John Boy Saint

I would take Nike over Adidas or Kappa, simply because if Golf shirts are anything to go by, and you are not the Male model super slim physique portrayed everywhere, when you buy a Nike XL golf shirt it fits very comfortably. Whereas Adidas xl shirts for example cut you in half especially under the arms and across the shoulders. The cut of Kappa shirts always makes me think that if you are carrying just an ounce of pork too much it looks like it would fit like a rubber Johnny. We shall see, just hope Mr Cortese gets over his alleged dislike of stripes and we get the more traditional look back to our kit.

I have a photo of my 2 Girls with Super Saint at the Millenium Stadium, we were in the second row just to the right behind the goal, the next photo is of a sheer wall towering above us of Yellow & Blue dancing it's face off to Carnival de Paris, that always gets a ripple of the goosebumps.

You just have to hope that they were just freak injuries and not caused by an underlaying problems, like those suffered by Danny Wallace who couldn't shake off silly niggles when he went to Man U , or Fabrice Muamba problem that no one saw coming either.

Just as an aside, Can someone tell me where the Metalwork is, as Everton have hit it 6 times this season Spurs 4 and us 2. Is it rattled the stadium structure that holds up the roof or the number of players doing Metalwork in evening classes in preparation for life after Football? Yes I know it's some pedantic whatsit talking about the goalposts which have been metal for years, when you look at our line up then read that little stat you just know that the person collating that knows chuff all about football.

As mentioned above I had one sat in my junk box Give these a go: http://www.saintsfcpics.com/

Do footballers like RD have their own website that their PFA membership gives them a login to, where they can order themselves a WAG from a very narrow selection criteria.

That's one of the games that always pops up in my head when the question is asked, Forest were Champions of Europe at the time and we were not given much of a chance on paper, we gave them the right runaround. Another game that pops into my head is v Blackburn in our 1978 promotion season, probably because it was the second game I had been to (the first a 3-1 cruise v Notts County) things were a bit feisty going into the game as the away fixture on firework night a few months earlier (Osgoods last league game for us if I recall) was a bit of a war with 2 Saints sent off. Well we battered them, at full time the score was 5-0 and promotion to the top league was a little closer. A 3-2 v Liverpool is stuck in my head too, I thought it was first season up in Division 1 but the chronology seems to have blurred, Liverpool were the Kings of English football at the time all the big names were there, including some new nipper on the block called Beardsley. Trevor Hebberd scored to make it 1-0 at half time, we had now pulled the Tigers tail, second half they came out to put us straight we were having none of it and got to 3-2. Liverpool back then had a habit of destroying teams in the last 5 minutes of games and with the 90 minutes long up they were getting stronger and stronger as the ref just seemed to be letting injury time carry on until they scored (bit like us v Arsenal a few years back) the tension in the ground was immense. The game stopped for something and a chap,who could take no more, broke cover from under the West Stand and ran out on the pitch screaming at the Ref and tapping his watch as he went, thankfully it triggered the Ref out of his stupor and within seconds he had blow time. Beating "the mighty" Liverpool was the result but those 5 injury time minutes that felt like 30 and the bloke reminding the ref of the time are what makes it stick in the head.

Noticed on Saturday that the need to tick the little box against the playing player on the back of the programme has been dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st Century by the inclusion of a QR code that says scan to see today's team sheet. Well on a 30,000ish normal Matchday getting any sort of half decent signal on a mobile is a tedious affair at times so getting a QR reader to scan and connect to our mobile un friendly website.................. Last night being a quiet attendance we gave it whirl out of curiosity, well unless you take your iPad to the game don't bother. Everything is so tiny on an iPhone screen you would need a microdot reader to see anything. The guys who set up all this generic web based malarkey must be stunned at how easy it was to sell such a flawed system. If you have your anorak moments at Football it's a nice clever idea, just a shame that it just crashes and burns in its execution.

What was surprising last night was normally when the other squad players were given a run out in the cup the bench was normally peppered with a few of the more of the clubs bigger guns, last night the only name that you would expect to see on a Saturday team sheet on the bench was Kelvin.

Jeez..!!!!!

Oh forgot to add, having failed to get Arsenal tickets due to not being loyal enough with my ST alone: if we get a tasty away tie that everyone comes out of the woodwork wanting to see, using the new whizz-bang ticketing system, those who bothered to turn up tonight should have first dibs on the tickets regardless of whether they have been to Citeh, Arse or the Toffees for the league games.

As we agreed walking back to the car tonight's game was just about worth the £15 ticket price. It was slightly surreal to watch as we were in control for the whole game. Bit strange listening to team pre match, it was only the regular names that reassured that you were at SMS. everyone looked very comfortable with the task NA had given them, or was it AC in the chair as he did the Solent interview. Yoshida is a very cultured intelligent player, JWP was very busy as usual, Cork played well but makes like a crab far too often and who the hell controls the force field that protects the oppo's 18yard box it is set to repell Cork he has space to run straight into and possibly score but no, strange forces make him go left or right nearly everytime!!! SDR: what a shame he goes off like a sparkly crackly firework in a family assortment that makes everyone go oooooooh then he just fizzles out to everyone's disappointment. nowt wrong with Gazza. still in the next round.

Well if you went to the game tonight and bought a programme Boruc does not expect to rock up and breeze in between the sticks, he knows he has to earn the right to be picked for the first team. Nigel added that at this level we need 3 goalkeepers. There was also an interview with Gazza, who whilst being surprised at the speed with which he has made it into the starting line-up, made it clear that he has no intention of giving up the place. So expect Gazza to be in goal on Saturday, once again tonight did nowt wrong, and pulled off some nice saves from Smokin shots.

Email the club they use to sell photos of players when we had the carry on with the press a few years back. We had official snappers pretty sure I spot emails from them in my junk inbox. They should be able to help with an image large enough to blow up to poster size. Failing that get down the ground early on a matchday and have a chat to the Autograph hunters as most of them seem to have very nice glossy A4 images of the players to sign.

Or to put another slant on it: "Here's the deal: We have an established goalie who is under review, we have a promising young goalie who is a totally unknown quantity especially in a full stadium. Those are our only options, no safety net, if you sign for Everton you have a first choice well established keeper, then no doubt an eager understudy who knows that if Howard is injured will be stepping aside again when he is fit, so the window for the opportunity to play in the Premiership here is far greater here than anywhere else".

Nah can't see it myself, I mean what place is there in the Premier League for a striker who learned his trade in the lower leagues and was bought for a very flattering £1m, well those type of players just don't belong in the premier league.......... Worst of all with players like Lambert working and scoring his way through the leagues people are going to find out that the goals are the same size and the balls just as round in the Premier as in any league in the world!!! ................ Next there will be 17 year olds in midfield and a 20 year old in goal!!!!!!!!!............. Honest answer: Bloody good on him!!

The only thing could buy a few years back unless you were doshed up enough to go made to measure or a buy from a Toffs shop 'up West'.

Jury's still out between my ears. Dilly dallying with the clearance in the build up to the Villa goal, probably even worse half the team were still in and near the Villa penalty box when the ball rolled out to him on the wing, what's he do play it into the centre circle instead of dropping a bomb right into the middle of the mix, you could see the frustration on the players faces. Fair play to him he has knuckled down since his antics. And FairPlay to the club for giving him the chance to make amends.

Thank goodness it s no one here's decision, Gazza has no doubt impressed in training enough to push Kelvin out from between the sticks and his perfrmance Saturday gives Nigel no reason to drop him. "Cheers Gazza the fantastic fans here have got moist at Boruc turning up so you are back on the bench if you are lucky, especially as Kelvin is Super we might wheel you out in the cup again but well done lad your chance will come when the old boys get crocked, but we will run it pastt the crowd first"! Jeez!!

Gazza will start Boruc has only just come into the building, and as we have seen with all the new signings none of them have breezed straight into the side. Kelvin will be in tomorrow. If Boruc was in that great shape someone would have had him in their squad before now and he would not be a free agent. I thought the chat was that he IS the 3rd keeper, so it's up to him to get a space. Gazza's kick outs on Satuday were pretty damn accurate regardless of where he was putting them, this playing out from the the defenders this last 2 seasons has been solely down to Kelvin spraying his goal kick all over the place (mainly into touch) now you have a major play of Gazza to Rickie knock down to Gaston pass out the whichever member of the Cavalry coming up the field offers the best option. No longer are we stuck with a main play that can be picked off by classy international opposition players.

Seems a bit like that lad that Wet Spam took off Man Utd can't think of his name, talent to burn with the football world potentially at his feet, Fergie persevered with him but gave up in the end: apparently the silly whatsit was still hanging around with his old mates and still going out on mugging sprees with them and getting caught too!!! Bit like everytime you see Glen Johnson: what went through your mind when you stole that toilet seat from B&Q

I filmed Rickies penalty at Watford last season just about everyone who has seen it (who supports other teams) just says Wow! that's how you take a penalty: just try and take the back of the net out!!

In this world where iGadgets are so numerous it's is pretty unforgivable that the blueprint just about every teams website is built on is so carp on such a popular mobile device. but then if the FA has signed it off then really no real surprised its pants.

I reckon the demise of a pie and a pint deal on the concourse will see the gate fall even further!!

Must be special when to a man (& woman) the whole home crowd are signing your name, and when you have plied your trade in some of the backwaters of football to hear it from the folks that matter in a great stadium even more so. I heard some time ago when Pardew was shown the door Adkins was identified as being by far and away at the very top of the list of candidates but wanting to do it right they made sure it was done right especially where the Iron were concerned, let the media play their games in the mean time. After what he as achieved these past 2 seasons I really can't see the club turfing him out at the merest wobble, Cortese may be a hard barsteward but he ain't stupid. The fact that his long term contract was nailed down less than 6 months into his life with Saints and during his probationary period should say a lot with regards to the relationship.