Micky

Now, I'd take 3 points.....!!!!! commmoonnnnnnnnn/!!!!1

I'd take a point....

3...! So far...!

This is actually a very good point - if you look at our goals conceded, we are halfway down the league. At the moment our strikers are keeping us where we are, we need to tighten up at the back.

Did well for us, hope he can do a bit of a 'David Wetherall' at Bradford City. Memories - Valley Parade - first ground I took my first son to.

Great result for us tonight - but we need to do a job tomorrow.

So basically you agree with me, we could occasionally 'knock on the door' ala the two clubs you mention - what chance have either Fulham or Stoke of winning the Premier League Title? No lack of ambition here, as you like to call it - just a realisation of true expectations.

Thanks for that. Very good of you to assume budgetry control of the club based on the owners wealth. Yes it is a factor, but, again, just because our owners have billions does not mean that the budget will run to that. I know it's difficult to understand - but if they were going to give us the same backing as the billionaires at say Chelsea or Man City, then you would probably have seen just a little more activity in the transfer market this season. Hence making us much bolder this season, perhaps. I have not said that the situation will be the same as the last time that we were in the top flight, but neither do I think that (in my lifetime) we will be serious contenders to winning it. All I have pointed out is that many have tried, well about 40 to be honest, but most have failed, many have come nowhere near to winning the league. There is little competitivness to the overall aim of a league system i.e. to finish top. As a result, and largely because of financial gain, most teams that make up the league are there not to challenge for the ultimate prize - but to take the biggest wedge that they can. But then again, what do I know, I don't have the faintest idea.

Errrr hugely...!!! Since it started 19 years ago only 4 different teams have managed to win it - and one of those teams has won it 12 times..! Yes there is the odd giant killing - but at the end of the day, the giants have alway prevailed (ok Blackburn maybe the exception - but even when they won it, much finance was pumped into the club). So if your competitive nature is to win the league then I totally disagree - there is virtually no competition. Man Utd will win the league this year. If on the other hand you want to compete, just to stay in the league, then yes - there is an element of competition about that side of the league. And it probably speaks volumes about the league that this is very often the most 'interesting end' of the league to most fans. I am indifferent to promotion really, as I quite like the idea of being in a real competitive league, with a real chance of achieving as opposed to being an outsider with very little chance of competing. That's not to say that I wouldn't welcome promotion, but unlike some here I think we are some way off the Champions League just yet, and appreciate the different levels of investment needed to make that happen. Premier League - fantastic, yes it is a super level of football, but it has been manufactured at a price that most clubs just cannot afford and are really only ever going to be also rans.

Where is the competition in the Premiership?

Agree with that part - we could get into Europe. But just because we are owned by billionairres means nothing whatsoever, nor does it mean we 'do what we want'. The root of all success is not to throw money at it. We are lucky at the moment because we do have wealthy backers who are willing to 'invest' in the club and try to make it a success. Being a success outside of the Premier league is a lot lot easier than being one in it. I would suggest that our billionairres will not be investing anywhere near the type of money that Man Citys are. A glib statement pointing to our backers (who may actually have us operating on budgest smaller than our competitors), followed by the big 'we are' is, as I said before, bollux.

I hope it's tongue in cheek, otherwise it's just total bollux.

This is very true. As an ex smoker I can totally sympathise with smokers, to them beer and fags go togeather. Smoker are the lepers of society, we have made them the social outcasts. Much of my work is in Germany - many hotels, pubs and even restaurants cater for smokers. I think that a total ban was somewhat draconian and unwarranted in may ways - and as you say has help extinquish many pubs.

Gents, I really could not agree more. My roots to the continent go back to the mid 70's, and even then you could drink until 4 in the morning if you so wished. This meant that you were not forced to get as many drinks down your neck as fast as you could before 11 oclock and closing time. Hence a much more relaxed atmosphere in which to socialise and enjoy the night. Unfortunately opening bars and clubs drinking hours really has only made the problem worse as far as I can see, and most city centres appear 'no go' areas on a Fri / Sat night. Personally, even as a young single bloke, I never really saw the need to 'drink til I puked', and that whole sort of outlook is lost on me. Frankly, I'm very happy that I learned my drinking habits in another country - ours are a disgrace.

Really interesting stuff. I hate to say it, but as somebody who works on the continent a lot of the time, brits 'drinking culture' and behaviour is pretty embarrasing.

I think that all you've managed to do there is highlight the very reason why very many people are happy to stay in the Championship. The reliance on massive amounts of money in the Premiership has totally alienated about 75% of the current incumbants. It is a league that is fast becoming nothing more than a joke - a two horse race which even a blind man can predict the outcome. Until some pretty significant 'field levelling' has taken place, (and not just for the benefit of Saints, but for the benefit of all teams and football in general) - then I am quite happy to sit with Alps and watch competative Championship matches.

As we lived out of the country for long periods of time, my kids had no real affinity to Saints, and consequenly my second son chose villa as his team when he was a kid and followed them. However he now lives in Southampton with his girlfriend and they are both STH's. Better late than never.

This. Could of probably doubled his wages while halving his workload - many would have taken the 'easy' option. Got loads of time and respect for a damn good pro - top bloke.

Planning for success is relatively easy, however the wise man, will also plan for failure. Football can very quickly turn around, City of all teams should know that. I'm very happy with our (compared to thiers) modest investment, compared to most others, state of the art facilities. Let's not get ahead of ourselves just yet.

Simple really, once the stadium is downgraded to a bowl, the platoon becomes a spitoon and we all spit in the bowl...

25 years. http://news.sky.com/home/uk-news/article/16072807

..... Stephen Carr forgot he was 47....!!! My I larfed - mind you, he has been around a while 'aint he. Good read though - thanks.

So to sum up then, our following for fratton wil be made up of pansies, mincers, lads, chaps, geezers, chavs and a few hoolies thrown in as well. We is well 'ard. Any fans going?

And about time too, been looking all over for these - thanks.

If they had to test him to establish his alcohol level, I would argue that he was not in a fit state to be armed with a loaded SA80. All in all sounds a pretty tragic set of meaniless circumstances that led to a man losing his life - shocking.