.comsaint

Or maybe we can plaster horrible photos all over the packets...oh - hang on... Perhaps we could take them off display in the shops and hide them - because that will stop the teenagers smoking!!! lolololol - er...yeah, okay.

Oh dear - someone else a bit slow today. Let me spell it out for those a wee bit 'dim'. The reason landlords are complaing like mad that the pub trade is dying is that supermarkets sell very cheap booze & they cannot compete. They barely ever mention the smoking ban - only the price comparison of a pub & supermarket. I used to drink regularly in pubs - but due to the ban - I no longer visit any pubs - only in the summer when I can sit outside. Because of the ban - I now buy cheap crates of ale from the supermarkets & stay at home where I can happily smoke away all I want. It has nothing to do whatsoever with the cost of a pint in a pub that stopped me going - money isn't an issue thankfully. The only thing that stopped me going was the smoking ban. And the same goes for many thousands upon thousands of other people up & down the country too. Instead of give us the CHOICE of "smoking" or "no smoking" pubs - they elected to ban it in all pubs - and now many are paying the price. The whole non-smoking ban was ill-concieved and executed. That's this government all over. We don't like it = we ban it.

I know the old man puffed away happily in his bunk & elsewhere around the boat! Much the same infact as I did on Type 42 destroyers for 12 years. It's a wee bit different for surface ships of course - especially these days. You want a ciggie - you can pop on the upper deck most of the time - not really an option miles below the Atlantic! Happy pre-pc brigade days!

Just out of curiosity DD - what's the score as regards smoking on a nuclear sub these days? Is it not allowed? Or are there smoking areas? My old man was 26 years a submariner (HMS Warspite, Courageous, etc) and smoked 40 a day! He gave up 2 years ago...on his 70th birthday!

Complete & utter toss that there isn't a small little out-of-the-way area for us smokers at SMS. I laugh at the amount of pubs going out of business. The whinging landlords bleat that it's due to superstores selling beer really cheap & they can't compete. Bollix. The reason so many pubs are going out of business is twofold; 1) the service a lot of pubs offer is complete CRAP! and 2) the smoking ban. If I walk down the High Street & there are 2 pubs - one with a sign in the window saying 'STRICTLY NO SMOKING PUB' - and the other with a sign saying 'DIRTY OLD SMOKERS WELCOME' - I have the freedom to choose which one I want to drink a pint in. Alas though - that isn't an option anymore as your good old 'New Labour' have seen to that. So now - pubs are closing at an alarming rate (damn shame) and I spend my money instead at Morrisons where I can buy a crate of 20 bottles of Becks for a bloody tenner! You may well scoff. But I watched tonight's BBC News where there was a report that the government is "considering" introducing speed restrictors in your average car - in order to prevent you breaking the speed limit!!! And they're also "considering" rating every internet site with a certificate - just like the movies!!! And 2009 sees the very first introduction of - wait for it - a licence to go...sea fishing!!! It's only "optional" at the moment - but how long before it becomes compulsory? I think we know the answer to that. So yes - you may not have a gripe about us smokers not having just a tiny segment of concrete to stand in at SMS during a game - but isn't life "supposed" to be all about freedom of choice??? Apparently not...

Look - first & foremost - I can't stand the bloody programme alright! However - our very own Lucy Pinder (her with assets that resemble a photo-finish for a zeppelin race!) is going to be in Celebrity Big Brother which starts on Friday I believe. I am hoping we see her in a Saints top (or no top preferably!!!) and here's to hoping that we get a mention or two. Would be extremely nice to see her sporting a "LOWE OUT" t-shirt - but maybe that's asking a bit too much I guess. Anyway - just thought I'd let all you perverts know. I won't (*cough) be watching it/her of course as I...er...will probably be watching something far more...er...entertaining (*cough)...

In amongst this whole sad sorry state of affairs - I can't help feeling absolutely gutted for poor old Jan. He must have sat there in the AGM - watching & listening as the shenanigans unfolded - the abuse - the coin-throwing - the hate - loathing - the tears...and wondered what the hell he'd taken on by joining Southampton Football Club. A sad day indeed. And I actually like the bloke - a lot. I wouldn't be surprised if he jumped before he was pushed tbh...

Hmm - I'm betting it's no more than 48 hours before Chorley returns to this forum (after being absent for... oooh - how long now?) expecting a sea of adoring admirers (otherwise known as "Chorleyites") that have heard all about his 'wizard prang' of lobbing coins at Rupert Lowe this morning - thus falling to their knees in front of him & worshipping him like he's some kind of super-crusader...the saviour of Southampton Football Club. Personally - I wouldn't pizz in his mouth if his teeth were on fire...

...and the winner of the 2008 Knob of the Year award goes to...(*opens envelope)...Richard Chorley!

Seems MLT echoes what you're saying MM... http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/saints/news/3997391.It_s_not_fair_on_McGoldrick__says_Le_Tiss/

I was talking to a die-hard Forest fan last night in the queue behind me to see The Who last night at The O2 Dome in Greenwich. He was saying everyone up there in Nottingham is talking about this game & how important it is for them not to lose it. Seems they (the club & fans) are already eyeing this game as a 'must win' for them...so they're "coming prepared" apparently. This is (by all accounts) their most important game of the season. Let's hope we see it as the same!

Jeez. I must be the only fan left who'd prefer to keep Jan!

Those players being touted with a move away in January will not want to stick a foot in & get a bad injury with the transfer window just around the corner - meaning will we see 100% commitment and determination today? I doubt it - although I hope I'm proved drastically wrong of course.

Seconded.

Hey - we're shtill playing schexy futboll no?

Far, far too many chances wasted in front of goal. Oh for a sharp quality striker eh? If we can pick up 3 points at Palace Monday night then I'll forgive them for today. (*Sigh)

Back in the 70's and all through the 80's when I was working on ships at sea - I visited Bombay (as it was known then) a few times - and several other places in that region; Karachi in Pakistan, Colombo in Sri Lanka, etc. Sometimes we'd stay for just a few days - sometimes for 2 weeks. Eveywhere we went out there (and I mean everywhere!) - the locals working in all the big hotels, shops, markets, taxi drivers, eveyone - they were all obsessed with cricket & would happily talk about it for hours on end! Of course - England had a half-decent side back then and you weren't embarrassed to be an England cricket fan - like you are nowadays!!! Anyway - Mumbai/Bombay was a truly great & varied place to visit back then & I believe it's even better these days. I've been wanting to visit Goa for years too but never quite made it - yet. One day perhaps.

That's that little bit of luck I was talking about...

We need to play the game exactly as we did in the first 45...

Even if they equalise - I fancy us to get another yet.

bollix...

Pooey 1 Hull 1 heehee

Not yet - but I've sent a grovelling appeal for some!

F*!k me - Christmas has come early!!!

I've no doubt Coppel will be tearing them apart in the changing room as we speak! Jan will be aware of that - and pass it on to the lads. They know to expect a fierce start to the 2nd half. Our job must be to keep doing exactly what we have been doing & keep a cool head. If we weather the first 10-15 mins of the 2nd half okay - I can see us going on to win this. COYR!