Hamilton Saint

Been burned so many times. Worked for a party that had as its key campaign promise a plan to regulate the car insurance industry. When they got elected, they changed their minds because of the pressure from the industry. During another campaign the Prime Minister ridiculed the opposition's plan to impose a system of wage-and-price control. When he was re-elected, after a couple of months he announced his own plan to impose wage and price controls. Liberal parties here invariably campaign from the left (during elections) and then govern from the right. Right-wing parties focus during campaigns on helping the middle-class; if they get elected they cut taxes to help their rich friends, and help pay for it by cutting services and raising fees - which primarily hits the middle-class. Right-wing parties often campaign on a law-and-order platform; and once elected, within a few years, lots of their MPs, advisors, and rich friends are discredited for criminal activity - often to do with illegal campaign funding and violations of election law. Parties campaign on a particular manifesto; when they get elected they pursue major policies that they hid from the public. They had a hidden agenda. These days it is very hard to believe that they will do what they say. This sort of dishonesty and cynicism undermines the system. And yet I still support and give money to the party of my choice. Go figure!

"After the start that the Saints have made, their supporters are probably convinced they are definitely going to finish in the top half of the table. The Premier League is not quite as easy as that, though." A rather odd comment - as though he's become fixated on the fans, rather than paying attention to what's happening on the field. He must be getting a lot of abuse from Saints' supporters!

I'd go for the England win, of course. I have no difficulty supporting both England and Saints .

I was born in Hanover, too! (My sister in Hamelyn.)

What about English people like me who were born overseas whilst their fathers served in the UK forces?

That should have a full stop on the end.

"Midtable United" - brilliant!

FYI: The plural of analysis is analyses; just as the plural of thesis is theses.

Come on, Saints!

Look at the map's Key.

Look at the map's Key.

Thanks for that - and the quality of the image is great (high-definition?).

I believe there was a concerted effort a few years ago to re-establish the slow version. At that time the song was always started at a fast clip and accelerated at an alarming rate! It's good to hear it done at a more leisurely pace. Which tempo constitutes the "traditional" version is debatable, I suppose, but I would consider it to be the slow version. To me it brings to mind a stately, funereal street march in New Orleans - with Louis Armstrong leading the way, croaking out the verses and punctuating the song with some tasty solos on his trumpet. It's a great song to have, regardless of the tempo, but I do think it sounds better when slowed down.

Playing 4-4-2

Merrington expects 4-3-1-2 - with Lallana in the middle behind Lambert and Osvaldo.

either/or neither/nor he's

You beat me to it!

Superb effort. Well done, you Saints! [Liverpool fans applaud Southampton off the pitch!]

Yes! Fantastic! Well done, saints!

3 minutes extra.

Phewww! Sterling messes up!

90 seconds left.

Cork coming on!

"Time-wasting".

10 minutes left.