um pahars

That really is some going and I think it was made all the more harder given the fact we were always playing catch up (due to games in hand) which I think increased the pressure on us. Throw in a mini injury crisis and it makes it an even better achievement. In the late Jan to March period we weren't playing at our best, but still managed to grind out some points, before performances picked up again. Was the 10 games in 5 weeks a blessing in the end???? Winning 9 of them certainly makes it look as though we benefitted and once we were on a roll (Rochdale excepted) we seemed capable of beating anyone.

The only person who should be embarrassed should be you with your constant need of self gratification and worthiness, coupled with an obvious insecurity issue that needs to be fed by attempting to show up others. How any Saints fan can be embarrassed at seeing their Club promoted and seeing such joyous scenes over the weekend is beyond me. At this moment in time I would imagine that anyone who blew a gasket over the Wallsall loss is feeling something much more positive and joyous, and is not even contemplating being embarrassed. The overwhelming majority of the initial responses on this thread are from passionate supporters who were obviously frustrated at losing to a team fighting relegation, whilst we were challenging for promotion. Throw in the immediacy and the knee jerkiness of the interweb and it should be no surprise that people let off steam on threads like these. It is not a measure of their support, indeed I would say their passionate outbursts show how much this Club means to them. Methinks you really need to give it a rest with this approach and instead wallow in the delight and happiness of promotion (or see a shrink). HTH

Totally anecdotal, but I reckon in excess of 50% of today's attendees weren't regulars at St Mary's (judging by who I went with, people who I didn't recognise sat around us, number of families & kids) which all bodes well for the future as hopefully a few have gone home interested in coming on a regular basis. Nice kickabout, some "legends", some not so legendary!!!!! and a nice gesture to reward the regulars and a decent initiative to attract others to SMS.

Was going to post on this thread, but then read your post and have to say you've said it more elowuently than I could have, I've found the last two seasons to be quite refreshing and whilst I've always wanted us to go up, there is quite a bit I'll miss. And of course winning quite a few games has been nice, particularly away from home.

It has been mentioned by many of my mates (however, the cricket team was close to folding and the senior players all agreed last summer that they had to play every match until June!!!!!, so was always going to miss out and therefore deseperately wanted us up before today!!!! as it turns out, the rain saved me).

Cricket has just been cancelled (waterlogged pitch up in Andover), so have just broken the bad news to my mate that I need my ticket back!!!!!!!!! Took it surprisingly well (then again I haven't got the ticket yet, so he could turn his phone off and disappear for a bit!!!). COYR

Have to agree with this to be honest. I think Nicholl made a decent go of it, but one of his problems was that he had to follow in the footsteps of probably our greatest manager ever (only Bates could give Lawrie a run for his money). I can certainly remember some very attacking displays, but his handicap was that people were used to "success", "star signings" and a huge "ego & personality" under Lawrie, so Nicholl sometimes suffered and came across a tad bland!

Like many things, I think you may have misinterpreted the meaning of QED

q.e.d. !!!!!!!!!!

I always liked Esar's definition of statistics: "The science of producing unreliable facts from reliable figures", something which seems quite fitting given NickG's continued efforts to produce facts from figures!!!

Indeed. LOL.

You need to have a look at that list again, you need to either include caretakers or not (as you haven't go them all).

An overwhelming vote in a referendum would be hard to ignore though!!! And what next??? All those down your neck of the woods will be demanding independence for Kernow!! If so, I want freedom for Wessex. I'm forming the Wessex Action for a Nation and Kingdom Excluding Romsey & Salisbury (and Portsmuff)

I bet there already is one!!!!!! ****Football Manager Top Trumps**** Who'd be King [ock????? Mourhinho, Ferguson, Allegri, Wigley????? EDIT There is as well!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! http://toptrumps.wikia.com/wiki/Football_Managers

I'm sure you're not and I sometimes struggle why people get so het up with opinions and hypothetical situations on a message board, so I wouldn't worry about offending people on here. Obviously impossible to say, but given Pearson's achievements and how he conducted himself in his time here and what he did with Leicester after (a club similar to ourselves) makes me think he would also have achieved promotion with us. As others have said, I think there are similarities with Adkins, although I would say Pearson has the experience and perhaps respect card due to his playinmg career, whilst Adkins seems to have the Wenger meticulous planning card up his sleeve. If there is a vacancy at some point in the future, then I certainly wouldn't be adverse to seeing if Pearson is interested.

You're probably spot on Wes (although in my defence I was only repsonding to Manji's poorly constructed jibes!!!!). There have been quite a few threads resurrected in recent days as some try to gain some sort of gratification in trumpetting that "they were right" and "others were wrong". Strange and I would liken it to the small time behaviour of some Brighton fans who instead of celebrating a great season went out of their way to have a pop at us. You only had to look at the resurrection of that Delldays thread when he was going ballistic back in Spetember and how people were now using it as a stick to beat the poor man with. What that thread initially showed was that Delldays was/is passionate about the Club and is as kneejerk as the rest of us after some schite performances and all he was doing was getting stuff off his chest on the ether of the interweb. I've sat with Exit2 all season who has been telling me "Play offs, I tell thee!!!", but I'm not going to be taking the **** next time I see him, instead we'll both be celebrating as Saints fans together.

Deferred Income young man, not pre-payments!!!! LOL. But on a serious basis, I have to agree that Norwich are a model that clubs should look at when considering season ticket sales and keeping their supporters onside and engaged (apart from when they lose at home to Colchester 7-1 or something!!). We seemed a bit hit and miss last season with regards season tickets, with most of the issues already outlined above and although promotion (or not) has put a spanner in the works I'm hoping this season is somewhat smoother and attractive for us supporters.

I think with the pressure off and a full house, we will play some lovely football and win comprehensively. 3-0 is my prediction.

An interesting reply, not sure I agree with it all, but something like this will always provide us with a myriad of opinions and theories!!! I must say I've never heard the line that he was sacked and then this was rescinded (see FF's reply above), so would be interested to know what happened there (assuming that that did happen of course).

And it will be alive again the minute the transfer windows opens and we start sniffing round players that range from Murray to Macail-Smith and start worrying about who's tapping up Lallana, Oxo, Fonte, whoever. Throw in gossip about ticket prices, new kits et al and this board will be rumbling all summer despite a game not being played for months. Now if during this time something raised its head with regards Adkins & Cortese (extending contract, being sacked, wanting to leave) then I would expect it to be raised & discussed (and dismissed if necessary). The Pardew rumours were rife from the end of the last season throughout the close season and it seems ridiculous to suggest people wouldn't be interested or wouldn't to know about them.

This board would be nothing if rumour, tittle tattle, "facts", opinion etc were removed/banned. What people make of these rumours in the anonymity of the nerdy and relatively worthless interweb is up to them, but rumours and gossip are a part and parcel of this board (as it turned out the Pardew rumours were borne out within a few months). If someone got hold of a rumour that Adkins was being tapped up for the Liverpool job, or Cortese was looking to replace him with someone who has gained promotion from the Championship or that Lallana was being tailed by Liverpool, then I'm sure we would all like to profer our opinion on the validity (or not) of them.

What makes you say that (in a mild enquiring manner, not a confrontational prove it retort)???? Being honest I have to say that I never thought Pardew had Cortese's full backing towards the end of last season, then over pre-season and then throught the first few games. I never bought in to the "Pardew rumours", instead I always thought Cortese wanted him shot since the back end of last season, Liebherr was less certain and Liebherr's passing provided Cortese with the ideal opportunity (once a few weeks had passed). And before Manji wets the bed, that opinion is based on nothing more than how things panned out and the tittle tattle expressed on here, at SMS and reading between the lines - probably incorrectly of course (no ITK whatsoever).

I don't think anyone can doubt the mental toughness that Adkins has instilled in the side and the way that they have responded in those big games. We've ground out some decent results when it mattered depsite much pressure from Huddersfiled and expectations from the fans.

Given our apparent dreadful pre season under Pardew, the rumblings at the end of last season about Pardew staying or going and the manager being sacked a couple of months later, then Fitzhugh's note about perhaps outsiders not being aware of the tensions bubbling under the surface wasn't far off the mark at all. As it turns out then Cortese's approach throughout this time has been vindicated, but I'm not sure that doesn't mean we should ignore that it was obviously a rocky period last summer with manager and CEO/Chairman being at odds with each other. In fact it could be said that given how bad we are led to believe it was, then it has totally vindicated Cortese's hard nose approach.

LOL you bedwetter. Agenda led tittle tattle ITK information me up. This is a message board where stuff that is posted ranges from complete fantasy land stuff to a decent inside snippet, with millions in between!!!! It is up to the individual to look at the posts, for themselves to judge what they think of it, then reply, comment on it or ignore it. No one individuals posts or opinions are "more valid" than anyone elses, something you yourself go on to say, so you would do well to wind it in, otherwise you'll be bursting a blood vessel with all your angst. But seeing as you've sort of rumbled my agenda, i thought I should post it up here once and for all (so you can refer to it from time to time): For Saints to be as successful as possible whilst providing entertainment and pleasure to its many supporters, wherever they may reside and in whatever capacity they follow the Club.