ericb

Send me an email at northlondonsaint@hotmail.com

I have two going and i'm based in London too

Yeah but on the downside you'd have to live in Stoke...

Couldn't agree more, there's no way Spurs or stoke can lay claim to that after Sunday. It wasn't just the volume, or the way it resonated around Wembley at a major final, but the passion and meaning we sung it with. Pure pride, pure swelling of emotion. We ARE the saints, this is our club, our fine city and our friends, family's and community. And OWTS united us. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I've said all along he needed 6-8months to make the side his own. And that he inherited a worse side than both poch and Koeman and with more games. I still think he'll be good next season but think we might taper off now as we effectively have little to play for. That said I still think our European campaign was shocking and the one area I'd genuinely criticise him for. Both inter and Prague were there for the taking but we didn't go for them. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You do realise how far Richmond is from most of the places mentioned right? Also you don't actually expect most here to stay in one spot either do you? London has some of the best pubs in the country and a pub crawl along a tube is a right laugh with the good group of your mates. Of course you could also go and stand in the quagmire garden of a bad pub, drinking poor lager out of plastic pots and listening to the hilarious Bantz of our own CWTB, the special needs case that is Indiana Jones hat man.

No of course i don't, but for some bizarre reason people who can normally put back a few and don't act like d*cks on a saturday night will lose all self respect at an away game. It's something i've never understood (guess it's group mentality) but in my experience is pretty common for our larger away supports. Call me snobbish if you like but i genuinely prefer the smaller away supports these days as there seems to be a lot less numpties out.

A far higher than average for most away games but probably no more than 50-100 at a guess (not including those under 14). I think the issue for many, myself included, is more the amount of people going up that don't normally do aways (nothing wrong with this by the way and absolutely to be encouraged) so more of the shirter brigade and people either not knowing their limits re:drink, moaning about things or just generally d*cking about at the bars etc. Also i don't want to be covered in beer from sh*tty plastic cups as i squeeze past people. Much rather find a proper boozer a bit further away and have a laugh with mates drinking decent ale and not spending hours queuing to get served, or shooting my load too early with people singing in pubs but quiet as doormice in the ground (Indiana Jones nobhead is a classic for doing this). Plus i also don't like some of our support, they're just a bit embarrassing and dull, so i'd prefer to keep out the way of them.

The mancs will be largely coming in to Euston, from there it's a short walk or even shorter tube ride to Baker street. Most of them will have been to wembley plenty of times so will have their "own" pubs they head too, most of which will be in that area. I'd also imagine a decent sized group of saints will probably end up that way, though by and large i think people will go straight to Wembley as it'll be a novelty for them, and that's where the club will recommend. Personally i'm going with Soho to start as Oxford Circus is on the Bakerloo and takes you direct to Wembley Central, that way you can have some drinks in less rammed places then head up when you're ready, instead of fighting to be served at a bar or standing in a pub carpark/beer garden with a bunch of people in jesters hats, facepaints and fancy dress.

If you assume he's off at somepoint anyway i'd rather it was Barca than to a team in our league. I'm also pretty sure we'd get a better fee from them than most other sides too.

I'll be wearing an Indiana Jones hat, a retro shirt from before i was born, sing in the pubs and concourse but not in the ground and try and shake people's hands even thought they all to a man thing i'm an utter embarrassment to our support and should roundly f*ck off. Nope wait, i'm getting confused with our special needs case. I'm actually going to get p*ssed with my mates and have a laugh.

Ignoring Newcastle and Brighton who'll more than likely do it (and both are great **** ups to be fair) I'm going to go with Leeds. Big club, good support home and away and a decent night out after Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Still slightly in shock that our next match is at Wembley in a major final. There's something about those words that just don't make sense to me, maybe it's the fact that in 30+ years i've only seen in us in 1 of them (2003) or maybe it's just that the reality won't really hit until i walk into Wembley on the day of the game. So many different feelings going on right now, nerves, excitement, pride, and it's still a week away, god knows how i'm going to get any sleep the night/week before!! As for the result i feel more confident than i did a few weeks back, no idea why really but the addition of Gabbi is definitely a part, though my problem is i just can't see our backline holding out Rooney/Ibrahimovic for 90mins. I really don't want to call this as a United win but i just can't see another result as things stand, losing VVD is too big a loss and Stephen's/Yoshida will have to play the games of their lives to get us through without conceding (plus Forster has to sort his concentration out). I'm going to go for a pessimistic 2-1 to United with us having drawn level, but i'm not going to stop that letting me believe right up till the point the final whistle, and too sing my heart out for the lads.

You do realise the majority of those people who went to Liverpool, including some you've had a go at, have tickets right? I do the large majority of away games, Europe included (managed all 3 this season) and from a personal perspective I think those that make the effort to go away full well deserve a good choice. Because, whether you WANT to believe it or not, it's the same faces, week in week out, at most games. And it has been since league one. Away fans are our hardcore support, always have and will be, and when things go to sh*t again as I'm sure they will at some point, they'll still be there traipsing round the country. What you shouldn't do is make the mistake of thinking that's easy. I was born, raised and lived most of my life in Southampton. Moved away and am fortunate enough to still be able to make it back and have a season ticket. I'll tell you something for nothing. Making a home game when you live there is a piece of ****. Making aways from anywhere takes commitment. Mind you the fact I have to explain that baffles me to be honest. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

So you've never said anything stupid in your youth? I don't disagree these things needs stamping out but the extreme policing of football makes the response these days disproportionate in my opinion.

Yes i'm being serious, i find the chants disgusting (and have disabled family members that go), plus the people doing them are pr*cks and i don't want them at Saints games. But would you want them getting football banning orders, potential suspended sentences and losing their job for being stupid? Because the way policing of football works these days that's not an unusual outcome

That's why I generally pick seats further back or just head to the back at away games. What I'll never get is those that don't want to stand away, get tickets at the back, then steadfastly refuse to go to a different seat even when it's offered but instead complain about standers! Anyway that's by the by the dicks that abused fellow fans should've been called out by their own, no need to go squinnying to stewards about it Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Would've thought/hoped most that bought there would expect it to be the Northam/Itchen, will be seriously annoyed if we end up with the people moaning about standing there, mind you with our support i wouldn't be hugely surprised either.

Assuming the lower behind the goal will be the Northam/Itchen on mass, have to be honest i don't really hold out a huge amount of hope for the atmosphere as our larger supports are usually terrible away from home. Also i've bizarrely seen people on here/social media that seem proud of the fact they're not going to sing, which i find truly f*cking strange given it's our second cup final in 30 odd years!

Wouldn't worry about shifting it mate, there's thousands of people clamouring for a ticket for a london game the weekend before and with this being just a week later i'm sure those that miss out will be jumping on you for it...

Yeah Wembley is about the worst choice for drinking there is in London to be honest, hardly like it's difficult to get round with the tubes either.

Doesn't make any difference to me mush i life in London, just passing on advice to be honest.

Don't forget England are playing at Twickenham that day so Waterloo (and potentially trains up) will be a nightmare. From my rough calculations there's going to be something like 160k people in London for sport, and it's not even as easy as to say that half going to Wembley will be coming through Euston as i'd imagine a good 20k will be corporates. Also the same day Spurs are at home to Stoke in a 13:30 kick off, so trains coming in from North London and Essex will be busy too.

In a highly predictable way some of our brilliantly f*cking stupid support sung about him being from Italy and hating Pompey. I swear at times we're "blessed" with one of the most cringeworthy support in football. Between the c*nt in the indiana jones hat, the face painted clown who looks like he's on day release from the undateables casting, and our "banter boys" who sing these terrible songs it just makes me wish for the proper support we had at the Dell more and more.

That's weird I was speaking to a steward on Saturday who I know really well and he was saying they had no guarantees of tickets yet as the club had been given far less for themselves than they expected. Maybe something has changed since but would be strange to do so on a Sunday. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk