Turkish

Hilarious isn't it. Only last week we were told we should aim for 6-9th, but settle for 12th. now Swansea will than likely achieve up aim, as well as win a trophy we have never won and qualify for Europe its belittled as half meaningless season. Lets see how many of the divs on here claim we have a meaningless season next year should we finish 6-9th, you know our target position, the one where we so would really announce our arrival in the big time, but wait. Surely finsihing 6-9th is meaningless, I mean, we'll never seriously challenge for the champions league or be threated by relegation in these positions, what at awful, boring season fullfilling this forums targets would be. I'm never ceased to be amazed by the sh*t on here.

As I understood it it was because Gavin Davies had a group interested in buying sfc which would clearly have been better for the club but the secure retirement deal was better for existing board members as it enabled them to make a few quid and keep their shares.

I'm going to stick my neck out here and say we won't make the champions league next season.

You're right about that. People are all nostalgic about the Dell atmosphere and granted, for big games an for cup games, especially at night it was good but no better than anywhere else in the countey, in the main it was relatively quiet. I started out in the 80s on the Milton Road end and it was only a small group that stood under the family centre that made any noise and with the open terrace it didnt sound that loud in other parts of the ground. The noisiest part of the ground was the Lower East terrace in those days. When the seated Archers was given to away fans they were far louder than us most weeks. When we got the archers back the end looked and sounded decent, it was certainly louder then the Milton terrace and the noise generated on terraces. With everyone who wanted to sing in one place. That's the problem with SMS now, youve got effectively 3 singing areas, northam, kingsland and itchen north with the noise diluted. If everyone was on one place and created a kop then it would be so Much better. That said though SMS is far from the worst ground for atmopshere in the premier league.

Lets face it, all the top leagues are overhyped. we've got the self titled 'greatest league in the world', then La Liga, which in reality only two teams can win, then you've got a handful of decent sides beneath that and the rest of the sides are pretty average, sound familiar? Same goes for Germany and Italy and France. With the top players from the lesser clubs being picked off by the biggers ones with the most money. All of the top teams from the top leagues are obsessed by becoming global brands and selling as much of their sh*te as is possible to as many people as possible. It's even spread here with people walking around in Barcelona tops, a middle aged bloke i used to work with who was a lifelong Watford fan now claims he's a Barcelona fan and clutters up my facebook feed every champions league game with his boring drivel about a club he supports when hehas never seen them play live, never been there and doesn't even live in the same country FFS. The fact of the matter is proper football culture is dead, at least as far as the top leagues in Europe go. These days it's all about having the club branded gear, atmospheres created by marketeers with piped music, drums and designated singing areas rather than the old days of proper terrace wit and banter with fans there for the football not 'matchday experience'. Buy this that and the other from the club shop, signing players from far afield countries to increase shirt sales there. A lot of people have become football consumers rather than football fans. It certainly isn't the same game i fell in love with in the early 80s that's for sure. All that mattered then was what went on on the pitch and catching glimpses of Steve Moran, Peter Shilton and Mark Dennis which would excit me for weeks before and after, not the 'matchday experience'

The fact that people are talking about it means it shouldn't happen. Pitch invasions are for spontanious outpourings of emotions after securing an important result, ie wininng promotion, the league etc (im not a massive fan of pitch invasions for staying up, i dont consider narrowly not being sh*t enough to stay in the divison to be something to celebrate), when you start debating the rights and wrongs of if it should be done and if it is an appropriate occasion then it isn't.

Surely the fans back then were too busy lauding Guy Askhams decision making and business sense whilst supporting him in his ongoing feud with Mick Channon to give him any flack for Branfoots managerial performances?

So the OP quotes the manager of the team Forren has just played for and he is 'peddling unfounded opinion'

FA picking on him again because of who he plays for.

Who is a full international playing in an U21s game.

No you're not. A lot on here seem obsessed with attracting new fans and day trippers. I couldn't think of anything worse. Give me a smaller crowd full of fans making a racket any day.

Phil Jones has played there, I suppose you could use him. Then you'd have to leave out Vidic, Van Persie, Rooney etc.

Vectis, are you going to answer my question regarding Tanadari Lee? This is about the 5th time I've asked you too.

He didnt do that though did he you prat. I think too much of your life revolves around your computer Matthew. Either that or you have mental problems.

I'm surprised you haven't ripped up your Saintsweb login details in disgust Les.

Mrs Turkish used to do the matchday music at SMS a number of years ago when she worked there and after a home win in the 2006/07 play off season where we broke into the play off places I got her to play either 'shout to the top' if we won or 'walls come tumbling down' by the Style Council if we lost, we won. I also suggested Saints come out to 'this is the one' by the Stone Roses, it was pretty popular by all accounts but Burley insisted the music was 'one vision' FFS

What a shame the usual pedantic *****s are ruining what could have been quite a decent thread.

I initially chose Carrick but took him out as prefered Van Persie and Vidic from Man U, I'm a big Carrick fan but can only have two players from each team! Ben Arfa is a quality player fella!

The real fans are the ones who were there during our relegation to L1, in our first season there and were at our unglamourous away games. I remember when we were close to going under and every penny counted appeals were made for fans to pack St Mary's, we got crowds of 24,000 and 27,000, these games whilst not glamour games were arguably our biggest ones ever, because the money that came in was keeping the club alive. It's easy to come along when times are good and to see the big teams, people seem to be able to find the money then, no surprise family birthday parties or weddings to go to when the Mancs and the Scousers are in town. So yes, the ones that were there in bad times are the fans, the ones that come along now and again for the big games are Soccerball consumers. If that makes me a self righteous so called supporter with Saints as my only cause then I can live with that.

The third one was a blatant foul and right in front of that goal line official, who as usual did nothing. What is the point of them of its not for decisions like that? Have they ever actually given a decision which has influenced the match?

This is the view from the of the stadium from the first platform of the statue, just above Corteses Borgioli tassled loafers, a view from here will cost you £8.50.

Which is why I've always been of the belief that we monitor our support over two or three seasons. High numbers of season tickets, together with lots of sell outs and demand hugely outstripping supply over a sustained period. If we have that and we can prove we could regularly sell 36-40k then that is the time to expand. There really isn't any point expanding if we can only fill a bigger stadium 2 or 3 times a season.

I went home for a recharge :-) cheers, things are happening now :-)

IIRC correctly we have around 23,000 STHs. Which means for games like Everton, Reading and Fulham, less than 3,000 casual fans could be arsed to come along, sell out these game too and have reached our season ticket cap if there is one then we can expand.

North team Krul Baines kompany Vidic Johnson Ben Arfa Toure Fellani Van Persie Benteke Suarez South Caser Walker Williams Haagaland Cole Cazorla Hazard Bale Remy Michu Lambert Both 4-3-3. The North would win easily.