ericb

He's still a skate though

Probably not what people want to hear but i know we spoke to him before and he turned us down, think it was something about budget to spend and better opportunities elsewhere.

The thought of Man City's attack against Fraser Forster petrifies me right now, if it continues as things are it could be a cricket score

Don't live too far from White Hart Lane and to be honest most of them don't walk it anyway, majority of their support these days is from Hertfordshire more than North London.

Think most people are with you there, looks like no overground either and a limited tube service so will even be a ballache once you're there.

Tbf i'm not sure that's true, can't speak for everyone but i've been through thick and thin with Saints, relegations, terrible football, the Branfoot years, club almost going into admin. The complaints here that i read are less about football and more about the state of the modern game. People aren't saying they want to walk away because of Saints, they're saying they want to walk away because the game is pretty f*cking sh*t for the fans, and only getting worse. Your point on day trippers is interesting too, as i'd say they're part of the problem. I know we have a few overseas fans but i'd honestly love overseas fans to leave the premier league/english football alone, they're part of the reason it's massively uncompetitive and part of the reason games are shifted for tv.

Not sure that's true, for many of us the game has just been totally sanitised, instead of a day at the football with your mates - a few beers, a laugh, a place to vent, etc. - we have a "matchday experience", over priced tickets (even with the campaign on away tickets), stewards that make us sit, music piped at full volume, unpredictable kick off times, players who at best you get a couple of seasons out of before their bank balance drags them somewhere else, stattos who turn a game that should be about surprise and artistry into one about numbers and spreadsheets... Like many i know away games are the only thing that really keep the old buzz going, home games are almost an effort these days, and even when we were winning i know many who were falling out of love with the game. Sad thing is i just can't see it coming back, maybe it is age, but i think it's more that football has completely turned into an "entertainment industry" for tv than anything else.

Mental to think how small the bikeshed actually was when you consider that on it's day it was louder than most of St Mary's is now! Although that said i can't pretend i miss the toilets at the back.

Remember that well, the tannoy announcer asking the Archers to please sit down, from that game on the Archers only ever stood. Great game, one of many great games i can remember against the Geordies at the dell (le tiss and ruddock ones too).

The skates will put there's in ten years after everyone else then swear blind to anyone that listens that there's was the first and moooost pashooonatast, and that all the ultras in Eastern Europe based themselves on them.

The skates will put there's in ten years after everyone else then swear blind to anyone that listens that there's was the first and moooost pashooonatast, and that all the ultras in Eastern Europe based themselves on them.

Mr Gao speaks no english and Nelly's is limited (as are their team). Believe this is being sorted though.

Genuinely don't understand how Liverpool fans didn't walk that!? When it comes to the premier league the victims are in at a different level in being annoying.

Nope, he's probably only going to be over three times a season, his daughter on the other hand will be over far more often. Sounds like they do have cash, but expect that to divulge itself as business opportunities in the city as much as investment in the club.

The same one we used to sing in the 80s about Pompey running home you mean?

I think this kind of highlights our problem. Personally the people throwing beer around at half time annoy the **** out of me because i don't want to be stinking of cheap lager, so i just move somewhere else out the way. I also don't see the point of being condescending to people, generally young people, who are having a laugh. Who cares if they're not being polite or acting like nobs? It doesn't actually affect you so just let them get on with it. And that's the kicker, it's like the tw*t in the hat that goes to away games (and i assume st mary's too). He's the loudest man in the room in the Wetherspoons before hand but completely f*cking silent inside the ground.

Not sure if you're taking the p*ss here...

Sadly i actually agree with everything you've said there, in fact i alluded to it. I genuinely think the time has passed now for English clubs in general having any kind of terrace culture and intimidating atmosphere (and that's all clubs not just Saints) and actually i think that's what the league and others want. Football fans were absolute pariahs when i was growing up, painted as criminals, caged in, talk of forcing them to have ID cards etc. Whereas now every tory MP and Royal Family member stakes their claim to "supporting" a side, and you get match going fans that complain when people are too boisterous. I'm not the new breed of fan, been going since the early 80s, and i don't think a home kop is necessarily what we need. In fact we've never really had one in all my time going. Back at the Dell you had a mixture, the archers next to the cage used to have a "certain" type of fan in it, same as under the east later on. The milton when it was a terrace (left side and right side) were always a little younger, and a few more dads & lads, than other sides of the ground. Then when the Milton terrace went we had the bikeshed, and by your logic the Milton should've been our "kop", but instead we moved to the bikeshed (next to the away fans who actually got moved out of it because they were making more noise than us every game) Then when we first moved to St Mary's the Northam made a serious racket to begin with because the Archers moved en masse, with some new faces added. The Itchen North only really picked up after the cup final season, and was much more of the older heads who'd have been under the east previous. The lower leagues definitely improved our atmosphere for a bit though, especially coming up the leagues, as a lot of younger (18-25 year old) lads started going. That was because it was easy to go and cheap, so there's definitely some truth in showing that it's price that's the issue (even if a few of them got a name for themselves for other reasons).

Internet porn and social media aside that sounds pretty similar to my upbringing yet I still went week in week out. The recreational drugs, working, sleeping and f*cking just happened around it. As for drums and ultras!? Nah f*ck that, why not just get back a proper support by letting in the people that actually make it. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Wrote this somewhere else but if you want to improve the atmosphere these are things that need to change, Bring in safe standing Reduce ticket prices (especially for 16-30 year olds) Have a large portion of unallocated "seating/standing" behind each goal so groups of mates can stand together. Make a selection of tickets available as walk up only, to encourage people to turn up early and get the atmosphere going. Reduce the over aggressive stewarding that happens in most grounds. Make certain area's "adult" only (when we first moved to St Mary's the Northam was adult only and that definitely made a difference). And then the last one that is the key to this all, legislate in a way that makes the league fair again, because the complete lack of competition is what's killed the game.

Crystal Palace and Arsenal must be up there, feels like we're always bloody playing them

If that one place is the son of the designer i'm pretty sure i know who i'd go with.

Given most players hit their peak at the age of around 25-27 i'd say until he's at least 25-27

Wonder if this would work as a song for him, (to the tune of Bowie's starman which everyone should know) He's our dutch man, Playing center back. His name is Wesley Hoedt, and he ****s up your attack. *repeat till you get bored.

From where I was stood I thought it was pretty loud. More booed than didn't. Personally I clapped off Tadic and did nothing for VVD. Was baffled by those that sung his name though Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk