StDunko

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/16342265.stm Only the first of the goals.

We were in such control there was nothing to get worked up about. Palace fans sung "You only sing when you're winning" which was a bit stupid really as we were winning for most of the game and we weren't singing. Personally I think it is good thing that, we as a set of fans do seem to sing and get behind the team more when we are losing or when the game is tight.

It did seem a fairly slick operation, what with the bike cops giving up priority through each junction. But it still wound me up that I had to travel from Chichester past Portsmouth at 10:00am, to go all the way to Southampton to get on a bus (that I had to pay extra for) just to go straight back to Pompey. After the game I asked a Copper if there was any chance that I could stay behind and just get a train home from Fratton. He was a right jobsworth and said that "it was a condition of entry of the game that you had to go back on the bus too". Obviously I ignored the idiot and went to find another copper who actually had a brain. The second copper was clearly more intelligent than the first, and after checking that I had no colours (or burberry) on said that the busses were running to a set schedule and that anyone not on the buses at departure time would be left behind, so if I wanted to take my chances that was fine. I let the steward on my bus know that I was making my own way home and then sat and waited for the busses to go. I then walked out past the fratton end towards the station as the police took the barriers down, didn't get a second look from the Pompey fans making their way home. Was back at home with a cold beer by 4:30. It would have taken another 2 hours in the bubble.

Stadium Bus 11 for me (on my own).

I actually wouldn't mind Saints steeply raising prices for premium games like that if we do go back up to the prem. But ONLY if it does not effect Season Ticket prices. Why not charge the plastics that only want to see Saints v Manure a premium? If you are not penalising the fans that pay up front for a ST, or go and support us in less glamourous fixtures against Wigan etc. The Manure game would still sell out I bet.

Yes they did I was sitting up watching it live in bed as the Mrs was getting ready for work. I remember it well. But I have never seen a decent quality video of it put online. There was certainly full nip visibilty though.

Do they need buckets because they have not got a pot to **** in?

No email for me, or money taken from my account. But the ticket is showing on "my account" on the online ticket system. Bring on the Skates!

I've just read the article online, as a sucessful aplicant I am now entitled to purchase an additional ticket. It is not clear from the article whether there are any restrictions on those additional tickets. Can I buy one for a friend that is not a ST holder and has only done several homes and only one away?

Anyone had a google of Chris Akers' past too? This is what I found: http://www.bournelocal.co.uk/sport/profile_chris_akers_1_2401136 He was chairman of communications firm EuroTelecom Inc, which collapsed in 2001 only 10 months after floating on the Alternative Investment Market. Nothing ever came of a Stock Market probe. and http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/2858370/Zimet-tells-court-Akers-was-contact-with-Regan.html Chris Akers, the entrepreneur and former Leeds United chairman, yesterday became the latest high-profile City figure to get caught up in the Andrew Regan corruption trial.

Verse 2: Fratton's stands hold tiny little crowds, tiny little crowds, tiny little crowds.

In response to my email posted earlier in this thread, Supt Burrows has actually replied very quickly. According to him some of us have been much more abusive and homphobic than I had previously realised. Thereore I can understand the pre-match publicity. I still stand by my opinion that much of the chanting should only offend those Brighton fans with homophobic tendencies, but if there is more threatening and derogatory chanting coming from our fans then I am happy for those fans to be punished. Email from Supt. Burrows: Dear StDunko Thank you for your query. There does appear to be a disconnect between what a number of Football supporters think is "banter" and what others (both fans and other members of the public) think as homophobic comments. The police have a clear duty to intervene where that chanting / baiting / comments breach any criminal statute. The last Southampton v Brighton game , I received a number of complaints after the match from Brighton fans who were subject to directed abuse by some Southampton fans far worse than some of the suggestions you put forward. They found it hugely offensive and complained that both Police and Stewards did nothing about it despite it being so obvious. I must react to that and ensure Police and stewards actively listen and that we and the club respond to it. I also need to ask fans to self-police or at least inform us if something is going on. There is no clear delineation between "banter" and criminal breach of statute and as such we (the Police) must assess the nature of the languauge / intent etc before deciding how we respond. I am not sure I agree with some of your reasoning around how such chanting is directed against homophobes, I don’t think it is that sophisticated , I think it is simply to wind up the other fans. However , the effect is far wider than that as a number of people , both gay and straight , found the chanting offensive. There were also clear examples given of far more offensive language and behaviour directed at the Brighton crowd / individuals than you mention. Whilst I do not want to undermine the culture that is football ( and as a huge fan myself wish to protect) , there are some things that are unacceptable. I am not sure that anything to do with race or colour would be so interpreted and the game has invested a huge amount of effort in erradicating that sort of bigotry (though the current headlines around player abuse questions if it is as successful on the pitch as it has been on the terraces). Policing / Stewarding football isnt an exact science , but we try to find that balance between maintaing an enjoyable event and balancing the often conflicting demands of fans. Its still a great game and part of our culture ! RB

I remember two terrible decisions. West Brom away a few years back, Kenwyn Jones (methinks) 1 on 1 with Dean Kylie. Kylie made a great low save to his left arm outstretched, only problem was that he was about 10 yeards outside his box. Kenwyn turned to the ref to appeal and the ref waved play on. Shout have been a red card and a free kick. Second one was at Hillsborough at least 15 years ago, we were losing 1-0 with only seconds left desperate for any chance to equalise. Ball is crossed into the box and one of the Shef Wed defenders hoofs it into the top tier of the leppings lane end from the edge of the six yard box for a corner, not a single saints player near him and the ref gave a goal kick, unbelieveable!

F.A.O. Supt Rick Burrows, Silver Commander of Hampshire Police’s Football Unit Dear Supt Burrows I read with interest a article that was published on the Southern Daily Echo's website regarding chanting at previous matches between Southampton and Brighton: http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/saints/news/9370655.Police_wants_Saints_fans__help_to_beat_homophobes/ I am slightly confused about some of the issues raised in the article and was hoping you or a colleague could clarify the situation for me. The article suggests that some Brighton fans complained that there was homophobic chanting at previous matches between the clubs. I attended the last two games between Southampton and Brighton at St Mary's and it is true that I heard some chants (that I personally found childish) directed towards the Brighton fans. The chants clearly related to the fact that Brighton is known to have a high proportion of gay and lesbian residents, but I struggle to see how the chants I heard were threatening or derrogortory towards homosexuals. (At this point I would like to state that if there were other chants, that were threatening or derogatory towards the gay community, I can clearly understand the point of the article. I must just not have been in the areas of the stadium where these chants could be heard.) From where I was in the ground there were two chants that were clearly audible during those two matches. I feel required to repeat them in this email. Although as I mentioned before I would not be interesting in chanting them myself, as I find them as embarrasing, as many of the other chants that can be heard on the terraces. The first was "Does your boyfriend know you're here?" and the second was "We can see you holding hands". I have always personally thought that these chants are clearly aimed at antagonising homophobic Brighton fans. The intention being to get a rise from any Brighton fan that is disgusted and insulted by the insinuation that they are gay. I came to this conclusion as the wording of both those chants is hardly insulting towards a Brighton fan that is actually gay, only one that is appalled by the fact that others are suggesting that they are. Is this not a reasonable interpretation? So is the baiting of homophobes a bad thing? If the tables were turned and I was a Brighton fan, I personally would have no issue (apart from perhaps the tedium of hearing the same chants regularly) with a group of fans chanting the above at me. This is because I do not feel that someone suggesting that I might be gay is an insult, why on earth would it be? I certainly would not feel the need to complain about such chanting. Obviously if the chanting was threatening or derogatory such as: "We can see you holding hands, so we are going to wait for you after the match and stab you". I would totally understand the complaints and would be happy to help the police in any way possible, but in my vast personal experience of many hundreds of football games, homophobic chants like that, are just not heard at Southampton football matches. Please do correct me if my email is factually wrong and the chanting referred to in the article is different from my examples above. I would also be very interested to hear a reasoned argument that the chanting above actually is aimed at demeaning the gay community rather than winding up bigots. I am open minded and would appreciate hearing a differing viewpoint on this issue. I look forward to your prompt reply Kind regards StDunko

Good news, hope he is match fit soon, we are a little short of cover at CB with only Martin as back up.

I agree, but it also means that chips are more effective on vehicles that are available in markets that usually do have poor fuel and on models that have not already been tweaked by the manufacturer. So chips for landrover defenders are going to be much more effective thanthose for Lancer evos etc. That said my brother in law did have his Leon Cupra chipped and he did seem to think that it made a decent amount of difference.

Got 3 tickets late yesterday. Really surprised that we have already sold more than 2000. Should be a fun night, so long as I don't miss the very last train back to Chichester. Hope we finish them off in the 90mins as won't be able to stay right to the end of extra time or pens.

Been to both old and new ground: Saints Leicester Reading Wimbledon Wembley Been to just old but not new, so still in with a chance of doing both: Arsenal Bolton Brighton (Goldstone, never got to Withdean thankfully) Coventry (although do plan to got to Ricoh this season) Man Citeh Oxford Swansea

Got my tickets for this one yesterday. Should be a great atmosphere with 4K+ Saints fans there.

I also agree that The Football League show is better than the tripe that ITV used to dish up. But I'll never understand why the BBC didn't just copy the MOTD format. I hate the way in the Footy League Show they comentator reveals the results whilst the higlights are still playing, especially if I don't already know the result. e.g. spopilers such as "Rochdale squandered their best chance to score against Bury when they missed this 61st min penalty". FFS just let me watch the highlights without spoiling it for me first. (I don't care about Rochdale and Bury, but at least the unpredictability of real football can sometime surprise).

That really was a great game. I had forgotten about the ball land on top of Kenwyn's head when he was clean through on goal for his hat-trick.

At least the Cardiff goal seems to have sparked us into life.

Yeah this is clearly crazy, as I said earlier in the thread, I would have to drive past Porstmouth on my way from Chichester and then back again. Rather than this being the shortest trip to see saints all season, it would be suddenly further to go that a game in London.

I would guess yes. I'm sure the allocation will be up to 3K and we are not going to take that many up there.

I hope this is not true as I live in Chichester. Therefore I would have to drive past Portsmouth all the way to Southampton, just to be be bussed back to Portsmouth. Then the whole palava in reverse after the game. It would easily quadruple my travelling time to the game and my costs. Crazy idea.