TheAlehouseBrawlers

Just over 100 tickets remaining, mostly restricted view. Been on restricted sale to ST holders (with number of aways), if not sold out by end of day will get snapped up tomorrow when on sale to all ST holders.

I'm going a bit MLG on you here but they're only expanding the upper tier. It will be wider and deeper with new seating on each side and at the front as they're also doing away with the double-decker corp boxes - and adding a new roof. But to show how the gap is widening between the top dozen or so clubs in England and the rest of us, even once Villa Park increases to 50K there will still be 8 larger stadiums in the PL, 10 once Chelsea and Leeds expand. You could fit 8 Dean Courts inside Man U's proposed new stadium.

Sold out a lower allocation. Sales were slow initially and as season was basically over for us the club didn't take any more. The 2k then sold soon after, a few weeks back, so we may very well have sold 3k by now.

Yeah, you’re probably right, as I say, little more than wishfull thinking!

I’ve got no problem with Dragan Solak, believe he’d be a good owner with right football people around him. Maybe Spors is a good start. I don’t really know how these things work but could he be looking for a way to sever ties with SR and testing the water? Likely just wishfull thinking of course. Manji to the front please, Manji to the front desk…..

Flawed. There’s relatively little toxicity inside the stadium, more apathy. Most of the toxicity comes from non-match going fans. Those commenting on the match thread after yesterday’s game that had clearly been at St Mary’s were more pragmatic.

They've just confirmed yesterday that they bought back the ground so will now push on with redevelopment. They're hoping to have 20,000 in around two years, then up to 23,000. Still very small by PL standards but improving their punching weight, and also just as they move into new state-of-the-art training facilities. Still a big ask to keep their momentum, particularly over the next 24 months but they do appear to have a very good, and keen, owner. But we couldn't sustain it on gates of 32,000 so it's inevitable the likes of them, Brentford, Brighton, Fulham, Palace, etc. are going hit tough times they'll need to survive. Expecting some new-found heart in the side today, think it will end all-square but a more positive end to the season is needed going into the summer.

Rekindles memories of the day when news came through of HMS Sheffield being hit by an Argie Exocet. We played Cov that evening at the Dell, drew 5-5, but any joy was tempered by reports of those who were killed.

Glass half full. Draw.

Me and a mate were up on the Itchen Bridge with all the vast crowds trying to get the best spot to watch it come home. It was some sight.

Tickets selling fast for this, should quickly sell out. We went their last away game in the 1973-74 relegation season and won 0-3. But Birmingham also won so we became victims of the first time of 3 teams going down from the top flight. Bogey ground mostly for us although we did win up there the season before too. My first season of going regularly was 1971-72, we got done 8-0 that year…

The only flaw in my plan is, they’ll probably mug your phone as well!

Just a thought on these 1,000 collections - the away box office (next to the away turnstiles) usually opens 3 hours before kick-off. If collecting early and then wandering off, I would advise immediately taking a photo of your ticket/seat number as they'll likely be some scallies happy to try and mug a ticket. At least the scrotes can get nicked if the OB have your seat number. Probably applies to any Saints ticket holder really.

There…corrected

One positive from Saturday was, despite the understandable apathy from a lot of the crowd, the Northam was decent. Kept with it (until the mass exodus after Villa’s second) and the whole end was pretty much together in most of the chanting rather than either side doing their own thing.

…and they were fookin’ relegated with us in ‘74. The fella is an obnoxious prick.

I was thinking, about this time last year, but then I remembered us getting turned over by Cardiff, Stoke and hammered at Leicester and the play-offs suddenly looking a bit iffy. So last time is clearly the play-off games. Wonder how we'll all be feeling this time next year.............?

I was quite content with the first half tbh, half time pint in the sunshine outside the KIngsland was pleasant and had us looking forwards with a bit of hope for the second half but never happened. No ambition, they were just happy to continue defending a 0-0, Villa were never letting us get away with that. Subs didn't help.

Tbf, whether you like them or not, that certainly happened for this season with all the different fanzones, Dell Pub and Knightwood Lounge. That was a fair amount of change for a start.

Nice kits tbf, so probably nothing like we’ll get. And, as often requested, the home shirt would go nice with our traditional dark blue shorts.

I can't see it being an Aston 'Thriller' but strangely I'm looking forward to it again now. Each time I've walked out of the ground recently I've been thinking that I'm giving it a miss for a bit but I keep coming back. Feels a bit different this time now relegation is confirmed and with the change at the helm, it's all now about chipping away at worst points tag and building any kind of momentum for next season. Hopefully I still feel the same when I walk out of the stadium at 5pm on Saturday.

Like, takes me back to the 70s.......

Who’s gone tell him the correct phrase is “write him off” ?

Happy Relegation Day. No kidding, been painful getting here but the sun is shining and already looking forward to next season. If we get back up we can only hope lessons have been learned but probably wishful thinking.

I'd imagine there'll be plenty of Palace fans heading down the A3 and coming from that direction on the M27. Hopefully the start of a miserable evening for them. As if.