John Boy Saint

Phew this is still here - only the Covid restart Blog missing

Swapping 14th in La Liga to 14th in the Premier League (currently) that's an ummm upwards move...................but then the Premier League is a bigger shop window, La Liga = John Lewis - Premier League = Harrods. ............................although who knows when the dust finally settles on the current world predicament.

Looking good so far - feels big to look at - pretty sure after a month or so everyone will be use to it.................or probably by the final whistle on Friday when the meltdown is in full flow ☺️

Good! that will see the back of that bloody great big opening at the top of that one stand, there was a bit of a chilly draught coming through there as the evening worn on! ...........yes I know Mrs JBS was right, as usual, when she said "are you sure you don't want that coat" as we left the hotel into the Autumn warmth of the Milan sunshine.

Think last night having gotten rid of the Razor self distraction element - taking out the old crocks blowing out their backsides on the pitch - thought it was an interesting watch. As much as us Saints fans have little affection for Arry - even him recounting the car crash was at Italia 90 that killed his friend - the fact that if he hadn’t spoken to the Irish fans they wouldn’t have been where they were on the road when it happened seems a bit of a millstone for him 30 years on.

I would extend that same period beyond 1979 if the rules allowed to second in the league, we bloodied the big boys noses all over the place - Games that spring to mind 3-2 v Liverpool when the refs watch seemed to stop on 89 minutes (some chap from under the west stand lost it and ran onto the pitch chasing the ref pointing at his wrist.) European Champions getting smashed off the Dell pitch 4-1. I have to say the rein of Nigel Adkins probably tops the lot, ok it wasn’t top flight, some of the football was a delight to watch, we were rampant, you walked through the turnstiles knowing that you were 99% likely to see a win and a win in style. When Kelvin had his testimonial against the promotions XI led by Our Nige there were a couple of moments in the Sash shirt when they were attacking the Northam, even though the legs were older, the speed and fluidity of the move just made you think, if only you could transplant that DNA from the 2 promotion teams into the current team.

I had similar got home from school opened the front door to hear the phone ringing it was my Liverpool supporting mate who only 5 minutes before I had said cheerio to as he walked off down his street, “You’ve signed Kevin Keegan” WHAT?! “Saints have signed Kevin Keegan! - if you don’t believe me switch on Newsround now!”. What a moment, made the football world sit up and look at little Southampton FC. As Lawrie McMenemy said when I met him a few years later and he was discussing this “next season we doubled the ticket prices and no one batted an eyelid” he went on to say that in those days you got a split on the away gate receipts too and if you look at the attendances of the teams we played away the following season just about everyone of their top home attendances were against Saints, such was the box office of Kevin Keegan.

Mane away at Sheffield United in the league cup seems to have slipped under the radar

Thief

Caipirinha

Cheers Whitey Think it might have even been Red Funnel who ran the service from Woolston just opposite Crosshouse Quay car park to the then Factory in East Cowes pretty certain both builds they ran from can't be missed as they have bloody great big Union Jacks painted on the hangar doors still in both Woolston and East Cowes. We had a family outing over to the Isle of Wight from Southsea to Ryde even as a grown up with his own kids, the memory of the noisy transit to East Cowes made it an exciting trip, and coming home from Ryde the tide was right out zipping across the sandy stuff past bait diggers was quite a thing. He's another one for you, apparently on maps of the upper Solent near the Itchen Woolston channel the runway for the Seaplanes, that ran from Town House Quay or Berth 50 in the Eastern Docks is still shown, and rumour has it the landing light poles are still under the water out there.

I am amazed that no one has mentioned, not a bricks and mortar destination, but more of regular aroma that wafted across the City from Fawley I can't smell Coal Tar soap without thinking of Southampton. Hovercraft landing in Woolston - My Dad use to do plenty of business in the docks, and had some trade in the Hovercraft place that I think now makes wind turbines, always remember when little being in the car with my Mum parked at the top of the landing slipway when a Hovercraft came in my Dad was already out of the car waiting for it to arrive (think they were triailing some glass cleaner) this noisy monster rose up out of the sea and even today I still think it was going to swallow my Dad whole!

Remember seeing him at a Coys historic racing day at Silverstone driving a couple of old Grand Prix cars. Seeing him coming down Vale from Stowe into Club old style racing helmet, googles, sawing away at the big steering wheel with my own eyes was a great moment. RIP Sir.

Today JWP - Djenepo - Boufal (because there isn’t too much pitch for him to think about) In their prime - I’m going to cheat and steal Sir Bobby Robson’s comment for my team “if you could make the ultimate player” You would have the strength of Shearer The speed of Wallace The skill of Le Tissier Oh to have had that combination (all in their prime) on the pitch for Saints in recent years.

What to keep his roots touched up?

Sorry for appearing a bit dim..........Ummm............is that code for meeting up with Whitey this afternoon at Wiggle?!?

For once in my life I am glad I didn't opt for the saver deal at the hotel we booked in Norwich for tomorrow night as the price difference was negligible - I had the possibility of a different beast from the east in mind when sorting it out.

The head of the PFA Union has to keep servicing his alleged Gambling habit I suppose.

Very weird watching Man U and now Wolves playing in an empty stadium

Sod the bog rolls - candles will be sold out by 10:30 tonight on the Red half of Liverpool

It does give them a club with good infrastructure in the the largest football product on the planet. Beyond Formula 1 the Premier League does offer them a huge billboard to the world..............and just for a bit more silliness they would have an Austrian manager in place who understands the Red Bull football management from Leipzig....................Even more bonkers maybe they have placed him as their spy on the inside!! The Southampton FC soap opera continues to amble on.......

I suppose we had better shuffle on to the next one Boys and Girls. Despite their lowly position this is no walk over, not that we walk over teams anymore, they certainly have some fire in the belly for their seemingly futile fight to stay in the league. Hoping it’s one of those topsy turvy entertaining games which have popped up in the past between us, as I get to tick another ground off my list.

I’ll take a few bags of what you are peddling there, my Roses will be blooming marvellous in the summer with that quality of feed!

Reading this thread............I really have to give up going through the turnstiles at SMS and watching the game with my own eyes.

Blimey it would be worse than the icy cold match nights when the crowd have gloves on and the clapping is suppressed, face masks muffling OWTS it would be like watching footie in a padded cell.