moonraker

I get really pi**ed of we the selling club tag. All our leavers have been tapped up or had there heads in turned in some way. Also they have only gone to three clubs, all much bigger than Saints in every sense.

I do not deny that House prices overtime have always risen and was not advocating renting as the best choice for everyone just that the true costs of home ownership are rarely acknowledge. Your friend was obviously able to weather a number of housing crisis, since 1990 there have been over 2.2m repossessions, that's a lot o misery. I have house I bought for £70k now worth £550k, however I have also spent an over £100k on maintenance and improvements and more will be needed soon. Your client has had to wait nearly 50 years for his return (and will still need somewhere to live) and similar returns are far less likely if you are starting out today. I have friend who is property developer, interestingly he has always rented his own home as he contends that it is only worth 'investing' in property to trade not to live in, don't necessarily agree with him, but he has sent 3 kids to Public Schools and has a very comfortable life.

This is a particularly British issue. We are obsessed with property ownership. The place you live in is your home, whilst as owner occupier it may rise in value (and historically this is generally the case) there are also many negatives. Any equity you have is purely on paper, you have to sell your home to release it or re-mortgage and take on more debt. The cost of ownership is rarely factored in to the ongoing cost of house. All liabilities arising from an owner occupier house are yours. Over a 20 - 30 year occupancy repairs can easily run into tens of thousands of pounds (Roofing, electrics, plumbing, drainage), when a housing slump. Interest rate hikes will reduce your ROI or worse force you into arrears (in the 1980’s they reached 18%). Housing slumps and interest rate hikes normally come along together, they hit your paper worth and can plunge one into the red very quickly, you may loose your home but you wont loose the debt, you will pay stamp duty when you buy and estate agents fees when you sell. People who own their own homes are psychologically less mobile often enduring lengthy and expensive commutes, when moving would be the more sensible option. Whilst renting has its drawbacks it allows you get on with your life and not be obsessed with your own little 'Englishman's Castle. Finally if the worst happens and you are out of work and broke the state will cover your rent they wont cover your mortgage.

Right just back from a very humbling game. Firstly Everton were good, played a simple but very effective game and ruthlessly exploited our weaknesses. Positives Pele he did everything but score, Mane with a little more luck would have scored thats it. It is very early in the season, we have had a wake up call (aka Gooners and West Spam), I am most interested in how we respond to this.

Totally overrated, League 2 players score wonder goals, I know on of his ex-schoolteachers he is also thick and vain.

This is my favorite line "Southampton are marching through each summer with little panic or fuss" except a minority on here that is.

"A nation state that can no longer maintain any control of its borders is not worthy of the name. " So that would be all of Europe and Africa and the USA for starters. Is the concept of Nation States doomed and out of date. Maybe this is a good thing as it is a concept designed to ensure power is retained by a privileged elite while the majority are kept in line by using the fear of Johnny foreigner and other patriotic nonsense. It is also the cause of most wars so what would a future without nation states be like, John Lennon had some thoughts on this.

I propose two lists, True Saints and Heroes here is my choices: True Saints - minimum of 200 games and > 10 years service Eric Day Ted Bates Tommy Traynor Terry Paine John Sydeham Mick Channon Nick Holmes Mathew Le Tissier Heroes – Special Achievement e.g. Goals Scored, International Standing, Special Association Charles Miller C B Fry Alf Ramsey Charlie Waymen Ron Davies Lawrie McMenemy Bobby Stokes Alan Ball Danny Wallace Kevin Keegan Peter Shilton Alan Shearer Ali Dia Markus Liebherr

So we were asked what questions would you ask LR, most of the above are complete tosh. Clyne and Toby have left not because we didn't want them but in Clynes Case for bigger Club, more money and his international career, in Tobys case, just in case you missed it HE WAS NOT A SOUTHAMPTON PLAYER, his club shop windowed him and between them they choose Spuds. Get over it, teams change every year, we have a management team that is set up to cope with that, shame so many of you are not set up to support an outstanding, punch above its weight provincial English football club.

If you are not in receipt of Tax credits on which you rely to feed, house and clothe your family its very hard to argue they right should be cut or removed. It is always those that have that want to take away what little those who little have.

I doubt they have much in terms of reserves most companies do not operate in the black, especially with the current low interest rates. They will be reliant on loans to operate the business, so the shareholders and executive management make good from low wages and credit while the government subsidise the low wages. Paying a living (not minimum) wage should be the goal, this would remove the need for tax credits.

That would have been a wonderful outcome, The Portsmouth 'franchise' relocated to a more deserving locatation like Slough, a town with the potential to passionately support a team, that has been denied real football for to long!

While I do not sit in the "there all benefits scroungers in the making camp" this problem requires some true leadership and conviction, not by British Politicians but by the French. This is a French problem not therefore we need to be told how they got all the way across France without being apprehended? If they are in France and Asylum seekers they should seek Asylum there, if they are straight forward refugees then the French should process them in accordance with the (inadequate as they are) EU rules. The Mayor of Calais should look to his own for answers not to us.

Despite recognising his broadcasting and journalistic talent, watching TG and reading his column I still think he is d**head, I also believe that Evans has every chance of making a new version a success despite the Clarkson apologists.

Make a change to the white middle Ccass bigot who got the boot! Evans is a great choice, the programme needed an overhaul and I think might be just the falla to make it work.

Neither blue nor red appeal, far to stagnated, something with a greenish hew, a streak of orange thinly sprinkled with purple and washed down with a nice single malt, just the ticket old chap.

So just to clear, the new fresh site is for liberal, independently minded chaps and this one is for those more traditional less tolerent chaps. Guardian v Mail types you might say.

Well, how does one choose, the fresh all new Sotonian forum, or the tried and tested saintsweb. It is type of dilema that makes life such a struggle, what should I do, I have made an appointment with my doctor and will let you all know ahat he advises.

Its called prioritising, I do not have the answer neither do you, if there is the political will across Europe then assets will be found most likely at the expense of other commitments. EU states have 500 naval ships, not counting Auxiliaries, 20 of these are amphibious assault ships, I am sure a few will be made available for this operation. An alternative is a STUFT, civilian manned to undertake the medical and immigration tasks.

Sorry we are effectively down to a single LPD (not counting ALSL's), but my point was it is not the only ship in the Royal Navy, although it most likely the best we have for this type of operation ex HMS OCEAN.

The Royal Navy has provided vital and life saving support to the refugee crisis in the Meditarean, saving the lives of hundreds of adults and children. (This is the positive thread no ferry references here)

I know the RN is short of ships but we are not yet down to a single LPD, other rations are providing assets. It was particular fortuitous that Bulwark was already in theatre, her capability is ideal for the task. In fact one of the reason the Dutch managed to get their LPD's approved was because of their utility in humanitarian relief operations.

Your ferry service is one of the Core Roles of the Royal Navy, “Providing humanitarian assistance”, if you don’t understand what this means ask some one who does! If you don’t like the RN doing it leave, you could claim conscientious objection. No one wants to do this but it is right and proper, the causes of this disaster are myriad, safety, persecution, economic, political, historic, cultural, corruption to name a few, trying to pin it to single issue is crass. We tried letting them drown for a year, didn’t stop them coming, the fact that so many are willing to risk so much tends to suggest to me that the key motivators are safety and persecution.

Its all scumerr lies I tells ya

I realise the record breaking a number of threads including the legendary (or mythical) Pompey Takeover Saga reports many of the Myths perpetuated by our fishy neighbours but I thought a simpler thread for ease of references would be useful. Ill start with : Southampton Union Corporation Men (SCUM) strike breakers. Perhaps this could be a sticky?