John Boy Saint

Stadium seats would have to be Purple to keep everyone happy too

I would imagine that the Chinese will keep Poole as being a recognised British prestige brand they will get a greater return out of keeping it so.

I recall as a 13/14 in the late 70s coming down from Basingstoke on the train, as you were coming the same way as most away supporters you learned to keep you head down as you realistically knew that against older bigger blokes the 3-4 of us would get a real pasting. Although going home was the scarier of the 2 trips as you could more easily be on the same train and those hell bent on a scrap would cruise the train looking for one. As a nipper it was all part of going to football, and like I say being a nipper self preservation was the primary objective althogh a degree of naivety also made it a bit of a rush.

"Since the demise of smoking and the fag packet to write the team on the back of (ensuring Benson & Hedges at centre back and Wothmans in midfield). As I am a bit of a technophobe I have an app thing on my phone called notes and top of the list is team selection, well if a telephone can tell me where I am how can I argue with the team it selects for me whenever I check the list" "why even the other week we had JT, Gary, and Rio out at centre back which was a problem so I checked my app and Michael Carrick was next on the list so suggested him in the centre of defence, adding a possibly to make it look like I was working this all out on my own. I popped out of the FA board room to answer the call of nature, when I returned and picked up my phone off the table to consider the centre back conundrum further the names of Lescott and Smalling were where JT, Gary & Rio normally are!!" "I was at the Southampton Liverpool game the other week I checked my clever little app and Johnson, Gerrard, Sturridge, and Henderson were all there on my list" "Lambert, Shaw, Puncheon, Cork, Clyne, Rodrigez and Lallana you say, well that last 2 can't be English with names like that, none of them came up on my little app so none of them can be English. Although that Lallana chap did turn up in the squad last autumn, but I thought my app might have been interfered with by that Rio who could be a bit of a joker. "Who am I to argue with technology, my clever app and my tactical genius combined make a formidable team" "I just wish someone would make the Premier League 20 teams instead of the 7 it currently is, that would make my life so much easier".

My memory of Charlie George was that he was one of those players who we bought with worn parts (injections to cover injuries having taken its toll) so was not the Charlie George of his Arsenal days but certainly got the crowd a bit more enthused when he was in the line up. And Yup he lost a finger in a lawnmower (which makes my toes curl even typing that). We signed Charlie after the deal for, I think, Colin Todd fell through.

I was at Heathrow today round the back of the BA maintenance buildings is a Concord, I thought that they had all been sent to museums around the world. Just reading this thread the Lockheed Starfighter sprung to mind. Also known as the Widowmaker as they would just drop out of the sky when cornering too slow, but they still let it fly at Airshows when it was in service.

That reminded me about my only time in the Chocolate Boxes at the front, (v QPR I think) blimey at the final whistle I felt like one of those Joke Springy Snakes lurking in a can until the lid is unscrewed!!

Yup!! Gets me out of work for 5 hours at least.

This has those side panels that makes us more Portly fans look thinner when photographed at the right angle (and standing against a white wall)

Work Work, Work round the house, Work Work Golf, work round the house some more, Work Work Golf, Work, Holiday (can't come soon enough) Work, Golf, Work. That should get me some time into August all pretty dull really!!

I remember shaking Jimmy Cases hand once after a Saints oldies Charity Match at the Camrose Ground, even to this day my outstanding recollection was the bulk more than size of his hands, they were like clubs. I remember Peter Osgood telling a tale at SMS of distracting the Ref while one of his then Chelsea team mates smashed the defender who had been putting him on his backside all afternoon. TV cameras everywhere back then would have given most of these players a very monochrome career. Funny really when you look at today's fairy footballers writhing about after a tap or acting like they had been shot by a sniper lurking up in the floodlights, if they had been hit by some of the boys listed above then they would have something to roll about for.

The other thing is "Oldies" know that there is more to life than their face glued to a tablet phone pc or even the picture box in the corner of the living room as most of them grew up with just 2-3 TV channels that went off air at midnight and during the day, so are able to find other things to do. I only get distracted whilst working and change channels to here for a break but like others have said there is a small group who seem to have permanent residence on here. Sadly players like Ron and most of the ones featured in the hard whatsits thread are, in some cases, just a little before my Saints time. John Boy Saint 483/4.

I had a Chicken and Mushroom pie at the Amex that I thought was quite tasty, but then being New Years Day probably most things would have tasted nice.

And he got chuffin booked for too it if I recall correctly!!!!

That was my first thought too.

Dont worry there is a nipper playing in the Man U under 14s that Hodgson has been watching for most of this season.

Dinlo alert!!! 3!! Bloody shocking!! I can spot more or less where I am when flying over most of Europe and it isn't cloudy! Ooo just spotted that I am not alone sat in my corner wearing a pointy hat with D on the front!!

I think Michael Owen who retired at 33 should be thrown into this thread, he exploded onto the scene at 17 and played so much football before he was even 20 when most lads are still growing. He acquired a hamstring problem early on which became the bain of his career after shining so brightly. There are obviously niggles with Luke that quite easily could be attributed to still growing, so why allow what is looking to have been a good investment by the club so far to burn out early, when if everything goes to plan with the Southampton way he could be the next Ashley Cole but still playing for Saints. Just staying on these young players still growing causing niggles, when Steven Gerrard kept getting niggles in his very early 20s I recall it coming out according to the medical stats that he was still growing and that was the root of his problems. Wrap Luke up in cotton wool I say, as I can't be the only Saints fan who watches Gareth Bale with a tinge of what if?

That is an understatement, I thought after years of neglect by my late Father in Law before he got someone in to chase out the Tigers and Japanese WWII soldiers that our lawn was in pretty shabby condition, but seeing that! Ours is like the Fairways of Wentworth by comparison. House is nice but for that asking price I would have made sure there were no "Spiders Legs" out the back!!

But then look at Delaps throw ins for us it was just a long pass back to the oppos keeper everytime, for Stoke it became a lethal weapon.

Funnily enough we were just talking about that and the perfect timing of the Hoof!! Very funny.

Liked the way Probert marked Nzonzi's card early doors when he was up to his tricks in the 6 yard box, the longer chat he had with him than Cork showed he knew the lay of the land. and Shawcross handing it out but Mithering like a child telling tales when he had been given some of his own medicine.

Going on the colour of the grass it looked like it was too dry rather than too wet, and the way the ball sped away also pointed to this, a hard surface will also give grip issues. Probably find stud technology has not kept up with the demands the players put on them when changing direction. The sprinklers never seem to reach the edge of the pitch on a Matchday.

We will spent lots............................ Just hope it's better spent this summer when it comes to the Marquee signing.

75 posts and only 12 votes, pretty poor show and quite frankly pathetic. And then you get St Chalet pulling the Tigers tail without any reaction. Looks like apathy from Muppet Show regulars is going to see The Bear remaining out in the wilderness until the Mods grant him parole!!