trousers

Likewise. Is that your Roller that I usually park my Aston next to?

Yes, I entirely agree. They could (and some say 'should') have marketed season tickets much better. I think 99% of people agree with you there. I believe where the 'disagreement' comes into play is that some (the majority perhaps?) of the Saints fan base don't see it as a significant issue whereas some see it as more significant than others. For me, the jury's out. This could either be the thin end of a ruthless business wedge from Cortese in a dogmatic push for top flight football as soon as possible - and at all costs - or it could simply be misguided incompetence. All I'm suggesting is that we won't definitively know which scenario is correct until 2 or 3 years down the line. So, yep, most people are in wild agreement that the way Cortese has approached season ticket sales has not showed much loyalty and understanding to existing season ticket holders (and, yes, that MAY come back to haunt him) but I don't think that is where the debate actually lies. The debate lies in the future consequences, not in the fact that it has happened.

Sir, if i may say so, your optimism is both admiral and foolhardy! :-)

We won't know the answer to that until we see what the number of season tickets sold at the start of the season. You could well be correct.

You sir, are very astute :-)

Call me an ignorant old fool, but I've never heard of this French team before now!

Perhaps it's time to resurrect one of my bizzare conspiracy theories from the past....the one about Cortese and Liebherr perhaps not being what they seemed on the surface 12 months ago...or perhaps not...

Not sure I can provide a link to my perception, observation and opinion... ;-)

Jonathan Ross

Contrary to popular belief, decisions based on technology actually speed the overall game up rather than slow it down. As we've seen in tennis, there are no more long drawn out disputes about line calls. The players accept the judgement of hawkeye and move on. The one and only reason Blatter oppose ls it is because he's a power hungry control freak. People on his position will always go against the grain because they want to show the world how powerful they are.

Yet another shrewd business move by Cortese: Never pay a builder up front. Matt Albright would be proud ;-)

I wonder if that spoof NAMG website is still up and running...?

Cheers for the reply. My hunch was Coppell. I wonder how close the date of Coppell joining Bristol City (22nd April) was to the date that Cortese convinced himself to retain Pardew....?

I've visited the McClaren Vale region in 1981 and 1985. True story.

Tapatalk is bombing out quite often on the iPhone after the last app update I downloaded last week. Seems to happen every few seconds on some threads but stable on others.

Out of curiosity, did your 'partial informants' know (or have an inkling) who Cortese had lined up to replace Pardew had he gone ahead with his 'plan A'? (I'm not asking you to reveal the name...just curious to know if there WAS someone lined up....I have my own theory...) Cheers

Spooky. As I was reading through your post I was hatching a reply along the lines of your last sentence. I don't think we need to overburdon the introduction of technology with reams of rules as to what it covers and what it doesn't. As you say, put the ball in the captain's court. Each captain gets three appeals for 'any' refereeing decision and that gets referred to the 'tv ref'. In other words, keep it simple. Win win

Yes, of course it could have been. I've never said otherwise. But just because the communication hasn't been great doesn't equate to a vast majority of Saints fans being up in arms about it. I could be wrong, and happy if someone can actually quantify the level of significant dissatisfaction amongst the Saints fan base as a whole.

I once met Bruce Forsythe in the toilets at The Crusting Pipe in Covent Garden

You don't know how close I came to editing that as soon as I read it back.....but then couldn't be arsed.... ;-)

Virtually all Saints fans I have spoke (sic) to think withdrawing the repayment plan at short notice isn't much to be concerned about in the general scheme of things. I guess it depends with whom one talks to.

Post #14 before this gets hijacked by the season ticket police ;-)

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/football_league/article7070442.ece (mods - apologies if I've cut and pasted too much from that Times Article - just felt it gave some balance to the thread if posted as a direct quote rather than via a link)

"Great minds...." etc.... :-)