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Depends on the ground. Less of an issue at older stadiums than flat packs like ours. Can always hear the Holte end at Villa Park for example.

I've never been able to get my head around why people make the second point. Who honestly gives a shit what can be seen on TV? I honestly can't think of anything more irrelevant. On point one, yeah there would definitely be occasions where the away crowd would drown out our support, but if we were on it then we could also drown out even a noisy away end as the sound could come from both sides. That will never happen with the new layout. Ever. Because the away fans can't hear the northam and will never have noisy fans on the kingsland side. What we'll basically always get now is away fans going "they barely ever sing in their main end behind the goal" and fans the northam going "the away support were shit, barely heard them all game" and in most cases neither things being true.

Yeah this is a massive issue. You simply can't hear the northam from the other end of the ground (and similarly can't hear the away fans from the northam). So this move of away fans to apparently 'improve the atmosphere' (anyone sane knows that wasn't the real reason) has in actuality made it far worse. Agreed yesterday there were a few times you could see the northam singing in unison but on the whole it still looks like multiple pockets rather than one big end. Which is how it felt being in there last season.

Nah the club won't be turning that income down given they'll be there from about 10.

Has to be a win today. Anything else is unfathomable. Be nice if most people could be in seats by quarter to. They'll be in the ground getting tanked up for a good couple of hours and we need some atmosphere building before the teams come out. Also worth remembering that they can't go home until we all leave so if we win well it'd be fun to stay in the ground celebrating for as long as we can.

Swansea Cardiff has it still. NE had it for the recent cup game with the bigger allocation but haven't for years with league games. They sacked it off for East Lancs last season too.

Yeah even without the bubble fans will still be segregated as you say so not sure why you keep talking about fans 'mixing' as they don't regardless of whether the bubble is in place or not. Yeah people went to jail for 2010 but that doesn't mean there was large disturbances akin to the 70s/80s. Football fans often get prison sentences for things which wouldn't get one in a different environment. I don't want to mix with the skates at these games. But when going away I would like to be able to make my own way there and not have the whole day take as long as if I was going to an away day in Brum.

I'd be disappointed if Fellows doesn't start. No reason at all that he can't come straight into the team.

Football violence now is nothing like the 70s and 80s though. Most trouble now is away from stadiums and generally easy enough to avoid if you wish to. I didn't see any large disturbances at Fratton in 2019 and that was a midweek game. Even in 2010 I didn't see any of the issues on Brittania Road and from second hand accounts from friends it wasn't what I'd call a large scale disturbance. How come other police forces around the country can handle it without the bubble? It's not been done for recent Tyne Wear games in the league and they got rid of it for Blackburn Burnley too.

Nah it's bollocks. Shouldn't have to treat everybody like a criminal and herd them like cattle for the sake of a few idiots. It turns an away day 19 miles away into an 8+ hour day. It's a joke. The game down there will probably be one of the worst aways of the season.

Possibly but I think the Millbrook road route would be easier to police as wider and more open, plus not really going through any residential areas. Loads of potential ambush points along Lordshill way. Avenue route would be going much closer to/through the city centre too.

Don't think it'll be either. Saw somewhere that the coaches are meeting up at B&Q Nursling which suggests to me they'll come down Millbrook road and past the docks.

Ralph certainly didn't. He played a back four the vast majority of his time here.

No way I'd want that stinking fucking thing anywhere near me. Funny though.

If I remember rightly we lifted it a couple of years later which was an absurd decision. As was letting the skates off the ticket money from the FA Cup tie in 2010.

Beattie surely should be in hero section?

Yeah there wasn't many but was definitely some left that morning.

Almost certainly will I reckon. Hull did and that's a smaller allocation on a Saturday.

Probably another reason the clubs are happy with a bubble. They'll probably be at the ground about 10 so a good money maker. Don't get me wrong I won't be spending a penny down at their hovel but I'm sure there's plenty on both sides who will.

Just ran out of steam in the end. Think Fonte being cup tied was probably the decisive issue as it left us with really slow centre backs and we got absolutely murdered on the break once we tired. Was never in a million years a 4-1 game. So glad we bettered that at Fratton 9 years later. As others have said that Lambert goal was incredible though. Right up there with the best celebrated goals at SMS. Excluding games against the skates then Camara v Norwich in 2005 is one that springs to mind.

David James was incredible that day. Hated the cunt ever since.

That game was the final straw that decided where possible all future games would be bubbled.

Reminds me of when they said they won the bragging rights that season on 'away goals' 😂

Let me guess - we struggled to sell out as every single Saints fan is terrified of them 😂 Proper odd balls the lot of them. I can't wait to see an interview with a fan next week about how his great grandfather lost his job because of us.

Yeah but that didn't come during a two week period also containing trips to Hull, Sheffield United and Derby. And yeah I'm sure they'll be all over it. This will be game 3 a season ticket holder with no always can buy for. Could easily work up from that - with places like Blackburn and Sheffield United coming up you could probably even get a skate ticket by Christmas.