The9

I'm against doing any of that with the possible exception of reinstating some terraces and maybe drinking in the ground (I'd have to see a pilot to decide the likely effects of that), but I'm still against modern football. Anyway, you can get all of that in some eastern European leagues but I bet you haven't been to "enjoy" it.

All Umbro teams all have all new kits every season, and this was the case when Leon Crouch announced the new Umbro deal in 2008. I mentioned it in the posts above. In addition, Arsenal have only kept the same home kit for 2 successive seasons once since 2003 and Spurs have changed their home shirts every season since the 1990s, and all 3 (or more) kits every season for at least the last 5 years. Last season every team in the Prem got a new home kit except Blackpool, who got a new sponsor on their existing kit. Spurs had the front to launch 6 different kits due to having different sponsors in Europe to the ones in the Premier League - though at least they can blame Premier League rules for needing 3 kits in the first place.

Nov 2009 : Northampton A in FA Cup R2 was the last away draw. Taking out the two-legged JPT Area Final v MK and the Final at Wembley in early 2010, Saints' home draws since then : 1 ) Norwich JPT4 Dec 2009 2 ) Luton FAC3 Jan 2010 3 ) Ipswich FAC4 Jan 2010 4 ) Portsmouth FAC5 Feb 2010 5 ) AFC Bournemouth CCup1 Aug 2010 6 ) Bolton CCup2 Aug 2010 7 ) Swindon JPT1 Sep 2010 8 ) Shrewsbury FAC1 Nov 2010 9 ) Cheltenham FAC2 Nov 2010 10) Blackpool FAC3 Jan 2011 11) Man U FAC4 Jan 2011 12) Torquay CCup1 Aug 2011 That includes 7 successive FA Cup home draws ! Add to that 2009/10's home draws against Northampton (CCup1), Birmingham (CCup2), Torquay (JPT2) and Charlton (JPT3) BEFORE the Northampton FAC2 away (which was preceded by Bristol Rovers away in FAC1), plus 2008/9's Man U FAC3 draw which was the last Cup game of the previous season and we've had 17 out of 19 possible home draws since Jan 2009. Even the two-legged JPT Area Final saw us with the preferred home match in the second leg.

I've been counting, just going to recheck it, but we're in double figures and given that the probability of us getting even 7 successive home draws is 1/132 and we've had about 14, so I'm not going to bother checking anyone else's !

It's also arguable that those two specific clubs should have been in the Prelim., why not a random Southern section draw amongst the unseeded clubs ? No reason to include the Northern section in it, as all the affected sides are Southern. Still, there's another match for you to go to !

I'm afraid you'll just have to assume I thought you were that stupid.

I was actually quite surprised at the high quality of the rip-offs the last time I was in Tenerife.

Which they did by winning the Carling Cup, lolz. Bit harsh on AFC Wimbledon though, having to play bloody horrible Crawley who have the funding of a top four League One side and already had to put up with them dominating the Conference all of last season.

Now on the OS, which will probably lead to someone starting another thread... http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10280~2377155,00.html

No, nor any of the other sides that were seeded and we couldn't possibly play, nor any of the teams in the Northern section, etc.

If nothing else it maintains our bizarre record of being drawn at home wherever possible in every competition since playing Northampton away in the 2010 FA Cup 2nd Round. Or something like that. We've had something like 14 successive home draws in JPT/League Cup and FA Cup now.

It's Torquay http://www.carling.com/carlingcup/

http://www.carling.com/carlingcup/

- Carling Cup First Round Draw The draw for the first round of the Carling Cup has been made, and it is as follows: Rochdale v Chesterfield Port Vale v Huddersfield Town Rotherham United v Leicester City Hull City v Macclesfield Town Hartlepool United v Sheffield United Leeds United v Bradford City Doncaster Rovers v Tranmere Rovers Walsall v Middlesbrough Barnsley v Morecambe Accrington Stanley v Scvnthorpe United Derby County v Shrewsbury Town Oldham Athletic v Carlisle United Bury v Coventry City Sheffield Wednesday v Blackpool Burnley v Burton Albion Preston North End v Crewe Alexandra Nottingham Forest v Notts County Brighton & Hove Albion v Gillingham AFC Bournemouth v Dagenham & Redbridge Ipswich Town v Northampton Town Cheltenham Town v Milton Keynes Dons Bristol Rovers v Watford Plymouth Argyle v Millwall Oxford United v Cardiff City West Ham United v Aldershot Town Southampton v Torquay United Charlton Athletic v Reading Portsmouth v Barnet Stevenage v Peterborough United Southend United v Leyton Orient Wycombe Wanderers v Colchester United Hereford United v Brentford Exeter City v Yeovil Town Bristol City v Swindon Town Crystal Palace v Crawley Town/AFC Wimbledon Ties will be played during the week commencing 8th August 2011. Seen it before...

There's also the argument that people are less likely to buy a one year shirt for £40 due to built in obsolescence, but it doesn't seem to have hurt the sash sales due to the many unique selling points of that particular shirt. Just for once I'd actually like to see a side say "we're going to reward our fans for loyalty" by bringing out a 4 year kit term of a classic design, charging £50 for it initially with the cost dropping a tenner a season, and launch an away kit annually to satiate the demand for a new shirt. But that's not the way the industry is going.

I just had a quick look, the sash shirt has "Tailored By Umbro in England" on the high-profile sticker inside the shirt collar where the label often is, and "Made in Thailand" on the washing instructions.

Yes, and having done that already yesterday and discovered we were getting a new kit this summer, which I knew 3 years ago anyway, I'm still at a loss to work out why you think it's relevant or what point you're trying to make.

orly ?

The Huddersfield shirt is not the same style as the Saints sash shirt. The sash shirt has straight seams between the front / back pieces and the sleeves and the sleeve only goes to the top of the arm, whilst the Huddersfield kit has raglan sleeves so the sleeve piece goes right up to the collar - i.e. there's a curved near-diagonal seam from the armpit to the collar (like the 2010 World Cup England red kit not the 2010 World Cup England home which has since been replaced).

Yes, I'd love us to look like a generic parks team.

The kind of daft sod who would also rather pay addiional postage to hopefully get the shirt delivered on launch day at whatever point the postie wants to deliver, rather than just amble down to one of the club shops and pick one up when there's no-one around, which there hasn't been by about 9:30am for the last couple of seasons even when we were selling record numbers of kits. Fair enough if you live away from Southampton, but even as a regular kit-buying idiot I'm nevertheless completely over the whole launch day nonsense. The perceived impact of wearing the new kit lasts for about as long as it takes for one person to see one other person wearing it for the first time, and is utterly not worth the hassle. They have NO chance of selling as many as the sash sold either. A unique style which appealed to retro kit buyers, new kit buyers, traditional polo shirt style with no sponsor, which non-kit wearers would wear, going on sale in a World Cup summer when interest in football is at a high, and looking quite similar to the then-England kit but with a Southampton flavour. Compared to this year's "we're probably going back to stripes, with a sponsor, it's a non-World Cup year, but at least we've got a few more fans".

What about it ?

The Umbro contract was signed in 2008 for FIVE years, and it was announced that this would happen on the Official Saints site 3 years ago, so I'm not quite sure how this is Cortese's deal. The Umbro deal was ALWAYS for a new home and away kit every season, and it was only going into admin that prevented us swapping the home kit in the Summer of 2009. So if you want to blame someone... don't bother. There's a bit here though it doesn't mention changing every season... http://www.footballshirtculture.com/sponsorship/southampton-sign-umbro-deal-until-2013.html Ah, here it is : http://www.football-shirts.co.uk/fans/new-southampton-shirt-release-details_1052 Leighton Mitchell, Head of Retail said: “We have made the decision to move to a one year kit cycle for a number of reasons. Firstly the 08/09 season is the last in the current shirt Sponsorship agreement with Flybe and at this point in time we cannot confirm who the shirt sponsors will be for the 09/10 season.” “Secondly, a one year cycle brings the club in line with other Umbro contracted clubs and many Premier and Football League clubs. A one year kit cycle will also help provide vital extra revenue to the Club.” And was posted May 8th 2008. Well done for having your finger on the pulse though...

The most interesting thing about that "Stars in Stripes?" thing is that they've used the pre-125th Anniversary badge on it. Also, anyone else spotted this little teaser to the left of the main story, before we all get carried away with the thin stripes ? The silhouette means nothing at all regarding the kit style, it's just a silhouette.

Indeed, he wore number 26 for them until 2 years ago, and then inexplicably announced that 52 was "lucky" for him with no further details. Arsenal's squad size is more accurately evidenced by Szecezny's number 53, as he wasn't a first choice player at the start of the season.