teamsaint

At this stage its just important to get up the table as quickly as possible. If we can get within realistic range of a play off spot, it will at least keep the last 10 games or so really exciting, which give the calamities of the last few years is about as good as we can hope for. FWIW, if our best 4 or 5 players stay injury free, and we win a couple of key games, ( EG MK and Col u away) we might just do it. Worth hoping for anyway!!

there is certainly a thread to be had along the lines of "what is the loneliest you have felt at a Saints game"? The least I have ever seen was on a Friday Night at Charlton in 1975 (I think). we lost 4-1. I really don't remember seeing any others, although there may have been some somwhere keeping their heads down. Anyone else at that one? Sadly on the cup run I saw only Villa home , and the Semi. But being at the semi was enough for me. What a day.

The virginian. 2nd place to Tales from the Riverbank.

I thought we had 5 that season too.

problem with that plan is that some dodgy ex skate like , er lets see, Kevin Ball, will pop up and give them a dodgy pen in the dying seconds of the season. Maybe they would miss it in your plan though.....................

re the semi, I was in the old stand , and my seat was £3.50 At that time we were paying about 50 p (kids) to stand at the Dell I think, I really had no idea a football ticket could cost as much as £3.50 .seemed like a fortune. I'm absolutely certain I would have remembered if the time was wrong on the ticket, just don't miss stuff like that when you are 14. Incidentally, I'm pretty certain Villa at home would have been pay on the day for terraces- because I was in the Archers surrounded by brummies- the upside being that I was RIGHT behind the goal where hughies equaliser went in.

Thats what you get being a football fan. !! still we have all to gain and little to lose this season, which is not a bad feeling.

are there any amnesty dates for bookings?or do they tot up right through the season?

there must be a good chance of boro returning to the second tier mediocrity for which they were a byword for decades. Quite why, apart from a rich owner and a reasonable stadium , they were ever considered a big club is beyond me. As is the question of why gibson thinks they will pull big crowds in the CCC, unless they are top .They just don't have the support. WGS may have bet on a bad one here, presumably hoping for a one season return to the top flight. and who knows, he might just be facing a tricky return to SMS next year!!

same as the phoenix league that Rupes was keen on- and there is good logic in it. It would be financially sensible for most of the "bigger" clubs outside the giants to have financial security. It might be tough for those falling outside the 2 PL divisions though. On a slightly different subject, why do four go up from L2 to L1, but only 3 from L1 to the CCC when they are all the same size?

he will make into a good player one day. Needs games now. In the old days would have been learning his trade in proper reserve team football.

interesting that in the 8 game form table the top 5 have almost identical records. (Leeds Millwall Norwich Saints Colchester all W5 D2 L1) What is a little worrying is that we are keeping far too few clean sheets- perhaps one reason for Wotton keeping a starting place? given the stats, not really sure if its working. For all that, Swindon seems a long time ago now,and at the end of the season it might look an OK point.

They have issues. We don't.

what we do have coming up is a long run of really winnable games. Norwich at home will be tough, but if we stay injury free there is every chance of a really productive 7 or 8 games.

I agree. He clearly has his faults, but this is League 1, we won't get many complete players even on our budget. Despite some awful offside stuff, he DID provide some of our best moments in the first half. He needs patience,coaching, and using as and when we need him.

spot on. The good news is that even though we played poorly for a while and conceded, the moment the subs came on we looked likely winners. Don't really underdtand why we would now need a holding MF player in a 5 man MF, at least at home. I know its hard to change a winning team, and Wotton didn't deserve to be dropped, but we really ought to be confident enough to go 442 at home all the time. We don't know, of course, who's carrying injuries etc. DC may be less than fully match fit for all we know. if we can keep injury free we have a run of very winnable games coming up- they really do give us a chance to charge up the league. Also, surprised at the crowd figue. Apart fro gps in the Northam Kingsland corner, it was nearly full all the way round the Northam and Kingsland.

if the lad is 16 or under , £23 in the Chapel is the best deal.

er, except that WHU could well melt down financially, and he could well get them relegated. Whereas he can stay here, will have money to spend and will , with any kind of luck, be a hero here in 18 months time. No brainer.

AP would be barking to go to smog town. With our new owner, and our better support,there is every chance we can be bigger than them in a few years time. Plus AP has the chance at Saints to become a club hero. Up there he risks massive failure. Would have thought Strach could do better for himself too.

Quite so. I'll try to put a link onto their website . If Paul can't conjure up a classic from all this stuff then he's losing his touch!! What a truly great band they are.

football in England is expensive. You have to buy carefully if you want any chance of decent value. Even at full price a ST at SMS represents fair value . Tickets have always been more expensive in the south, and STs at conference clubs are close to ours in price. And a matchday ticket in the Chapel is £19,(£10 for under 21). adult and child the same. Now I like cheap tix as much as the next man, but in truth they have never been better value at SMS.

agree completely. Looking forward to a game that will be a big test. It may well be very tough, but it IS a great chance to fire a warning shot across the bows of the top teams. Love to see us really go for it. If we were to lose it wouldn't be the end of the world, but a good win could make a massive difference. Going to be better than some run of the mill PL game against Bolton or Hull !!!!

indeed . If we keep picking up 2 a game, (a big ask over a season its nailed on promotion form) we will get up among the playoff places. If we can at least get within touching distance by the spring, should make for some great games.

proper 1960's "give peace a chance" type graffiti in the subways. And the proper old bus routes. No 15 was the best, that was the one that took me from Swaything to the Dell !!

Target 1 is to get out of the bottom 4. Even with good results that is probably 6 games away (catching up with 20th at one point per game). After we achieve that we will fly through the bottom half, as they are all so bunched up. (Hopefully). Probably 4-6 games to get from 20th to top half. THEN we can start looking upwards at the playoffs, and even if that serves only to keep the season going, that will be great. Even for these modest ambitions we need to stay largely injury free.