I honestly did derive a certain masochistic, nostalgic pleasure from trudging across muddy car parks in the pouring rain to pay cash to stand on the terrace at P'borough on that Tuesday night last season. And to top it all we won the game, and I knew in my heart we would definitely get promoted.
Vivid memories, far better than endless identikit sterile afternoons at St Mary's.
The thing that really sickens me at the soulless tourist stadia, like Stamford Bridge and the Emirates in particular, is the pathetic practice of the "fan style" banners and flags they patronisingly put out around the place proclaiming and celebrating "legends" and various silverware. Usually situated on the first tier balconies, where TV exposure is too limited to sell the space for adverts. They think it looks like real, fan-supplied stuff and adds to the atmosphere but it fools no one. Fans are banned from bringing their own banners in FFS, lest it obscures a precious sponsor's advertising hoarding or contravenes H&S...
Anyway, it is no surprise that the best atmospheres in the Premier league are in stadia of unfashionable, working class towns - such as Swansea and Stoke.
Not Gross, please no. I couldn't cope with that. He just isn't Saints.
Di Matteo got flukey with the Champions League and his old Chelski pals played well for their old mate and largely managed themselves. I could win something with that squad FFS
I don't think it would be a happy story R d-M at Saints with our sort of squad.
Ligamentous injuries are slow to heal due the the fibrous and elastin composition of ligaments, and their relatively poor blood supply.
Then factor in the need to rebuild baseline fitness and regional muscle strength lost during the healing process and you're looking at a potentially long lay off, poss rest of season to get fully fit.
Furthermore, premature stress on the healing ligament can easily re-tear it.
I pray it is sooner but prepared for the worst.
The smoking in the bogs accusation was, pardon the pun, a smokescreen.
They were suspicious about more sinister goings on, that's also why they avoided announcing they were filth when they knocked the door, to maintain a modicum of surprise.