division tour...

We deserve to go down because we're not good enough. On and off the field this season has been a disgrace. The lack of heart and spine is unacceptable. Anyway we've got bigger problems than which league we're in next season. Still need to fill the ground for Burnley to show would-be owners that the fans care even if the team don't. Then I'd like to see a firesale of players - get rid of 'em. We need to spring clean the negativity out of the place. Even those who've done OK this season will have been scarred by it and we can't afford to have the ghosts of the worst season in this club's history hanging around the training ground in July and August (if we still exist). Brave new world, and a long road ahead. COYR

For me the significance of the occasion is just as important. So Pahars with his little diving header to secure safety, BT scoring with his arse in the semi final against Watford (right in front of where I was sitting in the Watford end), David Peach at Wembley, Henri Camara with his shirt off, and of course Bobby. And, of course of course Steve Moran at Fratton. Oh man that was good.

Anyone else struggling to come to terms with the fact that this could be our last ever game as a functioning football club?

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/football-league/saints-battle-to-stay-in-business-1659806.html And the Independent (I'm not a heavy sleeper in case you were wondering...) What price a legal challenge from, say, Plymouth or Norwich if we survive at their expense?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/championship/southampton/5090954/League-face-backlash-as-Southamptons-parent-company-goes-into-administration.html Similar line from the Telegraph. We are going to be really popular at grounds up and down the country!

Here's the Guardian's take on it. If we get away with it -- and I know this won't be a popular view -- it looks like a pretty smart move from Lowe. Still want him gone for good though. http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/apr/02/southampton-saints-administration-championship-relegation The Football League was last night accused of "double standards" by clubs who have been docked points, after it emerged that Southampton are unlikely to attract a penalty when their holding company is placed into administration today. Southampton Leisure Holdings announced to the stock market yesterday that its shares were being suspended because the uncertainty around the company meant it was unable to meet the deadline for posting its half-year results. The club has debts of close to £28m, comprising a £4.5m overdraft with Barc*lays and a loan with Norwich Union that financed the stadium. It is understood that negotiations with the bank have foundered, leaving administration as the only option, with the accountants Begbies Traynor believed to be standing by. But it appears that Southampton would be able to avoid a penalty being applied at the start of next season, as long as the football club subsidiary avoided administration. In order for that to happen, it is believed that new investors would have to be found by the summer. The issue will be discussed at a Football League board meeting next Tuesday, but if Southampton do avoid incurring a penalty it would open a can of worms with other clubs who have had deductions applied. Luton Town's managing director, Gary Sweet, who had to contend with a 30-point deduction after rescuing the club from administration last August, said: "This makes a mockery of the Football League's attempt to uphold the integrity of the competition. If this sails through I see no reason why any footballclub should not set up a holding company that carries the entire debt of the club which is periodically put into administration in order to cleanse debt whilst attracting no sanctions." He added: "This smacks yet again as double standards between clubs at diff*erent levels of the game." Sweet said an additional 10-point penalty incurred by Luton from the Football Association was imposed because the previous owners paid agents from the club's holding company, which he said "clearly recognises the relationship between the holding company and the club itself".

Big crowd would be great news. Didn't work that well for the Forest game though, did it?

Tricky one. Let me get back to you.

three minutes to go. sad day. but we've bottomed out. i think.

So we've got the next Vieira and the next Arjen Robben. I reckon we're sorted.

I hope we don't get sent down by Duh duh duh duh duh Dexter.... From BBC gossip column: Nottingham Forest are trying to sign striker Dexter Blackstock, 22, from QPR after missing out on Marlon Harewood, who has joined Wolves on loan from Aston Villa. (Daily Mirror)

Just done the BBC predictor and was rather surprised to find Saints safe with 51 points at the end. I had us going 3-3-2 in the last eight games -- which isn't far out of line with recent form. Norwich and Barnsley down with Charlton -- if you look at Barnsley's remaining games they're tough. Wolves, Reading, Sheff U and Swansea at the top, Plymouth and Forest at the bottom, Derby and Watford in form... Norwich have a really tough run in too -- including Brum, Reading, Swansea away, a derby at Ipswich and Charlton away on the final day who will already be relegated and playing free-flowing football. Anyway makes me more hopeful. But I have put us down for a win at Blackpool!

Just imagine if we'd taken JP Saeijs (or equivalent) at the beginning of the season instead of Robertson, Pekhardt, Smith... apart from one flukey wonder goal what on earth would we have missed? Baffling.