The Kraken

I found this post in my history about good old Corp and some of his best whoppers in recent times. A compilation of quotes from our MIA Pompey hero Corporate Ho, and a lookback on his Nostradamus-like predictions of all things football. About Sulaiman al Fahim, and his 2009 Pompey takeover... But then, a couple of months into the season, our hero has had a change of opinion somewhat... Ali al Faraj enters the fray... About Saints Youth Academy... About the value of Fratton Park...

Step 1 in Liverpool's plan for Premier League success; wipe Southampton FC off the map.

And my point is, so what? They're a small local paper. They have very limited (and dwindling) resources. Seriously, with unrealistic expectations such as your own, and an over-willingness to stick the knife in, they simply can't win. It's also quite funny yet ironic that they're described as 24 hours behind the news yet in the same thread are being criticised for immediately responding to news just released into the public domain.

Again, what difference does it make if they break the story? does that make it more valid? should they only run with stories they break the news on, and ignore others that have already come out? I genuinely don't know what you think the Echo should have done once the story was broken. Instead of turning back time and breaking it themselves.

But it's only you that is saying they don't have kosher news. If what they say is true, that they verified the story with a source close to the player, then they need to report it. So they didn't break the story; so what? They'd probably get criticised if they did do that, for printing negative stories and creating instability. They're a simple local paper, but for a branch of Saints fans they simply can't win. Report something, and they get criticised for not breaking a story and/or for printing negative stuff. Don't run the story and they'd get criticised for not being in the loop and being behind the times.

What would you rather they had done? Ignored it? Tried to put a positive-only spin? I get a bit lost when people criticise the Echo and other media for actually responding to and reporting the news. Does it really matter if they didn't break the story? They're hardly an investigative unit, they're a small local paper with limited but sometimes decent resource.

Which part of what they printed was made up?

Well done Bear, you just made Norm's ignore list.

It was in mid-May (17th), and tickets went on sale while the season was still running. It was also during the time when Mark Fry had announced that the takever was going through. Lawrie Mac was one of the organisers but, rather weirdly, it hadn't been set up by the club. Fry had been vocal in the press that fans should turn up to actual league games, which as said before they did to the tune of an extra 8,000 fans per game once the club had gone into administration and rid itself of the Rupert Lowe leech.

It was actually a fundraising game of football, ex Saints and such like potentially lined up. But it was set up during the season. Sales reached something like 2000 or so when it was decided to pull the plug. The part that Portsmyth fans fail to mention is that the administrator, Mark fry, encouraged as many fans as possible to come to St mary's for actual games. Our average attendance to that point was something like 16K; the following games attracted figures around 23K - 24K. Also, fans were a bit fed up of paying into collection buckets just to see the likes of BWP and his mates still pick up their exhorbitant wages every single week. Unlike Portsmyth, SFC didn't go in for wage deferrals over the following 4 years or any of that nonsense. So, while technically true, the chide is more of a falsity that those lot can desperately cling to as evidence of how wonderful they are, without really getting to the true facts.

In that respect Goaty, I can guarantee you wouldn't. The titbits I've heard about his peculiarities on a day by day basis just crack me up, he's such a bizarre little man!

We've already failed in that regard Glesgie, with further departures expected.

Anal? What are you on about son? You either like a kit, or you don't. God forbid a message board should exhibit differing opinions. F*ck me...

Adidas really are a shower of sh*t. That's the worst sash kit I've ever seen, they normally look classy (as much as a football shirt can). That one is hideous.

Less talk more positive action.

Yep, agree with that. It's all very well saying "build a bigger stadium and redevelop the surrounding area"; but last year, despite having the most successful season ever in the Premier League with a brilliant brand of attacking football, our average attendance fell by 600 from the previous year, and was around 1,500 down per game on our all time Premier League high.

Ask Tottenham or Everton just how easy it is to break into that top 4, Champions League elite. Spurs and Everton are historically big clubs, but are still on the outside looking in compared to the big fish of the division. The Premier League is over hyped, and only serves as a money making exercise for all but 3 or 4 clubs who can actually compete for the title.

Are you accusing shurlock of making up opinions just to suit an argument that he wants to have? Never. He would never do that. There's no evidence he ever does that. Ever.

Unless there's a personal agreement in place to let Lallana go, there's no reason at all we'd let him go before the WC. If he does go, then IMO it's fairly clear we've known about it for a while. His value can only go up during the WC, not down.

You're right, Bern. I apologise.

Well of course not. You're Simon, at one point from Dibden Purlieu. Or not.

As I typically do, Diggers, I totally agree with you.

Even St. Chalet admitted that Jeff is a return poster. Maybe just a massive coincidence.

There is a certain "Brett from Camden" symmetry to the denial!