John Boy Saint

Arsenal players asked the question a few years ago when they were still at Highbury and playing very well, "why do you leave before the final whistle? we are still there playing and we do notice you leaving early!!". 85 minute tickets when we are playing well always winds me up, especially when those who chose to leave fanny about in the process: still trumped yesterday when the bloke next door but one to me commented that Rickie should stop messing about and get hold of the ball in the last couple of minutes, like someone else said who heard him: "er what's the score!!".

Shouldn't that be "Pleeease Arsenal I said non already!!"

Man City 2004 Half Price tickets, half price travel, 3000+ Saints fans, Saints winning away, noisiest coach on the way home. Best song was to my 8 year old Daughter who had the whole coach singing at her "who was sleeping when we scored?!?!!". Orient last year was very good, one whole side of the ground cram full of noisy Saints Fans. Disappointment: getting beaten at Southend, they couldn't buy a win, we couldn't stop winning. The only highlight was seeing traditional floodlights on high pylons in the 4 corners of the ground.

OWTS sung slowly now everyone has caught on creates a real atmosphere of Cathedral quality, sat in the Chapel you really notice it (as being absorbed in the exquisite play on the pitch we are a tad quieter down there). Actually there were moments in the second half when the whole stadium was totally absorbed in the play as you could almost hear a pin drop, thats not detrimental it's just a fact that so many of us have watched some real cr@p in recent years that so much of the play now is so good and just sucks you in. Back to the thread, when we scored the second the chorus of "We are top of the league!" was very loud. Whilst the Amarillo repost is getting some stick from some quarters it certainly created a fair bit of atmosphere, probably as its being sung with some feeling :-) I think people are beginning to believe, which in turn is ramping up the atmosphere each week. If we get to the point where our dreams are about to become reality someone better make arrangements to connect St Mary's to the Natioal Grid to power the South of England.

I thought Danny "what's the difference between a bucket of sh1t and Danny Baker?" Baker was to Saints Fans what the Sun newspaper is to Scousers, after the unwarranted tirade he directed at Matt Le Tiss on 606 following the England v Italy game 1998 World Cup qualifier.

Give the boy Lee a start just to give Billy a nudge, bit comfy sign and straight into the team ahead of another new striker.

Without wishing to be an Anorak and To save me digging out the Echo match report cuttings from that season, that game was played on Saturday the 5th November 1977 and the headline aptly went along the lines of Fireworks at Rovers or that ilk. In the return game at the Dell we smashed them to bits (well for a 13 year old attending his second home game with his mates it certainly looked like a thrashing). As for Funnell I believe that he was still around the Club when we went to the League cup final in March 79 then went to Gillingham so it must have been a bit of a smouldering dispute if any. Funny we have had a few young players who have shone briefly like a piece of Magnesium held in a Bunsen Burner flame, then gone leaving that bright spot in your vision for a long time afterwards.

Deffo Rickies goal seeing as he put on a nice bit of bounce which lightly brushed the hairs on the defenders legs to put off Grant in goal. Sat right in line when Rickie hit it. Sharp would have got it if the defender wasn't in the way but in reality he was a good distance away from it. When the stadium announcer started to speak you thought I have never heard an own goal scorer announced before, and still haven't. When Billy was credited with it over the PA you could see him and the Ref having a joke about it not being his goal.

Oh to see the game where we smashed Blackburn 5-0 again, so who have we played in the late autumn and lost against with a poor performance, so if this parallel is to be seen out someone is going to cop it soon from us.

Let's reel the bugger in! The best looking trophy in English Football!! Yup even seriously challenges the FA Cup as a trophy for looks.

After Skates vetoed the 7 subs option cos they couldn't afford that many outfield players, no goalie and 5 dynamic outfield players is a viable risk.

Rickie - over age player. Adam Lallana Jack Cork Aaron Martin Kelvin- over age player

Cold?....................... .............................. Having just watched the weather on auntie Beeb!

I am working at the NEC for the week staying at Balsall Common like Colin says the roads round Birmingham are atrocious in 2 hours we saw 2 gritters which is disgusting considering the snow arrived exactly as predicted, took 2hours to get back so god only knows what time Saints fans will get home to Southampton. Tonight's game should not have gone ahead and Sky should be disgusted with themselves as they must have put the squeeze on Brum to see it on. As for the game it was a bit of a joke as the ball wouldn't run cleanly, we certainly adapted better to the conditions as most of the first half was played at the opposite end of the ground. Still a point on the road against a team on fire ATM keeps the tally ticking along.

Got my Manc mate in tow for this as we are working up there at the NEC so will be welcome diversion, on last 6 games form we will get dinked, on the second half performance of tonight though it could be an entertaining game if our Mojo is returning Just hope Nigel can get Lallana wired into the mains and every time he takes one touch too many he gets a right old buzz!!

I liked he made himself out to be a bit powder puff, a matter of moments later he has cleanly wiped out a player bigger than him. For the first time out he certainly looks like he could be a bit of handful, seems to be intelligent with it............. OP has his maggot in the water waiting for a bit.

After all the transfer excitement I had better go to bed as I have to be in Carmarthen tomorrow (er this morning) then trawl all the way back for the game, certainly looking forward to it as the team looks like everyone will have to up their game with someone waiting in the wings to take their place should they err!

Boo! Can't go working, strangely enough the last time we played Milwall in a 4th round reply I was working at the same trade show............ and look where that got us back then!

For a nice light smooth wee dram, have a go at Glenkinchie, it's the most southerly distillery in Scotland and quite a pleasant drop especially if you are not a great Whiskey drinker.

Fidel Castro's Cigar of choice: Cohiba

Close knit group of players?!: bunch of strangers out there tonight. Also played with 10 men for most of the game, Falique first half ignored when asking for the ball, second half De Ridder watching the grass grow while standing in space the size of the New Forest while the rest of the team played playground football on the other side of the pitch. Our forte this season and last has been spreading the ball from side to side to open up space tonight we passed the ball up Cul-de-Sac's emphasised by Leicester closing down for the full 96 minutes.

Our vision tonight was rubbish, more than once the ball was passed out left up a blue alley, rather than right where Steve just stood in acres of space doing the Times criptic crossword. Same with Falique made himself available in space only to be by-passed! De Ridder needs to be fed balls to run onto not ones played behind him!

It's all a cunning plan to winkle out the Rats. Or another cunning plan to get the oppo's hopes up.

He certainly suffered the Titanic effect that seems to curse certain players who they believe they are better than playing for Saints.

Why does this feel like a re run of Rudi Skacel in some ways................ Lots of Hullabaloo, just hope in the cold light of day this lad does not end up as the same disappointment. Also hope now we have agreed personal terms I hope we don't have a foreigner who has secured at nice pay day and is happy to sit on his backside taking a pay cheque like Delgado and that Pole who was S hot on loan but a waste of space once signed ( name escapes me).