suewhistle

The photocopier is probably leased and the players' registrations are cancelled and they become free agents if the club ceases to exist or they don't get paid, which is another risk.

.. as I said in my brief report... :-)

Far too young for me and I wouldn't want to jeopardize my CRB status thanks!;-)

Well, I woke up from my siesta and remembered today was the day. I normally struggle to wake up but this has really worked!

Just a thought that occurred to me, but in view of the moaning about not telling the fans I reckon that the game was, genuinely, organised at the last minute. Sure the training camp was planned, but that was going to be an intensive and closed affair. Given the late news from Saints, even later on the Thun FC site and AP's comments about 'too soon' I reckon that this came up late in the day. No charge to the fans either, which there might have been if this had been a money-making exercise like Poopey's tour.:-)

Hmm, and what is "the lowest league" of which you speak? I can recommend the Portsmouth Dockyard League as there'd be lots of local derbies!

Didn't see anybody remotely looking like him. HTH

Normal for Poortsmouth. I noticed quite a number of the young West Ham players with squad numbers, in the figures published a month or so, were on £500 a week. The sort of players we ended up with after administration.

Nope, but their were some fans hanging around for autographs and the like so maybe somebody will pipe up later.

Well, he was on the coach and gave me a wave as I was parked up when they arrived. I then went for a lovely swim in Lake Thun and turned up a few minutes before the match. I thought I was mad to go to a pre-season friendly but there were quite a few nutters who came all the way from the UK. I think everyone would agree that it was a lovely place for a short break. Most of the Saints fans stood on the terrace on the lake side where some of the locals were buying them beers but there were quite a few of us sensible ones who ended up in the shade of the "main" stand; the people just in front of me were Saints fans living in Switzerland and there were others behind me. Lets face it, Saints fans are everywhere: Basel, Berne, Zurich, Italy...

I thought Adam played tonight, but then I realised that all that weight training wouldn't have increased his height so it was probably Hammond....

Bit of a drive back to Italy so I'm unwinding over a beer which I couldn't have earlier. I'll give you the benefit of my view but I'm completely confused by who is who these days, especially without seeing a teamsheet! I thought it was Forecast in goal for the first half: if it was Davis I dunno what he's done with his hair, lost a bit, looks like! It was a good work-out, make no mistake: Thun looked sharp and start their competitive season this weekend and they had a bit of pace throughout the side. Far better to play them (on a very good pitch) than semi-professionals like Havant & Waterlooville etc, and a team far better than pretty well all in League 1 if a little less physical. Dickson got skinned a few times and his passing was poor: as noted, he gave away the pass for the goal. I didn't realise it was Callum McNish playing, and he's not quite there yet against this level of opposition Different game in the second half when Schneiderlin, Lambert and Connolly all made a big difference. Connolly did look bright, with good movement. Oxlade-Chamberlain did _very_ well: pace to burn, still needs a bit of experience to make the right decision and the final delivery but the sort of player you're going to look forward to seeing coming on. He went off with cramp, but he'd worked very hard, including covering his full-back. I think all the planned subs had come on as they sent on Jaidi: gawd, he looks slow and could have been in the book in a non-friendly and in fact after the end of the game he was doing sprinting training with one of the coaches. Mills came on for Dickson and looked OK. A bit slow for raw pace perhaps but did a good covering tackle and looked comfortable on the ball and in his interpassing. Martin I think could certainly make it in League 1 if not higher, and has done well considering he came into football late via Eastleigh: he's a talker and I think has the intelligence and basic pace to improve. We played some good football and I'm reasonably optimistic, having actually seen the game;-). No need to cut your wrists on a first friendly, honest. For a first match I enjoyed it, and it was far better than some friendlies I've seen with some good interpassing. We obviously need to cut out some of the mistakes and improve some of the positional play, but nothing that can't be achieved. We've got a good team, especially if Lallana plays!

I've heard a few good things about how much more professional the set up is now. Whilst browsing the Thun FC web-site I notice they don't have a "reserve" side as such but U-21, U-18 etc, so this would fit in with the plan to play foreign sides. Anyway, I'm off and will be in Switzerland in less than an hour.

Could be me age but PMSL

Yep, rain here too after a steady build up of heat and humidity all day .. and just heard thunder again. Don't think I'll make Fribourg: need to find out first what the taxman here is going to sting me for on my pitiful earnings!

Just checked, it's free entry.:-)

Don't you mean *sn*gger*, or *chortle* or *choke* or even *mwahhahahaa*?

Just filled up the tank, got the picnic stuff and ready for a day out in Switzerland tomorrow. I'll probably go over the top: Great St. Bernard pass (as opposed to the tunnel) as I've never done it and I need to cool off after the weather these last weeks. Then get a multi-ticket for the tunnel on the Swiss side on the way back as they don't charge VAT! Now to print a couple of viamichelin maps, put a fiver in my purse as my subs are due and in case I meet Steve Grant . Any idea how many other nutters there'll be?

..and still the Dutch coach had the cheek to criticise Webb. What would have happened if he had sent a couple of players off, which he'd have been justified in doing? Basically he was on a hiding to nothing: the game was a real poison chalice given the approach of the Dutch. If I were being cycnical I'd think that the Dutch were banking on it being the final to get away with it more than in some less important game.

If you want to see how the tabloid press distort information for their own nasty agendas and have a laugh at the same time listen to The Now Show about 22 minutes in: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b00sy4yp

Ask a chub angler to come and get them: wasp grubs are a great bait for chub!

Not particularly, in my opinion, they just stand out amongst the many right wing views on here. Plus I wouldn't get too hung up about the UK. Nobody would move to Italy for example to earn more money or keep more of it from the taxman - unless you are a politician or corrupt businessman, in which area we're well provided for over here. Same with Spain, Portugal, Latvia or Greece, anyone?? As for manufacturing I'm sure our Sheffield friend has something to say about it: Sheffield Forgemasters ring any bells? And if anything does get invented here it won't be built here because the banks don't do long term and nor do the owners: they cash in as soon as possible. It wasn't the workers that were the downfall of our car industry but the bad management at the top and lack of investment. Those car workers in Sunderland are very productive, but there's no British owned company left. Lack of investment in our railways over years left us catching up and with no indigenous rail manufacturing capacity either.

Hmmmm

Ta! True or not you are either a good mate or a bastard!;-)

Oh, and in a further spirit of football friendship can I point you in the direction of a thread on this board. Absolutely fascinating, entertaining, shocking and worth pointing out to your mates: http://www.saintsweb.co.uk/showthread.php?14620-Pompey-Takeover-Saga :-)