Matthew Le God

I think Nick got his reply in before you posted Stu. You can't compare 23 games stood for example in the Exeter, Yeovil etc terrace at the bottom of the league with 23 games sat at St Mary's and a title challenge. Prices rise if the product(quality of football) and the facilities (the stadium) are better. St Mary's will likely be top of both of these next season and this of course will be reflected in prices. Do you expect watching Arsenal to be the same price and experience as watching Fulham?

Why have you just picked out Morgan for not having a photo? Quite a few players don't have a new profile picture on the site yet. Including both Puncheon and Hammond. Both of whom were at the photo shoot and advertising campaign for the new kit.

It will take quite some work to turn this into a Cortese basher thread. The evidence above is quite compelling.

If ever a thread summed you up, this is it.

So you work 6 days a week?

No one can be sure if the TBT has been cancelled. The email Stu got doesn't rule it out, just says they have no news atm. There is a big gap in preseason for the weekend of the 24th, maybe they are waiting until the Reading game has sold more tickets because it may put people off if a bigger game is announced on the 24th.

Just because an annual tradition is started doesn't mean it can't be reviewed to see if it is actually a good idea to continue with. If the manager feels it has a negative influence on his pre season then that should be a good enough reason to stop it. I'm sure Ted wouldn't want a memorial to him having a negative impact on the club he loved. He has a statue as a fitting tribute.

It has not been confirmed that it has been stopped. That email Stu has received doesn't rule it out. I don't really see why it needs a public explanation for every decision the club makes. It would be polite if they privately informed the Bates family of the reason.

I have already answered that. Questions to you - Ted already has a fitting tribute in the form of a statue as do many other clubs for their legands. Can you many name other clubs that influence and dictate to the manager his pre season by having a high profile annual memorial game for a club legend? Do you not think it is better that the manager decides what is best rather for his group of players than the fans?

Because Pardew might think it is not good preparation for the season to be tonked by a big side. I'm sure Ted wouldn't want a memorial game for him to have a negative influence on the club he loved preparations for the up coming season. He has a fitting tribute in the form of a statue. Which is what the majority of clubs do. I'd ask you name some other clubs that have an annual memorial game against a top side though I reckon you'd struggle to name more than a handful if that.

Do you not know what the phrase "I don't think that should take preference or influence over the managers plans for pre season" means? As I said, Ted has a fitting tribute in the form of a statue outside the stadium, I doubt he'd want a game to remember him having a negative influence on the club he loved preparations for the upcoming season.

I can understand that some might. However as I stated I don't think that should take preference or influence over the pre season of the current season. I'm sure Ted wouldn't want a game to remember him having a negative influence on Southampton's preparations for the upcoming season. Thus it should be at the managers discretion who the team play. Ted has a fitting tribute to him already in the form of the statue in a prominent position outside the main stand of the stadium.

I would actually like them to have a high profile friendly at St Mary's every year. But... I also think it should be at the discretion of the manager of the club at the time and how he feels he wants to organise his preseason so the team is ready for the season ahead. You don't "need" a trophy match to remember the great work Ted Bates did. Remembering Ted can be done in many different ways(he has a stature outside the Itchen Stand for a start) and certainly shouldn't influence the managers plans for preseason or dictate to them.

I don't disagree with you for the sake of it. I disagree with you because I genuinely think the opposite to you on a number of issues. Do you think the club should play a high profile team in a memorial match at home in pre season even if the manager thinks it may disrupt his preparation for the upcoming season?

Saints had alot more season ticket holders when they were in the Prem than they do in League One. The Prem season tickets were also more expensive.

It is 10 days of pre season training/team bonding/gelling and 2 matches. If they don't go they'd be left to train with the youth team and play local non league sides. It would be ideal if they did sign to fly out together with the squad on the 8th. However they could sign on the 9th or later and fly out separately, so the 8th is by no means a barrier.

Why does it matter? Why do you need an annual match to remember him? It can be done in other ways. Pardew said last summer that games like Ajax game aren't good to have in preseason. btw "I am afraid there is no news about a Ted Bates Trophy Match" doesn't mean there won't be any news in the future.

Could be the reason they might find it hard to find a full time doctor as hinted at in the opening post.

Saints already have... First Team Fitness Coach Nick Harvey First Team Physio & Head of the Medical Dept Mo Gimpel Remedial Therapist Chris Lovegrove Sports Massage Therapist Mark Forbes Professional Players Physio Emma Gimpel Podiatrist Robert Branton Performance Analyst Ben Stevens Academy Fitness Coach James Bunce This summer they have been advertising jobs for medical and strength/conditioning posts in the academy, development squad and first team. There is a large restructuring going on at the moment and the club is putting itself in line with the staff structures of a Premiership side. Jobs available at the moment - there were many others earlier in the summer - http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/Recruitment/0,,10280,00.html Advertising for a senior physio as it seems someone has been promoted. Also for academy physio 9-16 year olds.

It isn't uncommon in football. Chelsea for example have 2 full time doctors, 1 part-time doctor, three physiotherapists and four masseurs!

Were any of those 2,000 people worth hundreds of thousands of pounds or millions to the company?

It is hardly "sacking for fun" or telling people to "get lost". If true...He wants a full time member of staff in that position as the company moves forward. That member of staff is unable to be full time due to other commitments and the club has decided to look elsewhere. Quite common throughout the business world.

They can't really complain about lack of players from now on if they are loaning out Marlon Pack. http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/sport/Pack-to-join-Cheltenham-on.6398733.jp

Which part of the clubs history are you suggesting Cortese has wiped out?

Saints were probably ahead to start with. All the first XI needs is a right back and the team is settled. Compare the squad today with the squad on the opening day in August 2009 against Millwall. Yes, cover is required for a few other positions but you really are fussing over nothing atm. No major player recruitment is really needed, that has already largely been done. I can't understand why you would think the club is currently doing nothing as regard to transfers. Yes, it isn't being made public but that doesn't mean it isn't happening. I predict some players will sign before next Thursday (when the club flies out for the training camp).