Gloucester Saint

Sounds far more like the Branfoot years and Lowe protests than the odd set of banners and chants we saw for the Spurs disaster under Martin. About time and with Dragan losing control of United Group, it may the time to turn the temperature up some more. Our away support could do that but will the home support?

And protests against him would be a gift for his domestic foes.

Save the petrol and have a nice autumnal afternoon in Devon. There will plenty of other empty seats to keep it company, the Chapel looked half empty v Swansea.

Solak is not necessarily in the strongest position though to absorb losses let alone a group https://www.eureporter.co/lifestyle/media/2025/10/21/european-media-dragan-solak-loses-control-of-united-group-in-court-defeat/

Not 100% sure of the context in what was his business but yes, there seemed to be manoeuvres which succeeded in June in removing him from United Group’s board and having just looked, his action to the Dutch courts to be reinstated was rejected only last week https://www.eureporter.co/lifestyle/media/2025/10/21/european-media-dragan-solak-loses-control-of-united-group-in-court-defeat/ Quite a fall from grace in Serbia.

But they also own the losses by the same logic, and what you’ve said is rational and logical btw. And those can be huge at Champ level if the gates drop away. They’ll need to sell playing assets as the parachute payments fall away which makes the anchor club of a group less useful. It depends if he’s willing to be pigheaded like Venky’s have with Blackburn or Pozzos with Watford, but my sense should that he doesn’t.

They have folded every time there’s been a bit of dissent from the fans. Witness Martin v Spurs and some of mild stick v Juric. Banners, plane with a Solak out message, 90 minutes of chanting to get out of the club - that would be a start. Falling attendances as the parachute payments will dwindle in parallel will achieve the aims. This won’t be like Guy Askham being pigheaded over Branfoot for almost 3 years.

Again, like the Starmer analogy this is far worse. Starmer’s been Head of DPP whatever people think of him, SCW is a WC winning coach in a different sport and international player. As Ratcliffe and Brailsford show at Man U, this doesn’t always translate across. But to appoint a 32 year old who had never managed in the country into this situation…

Relegation is the reality unless the owners break their toxic habits of appointing weak/young/totally reliant or grateful to Rasmus for their job. Which we know they refuse to do.

Starmer’s at least handled Trump well even if domestically poor, this is Liz Truss level ineptitude.

Had a lovely afternoon walking over Cleeve Hill and trying some of my Lidl Oktoberfest collection shortly. Cheltenham Town won in the last minute v top of the table Walsall - 10 points from 12 under Steve Cotterill after being adrift at the bottom under Michael Flynn who was sold short by the previous board. Their fans deserve the new ownership and management having given it to Gary Johnson who bought a total load of rubbish. Cotterill’s free agents and better organisation have transformed things. As for Saints….a re-set in League One with new owners and club leadership beckons. Glad to hear the travelling fans gave SR, Still and the ‘players’ some serious grief. 12 months too late sadly and likely to cost the club a second consecutive relegation and third in 4 years. Message to Saints fans - if you demand change loudly you’ll deserve it if you get it. But you’ve accepted dreadful standards and a complacent and arrogant club leadership who hasn’t cared for many years hence 4 wins in 50 games. Learn from the older fans who ousted Lowe and Branfoot to understand what you need to do if you want to save your club. Us older farts did our bit at the time.

PNE need to build on Blackburn’s good work and bury Still and Ankerson. Come on Preston!

Denmark. But it was the obvious appointment in the summer. He wouldn’t have taken any shit from Rasmus and the goalkeeper and strikers departments would have been totally overhauled regardless of who the ‘club’ eg Rasmus ‘rates’. But that’s why SR won’t hire adults.

And yet more actual back up https://vtdigger.org/2025/10/23/orleans-county-republican-sam-douglass-officially-resigns-from-senate/

The current strain can cause people to shit their kex. That said, I can see a Monday Night Chicken Club at Flynn’s though.

Couldn’t hit the farm the barn is in either. All of the cow’s arses are safe as I don’t think Damion could find a 🪕 let alone hit a cow’s arse with it.

Fixed it for you

Had to happen, only way it was going to be ripped from Chansiri’s grasp after the EFL bottled it in the summer. Wouldn’t be surprised if that’s Saints in 3 years unless Dragan either sells or finds an even more wealthy business partner. Running a PL infrastructure and Championship/League 1 football business is unsustainable. Certainly needs to find an experienced UK football leadership team who can run Saints professionally as a football club.

When members of the previous cabinet stop organising tapping up of vulnerable women to score political points via their news outlets (Mail and GB News) I’ll stop blaming. But they haven’t so 100% of blame lies with them and the Conservative Party. Even Reform are staying well away from this but Badenoch is desperate. What isn’t being reported is that 80% plus of the witnesses remain. Some issues are beyond party politics out of basic human decency and this one of them.

If you’ve got a designated driver and want to drown your sorrows with dozens of cask ales and ciders I recommend the Bowland Food Hall in Clitheroe. Only 27 minutes north of Ewood Park. I reckon 40 on cask available. Plenty of food there as well.

I don’t agree with people with doing that, but it’s a Southampton thing (the city as much as the club) about a cultural reluctance to tackle and challenge authority and poor performance. We did under Branfoot and Lowe but Reed got away with dire performance, ditto Semmens, and the fanbase lacks fire these days. So it’s easier to unload it at a 21 year old who is clearly miles short of Championship standard and ought to be on work experience at Aldershot Town or our u23s learning the basics. The chants should be about SR getting out of the club and at Spors, and would be at most clubs. But given the cultural factor, that’s why people are aiming it at individual players under their nose instead.

Hit. Nail. Head by Tanswell. This is what House and Blackmore should be doing if they’re performing at a minimum level. But as they’re as pathetic and spineless as the club. The only ways out of this are dropping further down the EFL, even out of it, and admin again, or SR hand the keys over to an experienced British CEO and football management team. Option 2 means they’d keep the core club in their network but whilst the new leadership are accountable to Dragan, that’s all, and 100% of decisions are in-house working to the budget agreed with Dragan.

Although in a dangerous league position, Cheltenham are turning it around under Steve Cotterill and Mike Garlick. Reminds me a bit of Lawrie and Bally coming back in early 1994 as Steve is a legend here. That’s my main focus for football this season - much more a cricket (Hants/England), rugby (Gloucester and England) darts man these days - along Paul Wotton’s promotion chase at Torquay (which spluttering but I think they’ll be ok). I’ll look out for Saints results and as my wife said to me I don’t think having been born and growing up in Southampton that I’ll ever totally unplug, but not been to a live game since Pellegrino’s horror football and his meltdown in the role and no intention of changing. We had considered Blackburn on Saturday where it was pay on the day but my heart just isn’t it. The SFC I knew and loved died when we were sold to a man who couldn’t pass FFP. The modern day club has as much to do with Southampton as MK Dons have to do with Wimbledon. I wish they’d change the name to a franchise and the 1976 win, 1980s, 90s and WGS, Adkins, Poch and Ronald eras can be secure from SR’s clutches. I’d get behind a Southampton phoenix club though if one of those starts up. Or hopefully before retirement we re-emerge eventually like Coventry after their dreadful mistreatment by SiSU.

SR just need to keep SFC as their core club but recognise they can’t run it for toffee. It needs an independent experienced UK CEO, Parsons is more an Ops Director and a decent one despite one poster’s views, DoF and first team manager. That group decides solely on the recruitment, SR can put options forward but ultimately final decisions always rest with the SFC Board. This is the only way to get the club back on an even keel and stop the financial bleeding from SR’s perspective. Given the reluctance at SR Board to admit and write off mistakes, I won’t hold my breath and expecting a consecutive relegation tbh.

Politically there is - Ankerson along with Shields was co-responsible for Gavin’s signing and we know they hate admitting any kind of mistake at SR boardroom and avoiding the need like any business to write off mistakes. You can see it with Downs remaining on the bench despite being totally unselectable and Still clearly uncomfortable using him unless there is no other option. That comes back to the stupidity and lack of planning around Stewart as well but SR’s idiocy knows no bounds. As for McCarthy that pre-dates SR but they’ve carried it on. The whole saga around ‘are we going to give Alex or Fraser a bumper pay rise as #1’ under Semmens - just purchase a better keeper FFS. They weren’t that expensive at the time either. They burned their fingers on Gunn but if they lost their confidence on recruitment for keepers, ask Mendes or one of the other agents to find one. Not rocket science.