The9

I can't help but think the crassness of the 'showing support' pleas on the OS helped keep some people away. The format of the tournament smacked of nonentity pre-season, and a lot of people are away or enjoying a break from football. Most people have done their mourning and gave their thanks nearly a year ago, I'm not sure why the club would expect that emotion to drive ticket sales.

I'm positive we're after another striker given the gap at #19 and the method used for handing out squad numbers this season. Butterfield RB #(1)2 Hammond CM (1)4 Jaidi CB (1)5 Martin CB (1)6 Forte winger (1)7 Chaplow CM (1)8 Bart GK (2)1 Dickson LB (2)3 Doble AT (2)9 Forecast GK (3)1 Stephens RB (3)2 Aside from the players who have the numbers they had last season like Connolly and Lallana, and Holmes and De Ridder who have multiples of their old number (12) or the number they wanted (11 - 33), the others coincide with the traditional numbers for their position in a 1-11. About the only exception is Ben Reeves' #28, so having 19 free means a striker.

He did about as much as Barnard usually does yesterday, plus a few runs the the ball under control that Barnard hasn't shown he's capable yet.

Richardson looked excellent, sharpest I've seen him as a Saints player and very energetic, got forward well and was much more lively and significantly less sluggish than he looked all last season - he also used the ball well, going for return passes instead of just chipping it up to get rid, as he did last season. He was my Saints man of the tournament actually, for his improvement. Butterfield has plenty to worry about now.

Looked as strong and creative as he did when I last saw him against Eastleigh 2 years ago. Except against much better opposition.

I'll buy it, probably like this year when they're desperate to shift them in April. Or maybe someone will buy me one for Xmas or something. As for "spoilt brat", errrr, grow up ? It's a valid and well thought out criticism, just because you don't like it doesn't make it wrong.

He quit. Due to there being a certain person he couldn't work with. Probably due to the interference...

I don't like it much - though there's nothing really wrong with any of the constituent parts other than their utter blandness, the whole "Brazil colours" thing is a concept that was done to death in the early 1990s and shows a complete vacuum of creativity. In short, it's dull as ditchwater and has been done to death. We're not Brazil and we have our own identity. Yellow socks is more "Saints" (though the kit would still be bland), and yellow and black would have been a much more interesting new twist. Add to that the prospect of Saints wearing some weird non-matching mix-and-match efforts at some places now (Crystal Palace is usually a good one), not all that impressed really.

Ok, teams are out... Very Brazilly! Not sure about the White socks. Blue numbers

10 mins to kick off and the starting side is still warming up in training kit.

Just noticed the light grey training tops with the red shoulders have a red sponsor on the front so that's opened that option up.

Saints are out in dark grey training shirts with dark grey training shorts (squad numbers are really small and its training kit for sure) and plain white socks. The sneaky sods!!!

Kelv is out to warm up already, same keeper kit as Bart, sort of fluorescent lime greeny-yellow shirt with black top part and sleeves, black shorts which seem to be the same as the outfielders' home kit and fluorescent socks with black turnovers. The outfielders will be out soon and we'll know short and sock colours for the away kit.

Blue "vest" bit or blue piping? And what colour is the back of the collar?

I should also point out that I could only hear the announcement cos I was in the loo at the time.

Lol. Well, they just announced on the tannoy that it's pre-order from 27th July, on-sale date is 4th August. Also worth noting that the players warming up will show off the socks and shorts a good half hour before the kick off of the Bilbao match.

I'm having trouble getting a URL off my phone...

FWIW Bart is wearing lime green with black sleeves and yoke. And we're 1-0 up, Cork setting up Connolly.

Speak for yourself, I'm here to watch some football.

He's getting some smattering of boos from a few isolated people in the first 5 minutes. Ridiculous, frankly.

On the seats in the Chapel, looks amazing, congratulations to everyone involved. Will try and get a pic up, but watching the game now.

Here's the weird thing, I'm at St Marys and the new grey training tops have what appears to be a yellow sponsor logo with red trim - if it follows that we're only using sponsor logos that are in use elsewhere that doesn't seem to support the idea that the away kit is predominantly yellow. Seems strange as they could use the White/black home kit badges perfectly well.

Because every time we get a new sponsor they have to fit it onto a shirt that's already been designed with stripes all the way down it, I should think.

Keep drinking the Kool-Aid.

Yeah, what kind of name is Stove anyway ? Sorry, just watched Bridesmaids. Funnier than a chick flick should be.