suewhistle

Let's hope for a good walk up: weather forecast looks good.

It's a bit early in the evening to be drinking.

Ah well (sigh), I thought I'd better contribute as one of the few posters who plays women's football; mostly in goal although I did play half an hour up front last Sunday. There seems to me to be two issues; the poor quality of women's football and whether Saints should have a team. There's been a fair bit about the sorry state of grass-roots football recently, but there seems to be a lot of you on here who have been subverted by the Premiership or nothing ethos. Grass-roots participatory sport is a good thing in itself for society and football is a great game: there is a point in playing, whatever your standard. My club/team are at the base of the pyramid so we lose players to higher levels: one to Portsmouth this season and one off on a US university scholarship. Having a top local team gives everyone an aim, if they want to take things further: most of the players I know just want to play. But there is rarely financial benefit at being good and training hard, no wonder the levels are generally lower. I recall chatting to the club accountant of Bognor Regis a few years ago and he described how the part-time players earned a useful match fee, enough to make a real difference to their salaries from their main job. It would be nice if for more women players there was even the prospect of expenses being paid, but you'd have to go pretty high to get that. As it is my team were really pleased when somebody's relative subsidised our team jackets. We get nothing for petrol when we cross Hampshire for away games, we pay monthly subs _and_ match fees. Now the cost of running a higher level team would still be peanuts. The Barcelonas of this world have teams playing all sorts of sports, and it's part of their community ethos. Take it out of the PR budget if you like, or use any club fines towards it. Use the teams as a way of getting the younger players their coaching badges, and an appreciation of how well off they really are. The pitiful amounts we couldn't afford in L1 should no longer be an issue, and the community benefits would be great and nor would there be any negative impact on the first team. The final point: it wouldn't be compulsory to go and watch, although perhaps some of you should go: it would give you the chance to have a good moan.

Lallana making a difference according to 5L commentary. Whoops, Callum out jumped..

B*ms.

Stevenage 57% possession and no fouls. Pompey 8 fouls!

:-)

I sometimes go to one of the pubs at St Denys, and then take the footpath that runs right next to the Itchen. The Standing Order (a 'spoons pub) often has away supporters in there, never any problems, and The Platform is the same and brews their own beer. The Guide Dog has got good beer but is not recommended _after_ the game, it's crowded enough already!

bit chy...

Er.. isn't there a requirement to give the away club a certain percentage if they ask for it, even in the league (10% rings a bell)? S9o the OP may have a point and I await comment from better informed people..

Not my type.. Can someone also tell The Mirror that the plural of woman is women...

I don't get the impression of complacency about anyone these days: the attitude of RK to the first 20 minutes on Saturday, and the desire of Pelle' and Tadic to improve (amongst others) is somewhat reassuring.

It's worrying, I know, Sarnia, but I think he's serious, at least judging by previousrandom rants. Art, you post some very useful information on streaming, but I think you should know that people think most of your posts are..um.. a bit odd. It's probably too much vin du pays, so pick up some bottled Marston's Pedigree on your next visit back and soon you'll be as right as rain!

Is that 'scrapbook' or 'scalpbook'?

Anybody care to analyse why this is? The team spirit, ethos and mutual support there was before, backroom staff and/or manager who knew what they're doing, playing well to get a transfer a la Saganowski, historical precedent (Stevie Williams etc.), inflated egos now being burst, not playing so regularly, bad training regimes.. Theories welcome.

Ah, b*****ks.

Got a pair of lungs on him n'all. Maybe he's a brass player, but he goes for ages without noticeably pausing for breath.

Yes, it would be good to have a good start to a game occasionally and improve our finishing and increase both our points total and goal difference. Playing Sunderland every week might get boring though.

Did you enjoy it?!

Not long up. I had this strange dream last night...

Just got home. Had to have a few pints in Southampton after the game (I'm sure you'll all understand), but the 45 minites on the fast train wasn't enough to calm the buzz so went in to the pub (populated by Pompey supporters) by the station when I got off. What were the showing on the big Sky screen? It was at 4-0, but I had to watch again... :-)

The caption underneath the picture on the last Norn Ireland match report on the BBC said "Northern Ireland captain Steven Davis led his side with distinction against the Greeks". Consummate professional.

Why, thank you!:-) So that would be a 'no problems at all' scenario... Apart from suppressed giggling, sn iggering and muffled guffaws down Southampton way.

The pub before and after will be fine..

Because for many going to a game is now an infrequent and expensive treat, so you might as well pay a few quid more and see a good team, or Portsmouth in a cup.. If the price difference is bigger you'll get a good crowd, as the decent crowd for the pre-season friendly show, and the away allocation at Arsenal (which sold out). 30.5 for QPR isn't bad either; no one is going to scrabble around trying to get an expensive ticket for that. People go on about not needing a bigger ground, and the economics are certainly dodgy, but it's an undoubted fact that people are voting with their feet regarding high prices, as even this thread illustrates. That's why we're not selling out.