Kingsland Codger

Wasn't Townsend providing the off-screen punditry supporting Martin Tyler's commentary for the Aston Villa game on Sky in November?

Had a close up view of the Hoegh Osaka from the ferry on the way to the match yesterday. The cricket pitch in The Brambles will never be the same again.

Yesterday, in the second half, Long was constantly looking to make a break towards the Kingsland/Chapel corner and challenge Mings, their left-back. Mings was on a yellow and Long clearly had him for pace but although he was making the starting run, the ball was rarely played to him. This made me wonder about the fitness needed to make a very fast break over a 10 metre stretch time-and-time again. He was taken down (no penalty given) and was awarded a foul just outside the box for a free kick when the original contact looked just inside. He did his bit yesterday and should be encouraged rather than criticised.

I like his no-nonsense approach to defending something tricky - when in doubt stick the ball into row Z. Not so much in evidence today but several times against Arsenal when under pressure and alternatives were not immediately obvious he played 'safety first'

Some great memories already mentioned, so I shall add winning his first cap for France.

If you are inside the 6 yard box and in an offside position you are, at the very least, causing the goalkeeper to consider your presence and are therefore interfering with play.

Similarly, Schurrle was way offside for Hazard's goal and although he didn't have to jump out of the way, he was inside the 6 yard box and therefore he was definitely interfering with play.

Fabregas's foot kicked Targett's leg; free kick to Saints ... but the ref missed it.

Extension to point 1 ... Buy a large Union flag and hang on house ... upside down.

Are we going to receive a hard copy ticket through the post or will it be added on to my ST?

Edward I - a Great and Terrible King by Marc Morris ... http://www.amazon.co.uk/Great-Terrible-King-Forging-Britain/dp/0099481758 The Most Dangerous Enemy by Stephen Bungay - A History of the Battle of Britain (with the 'most dangerous enemy' being the UK) And for an-allied-airman-on-the-run-in-occupied-France story, try Perilous Moon by Stuart Nimmo which tells the story of his father's escape after being shot down in the late spring of 1944.

Aldershot? Still in it? Good heavens! Who did they beat in the first round?

Was that worth getting up at 5am for, I ask myself. At half time I checked to see who was on the bench and I was surprised to see the lack of attacking options available. With things not working for us, it seems Mayuka was all we had to choose from. Great build-up and superb finish from Clyne - the Dubious Goals Panel won't give it as an own goal, will they? I know no Villa player was near it, but the goal reminded me a bit of Mane's goal against Sunderland ...

Greetings from Tokyo. Google 'business hotels japan', 'ryokan' and 'minshuku' and you should find some useful information. Business hotels can be good value, as can minshuku (a sort of Japanese B&B) but some ryokans can be expensive, others not so. You will also find some excellent savings if you buy a Japan Rail card in advance of your trip (you can only buy them outside of Japan) ... http://www.japan-railpass.co.uk/. The Japan Travel Centre website will be useful ... http://www.japantravel.co.uk/ and the online timetable for Japanese trains may also help in deciding your schedule. There is an English language verson ... http://www.hyperdia.com/en/.

They wouldn't want to force it.

Maya Yoshida scored the opening goal in Japan's 6-0 win over Honduras http://www.soccer-blogger.com/2014/11/14/japan-vs-honduras-6-0-highlights-friendly-2014-honda-endo-inui-goals-video/

'How common are minority fans at St Mary's?' Mmmmm ... My reply can only be anecdotal and others may be better placed to answer but I very rarely see anyone who appears to be from a minority group. Your question prompted me to be a 'people watcher' on my way to and from and at St Mary's yesterday. I saw one man who appeared to be of Chinese origin chatting with some (white) mates and a couple of lads whose ancestry was probably from the sub-continent but just about everyone else was 'Anglo-Saxon'. The only noticeable thing was the absence of anything noticeable. In recent years small groups of Japanese tourists attended waving banners encouraging Tadanari Lee and later Maya Yoshida but these have now disappeared and were understandably only a very few. By far-and-away the biggest change in spectator demographics over the (40 plus) years I have been going to see football has been the large increase in the number of Ladies attending. This was especially clear when we moved to St Mary's.

While acknowledging there may very well be racism in football, it is also equally possible to say football has been a pioneer in improving race relations - certainly in Western, if not yet in Eastern, Europe. When I see my Saints team take to the field, I see simply eleven Saints players. Some of the team may well be of a different race from the vast bulk of the supporters but all 30,000 of us Saints fans cheer them all on regardless and want them to know they have our full backing. Similarly, I'm confident Arsenal fans had no qualms about cheering on The Gunners when, a few years back nearly all of their outfield players were black and I'm sure West Ham fans are all currently reveling in the amazing goal-scoring prowess of Diafra Sakho. When Ryan Giggs took over as caretaker manager at Manchester United, I can't recall his racial origins even being mentioned. In this regard, football fans have well and truly grown-up. Not just here, but evidence abounds elsewhere. The crowds in the Champs Elysees cheered the 'Rainbow Team' when France won the World Cup in 1998. I enjoy watching the Bundesliga highlights on TV. Non-white players are plentiful, the crowds roar them on and when a goal is scored all the players join in the hugs and celebrations. You wouldn't have seen any of that in Germany 70 years ago. Sadly, some of our Eastern European counterparts have yet to be as broad-minded but with time and exposure to outsiders I suspect football will turn them around. Certainly the clubs there appear to have no problem signing Brazilian and African players. Yes, the statistics make for grim reading when it comes to hiring minority managers, but l try to look on the bright side and so when Jose Mourinho says there is no racism in football, I can see where he is coming from. I guess the true litmus test for success in this area is when the 'No to Racism' signs and banners are removed because they are no longer necessary. With this in mind we cannot yet say 'job done' but rather it is 'still work in progress'.

"Playing football differently" ... "A world of difference"? But, but but ... I thought we were doing so well because of continuity. We scout for managers who will fit our system.

So does that mean Noble's goal for WHU against us earlier this season should be changed to an OG by Yoshida?

In a similar, but more tangible, vein Red Funnel gave all on board a free pint on our journey south so we could celebrate in style. COYRF.

The tune of We Are The Right Side, We Are The Left Side would appear to fit multi-syllabic names Alderweireld, Alderweireld ... Ole, Ole, Ole It would also work for Graziano but "Ho ho ho It's Magic, you know, His name is Graziano" would be preferable for a name ending in 'o'

Here you are ... LA LISTA — Portieri: Buffon (Juventus), Perin (Genoa), Sirigu (Psg); Difensori: Bonucci (Juventus), Chiellini (Juventus), Ogbonna (Juventus), Ranocchia (Inter), Rugani (Empoli); Centrocampisti: Aquilani (Fiorentina), Bonaventura (Milan), Candreva (Lazio), Darmian (Torino), De Sciglio (Milan), Florenzi (Roma), Marchisio (Juventus), Parolo (Lazio), Pasqual (Fiorentina), Poli (Milan), Thiago Motta (Psg), Verratti (Psg); Attaccanti: Destro (Roma), Giovinco (Juventus), Immobile (Borussia Dortmund), Osvaldo (Inter), Pellè (Southampton), Zaza (Sassuolo). http://www.gazzetta.it/Calcio/Nazionale/04-10-2014/italia-bonaventura-azerbaigian-malta-balotelli-pelle-rugani-elshaarawy-pirlo-conte-motta-90648253293.shtml

But the point is "the best interests of rUK" is not necessarily the same as the knee-jerk reaction. If your despised neighbour's house is burning down, you get out your water buckets and fire blankets and help him out because it is in your own best interests to do so. Do nothing and you risk your own house burning down.

Looking at things post-18 September, Clause 30 of The Edinburgh Agreement states ... "The two governments are committed to continue to work together constructively in the light of the outcome, whatever it is, in the best interests of the people of Scotland and of the rest of the United Kingdom". This would appear to hamper any "squeeze-until-the-pips-squeak" attitude on the part of rUK. The key words being "in the best interest" - as saintbletch puts it in post 703, the two countries are so linked it wouldn't be of any help for the rUK to play excessive hard-ball, whereas for Scotland, a bit of hard-ball could well go a long way. Do we really want to see UN Refugee camps in Berwick-on-Tweed? Or in Gretna, come to that.