cambsaint

I was in Manchester in 1967 and watched Best Charlton Law and Crerand at Old Trafford. George Best was without doubt the most gifted player I've ever seen, his skills were incredible. Le Tiss would have been the second. Paine was much underated, his ability to provide superb service to a number of different high scoring forwards in a relatively moderate team never got the credit he deserved. Unfortunately like many other sublimely gifted players he failed to be a complete player, and you have to ask if gifted but flawed players (like Le Tiss) are really great. Although I never saw him the flesh Franz Beckenbauer is probably the most complete player in my lifetime, his skills were superb, his leadership excellent and he won rather a lot of important cups for Germany. One of the best defensive players I ever watched was Dave Mackay, harder than steel, skilful in the tackle, good reader of the game and superb distribution. The best goalie Peter Shilton- I swear I've seen him turn in the air and keep out a certain goal.

Regrettably I can't get to matches due mainly to my health and the distance. I followed Saints from the late Div 3S days of the early sixties. The money in the game means we cannot compare performances. For instance Paine and Channon would be like Bale or Walcott snatched away long before their potential was realised. However one fact concerns me greatly about the start to this season and that is only one league goal from three games.Our inabilitry to score must be laid at AP's door as he is responsible for tactics, training, fitness and motivation. We know the players have the ability, what is holding us back must either be in the minds, mutual understanding or fitness. All the responsibility of AP. I am not calling for his head quite yet, I have confidence that he will get it right, I think he is as good as we're likely to get, but he MUST get it right immediately. ( Unless we gave Martin O'Neill a massive 5 year contract and a big budget and let him build and grow his own team.) Come to think that is exactly what Pardew has got.

If I were A P I'd be very worried. I suspect a certain N Cortese has probably less patience than most of the fans, wants value for money and a good return on a vast investment and will 'Whack' AP very shortly if no improvement. I'll leave it to him.

I think the club should play the Cup Final Hymn-Abide with me - followed by two minutes silence then Glory glory.. from the fans.

Hi I paid by cheque the first year. I don't have or want a Paypal A/c. I am prepared to pay by good old fashioned cheque in the post. Can I still do this? Cambsaint

If It's true it is ludicrous and potentially disatrous. Pardew may not be a good Prem manager but he's plenty good enough to get us there. Who else is out there both proven and better. If it happens then we are back to the Lowe IQ school of Football Management. Perhaps though he has been set the targets I've set him: Automatic promotion by end March, over 100 points, undefeated in the league, good FA Cup run and retain Johnson's Paint Trophy; or get the sack. Maybe he thinks the bar has been set too high, and complained!!

I don't post very often, but over the years I have found that goal difference over a season rarely lies. I'm very happy with Pardew's performance this year and IMO we were damned lucky to find a proven manager. I hope he stays takes us to an all-time points record promotion next year and lays the foundations for our return to the Prem in about three or four years. (No point in going up before you're ready unless you want a thoroughly depressing year in the top league." Cambsaint

Great Result; I hope that we get into the play-offs on Goal Difference. Then it'll be difficult but the momentum would be with us for the most incredible promotion ever. Keep the faith. Cambsaint

Good Grief Turkish; at first I thought you were referring to a famous rugby song we used to sing at Uni when in the coach to inter-uni matches. Cambsaint

I think that as supporters we should hope that Saints win the large majority of their remaining games, and draw the few difficult ones. We should also hope that a couple of better placed clubs have form lapses on the run in. If so we may just, with luck and no key injuries, scrape into the play-offs and even win a very unlikely promotion. If we were being rational and not supporters then we would take a cold look at the stats and realise just how difficult it will be. So lets just be supporters and HOPE. COYR

For the Cambridge United playoffs you could tickets in the Club Wembley seats if you missed out on the Cambridge end.

Ridiculous isn't when you can't even post a chap's name without censorship!

I thought Six-Balls (Trebil****) may have been in the Blue few, he was but I think he came from Everton. Cambsaint

Many years ago when we formed The Wessex Liberation Organisation, we named the metropolitan abomination as "The Slagheap of the South Midlands", which is I consider still an accurate epithet, and Basingstoke was considered as the line where the North began, and of course we still regarded Winchester as the capital of England and Wessex. We did play on acronyms of OSA as we were Old Symondians (that's in the days when it was a proper school that tried beat a classical education into you), but we never found one we liked. However it is heartwarming to see that a topic that was dear to our hearts when Saints first joined Division One and England won the World Cup is still active today.

I still remember it well as going away was very unusual. Regrettably I can't remember my first home game only the memorable thrashings of Rotherham, and Wolves. A mate's Dad hired a minibus and we went from Romsey to Coventry for a Cup tie, in about 64/5. I seem to remember that Jimmy Hill had just taken over and the razamatazz of the Sky blues was news in those days. My first ever pro game was watching Cardiff City with my Dad and Uncle when they were in the first Division-I think we went because it was the Arsenal and we were staying at my Aunty's, but I was very young. I can still remember that it was pouring wirh rain and even in the stands we got soaked. My second was my next door neighbour (a real mancunian) taking me to watch Man U at Arsenal in the very early sixties.(With 65K in Highbury and about 5ft you didn't see very much-but the atmosphere was incredible). My Dad worked nearly every Saturday and living on the outskirts of Winchester it wasn't easy and also quite expensive to get to the Dell as a schoolboy.

Is she "An Alehouse Brawler" She'd have fitted in well in those days.

I have no argument with the make-up, but I found the order very bizarre.

I FIND THE ATTITUDE THAT VIOLENT BEHAVIOUR SHOULD BE TOLERATED IN ANY SHAPE OR FORM IN A CIVILISED SOCIETY TOTALLY REPUGNANT. I wish the police would take firm action and magistrates should always impose a custodial sentence of at least 6 months served. I don't care who the supporters are, why is football the only sport associated with violence?

They're at Duxford on Saturday, closing the afternoon. One was marking the flight out at about 3pm. Wondered why there was only one , there's usually more do the practice run. If you're interested in WW2 aircraft, Duxford is a must. I enjoy walking the dog listening to and watching the Spits and other aircraft doing their test flights. Cambsaint

They are £60 each at face. CS

My son and I used to watch him at Cambridge Utd in their glory days when he partnered Dion Dublin. John Beck the manager took the credit, but it was really due to a squad that matured and were much better than the opposition. Claridge was always in trouble for not having his socks up, and being too much of an individual. I think they hated each other. Cambsaint

Due to having to urgently visit family I have two tickets for Eng/Aust ODI next Weds 9/9. Any reasonable offers considered. Please pm. Payment by Paypal, tickets will be posted Monday special delivery. This is a genuine offer by a disappointed fan who wanted to see the new ground and visit Winchester again. Cambsaint

Today's Telegraph has a very interesting article. Standard Bank apparently want to be repaid £20 and get out. They have had to go cap in hand top other clubs they owe transfer money to. Al Fahaim is trying to amortise the TV income against a loan. 'As even a fule can see how stupid that would be', with relegation a very real possibility, I can't see that succeeding. They appear to be desperately paddling up and down the many creeks around Portsea Island without a paddle and having to resort to their hands. I think someone will buy them but will wait for the bargain basement in or effectively in admin price. Would you buy now, even if you wanted a Southern England Prem club?

The title of your post gives you the answer Top Gun. Childhood heroes are exactly that and should be left as such, along with other fond memories.. When older the cold light of rationality must guide your judgement, but childhood is a time for heroes, playing and growing up.. I'm probably a decade or so older than you and of the players you mentioned Steve Williams was a deeply flawed footballing genius-but probably with very little brain, and Moran, Boyer and Wallace were good but hardly outstanding players. So I think on balance it is best to keep your childhood heroes and not expose them to too much judgement.

Cambridge United- a good little club.