spyinthesky

I was caught up at the tail end of this 'skirmish', as a concerned onlooker I should add. Remember a gang of tough looking (mainly) female Brummie skinheads standing at the bottom end of Hill Lane challenging passers by to take them on. This wasn't the only threat of violence faced in the journey up to Wilton Road This wasn't the only

Both goals scored by central defenders!!

Good post No one can deny winning trophies is the raison d'etre for all teams especially when it is entirely against the odds such as our triumph in 1976. However the likes of Pompey and Huddersfield have won more trophies but I would argue that supporting Saints over many, many years, I have seen better players and a higher quality of football than supporters of aforementioned teams.

Three London based clubs who are, apparently, subject to pressure to sell/give up their grounds and relocate due to the value of London property. No particular affection for any of the three clubs but perhaps symptomatic of the pressures on leisure activities compared to the requirements of the property market

Terry Curran Crap but his goal v Leeds sent us to Wembley in 1979 Got sent off at QPR the following season I think Steve Baker Local lad but a pretty poor full back

Toomer I don't suppose you ever studied part time for an ONC in the buildings in St Mary St and Bugle Street back in the late 60's?

I for one need assistance with modern technology and often reflect that there should be a Forum for us 'oldies' where we could exchange correspondence using the vast numbers of biros and fountain pens plus reams of velum paper accumulated over many past Christmas and Birthdays and now gathering dust in the loft. Your respectful and obedient servant,

I used to go to games at home from the late 50's and started going away from the early 60's. At that stage both home and away fans used to mix quite easily even at Fratton Park although I can remember one or two 'one on one' disagreements at Fratton. From my perspective the hooliganism side started to rear its head around about the time we were first promoted from the 2nd to the 1st Division in 1966 and there were some dodgy incidents at Cardiff and Plymouth that season but mainly small fights involving three or four people and throwing coins and bits of food etc. I think the first real problems I can remember was when Pompey fans came down to the Dell in relatively large numbers for John Hollowbread's testimonial at the end of 1966 season and the start of the following season when Chelsea fans came down in big numbers and invaded the Milton Road end. You had to be very careful after that. btw I remember Dougal well from around those times at the Dell with Roger Weedon and others. Dougal never seemed to be overtly out to cause trouble but was never shy in fronting up if opposing fans wanted to have a go. It always seemed a little odd that Saints never had a noticeable 'firm' but, as primarily a football fan who would rather engage with opposing fans rather than fight them, I prefer it that way. However as FF says, it was a ritual for some young lads to look forward more to a dust up with rival fans that actually watching their team play

I think we have to tip our collective hats to those long suffering fans who made the journey to Goodison Park I have followed the Saints there on at least half a dozen occasions and the performances have been dire on every occasion Remember one game when we had to play David McGoldrick and Leon Best upfront (both of them fresh out of the Youth team) Don't think we had a sniff at goal. Nothing changes!!

Earlier in the season a poster on here (perhaps with more foresight than most) suggested a parallel with us appointing Puel, with Eric Black as No 2, to Villa's appointment of Remi Garde last season, with Eric Black as his assistant. It could be that we are heading the same way this season with the French Manager (with limited English)/Black combination. Remi Garde always came over as being like a rabbit caught in the headlights and Puel increasingly comes across the same way. Eric Black was not well thought of by many fans at Villa Park and I wonder if history is about to repeat itself. I do hope not but these are worrying times.

Perhaps we could play a Championship level side, against Norwich to see how they would get on if the worse case scenario comes about Mind you, the way we have been playing lately, our first choice side is effectively Championship level What we could really do without is a replay, another sending off or injuries to any of our (few) better players

We have really gone down hill recently A bad run of results in the Prem for anyone bar the top 6 is understandable However collectively we look completely out of sorts and devoid of ideas and team spirit I think this is damage limitation now Forget about the cups and concentrate on staying in the Prem. I can forsee meltdown occurring So glad we got the results against Bournemouth, Everton and Boro

Ridiculous reaction from some supporters Collectively there are some in the crowd who have form Look at reactions to Boruc and Stecklenburg, amongst others.

Any idea of the attendance? There would have been three more but I had to attend a social function Enjoyed the drinky poos though!!

John You and I share the length of time we have followed the Saints When we were in the Third Div South I never expected us to be so well established in the top tier, winning a major trophy at Wembley, playing in a decent stadium or watching my team in Europe in front of 7,000 fans There was even talk, after the near misses immediately post WW2, that the Board did not want us to play in the top division. For many years we could score goals for fun but also suffer regular hammerings Then there were the years of regularly fighting relegation followed by melt down. Since then our collective aspiration level has increased significantly and anything less than a mid table Prem finish is considered failure. However we are really in a good place at the moment and should celebrate the fact whilst it lasts. I went to school on the border area east of here and I regularly contemplater my good fortune in supporting the Saints in comparison to some of my school mates who can only look with a good deal of jealousy at what our club has achieved compared to their rather flakey efforts

In was involved about 10-12 years ago with a rail franchise (no longer in existence) who were looking to offer an alternative service to London and beyond with a station in/around Canute Road. However there were a number of challenges including finding a site for a station, run round space for the loco and the need to run diesel engines as the line is not electrified. Understand the latter would be a problem for SW Trains for example as all their services to London use electric propulsion.

Dressing Room strop Ten players, led by Jose, having a row with Puel elsewhere in the Vitality

Quite an interesting comparison in the match reports on the respective club web sites. The Saints one is well written and not too partisan The author of the Man Utd report appears to be someone with limited journalist experience (probably a 'cub' reporter) who has no access to a copy writer as indicated by the various spelling errors and poor grammar. Also it is quite condescending in parts towards the Saints Youth team. I think the person behind the report has been following the 'Factless Allen' style of writing!!

I thought the words were.. 'Give it to Ron, give it to Ron on his head, on his head... Also .. Aye aye aye yay, Forsyth is better than Yashin, Ron Davies is better than Eusebio and you're all in for a thrashing.... Not sure of the name of tune but some Mexican/Spanish ditty. Wording representative of gentler times perhaps.

Appreciate this has been mentioned before but... SAINTS doing OK in the Prem (could be better)/ Flirtation with Europe/Semis of League Cup/Still in FA and Checkatrade Cups. Newish ground BOURNEMOUTH highest ever League position. New ground in prospect BRIGHTON likely promotion to the Prem. New ground. EASTLEIGH still in the FA Cup. Ground upgrade ongoing. POMPEY still in 4th division. No new ground in prospect.

Foxy Good post I was sat in the Itchen and presume the area allocated to the away fans was something to do with UEFA rules as there were a smaller number of Inter fans in this section in the previous game but only 'supervised' by a few 'wet behind the ears' stewards. Both the Israeli and Italian fans were well behaved but celebrated when their team scored. The response to this from a few Saints fans in the vicinity was embarrassing and a tad laughable. There were a few that shouted and gesticulated at the Inter fans when they went 1-0 up but the response on going a goal down on Thursday was much more intense One chap, basically wild eyed and almost foaming at the mouth, pushed passed about 30-40 home supporters in his row and made his way along to the away area before being apprehended by stewards and ushered away. There were probably half a dozen more supporters who seemed intent at getting at the away supporters in the Itchen. In amongst the rant aimed at the visiting fans, there were some choice words directed at the home supporters who 'were sat on their arses doing nothing' which I am please to say covered the vast majority of us. Hands up, I was mightily cheesed at being 1-0 down but my disgust was at our teams performance not the away fans celebration. Our fans are generally a very decent and tolerant crowd but there were one or two who let themselves and the club down on Thursday night

Sad news indeed. However on a lighter note any one remember the ditty...'No goals today Maclaren's gone away, we've got a goalkeeper his name is Gerry Gurr'... Sang to the tune of Hermans Hermits ..'No milk today'..a poptastic hit of the time.

Will Norwich field a full strength side bearing in mind they are looking for an instant return to the Prem which would be their priority Remember well the 5-4 game and also the JPT cup tie at St Marys

Duncan I have some degree of sympathy for your view on this However circumstances were far different at the time and one lone voice would have found it very difficult to be heard amongst the general consensus at the time of sweeping such things under the carpet and, in fact, implicating the innocent party as well as the perpetrator. I played football with a couple of lads who 'came out' in later life (we had our suspicions but nothing else) and they would have been slaughtered by some of their more 'vocal' teammates if the truth had been known. I am pretty sure if I had been subject to abuse at the time I would have kept it quiet for the shame it would have brought on me As I posted earlier I have a good mate, a real tough lad, who went through abuse as a youngster and kept it quiet for many years and, unbeknown to us, it affected his life as he grew up and I guess it still does to some extent

The way I see it, for what its worth, is that Jose was offered a decent pay rise but not an extended contract due to his age Much as I like Jose as a player and as for what he has achieved with the club, I would agree with the clubs stance if my assumption is correct