View From The Top

I didn't explain myself to well. I had/or have, no issues with the OAPs, not being a spring chicken myself, nor families, as I've been taking my nipper since he was 5, my issue was with how passive they were. Perhaps as Shurlock alluded to, so many have been so jaded by the season that they were simply going through the motions. Regardless, I had no intention of insulting the old or the young and I apologise for that and the way my post reads as that wasn't the intention, it was poorly worded.

I was towards the back of 130 and as the whistle blew everyone in front of me sat down. Everyone. It was all OAPs and families. The atmosphere was sh_it, It was only the last few rows that stood up. They sat there pathetically quiet. Not a ******* peep out of them. One of the few positives of relegation will be the casting off of "premier league" fans leaving the louder, standing up fans to go to away games.

Totally and utterly correct. I'll add to that insomuch as that next season, even though it may be futile in some people's minds, I'll be there supporting my club in the northern hellholes we'll be playing. It's what you do as a fan.

And they're right too. It's pi_ss poor organisation by the club, awful pricing by the FA which I know has meant some families are giving it a swerve, bad timing with the Soton marathon and a shockingly poor attitude from a huge number of our fans.

I chatted about this last evening with my lad. The only thing he said he'll miss is having the opportunity to go the the new Spurs ground and also beating Wolves. Plenty of new Wolves fans have appeared at his school/6th form who were once City/Utd/L'pool/Chelsea/Arsenal fans. They still don't appear to go though apparently. He takes great umbridge at that. As long as we still get to go to games, then he's content. I know we haven't felt like this for a couple of seasons, but I'll miss going to an away game, anywhere, and feeling we've got a chance. What I really won't miss is "entitled" Saints fans demanding we push onto the next level, and tourist fans that appear to be at the bigger away games in increasing numbers, killing the atmosphere. Whilst we should never be in the position we find ourselves, and those running the club are 100% guilty of negligence, and I appreciate we should always aspire to play in the highest league, I'm not that bothered by relegation. Maybe it's an age thing and football simply isn't as important to me personally now I'm a codger, or I've become disillusioned with the greed, big 6 bias, entitled fans all over social media and the like, but in the big scheme of things, to me, relegation, meh.

The only thing I'll miss is the price cap for away fans

The whole selling process has been a complete clusterf_uck from start to finish. Mate of mine who went to WBA & Wigan in the cup was told he couldn't get a ticket as the Wigan ticket wasn't showing on this account. He sourced a Club Wembley ticket instead and then today Saints phone him to say he can have a ticket. They've also emailed my son asking if he wants a ticket even though he's got one. I just cannot understand the mindset of any fan who chooses not to go as we're cr_ap. Cost, time, distance, other life stuff yes, of course, but because we're cr_ap? That's just plain odd.

Not sacking Pellegrino after Leicester at the latest, allowing him to stay until the transfer transfer window and then allowing him waste £20m on a Sunday League player. I said to Eric B after the Huddersfield away game that such a cowardly, defensive manager would see us in big trouble. Now if a not right bright football fan can see it how the fu_ck didn't those running the club? Their hubris has had directly to the point we find ourselves today. Not bringing in quality CBs to replace both Fonte and VVD. That, on the pitch, has been the obvious downfall. Selling both Pelle & Mane in the same window and not replacing their goals. I appreciate we couldn't hold on to them but to them try and tell us Redmond was the new Henry? Really? Sacking Puel before you have a replacement sorted. Clearly none of the serious names fancied the set up and they've been proven correct. Personally I don't care what division we are in. It's about the day out with my son and friends although no priced capped tickets is cr_ap. I'll have plenty of Northern and Midlands games to go to taking in a few new grounds for me and plenty for my son. We will still sing and shout ourselves hoarse and still be Saints fans.

He's right though.

Mine didn't arrive in Soton until 1910 (paternal) and 1929 (maternal). Paternal were cabinet makers / merchant navy originally from around the corner from London & maternal were shipbuilders originally from Newcastle. My paternal & maternal lines have a long history of seafaring and military service, which explains a lot. At one stage my sister bought a house in St Denys that when we did the family tree, my great, great grandparents had lived in.

Personally I have no issue with the speech being broadcast and critiqued as it's an important milestone in British 20th century history. Powell, as has been stated, was a very bright chap but even Churchill thought him crackers for wanting put in the tory election manifesto, a commitment to re-colonise India by force. The speech also needs to be viewed from the perspective of the time. When it was given there was still the Black & White Minstrels on the TV, using terms such as ******, coon and darkie were commonplace in all forms of the media and the right wing press were stoking up hysteria. Even my staunch socialist maternal grandparents didn't want "darkies" moving onto the Merry Oak estate and even I can remember the Fox & Hounds in Bitterne having a "No Irish. No Blacks" sign up by the door. I've no issues "no-platforming" the alt-right such as Generation Identity, Tommy Robinson and their ilk but Powell's speech? It's a piece of our history and as such deserves to be heard regardless of what we individually think of the message.

I have little sympathy with him on the grounds he's an alt-right c**t who thinks getting a dog to act on the command "gas the Jews" is some sort of humour.

In an ideal world that would be what happens. Alas it wouldn't.

Mine comes out as soon as they start racing in Flanders. After a long winter on an alu bike with a pro-compact and a small cassette it's nice to be able to fly up hills!

You're preaching to the converted here. I've always said drugs should be legalised and taxed.

I'd like to think that even the most rabid of the right wingers would recorgnise the correlation between the continuing fall in police numbers and rising crime and the blame for that should be laid at the steps of Number 10. I'd also think it foolish of us not to recorgnise that the current wave of crimes in London is linked to drug gang turf wars and is predominantly black on black violence. If Stop & Search would have an impact I really don't know as the way the drug gangs now operate using social media/mopeds etc, has changed the street dynamic. It's as if it's become a torrent of score settling and a fight for territory knowing the police are stretched to the limit. We recently had a police briefing on how the gangs are operating where I work and how they effectively groom young kids to be mules and how the city has been divided up by the gangs, mostly white it has to be said. It's quite startling to know it's going on around you but you're so detached from it to see it happening.

TBH if you have the opportunity to go to a FA Cup semi final and choose not to then you're not a fan, you're a c**t. If that offends you then tough sh*t.

My Mrs has decreed that she wants 3-4 days based around Oceanside and then 3-4 days based around Malibu. Who am I to argue with her!

The Mrs has decided that she wants to stay south of LA but north of SD and ideally on the coast. I'd better get searching then!

We're not telling the kids they're going, it's going to be a surprise. Mrs and I were in San Fran last year and we are toying with driving up the coast but I would sooner do that as part of a two week San Fran - Vancouver trip I think. Vegas is of no interest and nor are the theme parks but I reckon San Diego zoo might prove to be a must do for the girls, less so for my lad and me, if we go south. The kids will want to do the Hollywood stuff, the wife and I did that many moons ago, and perhaps Venice Beach. They are more wildlife, eco, beach types if I'm honest. The lad will want to get some NBA action in LA if possible. If I'm honest, I've no idea what we are going to do!

I've very limited experience of Southern California so hoping some with more experience can offer advice. We've been given the opportunity to nab some very cheap flights into LAX but it's only for 1 week (Sat-Sat) for myself, wife and 3 kids (16, 13, 10) We were thinking of driving and staying in San Diego instead of staying in LA itself but I'm really fishing for ideas albeit in LA/Santa Monica way or further north up the coast, down the coast or even somewhere like Anaheim. Cheers in advance.

Correct. Public ballot through the UEFA website which is open to everyone and is done before the QFs of CL & EL and before any team has even qualified in the case of the WC & EC. I know the Steve Grant has EL final tickets too, secured in the same way. As for Benji, you'll never hear me moaning about not getting tickets as I always get them through dint of going to enough games. My gripe is always that away games should carry as much weight as home games when it comes to allocations to things like semi finals and finals. I've always thought that even when I had STs and didn't have to worry. Oldnick, I give no fu_cks what you think. I've had the balls to take a gamble on tickets and sometimes it pays of wonderfully and other times it doesn't. For WC & EC any home nation tickets I get go to friends at face value, the rest to a corporate tout. 25% of any profit I make is split between Cancer Research UK & Macmillan Nurses the remainder gets spent on taking my kids on an extra holiday. If you don't like that then tough sh_it.

This is my last post of the day. I don't sell them, you would. I can give you the contact details of a Dutch agency that resells them to corporate customers. I've been selling my European Championship, World Cup, Europa League Final and Champions League Final tickets to them for 8 years or so. It's a doddle and they are 100% reliable. If you want more details and their contact details then email me direct st16sfc@gmail.com or find me on twitter @s13sfc.

This is how much they'll pay per ticket. Champions League: Cat 1 - 1100 euro Cat 2 - 800 euro Cat 3 - 600 euro

Flog them. I know a man who will give you €2200 for them no problem. I always flog mine to him and he's just had my 4 Europa League tickets. I dipped out on CL tickets this time around.