alehouseboys

The entire site of the stadium was a massive gasworks and had to be decontaminated and these old gasometers have been redeveloped all over the world, even if listed. Maybe they could be transformed into a couple of multi-storey carparks which would probably be needed with any redevelopment of the area/stadium - like shown on here: https://www.dezeen.com/2017/11/09/six-proposals-shortlist-riba-national-grid-gasholder-bases-architecture-competition/

In the last 'Invest in Southampton' magazine in 2017 (produced by the City Council) there was this statement: "Southampton Football Club is also eager to see the Itchen Waterfront Master Plan become a reality. They are interested in seeing the gas holder site which sits alongside the stadium deliver a far better welcome and experience for fans and visitors. Southampton Football Club is talking positively about supporting investment in the environment immediately around the stadium and there is plenty of potential there,” added Mike. Looks like it's in their thoughts at least.

"Les Reed went to Kiev To see his favourite Scousers, Klopp said whoya got for me Les said I'll sell you Trousers"

There's been an obvious massive change of direction and the club/Ralph has been preparing fans particularly over the past year or so. When Kreuger started calling us "small" in interviews it was to reign in fan expectation, to change the mindset from how they'd previously portrayed our "progressive", "Champions League Challengers". Before they loved all the plaudits for how this 'middle-sized' club was kicking the heels of the real big boys and couldn't wait to champion the "Southampton Way" to the media but now we're mostly getting condescending bullsh*te from our chairman. It's a tough gig managing the expectations of a football crowd but they're also guilty of taking a lot of us for mugs.

TBF, we were 3 points away from winning the league around 4 decades ago, although that only comes around about once every 100 years.

And you have to consider that we only lost away at Arsenal and home to Man City as well as missing out on 3 points at Everton by conceding goals late deep into injury time despite while playing well in those matches. Then you've also got to scratch your head how we threw away a 2 goal lead against Chelsea despite clearly being the better side until 20 mins from the end. He still managed to lift the players and kept us up.

Possibly what lead to Boufal offering to 'sort it' with him in the gym. And then was never heard of again.

It's a well known fact that if that terrace was full in the Championship it would be a death trap, but if it was full in League One then it's safe as houses. Same with Brentford, once you announce you're moving to a new stadium in a few years time, your terracing instantly becomes safer. Well known factamondo. I quite like the comments on that report http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/16238600.Campaign_to_introduce_safe_standing_at_St_Mary__39_s_takes_step_forward/

I would imagine it's more a case of not wanting to be dictated to like the last couple of incumbents. He'll have his work cut out just controlling a bunch of prima donna players.

If Les Reed is now being walked over then it's probably the beginning of the end for his tenure at SFC.

I disagree with you on that point, the facts are, we have 'challenged' for CL qualification in recent seasons. We'll never sustain it because, as you say, if we've got outstanding players, bigger clubs will continually come along and easily take them off of us. We have an excellent set-up to replace these departures but as we've seen since 2016, it won't always work out and a middling-sized club like SFC can quickly find themselves in trouble. It's cyclical, hopefully you bounce back before falling too far. The best thing to do is not set your expectations too unrealistically high, enjoy those high moments while there and accept there will always be highs and lows. Or find something else to do on a match day.

BUT you need to pit that in context. Up against the big 6 or 7 clubs we are but we're certainly in the top 15 or so in this country of the next group down. Small clubs don't regularly play in front of 30,000+ crowds, get average gates in the 3rd division of 20k+ and capable of pulling in over 30k down there. We are a 'middle size' club, not small and not big, no provincial club is ever going to get near the real big boys. Ralph just needs to qualify what he says a bit better, he just sets the us up for a p*ss take from rival fans.

So we've gone from being in the 'top 20 of football's Global Brands', 'conquering the US' and 'Champions League ready' to a 'small club'. They're dumbing us down. Blackmore really should press him on the lauded yet elusive '5 Pledges' and also get Ralph to clarify what he means by a 'small club'. In comparison to Man Utd, City, Chelsea? Or like Hartlepool, Walsall or plucky little p*mpey?

Bearing in mind their dragging of heels over signing players, and the managerial appointment last summer, you can't help think they'll drag this out to keep their options open. I can imagine Reed and Co. keeping Hughes waiting (they may wait to see Fulham's outcome) but also chance p*ssing him off if they do and if they then decide they can't do better and go back and offer him the job he may very well tell them to f*** off. If they don't give it to Hughes then the next appointment had better be relatively successful otherwise the fans will slaughter them.

....and vice versa.

or.....if City aint winning, the last 27 mins or so.

I think that may be a bit different with City. Some are saying crunch them early with a few hefty challenges but I can only see that ending badly, we're talking one of the big boys here, refs will bend over backwards for them. We'd probably end up with 9 men on the pitch by halftime, we would certainly be in trouble then. I think a less intense match will suit both sides.

Well, that was Cortese's/Marcus Liebherr's plans, things may have changed once Kat took over but is that the real reason Gao has come in? In the last 'Invest in Southampton' magazine in 2017 (produced by the City Council) there was this statement: "Southampton Football Club is also eager to see the Itchen Waterfront Master Plan become a reality. They are interested in seeing the gas holder site which sits alongside the stadium deliver a far better welcome and experience for fans and visitors. Southampton Football Club is talking positively about supporting investment in the environment immediately around the stadium and there is plenty of potential there,” added Mike. Right now, we need to get back to getting it sorted on the pitch. Priorities.

We were sat a couple of blocks away when we suddenly noticed the attention seeking retard and his mate stand up and start making a scene. I think he took a jacket off to reveal his skate clobber which the stewards quickly jumped on but he was happy to take it off and show off his tatts. We chuckled when you moved in behind him and give him some grief and stuck yer boot up his arse and sent him tumbling. Figured you wouldn't have last long before getting pulled out but TCWTB and his buds got Police protection from then and when we went out after he was surrounded by stewards and OB (it looked like Custer's last stand) who arranged for them to be picked up at the stadium. They did, the U21 game was the night a couple of Wagon lads got jumped by a number of 657 in a park and (won't name him but a few on here would certainly know him) had his faced rearranged in a not very sporting situation. And you had to laugh, they always bang on that the "scummers aint got no mob" but bravely chose to team up with Millwall to have a pop. Did Millwall or the skates feel they needed reinforcements to front the "no mark scummers" that day?

Yep, the famous Black Box (or those analysing it) has a lot to answer for. Believing they can keep pulling a rabbit out of the hat and amazing the football world with yet another clever decision than others couldn't see. The same Black Box that will be found in the wreckage of our season.

That's just Bertrand's demeanour, it's no different whether it's Saints, England or whoever before, just the way he is. I think he cares, he probably doesn't really want to be here any more, he wanted out a year ago, but some just want a scapegoat to vent their anger. Bottle it up, get to a game and release it inside the stadium for a change.

Think we've sold about a thousand so far, can't see too many more flying off the shelves now but, tbf, that's about a thousand more than I thought we'd have all things considered.

Nope, that can’t be right, Ralph made that clear when he put us in our place a while back. It’s simply just another example of making a ‘pig’s ear’ of most we seem to touch these days.

I'll make no apologies for bumping this again as it's such a great effort and worthy cause. I'm sure a lot of us are surrounded by this disease and it's tough when it's adults of all ages facing it but when it's a youngster like this it's heartbreaking. What that poor kid's going through... He's doing this run tomorrow finishing at our match raising over £20k so far, most from fans from around the country (many including Saints) it would be nice to see even more Southampton fans sparing a tenner or so. https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/tony-munday3

I agree, Austin would never last the full 90, probably struggle for 45 just back from injury, but would be more useful coming on in the second half. Hopefully the new boss has worked it out on the training field and now has Gabbi feeding off the right service. Quietly confident about this game but hard to call with so many factors involved that will influence proceedings. Their crowd will either be right up for it or toxic for them, if we start well hopefully the latter and there's already tension between different fans groups up there with rival marches/protests planned for this game. Could be a bit angsty in the Stratford area when their 'ISAs' and 'ICFers' come together.