Miltonaggro

If you add together the average attendances of the skates, seaweed and Bournemuff for this season the grand average is 29,000. Should the skates get relegated and the two punch & judy outfits choke (perish the thought) a merger may well be needed to fill the Louis Spence Falmer Thunderdome. 22500 LMFAO...

I seem to remember the nickname going both ways up until the Steve Moran cup match. So mid eighties we were still calling them scummers, or moreover Pompey scum...

My favourite Seaweed memory is the FA cup match in 1986 when we beat them 2-0. We took about 6000 down there and I will never forget the sheer terror on the faces of the Seaweed fans and the local constabulary who were clearly expecting a few happy clappers with rattles turning up. We were given the corner and uncovered stand opposite the dug outs and throughout the game much verbal hatred was directed towards their substitute arch skate tosser Biley (in the twilight of his career), to a level where he disappeared up the tunnel (excuse the pun) at one point after arguing with his manager when he threatened to bring him on in the second half. After the game there was an large scale (though minor) altercation on the way back to the station in a public park which saw the Seaweed running away like so many mincing Linford Christies and a belated cavalry charge by Sussex's finest, who had arrived too late for effective crowd control with Saints fans exiting en masse through a hedge. The current vitriol from the Seaweed is obviously fear based what with them in a position that they could never have imagined at the start of the season. We shouldn't deny them their moment in the sun, rather look on them as a metaphorical Jimmy Krankie - a camp, comedic irritation that you wouldn't pay to watch through choice...

Just been speaking to a good friend who is a Palace fan (very nice man, high IQ) and he assures me that the real rivalry is between the Seaweed and Fulham. This is due to Fulham's use of the nickname 'the Cottagers' which historically has been attributed to the Seaweed. Apparently, this issue is a very sore point...

Great signing in this league, and not even a dink in the transfer budget!...

For me the article reads as if the cold snap has permitted a few extra 'strategy' meetings between NC and NA. I get the impression that Mystic Nic has read Nigel his 2011 horoscope...

Spot on initial post Gemmel, I think that there were a good few of us making these points when Pardew departed. The honeymoon period for NA was always going to resemble a weekend at a seedy B&B in Clacton, and that if we weren't genuinely challenging by the early part of the window both players and fans are going to have itchy feet. Another point that was made at that time was that whilst NA could be a good long term solution, the caveat was obvious - that Cortese would be unlikely to allow that time if success was not forthcoming (we will wait and see but the 'automatic promotion is unthinkable' comment may offer a clue). I fear that unless Saints bounce back very strongly over the next two games January could make the Killing Fields look like Mary Poppins...

I think that in the circumstances they should bring in Bing Crosby...

The only thing that Saints can do to retain talented youngsters is keep on moving onwards and upwards in terms of league position, infrastructure and senior playing staff. That, and ensure that if one of the big boys come knocking they are made painfully aware that they are going to have to pay well over the odds to sign the player. A further safeguard would be to make any wantaway player aware that spitting the dummy out after being tapped up will result in a month in the reserves. It will be very interesting to see how Cortese reacts when an approach comes, my gut feeling is very different to the paper tiger that was Lowe. Long term, if Saints find themselves back in the Premiership with a fan base that justifies a stadium expansion, who knows what can be achieved, another era I know but look at Forest. In real terms, there will always be a dozen or so 'superclubs' poaching youngsters and all Saints can do is force players to make any potential move a very difficult choice...

I have it on good authority that a brooding Mickey Fialka has joined forced with Paul Allen and the Krankies! An irresistable force...

One that used to wind me up on a number of levels was David 'One Trick' Lee who ended up playing something like 200 games for Bolton, but was absolute ****e for us. The way the bloke looked was an issue, all that mulletry and hot air in a 9st frame! I was the biggest fan of Stevie Williams (idolised him as a kid), but kind of know where Red is coming from, these days he is very much 'Steve Williams ex Arsenal' when his best days were spent in a great Saints team. I felt the same way when Mark Wright left and gobbed off in the press about moving to a bigger club with ambition ad infinitum (Derby ffs!). I suppose most of us want players to actually care, and these days those players are incredibly rare (the Le Tissiers, Channons and Holmes's). I was certainly ****ed off when the Coca-Cola relegation boy-band left us en masse for better things, but all you can hope is the we pass them on the way up and they live to regret it. As a Saints fan you have to believe in Karma...

Good luck to the lad, he is a real prospect. The key to the likes of Lallana and Chamberlain staying put is promotion and realistic reward, simple as that. Given their ages if we keep making real progress so will they. If a big club were to come calling when we were near the top of the Championship or in the Premiership in a few years I think Cortese's response and valuation might frighten a few off!...

The one that intrigues me is Dave Armstrong, brilliant engine, vision and able to score 20 goals (headers, tap-ins, and screamers) from midfield. I know that when Shilton (truly world class) joined Saints one of the Sunday papers broke the story that he was the best paid player in Division 1, on an outrageous £1000 per week - says it all really...

Thanks for that Gemm, I was at that game in the Milton but had forgotten what a demolition job that was! When you watch the clip three things hit you - passing, pace, and passion!...

I know that it's the perpetual cry of middle England, but boy could we do with the reintroduction of a form of national service right now. At the very least it would restore some national identity and perspective!...

It's got to be Golac, steel, class and charisma - I think we paid about £50K for him which is incredible! Like StVince1966 one of my best memories is the absolute net buster he scored against WBA which I was lucky enough to see from the middle right of the Milton. When I got home I couldn't wait to see it again on Match of the Day (we didn't have a video at that point), and in the post match interview Motty asked Lawrie Mac what he thought of the goal he replied "I thought that my right winger had a storming game, the only problem was he should have been playing right back!" - classic! Another favourite was Ivan sorting out Alan Gowling (who looked terrified) after he had decided to spend a first half picking on the pint sized Austin Hayes, no room for bullies on a pitch with Golac. After Ivan, for sheer joy it has to be Ronnie Ekeland, I shudder to think what we might have done to sides over a full season with him and Le Tissier in the same side!...

I think (and hope) that this long term recession will spell the end of these idiot 'superstars' - Holloway's outburst may have been funny but I know exactly where he is coming from. Most of them are so thick and out of touch that the amounts they are being paid are meaningless, chimpanzee monopoly!...

Pires certainly does not seem to fit the current blueprint, but worth a gamble (PAYP) as he could be an 'Alan Ball' for this young side. The guy's pedigree is world class and he's always looked after himself, just think of the positive effect on Lallana, Puncheon, and Morgan in particular!...

Pires certainly does not seem to fit the current blueprint, but worth a gamble (PAYP) as he could be an 'Alan Ball' for this young side. The guy's pedigree is world class and he's always looked after himself, just think of the positive effect on Lallana, Puncheon, and Morgan in particular!...

On the original thread somebody described the statue (prior to the photos appearing) as looking like a 'spasticated dwarf' - that person should be the art critic for the Guardian and judge the Turner Prize - short, pithy and completely on the money! My bet Hughie, is that the rating will be a ringer for Fred Scuttle...

The bottom line is that we still need two or three additions to give Adkins options and to put pressure or ease pressure on certain players. Until this happens I think that we will be hit and miss. The fear is that hit and miss up to Christmas may see a mass exodus come January, if that happens we are back to square one and the five year plan becomes a seven year itch!...

All will be well until the day of unveiling when Mr Brennan adds his complimentary sculpture of Nelson to the bridge - the great admiral is bound to look like a cross between Stephen Hawking and Julian Clary!...

The decision to prosecute is solely down to the Crown Prosecution Service. The basic weighing act that they do factors in the evidential burden and the public interest burden, the former providing the crux. A case involving a professional footballer would delight both the CPS and defence counsel; so if Barnard is in the clear, it is because of lack of evidence or indeed, lack of guilt...

Taylor should have never been released, a great solid pro. I am pleased that he has gone on to have a long career at a high level. 85 caps for his country, and not finished yet...

A win on Saturday and we are flying...