Colinjb

How does this compare with past rates? In particular the rates we had back at Premier league level and championship level last time out.

I agree..... but i've already reached the point of accepting I shall be following the games on sky when we get back to that level. It's already difficult justifying the fuel/ticket costs, if they continue to go up then it'll be my only choice.

So, if we are going to read between the lines of that statement, maybe he wants to be sure that the squad's unity is not compromised by bring Jack Cork in?

Imagine if Nigel Adkins had said that we'll be focusing on our forward movement and finishing in training today. Would that means he thinks it's awful?

Our aim is to be in the premier league. As proven by Wigan you do not need a large fanbase to be the backbone of your business at that level. It's all about the TV money and corporate spend.

3-0. And to make it funnier, the scorers were: Nick Barmby Emile Heskey Ugo Ehiogu

Crouchy. When he joined I was livid, he was however the only player in our team that year to emerge with any credit. God how we missed him in that fateful last game.

Raining before the start of the race now. Should bode well for the spectacle.

Of course they have a wage structure, if a player is willing to accept less then 15k a week they obviously have no ambition and will not fit in.

He has struggled with injuries recently. Although when fit he has been one of their first names on the team sheet.

That.... Is a surprise. An extremely good one!

It would be a close game but we would have the upper hand due to greater squad depth over the season. Think about how this would have been 3 years ago though. To say we have caught up would be putting it extremely mildly!!!

Completely agree. Would love to see a fully fit Marian playing as a foil for Rickie. For a current active player...... Theo or Bale, pace to burn, just what we need.

Sales b*tch and technical support/implementation engineer for an industrial lubricant firm.

There was even the talk of what to do should we fold. Who would support a reformed club etc... Bad, bad times. Thank heavens things turned out as they did.

Born in 1989. It's all good.

Thanks to him the future is bright. The future will be red and White. Thankyou Saint Markus, always.

Leek Barnark

Absolutely delighted with this! We really have done well signing him, he is a class act. Appologies for the headline on the Saintsweb home page.... I couldn't help myself.

Well, quite. But comparing a team who have had a lot of recent investment with one that's entirely self funded is a little off balance. I feel your point regarding reputation has merit, but comparisons between Doncaster and The Irons don't quite work.

A little unfair, I would say that is more a positive reflection on Shaun O'Driscoll rather then anything negative on Adkins' time at Scunny.

It had to be a factor. Adkins' reputation won't be that great. He had a very ordinary playing career and has had to build his career on Spells at Bangor City, Scunny and ourselves in League 1. Compare that to the names you mentioned you can see why we may be passed over. In the footballing world ability often is not always enough, it's also what you've done and who you know. Nigel's lack of profile can't be helping in the short term but hopefully his obvious ability as a manager will make up for that in the longer haul.

David Prutton's performance v Liverpool in early 2005. Must be the high point of his career, him and Peter Crouch combined to excellent effect to put that year's champions league winners to the sword. Prutts put in a dynamic display from the right wing and scored a simply sublime goal to put us ahead. Soon afterwards came his madness against Arsenal and his slide into the wilderness began in earnest.

Glad he has signed but I echo the sentiments that he should go out on loan. Certainly not ready to be in the first team and not as able currently as Seaborne who was by far the better player when they played alongside each other against Blackpool. It's good that we giving him further time to develop.

You know the ones, otherwise unimportant, ordinary or otherwise forgettable Saints having their one moment of glory. How many can we think of? I'll start with two. 1. Alan Blayney's save v Newcastle. No footage seems to exist, but it rivalled Gordon Banks v Pele for the sheer audacity of the third choice keeper keeping the greatest English marksman of his generation at bay with an instinctive save over the bar from a seemingly unstoppable downward header. 2. Wayne Thomas' goal v Ipswich I would argue he was a waste of a million pounds. Always injured and not that good, we needed a new centre back and we were held to ransom on this basis. All was forgiven though when he unleashed a true pearler from 30 yards out to the right of the penalty area into the top left hand corner. No 'keeper in the world could have saved that.