Fitzhugh Fella

My Dad reckons the best tactic sides could employ at SMS is to start with 10 men - maybe after last night he has a point?

It wasn't Banarama it was "Steam"

Now if the Northam sung that instead of the crap they came out with last night......

Thought the Northam to be a bit moronic last night. That Steve chant was embarrasing and all this jeering and ole business at 10 man Peterborough was pretty cringeworthy too. Plus we're the Northam and we're the Kingsland makes us all look like we all have identity issues.

Just back and v happy and relieved we won (ugly wins are good) but somehow I feel it was not a great victory to savour. I fancy had they kept 11 men on the pitch we would have won easily but all of a sudden we didn't know how to penetrate 10 men and we became too elaborate. Least enjoyable game at SMS so far this season but the fact we got 3 points speaks volumes so that is a positive in itself. Negatives? Where was everyone - a nice autumn evening, and yet only 21000+ - are the armchair fans - you know who you are - getting a little too cosy? And please Nigel let's not ask Kelvin to pass the ball out - he simply is not up to it. Thought Chaplow was good again tonight, also thought Richardson's performance was far inferior to Butterfield's Saturday display. A good 3 points but not a lot to stick in the memory.

Dave Paton was the lead vocalist in a local band called the Sunsets which included Gerry Gurr on drums and Micky Judd. They performed at the After 8 regularly. Dave Paton is living in Scotland now, Gerry Gurr in Stow in the Wold and Micky Judd remains local. the New Forest I believe.

That's interesting I did not know that. Of course if they suddenly announced that the winners of the League Cup automatically got a Champions League place things might change a bit.

What on earth do you mean Grow Up. Sorry I am giving off a reasonable opinion I would have thought. Yes fringe players do benefit as things stand - that is good BUT and here is the rub and the point of my post Fringe players will only benefit if the fixture means something and if the clubs continue to undermine the competition it will quickly become anything but beneficial. I understand what NA did last night and of course the Boro game is more important and players have got to be protected from exhaustion and injury but that being the case let's just scrub this competion because it has become devalued. And for the record I don't think we should have a fan on the board but ironically ever since we became a limited company in 1898 the board has had "fans" on the board with the main qualification being wealth and in some cases expertise in the financial world. Rather ironic that Manji was not complaining then. I don't know why people have to get personal when a view is expressed on here - just because you don't like or even understand where I am coming from surely doesn't entitle you to make personal remarks?

Go and read some of the comments on the "just back from the game thread" - that is assuming you can read.

Swannymere - I would be grateful if you could direct me to recent "dig at the club". I am extremely happy at our progress this year and very impressed with what NA has achieved. I was merely saying what is the point of the Carling Cup. It seems the only clubs who take it seriously are middle table prem clubs - but even then the Europe route it provides is increasingly being undermined.

No I didn't but I went to Swindon and the two home games. I accept this is not just Saints but most clubs which is why I have come to the conclusion that unless you give it 100% in a competition with your best players (remember the JPT anyone) then what is the point?

of spending good money to go to Selhurst Park, Swindon A, Torquay and PNE at home, etc if the club, at the end of the day, just treat it as a training exercise or a chance to blood youngsters who ordinarily would get nowhere near the 1st team. I fear fans are getting ripped off. Genuine question. A lot of travelling Saints supporters have spent good dosh to go to the Palace tonight but is it really worth it as the club (rightly or wrongly) don't seem too bothered about progressing. The Carling Cup now resembles the 1960s Combination Cup and no one went away to watch those games.

Never a footballer in a million years

How about the 2000 that bothered to travel?

I recently came across some old 8mm colour film of the 1976 FA Cup Final, shot by "Movietonews" and have had it put onto DVD. I have just watched it (about 15mins) and I have nver seen this footage before - there is no sound but there are some great close ups and different angles of the game I certainly have been unaware of before, plus lots of close ups of the Royal Box (the Queen in a blue bobble hat, Prince Phillip looking bored etc). They nearly miss Booby Stokes's goal but there are some great angles previously unseen on tv before, or at least by me. My reason for posting is to ask if anyone is familiar with the movietonews footage - it starts with the two club rossettes and an a baloon and then bizarrely ref Clive Thomas running out onto the pitch, alongside the players bouncing the ball like a schoolboy? Also is there an interest in people seeing this sort of thing? I thought I might - with the publication of our next book - do a sort of history power point presentation and this sort of footage might be of interest. I dunno I might be barking up the wrong tree but if there is enough interest I would love to make this stuff available for all to see. I have also just recently bought about 2 minutes of colour footage (privately shot) of a Leeds v Saints game in 1948 which I know has never been seen before - just trying to gauge is there any interest out there? Colour from 1948 is unheard of. Seeing Alf Ramsey run out in a red and white shirt and Elland Road without any stands is quite something. Please let me know if there is any interest.

Cracking game of football which we deserved to win. My one niggling doubt is we don't have enough cover upfront - with Barnard out long term we simply need another option on the bench. Connolly will not last the season. Chaplow MoM for me tonight he was everywhere but Hooiveld a close second. Fonte made one bad error but had a good all round game. West Ham flattered to deceive - lots of huff and puff but really did not look dangerous.

Yes

Just back from SMS and was told at the ticket office that over 27,500 have been sold for the West Ham game as of 11am this morning.

I think starting this thread has been the most worthwhile achievement of my adult life on the internet! So much pleasure watching and recounting what will be the biggest ever decline of a football club. I sense they are edging nearer and nearer the precipice and Steve Coterill's departure could be the trigger that really sets things in motion. He is not a bad manager and has done well to keep their noses above water thus far. Sit back and observe.....there is a whiff of panic in the air down Fratton Way I reckon.

But we have been lucky with injuries. Against Preston our lack of forward options were exposed.

There is an element of irony in this post that is not lost on me

"Off the pitch he has done nothing wrong"? You may be right you may be wrong but your words are incredibly presumptive. Jeoffrey Archer was once held up as a man of virtue.

Absolutely You only has to go to the Swnidon and Preston League Cup games to see our lack of depth in this crucial area.

Who was Andrew Bernstein? I for one don't think this is about freebies.

I have been lucky enough to get to know MLT a little through all the help and time he has given us with the books and I have even crossed swords with him over the Pinnacle affair but I do want to say this. He is as big a Saints fan as anyone reading this and would not expect to get free tickets and certainly would not knowingly do anything to de-stabilise the club. I have also recently had conversations with LM - again history related - and his love for Southampton FC burns as brightly as it ever did, regardless what people may say, rightly or wrongly about his ego. I think this needs to be said. I also acknowledge that NC seems to be doing an excellent job with running our football club, in NA he has found a manager who seems to be able to build an excellent team spirit which is going a long way to us being, right now, a really good attractive football team. I just wish NC could build bridges with Matt and Lawrie - there is much to be said for all pulling in the same direction as he acknowledges in the article. Finally it goes without saying, it was a massive blow that ML died when he did, because I have this fear that his family will not want to put the same level of finance into the club. I think were he still alive then NC's ambitions of Champions League and a bigger stadium could well have been realised in time but now, working on his own, the task will be that much tougher. To survive in the Premiership these days you need outside investment, to do well in it you need billions.