Whitey Grandad

There are other factors, the high ticket prices, the removal of 'free' car parking at cup games from those who have season parking tickets, the extra ticket tax for those who turn up on the day, not holding season-ticket seat for a day or two.... None of these will encourage a high turn-out.

No, but it would mean that there would probably be compensation in some form. Normally there is a payoff to keep the employee quiet. It saves dragging eveything through employment tribunals.

Even with cases of gross misconduct there is a procedure that must be followed. Failure to follow procedure makes a dismissal automatically unfair.

If you don't like it you can go to court. Oh

I'm not too bothered now about what may or may not have happened, all that's important is that we get the right person in pronto and get on with the business of shooting up the league.

Just remember the disclaimer: 'past performance is no indication of future performance'

You can get cream for that.

Maybe it will be closed in a later post? (I get annoyed too, especially when people put isolated comments inside brackets).

My criticism is more that there does not seem to be a plan in place to cover this eventuality, something which NC must have known about for some considerable time. He has become event-driven which is never a good idea. Time will tell, but at the moment he seems to be behind the game.

Of course you care, else why would you post anything?

And who can blame him? If all the stories over the last 9 months have been true then this would be a sensible precaution, as has been proved by recent events. He doesn't appear to me to be the sort of person who would go round telling everybody though.

You can ask for money but you probably won't get any. Do you really think that anybody else in the country cares about Southampton FC?

I think you credit the fans with more influence than they actually have. I once asked a Saints' player if the crowd made any difference. He said that once you were on the pitch it was total concentration and you hardly noticed the crowd.

That would explain a lot. "Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned,"

Quite correct. Unnecessary and unhelpful.

Exactly what I saw. The referee went straight to his back pocket after the whistle which usually means a straight red (some use their breast pocket.

The bulk of the club's income comes through the turnstiles. The club is not a charity, Cortese is paid to do his job and we supporters/customers are the ones paying it. In my books a supporter is someone who follows the team and cares about its results but does not necessarily pay to watch them.

Er, who are the customers here?

On this we both agree.

'Wonderful race, the Romans'

That wasn't how it appeared to me. They were all trying (yes very trying) but there was no common team plan, just a load of players running about the pitch. The atmosphere was strange too, the lowest ever crowd at St. Mary's, two stands packed and the rest of the ground empty and lifeless. I was only 20 seats away from my usual one but I had a good look round and I was the only face I recognised. The pricing and ticket sales policy must have something to do with this, as well as the recent events. None of this seemed to affect the Swindon players, mind.

That's exactly how I feel about it. I find the small decisions just as revealing as the big ones. I too have gone from being wary, to being concerned, to being worried. The next couple of weeks should give us the answers.

And who spoilt them?

That's the convention if it's for footballing reasons. Gross misconduct would normally only involve the individual concerned.

Yes, certainly looked like it to me, in his usual seat. Standing with his hands in his pockets just like he was during the applause for Markus.