John Boy Saint

The very level headed Michael Johnson was on BBC doing a link with Inverdale on the TV just as Robbie Grabarz was clearing the high Jump, the noise on TV was immense, so goodness knows how loud it was in the stadium: he stopped mid conversation looked out to the stadium as he turned back just said "Wow!!".

Team GB Cycling is a complex set up that optimises the power plants probably more than the Bikes. Apparently Vicky Pendleton is quite fragile in a sensitive way, put her out on the track and she has the kille instinct of a shark. At the other end of the scale Laura Trott, if you met her out in town on a Saturday night would come across as a ditsy giggly blonde and says herself that she is not the smartest cyclist on the track, again on a bike on the track she is lethal:her performance in the elimination race was the product of a highly tuned human being. All of this is what Clive Woodward did to the England Rugby team, filled the support roles with Human technicians who's role at every training session was to ensure that each player improved by 1% his performance. That's what he wanted to do with Southampton but unfortunately with Rupert the Hockey player and Sir Clive the egg chaser and Football being a bit set in its ways all of it was seen as witchcraft. Funnily enough we now have a manager in Nigel who is doing exactly what Sir Clive wanted to achieve, and applying vast amounts of the back up science that exists in the Team GB Cycling squad to the players at our club. Tadanari Lee stayed here over the summer rather than returning to Japan to kick back, as he said his best chances of a quick return was putting his injured foot into the hands of the Medical staff, Rickie said last year that he had never been so fit. Optimising the abilities of the Human body is the Technical advantage the Cyclists have.

None on sale due to the transition of over 200,000 folks in the park with tickets 80,000 of which are for each session in the Main Arena.

Someone asked their parents what they thought, mine are in their 70s and thought it was great, although my Mum didn't like all the bands but admitted that was probably a generational thing: but then my Dad was totally unimpressed by Macca. A friend who went just keeps saying awesome!

I have to say I was very impressed with Clyne, opening minutes I thought "oh cripes he is a bit small" but quickly he gave their winger very little, then going forward he looked a bit of a firecracker, he also has a very nice touch. Also thought JWP looked very composed. Also noticed Saints little game plan from the last couple of seasons seems to have continued: let the opposition have a run around for the first 20 ish minutes then step it up. My concern is with Jose, in the latter months of last year he seemed off the pace at times letting the oppo's have a sniff, today he was at the centre of gifting Ajax their goal. As for the Red shirts (sorry Nicola, I know you don't like stripes) I had difficulty getting my head to like them.

27 Swing slow, Swing Easy Keep your head down and think of girls.

I play at Dummer quite often they seem to have some good twilight deals. And the work on the 17th & 18th is just about sorted quite a varied course. I like the Sherfield Oaks course that goes out on a country amble for what feels like miles. If you don't mind crossing the state line into Surrey Oak Park on the way to Farnham has a 9 and 18 hole course, or Pine Ridge near Frimley hospital have had a nice twilight deal in previous years and not a massive drive from Blazingsmoke. Another that has popped into my head is Old Thorns at Liphook, they have had a round and a spot of grub deal, but you must mention the deal (if they still do it) to ensure you get the favourable rate. Blue Mountain at Bracknell isn't to much of a chore to get to.

He just lacks finesse for me, whereas Rickie has been maturing into a rather pleasant full bodied wine (he says searching for a better analogy) over the past couple of seasons, his contract extension length must also point to the fact that the club also believe Rickie has the attributes to make it in the top flight.

People offer Grant Holt as the example when the question in the original post is asked, the one thing that stands out for me in this comparison is that Grant Holt is the same blunt instrument at the end of the day. Whereas if you look at Rickie by comparison he is a razor sharp Rapier. The Adkins effect on the teams fitness has been demonstrated well in Rickie and he by own admission has never been fitter, which in return if you saw the second half of the season made him not only a bigger goal threat, but also a goal creator and game chaser. I think he will be fine in the Premiership as without doubt Adkins will have him and any other member of the squad who has been playing under Adkins at Saints even more finely tuned, by way of evolution.

Few extra bits I had missed too despite reading a fair few of the Saints books. There is a great photo in one of the books with the Dell as it was when it was just a Woodland Dell. A little Macabre I know, it would be interesting to see the same photo taken in 1945, to see what was left after the war. The reason for this curiosity is due to 2 postcards on sale in Frankfurt one was dated 1938 the other 1946 quite astonishing. And we all know Southampton was battered from the air.

I always felt Drew Surman was in a similar mould to Anders Svensson: Bilnding one week Invisable the next.

Years ago when we were still at the Dell and I was 14 - 15, me and a mate use to make our way to Southampton every home game from Tadley and Silchester, the added bonus of the trip was to meet 2 girls who stood with us in the Milton Road end who claimed to be Sisters of Trevor Hebberd and Austin Hayes! We were not the gullible hicks from out in the sticks they thought we were and went along with their wheeze, if it meant being in the company of a couple of pretty girls every other Saturday afternoon. My wife comes to football every week which is nice, she also knows her football having been banned from playing football when she was 11 prompting an article in the Basingstoke Gazette report the travesty that her only crime was being a girl. She grew up in the house of Chelsea but saw the light when she started coming to Saints with me, the day of knowing conversion was complete came when buying a replica shirt she pipes up and says why don't I have one too. Her moment of acceptance amongst the lads was when folks were blowing sunshine up Nigel Quashies backside, she told them the errors of his play and the negative effect it had on the team after watching the next game they could not argue with any of the points she had made. I had have no pressures re going to away games with the lads, having a beer etc etc. Football on the TV, she's the first one to put it on. Football has an access all areas pass. Trying to get a pass to play Golf though, is harder work than the 4 hours begging when the bedroom light goes out.

Just hope v the "Macaronis", Rooney remembers he is playing for England not Manchester United, and looks to pass to someone other than Welbeck when on the attack. Still job done, so far.

I always feel that with Morgan in the team we have a good tempo. He has also matured in respect of his reactions to getting roughed up, he now just gives a shrug and walks away. Get his shooting boots calibrated and he will be viewed as a bit special.

Something I forgot to comment on was when linking my Wife's account there was a box to state relationship to you, it gave every chuffin relative except Wife.............. Surely I am not the only person to enjoy going to footy with ones Wife?!

You could certainly hear his 'Ampshire Burr in his interview tonight..................... That must be worth another quid!!

Booked for Mrs JBS landmark Birthday in November, staying just off 6th avenue a block away from Times Square. There for Thanksgiving and Black Friday. Any tips and recommendations greatly received.

David Peach & Nick Holmes were the only players left in the team from the FA Cup winning team to play in the League Cup final v Forest in 1979. They were both on the scoresheet in the 3-2 defeat. David Peach shocked me by asking for a light for his cigarette outside Elm Park after our 0-0 draw in the League Cup run!!

I think just central Southern England and the South East, is still under drought restrictions where hosepipes are concerned, all the other areas under restriction had them lifted recently. I want to give the Patio a blast but can't. I played Golf this morning on a course which drains really well, and remains open all year, Snow aside, I have never seen standing water there in places or the greens being so lush and soft almost wooly which just shows how much rain has fallen just in recent days.

Agreed!

From about 20 mins after they come out then for the following 11 months. Having renewed I then realised that potentially with various pre booked doings outside Footie I could miss 7 games so praying for a good wind and fair tide on the fixtures and plenty of Sunday and Monday flavoured tinkering to those fixtures not going my way on paper. .................. Oh Saturdays lottery numbers would be nice whilst I am making selfish demands!!

Stevie Wonder?!

I know someone who works in a non playing staff role at SMS, they say he is the rudest most up themselves person involved in the club, all the other players are very nice and polite and see them as a work colleague. Forecast sees them as........... Well he doesn't ! Spurs must have been rolling about on the floor when they off loaded him, his agent must rub his hands together giggling whenever his percentage comes through and Tommy must cry his eyes out laughing for hours everytime he opens his pay packet............................. Probably him and Puncheon alternate visits to each others homes on payday just in case one or the others sides split!!! Still nowhere near the Ali Dia fiasco where a supposed Senegalese International actually came on as a sub for probably the most famous player in our history.............. Still we got shot of him quick smart though!

I would like to see the miserable buggers slagging him off on here putting together the show tonight outside Buck House, it's not all drum and bass when you have you 86 year old Granny at the gig, nice show spanning sixty years ish. Given the choice in a race to a gong Gary Barlow or David Beckham, ( poll please MODs)

So why did you watch it and not Quantum of Solace on ITV. The Royal family are the punctuation mark of being British. Don't fly your nations flag: it's embarrassing. Don't put up your Christmas Tree it might upset non Christians amongst us. Just make out to be hard and obnoxious, with a dash of militancy. Every Fecker will know we are British: "Oi take that flag down!!".