Pennyred

I had a go at R Solent on Wednesday - saying that 30,000 Saints fans wd miss broadcast as they'd all be on way to SMS. They said listen to sports news bulletins Mon morning and they should be announcing when it's being replayed. Stupid time to transmit - might catch first ten minutes unless I buy batteries for my old tranny. They'll probably cherry-pick snippets to go out after 5pm today.

Tickets in general........... How come Carlisle are actually handing out their Wembley tickets to personal callers and also sending them out in post??? Just spoken to their ticket office - it seems OUR ticket office ALREADY HAVE THE PHYSICAL TICKETS. For info - Carlisle have sold 16K so far.

Stu - I can't pm you - please pm me!

Example of private coach hire from Zenith - 35 seater £450 plus Wembley parking - less than bingo bus per head. Also 16 seater £380 plus parking. Already posted suggesting Zenith, but have just found notes I made last Wednesday.

Anyone wanting private coach/minibus hire (with driver!) could try Zenith Coaches near Fareham - they're not currently on Avensis/Princess list of coach suppliers so have vehicles available for 28th.

As at 1455 this afternoon just 20 tickets left before SELLOUT.

Has anyone mentioned the 'uncoordinated' singing between the different stands? From the Chapel (where we are) the time-lapse of the sound from the Northam is very noticeable. I watch the timing of the clapping combined with the singing and there's a very obvious (at least) half a second difference. So we can never all sing in unison. Yes, Chapel DOES sing, but never in time with Northam/Itchen North. And I'm not at all happy if I have to lose my grandstand seat behind the disabled section - NO-ONE can stand in front of me interrupting my view.

Sloop John B - Beach Boys '66 for those 'worst trip' words?

Has anyone seen the 'graffiti' on the concourses at Stoke? All football related. Shame we can't get Big Ron's caricatures of players old and current enlarged and copied to cover the dark depressing breeze-block walls in our concourses. Perhaps the beer wouldn't seem so bad if we had something cheerful to smile at?

And as for sponsorship for next year, where is the interest from any of the big cruise-lines that make Southampton their base? A direct link with the name of Southampton and the port itself.... A bit more upmarket than the supposedly cheapo Flybe?

Late September '71. Football match - drawing office were playing the typing pool. That's where I met him. First date was at the Dell the following day - the match where Hughie Fisher broke his leg. Never missed a home match til he was transferred to Chatham in '75, went to all the London matches plus most of the home ones. Used the front covers from all the away programmes to persuade the ticket office to let us have tickets for the semi-final v. Palace, abiding memories of Malcolm Allison in his long swinging leather coat striding confidently onto the pitch, Lawrie quietly standing on the touchline waving to the Saints fans. I was told that we could get married if Saints beat Palace, that's how un-confident he was?? Then, having got to Wembley, he promised me an engagement ring if we actually won. But having used our programme covers for the semi we had no way of getting tickets for Wembley. I was working the evening before the cup final - picked up the Evening Standard, saw an ad for 2 Wembley tickets, took an extended lunch-hour at 7pm - drove up to the East End of London in our Robin Reliant and had to loiter outside a very dodgy pub at 8.30 where an even dodgier Londoner produced two tickets and took my £50. Nuff said. Travelled down to Soton on the Monday after the cup final for Mick's testimonial, frogmarched his lordship into antique shop and bought an engagement ring. Red and white stones - got it half-price cos Saints had won the Cup! First son arrived in '79 - called Tom after Tommy Jenkins. Second one in '83 - Steve after Steve Williams. Third one in '85 - this time it was Joe for Joe Jordan. And all three names are real saints names. All three were looked after by the lovely Eileen in the Junior Saints section from the age of about four or five - sitting near us on the East Stand bench seats. Sadly Joe fell by the wayside with no interest in football (well, Joe Jordan did go a few miles along the coast). Tom and Steve are now wiv da boys in the Northam and we have grandstand seats in the Chapel with ledge for our flask. After virtually continuous season tickets for 37 years since 1971 we gave up our ST's when RL returned and bum-rushed Nigel Pearson. The boys joined us on the protest marches - had film of us on Meridian and the Beeb - even a picture in the M**l On Sunday. "Even da Meerkat..." and "OAP gives up Season Ticket after...." Am once again proud to be a Saints fan. And YES - take your young ones to St Mary's - two out of three ain't bad.

Weinachten und Geburtstag - alles sind zusammen gekommen! Vielen Dank Markus. Boy - does life feel good today.

Ladysaint - have you stll got two seats left? Or has anyone got room for two?

Think her name was Kirsty Probyn, Director of the administrators. Really seemed to know her stuff - hasn't been home since this all kicked off - went up to Watford last night - had meeting today with 'one interested party' - says that none of previous board appears to have put a bid in. (That was in reply to possibly a question about chance of Woops returning?).

HID MALICE WEL positively better anagram.

Thanks Scummer- since we gave up our ST's (TRAGEDY - OAP GIVES UP SEASON TICKET AFTER 40 YEARS) we've been working our way round the ground trying different areas - last night in Itchen for the first time. What's becoming really noticeable is the 'waste' of effort by the vociferous supporters around the ground. The Northam and those in block five can be heard around the ground, but the efforts of those small enthusiastic pockets joining in in small groups in Chapel and Kingsland are wasted cos they're 'out of sync'. Now that the crowds are so low isn't it a good opportunity to 'create' a new home end 'or side'? The cameras show an abysmal scene of empty seats and away fans when showing the Northam stand behind the goal. Chapel goal view is just as pathetic. Which other ground gives the away fans such a prominent camera position? They should be tucked away in a cold draughty corner, with us home fans taking over the whole Northam. Encouragement of a little more 'home spirit' should be high on 'someone's' priority list, no?

And another thing I noticed (for the first time) last night - how long has there been a box up behind the 'Lowe and his brown-nosed cronies' area called LEON AND LAWRIE ? Crammed full of chaps but couldn't see Leon or Lawrie.

Anyone got a link to Meridian's coverage of protest?

Agree with Michelle - a full circuit round the stadium, or maybe two, depending on what time it gets there. GOOD IDEA. The procession would collect people as it went round. Reckon quite a few would have come Saturday but weren't sure if it was going to be 'well-behaved'. And next time - someone must try and count the marchers - all this cr*p about 300 as stated by the police - we know it was at least 1000.

Thanks 70's Mike - you added about 8 years to my age! Was interviewed by Solent while walking across park, having started near the back of the march (my husband had the WANTED - CHAIRMAN banner) I was actually stranded 200 yards behind the four coppers at the back. Suggest (if there's a) next time you all take a slower pace. I wasn't the only one singled out for interview - but the others were more able than I was to catch up. Also, bumped into several people who'd arrived at the Bargate to find the march had left already - so would also suggest it leaves maybe five minutes late to get the stragglers on board? Was also interviewed by Gabriel Clark - will have to see if the camera lies if they have a snip of me on tomorrow? I jest. Please be aware that Solent (Julian Clegg) Monday morning is covering the protest at the same time that Leon and Dave Merrington were on last Monday - possibly 8.30 onwards? And Frannie is going to be on the programme. Was told this by the producer of the JC programme after the interview. Well done Connor, hope you sleep better tonight......

No - wear YELLOW - there were 24 people in the crowd in yellow at Forest game - shows up clearly - most of us have yellow from Cup Final? And yellow rhymes with L*we. (ish) Even the stewards would look as if they're anti-L*we.

Show your colours - WEAR YELLOW - will show up in the gloom - the more high-vis jackets and yellow gear that's been put away since Cup Final the better. Would show you hate Lowe but support those kids on the pitch.

We've all got yellow shirts haven't we - from Cardiff? Enough people showing yellow, hi-vis jackets etc - should show up in the gloom. Would mean you hate that arrogant man but support your team. Both for Reading and ManU, or maybe just Manu?

Good use for your yellow shirts - wear at home match against Forest IF YOU ARE AGAINST LOWE. Some might get their first airing since Cardiff? Support the boys but show Lowe what you think of him.

Why don't all of us who want Lowe out wear YELLOW to the Forest game - just before the AGM.