The9

Try not oversimplifying... this "didn't work, not offered" cobblers completely ignores every season at St Mary's OTHER than the admin summer, when there had always been both a finance method AND an early renewal which allowed the club to gather the money in full before sending out the tickets. No-one is suggesting that the clearly abused DD option - which, for the hundredth time, was only put in place due to the takeover completion coming so near to the start of the season - should be offered again. But the club hadn't, didn't last summer, and STILL hasn't, provided any alternatives to allow people to pay more conveniently - and doesn't offer one in the 10/11 fans' charter either (not that anyone expects it to apply to 2011/12 after the way the 2009/10 Charter's ST promises suddenly disappeared in summer 2010.

It took us until October to get a decent side together. From the Yeovil home match that season onwards we looked at worst PlayOff material, but like this season, you can't go around handing out 10 point starts (especially when you're already on -10).

Let's not pull any punches : Saints 1-1 Millwall Davis, Murty, Thomas, Perry, Harding, Lallana, Wotton, Schneiderlin (Thomson, 83), James (S. Gillett, 75), Saganowski, Paterson (Gobern, 70) Subs not used: A. Pulis, O. Lancashire, B. Bialkowski, L. Holmes And Murty and Harding were already new signings (as were, technically, Lloyd James and Bialkowski who'd inked new deals and had been out of contract). And we were on minus 10 points. But PULIS (zero appearances and currently failing at Barnet) and LANCASHIRE (bottom of League One) made the bench. If he hadn't signed Murty and Harding we'd have had James and Mills at full backs and Thomson or Gobern starting on the right. The last game of the previous season at Forest : K. Davis, L. James , J. Saeijs (O. Lancashire, 76), C. Perry, A. Surman, A. Lallana, M. Schneiderlin (O. Gobern, 80), S. Gillett, B. Wright-Phillips (R. Gasmi, 71), J. Euell, D. McGoldrick Subs not used: C. McNish, T. Forecast Those in bold had all left by the start of Pardew's tenure.

All in all I think that's a stupid decision by the club, I collect the things and there is no way I'm paying more than £15 for that crappy black away shirt, even the warm-up black training tops with red sleeves look better as an away kit. Just for the record, if anyone wants to buy the red Saints away socks with black turnovers, the current Blackburn away socks are identical and on sale on JJB Sports' website for £6, which is £4 less than Saints. The home socks can be bought at JJB online as Wales goalkeeper socks for £6 as well. They are absolutely identical, even the contrast colour toe and heel are the same. And of course the green and the light blue Saints GK socks are the same for almost all Umbro-wearing teams, and £6 at JJB as well. It would be the same with the shorts if it wasn't for the team logo...

I'd hope they haven't yet got to the point of giving their agents power of attorney, but I wouldn't be surprised.

The people banging on the back panels of the stand ALWAYS bang them quickly because there's no need for a back panel accompaniment to a slow song and they feel they have to be involved. Its very difficult to maintain a slow tempo when someone else is trying to start a quicker one, just like it's impossible to focus on a song when someone's singing another one.

...and they want to sign for you.

I remember that equaliser at Palace as well, they were already chucking a few things at us, I was right next to the wall alongside the exit walkway at the back of the stand, never been so glad of the 10 foot drop to the floor that existed between two sets of fans. The Norwich winner from Camara, following 5-10 minutes of increasing roar, was absolutely the most intense St Mary's has ever been. I didn't even go that mental when I opened the scoring there at the first Forum game.

It was 79/80. ENGLISH DIVISION 1 (OLD) Sa 01Sep 1979 Southampton 3 - 2 Liverpool http://www.soccerbase.com/teams/team.sd?search=Southampton&team_id=2471&type=team#teamTabs=h2h

I have one short-sleeved blank back and one long-sleeved with my name on the back this season - but that's only so my wife could get her new surname on the back of hers. Other than that one, all my probably 30 or so Saints shirts from the last 30 years have blank backs. Apart from anything, £12 is a massive rip-off to get a name and number.

On the bright side, I'm in Block 41 near the front, no-one could hear them booing over the nearly as lame cheering.

ALL of our Umbro shirts are one year only, it was announced when the original deal was announced in 2008/9. It was only due to administration, unsold stock and flybe unexpectedly extending their sponsorship for one more season for 2009/10 that we kept the first Umbro striped shirt for two seasons. Definitely two new shirts for next season. I also heard a rumour that the club weren't going to be discounting any of the shirts to sell them off either... bearing in mind in previous seasons they've been reduced by January, looks likely.

Just for the record for those who can't be bothered to count, it's 3 Pompey songs out of the 21 which were sung. There were another 3 that I could think of which weren't sung but occasionally get an outing. And also, since October we've added Cortese.... ohhhhh Nanananananananana Alex Chamberlain Chamberlain Walking in a Liebherr Wonderland and many many more...

Ah but they CAN be heard on the pitch - Kelvin and Fonte's conscious display of applauding of N'Guessan was testament to that. Especially Fonte, who was half turned to the Northam when he was doing it, despite the player he was applauding off the pitch being in front of him.

Actually, as I discovered when recording chants over 2 matches in October to upload to FIFA11, we sing a LOT more songs than you'd think. 21 unique songs (rather than duplicates or different versions) which are Southampton Til I Die If You Really F'cking Hate Them Clap Your Hands Rickie Lambert Southampton's Goal Machine When I Was Just A Little Boy, I asked my mother... (Wash Your Mouth) Nigel Adkins' Red and White_Army By Far The Greatest Team Lee Barnard, Barnard (Clapclapclapclapclapclapclapclapclap) The Saints Coooooome Onnnnnnn Youuuuuuuu Reds Jose Fonte Baby Adam Lallana (Clapclapclapclapclap) Adam Lallana Makes_Messi look sh*te We Love Southampton We Do Nah-nah-nah-nah F*ck Off Pompeys Going Down with no money in the bank Oh When The Saints (slow version into fast, fast version, clappy version) Red and White Barmy Army Sit Down Shut Up Southampton Boys Are In Town... we all follow Southampton Who Are Ya ? Who The F'cking Hell Are You ? In addition, notable absentees from those 2 matches: "We're the Northam" "If You all hate Pompey clap your hands" "Pompey Fan Upon A String" "The Pompey Family" "Adam Lallana la-la-la-la-laah" (Reuben Agboola song), "Deano Deano" "Super Kelvin Davis" "Woolston Ferry" http://www.saintsweb.co.uk/showthread.php?24213-Fifa-11&p=867123#post867123

Only 4 of the top 14 have played more games than we have.

Anyone want to at least throw in whether we'd been at home or away on the following Saturdays ?

You know for a fact this was COMPLETELY unfounded and there was never even an inquiry, despite the fact that Paul Allen now owns a football club ? Seattle Sounders in MLS, for those who don't know... who didn't even exist when Saints were first mooted for sale.

Actually I went there to avoid it, and you get charged anyway even if you're at the bleeding kiosk. So yes. Kinda.

They will be next season.

I'm assuming they'd only just heard this "new" song and think it is a clever thing to sing because it's a football song. I'll have to mention this to my aunty, who is a long-time season ticket holder for a former League club, and I first remember singing it to me around 1977.

Something no-one has mentioned about the N'Guessan substitution yet is that both Fonte and Davis (the two players nearest the Northam at the time) went out of their way to applaud N'Guessan as he was leaving the pitch. Nice little message to the mongs there from a couple of the players.

Terrible luck for Pulis to be sent off for mistaken identity today. Well, it said "Professional Foul".

I think you'll find the usual trick if you are a ST holder who is "significantly better than yow" is waving your ST at people who are beneath you.

Yup, it's the Free Weekend Pass. You could have seen Soccer AM this morning too if you'd wanted.