Ken Tone

But how can anyone take this thread seriously when the correct phonetic speling of Norwich is not Naaarwich but 'Norrch?'. Note the upward inflection at end which existed in Norfolk even before Neighbours corrupted the way young people speak in the rest of the UK. Went to uni in Norwich ...a fine city. Norwich City is a very different club to Saints in that a) it has generally had lower aspirations and knows what is can realistically achieve, so suffers less disappointment and b) the locals support them through thick and thin, and in the bad times don't bugger off to the likes of chelsea, let alone Ipswich - their equivalent to our Portsmouth. K.

:-) Far too esoteric a joke for a football forum! Presumably he was 'A Bad Footballer' then ? K.

Yes there has to be hope. So whilst there is prmotion to a premiership-like league available ,we have to be able to hope to do it. If however the league was carved up again with say the top half or third of the premiership playing in a european league instead, and the bottom half or 2 thirds re-joining the football league ,with no automatic promotion to Europe, I'm not sure I'd be too bothered. If we were winning the football league championship as a competition in its own right, against the likes of pompey, Birmingham, Blackburn , Bolton, maybe even Spurs or Villa, etc whilst the armchair fans watch Man U play AC Milan in Thailand on the telly, for the fourth time that season, I'd be fairly happy. K.

It's worse than that really. The position we had when we were at the Dell was not sustainable. We could not have survived in the premiership with the sort of div 3 image that gave us. Try attracting Robinho to the Dell! Try attracting investment at the Dell! So it was damned if we did and damned if we didn't. I'm not great fan of Lowe's but the stadium move I feel was essential. The few good thngs that have happened to us recently have been helped by the impression our facilites give to possible managers ,players and sponsors. As I recall, the original plans were that they financed the stadium on an assumption of crowds of between 20-25,000 depending on the opposition, and everyone was delighted when we got 30,000+. Lots of people were even calling for a ground extension only afew years ago. The problems we have are not unique to Saints and IMO are not related to the stadium build; they apply to every club that hasn't got a sugar daddy, or isn't lucky enough to be winning without one. And there can only be one or two at any time in that 'winning without silly money' group, if any, AND most importantly they will only be there for a while before they come crashing down again. Sustained success is not possible in the current premiership/league structure without someone pumping huge sums in-- mostly pumping money they will never recoup; it's not "investment" in any sense normal business would use the term. It's more high stakes roulette, driven by ego. K.

An excellent summary Chapel End Charlie. Thanks for the work you must have put into it. As to polegategavin's questions about how we managed financially at the Dell in the premiership:- a) Did we ? Transfer profits were necessary even then. b) Vast sums from TV subsidise all premiership teams. Gates receipts are a minor part of the income of many. c) The rate of player wage inflation is hugely above inflation for us poor mortals. Even inthe short time we've been out of the premiership, never mind since the days of the Dell, what was a premiership wage in our day is now 'peanuts'. Look at the top 4 and now Man city. It is a different world there now, not just a different league. £30+million for players who in a few years could leave for nothing on a Bosman. The sooner the big , internationally owned teams, bugger off to form a european, or even world, super league the better. That might give normal league clubs like the bulk of the premiership and those in the CCC a chance to win our domestic league without them skewing it. Abramovitch was the worse thing to happen to modern football in england IMO... and now we have QPR, City etc, as well as the Arsenals and Liverpools etc. K.

Of course it's close. It's Friday tomorrow. K.