spyinthesky

Good spot. Didn't realise that This reminds me of the fact that I went by myself to the game and sat in the Chapel end for a change as I had to be away quickly Remember it was a really cold night and I was watching the final minutes from the exit but was able to see the equaliser and then, with many others return to the bowl to see us win the penalty shoot out 6-5 I think

Wasn't there a game in the early rounds where we were close to going out (V Norwich?)

Last game of the season away to Man City and we would not have gone up if we had lost 6-0 Think Malcolm Alison was the Asst Manager (to Joe Mercer?) at Maine Road and he spouted off that City would beat us comfortably (it ended 0-0) similar to his bellicose statements when he managed Palace when we played them in the '76 Cup Semi Final Remember waiting to hear the result on the radio then we went up to the local pub for an under age drink to celebrate!!

I know its old news but there are a lot of us with genuine affection and respect for Nige and SRL for their contribution to Saints success story. Wonder what next season has in prospect for both of them? Possibility that Nigel will part company with Sheffield Utd who seem likely to miss out on promotion again, which won't go down well with the club owners. Likewise SRL will presumably leave WBA and perhaps end up in the Championship where I reckon he will do well in a decent team Best of luck to both of them On a separate matter interesting to see that two of our loaned out central defensive players ie Stephens and Turnbull were on opposite sides in the Coventry v Swindon game at the weekend (both of them had played regularly at Swindon in the past) a game that also featured Aaaron Martin

Based on current form and RK's playing system would possibly look something like: Forster...............(Skelelenburg) Martina.............. (Cedric) Fonte..................(Gardos) VVD Bertrand Romeu................(Claisse) Wanyama Davis.................(Ward Prowse) Mane Pelle..................(Austin) Long..................(Rodriguez) So, on above basis, no place for other players regularly included in the match day squad ie Tadic, Yosida, Targett, Juanmi, plus two keepers This would all be subject to form, fitness and system but whatever formation used it shows that when all players are available we have a reasonably strong bench, which has not always been the case in recent years.

The Royal Society suffered a huge financial loss in the 17th century when it decided to publish Francis Willughby's lavishly illustrated but unpopular 'History of Fish' The loss was so great that they were unable to finance publication of Isaac Newton's 'Principia' which proved to be one of the most important scientific texts in history Publication was underwritten, out of his own pocket, by astronomer Edmond Halley who was clerk of the Royal Society at the time. Unfortunately, following publication, the Royal Society could no longer afford Halley's salary and he was paid off in unsold of 'The History of Fish' Shades of what happened around 350 years later down the road with the 'Fishy Few' and 'History' !!

'The History of Fish' The Royal Society suffered a huge financial loss in the 17th century when it decided to publish Francis Willughby's lavishly illustrated but unpopular 'History of Fish' The loss was so great that they were unable to finance publication of Isaac Newton's 'Principia' which proved to be one of the most scientific texts in history Publication was underwritten, out of his own pocket, by astronomer Edmond Halley who was clerk of the Royal Society at the time. Unfortunately, following publication, the Royal Society could no longer afford Halley's salary and he was paid off in unsold in unsold copies of 'The History of Fish' Shades of what happened around 350 years later down the road with the 'Fishy Few' and 'History' !!

Wonder if anyone in the insurance business has an idea of the annual cost of insurance cover for the club is likely to be. The increasing value of players impacting on the cost of injury, and particularly, travelling cost must be substantial Presumably clubs use specialist insurance brokers rather than use the meerkat comparison site!!!

Horses also crop and fertilise the pitch before returning to base

Correct 60's in body Much younger in mind

Good post

Interesting I was in the lower Chocolate Box that day and when Martin Chivers got hold of the ball on the right wing, I was fairly certain the ball was over the line but he went onto to cross for Terry Paine to score. If we had drawn that game we would probably not have been promoted and where we would be now?

First phase opened in 1971 but recollect we may have had to negotiate the dual carriageway thro Hockley in 1976 en route to the Cup Final

Perhaps we can now add the 6 Southern league titles we won prior to entering the Football League in 1921 It is a bummer that Pompey do have more trophies to boast about than we do (despite all bar one being inaccurately described) However Saints have the much better head to head record and higher average attendances and have finished above Pompey in the Football league for 53 of the 89 years of competition since 1921 and for 15 years out of 22 in the Southern league

I was at that game too. Lost 5-3 after Ron Davies put us 1-0 up It would be very difficult to judge away followings at the time as I am pretty sure that almost all entrance to the ground (perhaps excluding stand tickets) were pay at the gate so there were few if any means of recording the number of away supporters However I do agree that it was fairly crushed on the terraces behind the goal where we stood

The 1966 promotion season burns brightly in my mind Went away to Norwich on the coach (Shamrock and Rambler - orange coaches. Offices next to the Bedford Place coach station) Won 4-3 Bolton (by myself as we were away on half term holiday in the N west) Won 3-2 Cardiff (coach with no heating - very cold. Trouble at the game. I got hit in the face with a hot pie thrown in to the crowd. Couldn't get the smell out of the new reefer jacket I had as a Christmas present) Won 5-3 Pompey Won 5-2 (our reserve CF Norman Dean scored a hat trick) Wolves (Saints about 10th at the time. Dave Webb made his debut at RB and scored with an overhead kick and we then went 12 games undefeated) Drew 1-1 Bristol City (went down to Bristol on the Special train. Lots of toilet paper thrown out of the carriage windows going through the viaduct at Bath and then someone setting fire to it) Won 1-0 Plymouth (as at Bristol lots of Saints fans there. No real segregation in those days. Bloke near us bottled after an argument. Not sure if the victim was a Saints fan) Won 3-2 Leyton Orient (I organised a coach from school and think the party included our rather corpulent History master. Must have been at least 10,000 Saints fans at Brisbane Road. Big pitch invasion when we all thought the game had finished. Remember a copper trying to stem the tide and got trampled on. However still a few minutes to play and we all had to return to the terraces so I went to 8 away League games and didn't see us lose once We also went to Orient earlier in the season but the game was cancelled due to a waterlogged pitch and our coach driver took us to Griffin park to see Brentford lose to Hull in a 3rd Division fixture A gang of us also went up to Hull for the FA Cup 3rd Rd tie travelling overnight on a Special Train form the old Docks station. Really cold and foggy and we lost 1-0 against a decent Hull side Didn't arrive home until the early hours of Sunday morning and I have to be up at 0700 to do my Sunday paper round in the pouring rain Happy Days!!!

Not that common I think as most people supported their local club and the only options for away travel was train or coach as not many people could travel independently by car. My first away game was at Selhurst Park with my Dad in the early 60's, I think by special train We certainly took big followings away on our cup run in 1963 but cup games always seemed to attract good support which was in contrast to League games I remember being at Burden Park in our first promotion season in 1965/66 and not seeing another Saints fan (won 3-2 I think)

I was at that game too Didn't the Blackpool fans have a duck or chicken as a mascot at the time which was paraded on the pitch before the game bedecked in orange and white favours A few teams had animals as mascots as I recollect and then, later, there were the regular police dog display teams to keep us entertained

Thanks for this Did Clive Mendoca play for Charlton at the time? Who could imagine losing 5-0 at the Valley these days? Mind you I was at the Valley the season after we won the cup and we got beat 6-2 to go bottom of Div 2 We bought tickets in their small main stand and found some people (Charlton fans I think) sat in our seats. By the time we had finished arguing over this we were two or three down and beyond caring Could have been Ted MacDougalls first game for Saints

Duncan A bit off topic but do you remember the Brown and Harrisons dairy at the bottom of Milton Road/Hill lane and the horse drawn dairy floats Also the fish and chip shop by the cut through to St Marks Church? We lived at 55 Milton Road for a while and remember the queues past our house for big games at the Dell in the 1950's

But as a 9 year old I loved the rare opportunity when my Dad would pay for us to sit down undercover rather than stand on a cold and windswept terrace. When I started going to home (and occasional away) games with my mates, first of all we mainly went dressed in our best gear (as this was really the only alternative to school clothes) and I used carry a fairly heavy wooden box which provided space for my sandwiches, decorated rattle, scarf and other odds and ends, plus enable me to actually see on a crowded terrace as I was quite small as a nipper I remember falling off the box at Villa Park in the 1963 Semi final and struggling to get upright. We were actually stood at the Man Utd end at this game (the main body of Saints fans were at the Holte End) but there were no crowd problems in those days as I recollect That was the game were thousands went up to Birmingham in a procession of Special Trains from Central Station

I use a guy who trades under the banner of Fine Lawn Used to be a Greenkeeper at several Golf Clubs and has done consultancy work for a few football clubs He certainly seems to know his stuff and has made a big difference to my, relatively large, lawn. He prefers not to use chemical products if at all possible He is a Sunderland fan but I guess we can forgive him this Charges about £40/50 per visit dependent on what is required

No thanks for that You are probably right about the 1.30 Gate opening time That means we would have only had to wait 30 mins to gain entry to the ground It seemed longer. Certainly can remember for big games the queues seemed to go on for ever Night games used to be special as the smoke from the many cigarette and pipe users was highlighted by the old floodlights on the stand roofs and this mingled with the smell of alcohol which seemed more prevalent on cold winter nights. I can recollect one game in our first season back in Div 2, early 60's, versus Liverpool The club put the boys entry up 50% from 1/- to 1/6d without too much or any prior notice and many of us didn't have the extra money to get in. Fortunately my Dad was a steward at the time and I managed to get a message to him and the stile man let me in for free!! Great as we won 4-1 as I recollect and my Dad and I were at Anfield a few weeks later when we won 1-0. Probably one of the very few Saints fans in the ground as no team really travelled in big numbers in those days but we were in the area on holiday