dellboypete

without reading all the thread - what was the score?

I'm hoping for heated seats!!

Of course with the CL in it's current format (4 from the prem) it really is a dream. But there have been a few articles recently that UEFA and platini have talked about merging the CL and the Europa league, which would mean that almost half the premier league would qualify. I'm sure that there would be other criteria involved somewhere, but it would give clubs like us a realistic chance.

Surely Kevin Davies must be a prime candidate - sold him to blackburn for 7.5 mill or close, then got him back in part exchange for someone - Egil??

Just on the way back from a business trip to Namibia (currently in transit in Dubai). Got to Windhoek airport several hours before the flight to Joburg last night to find all the seats in the Business Lounge had bags on them but very few people around. Turns out there was a direct flight to Frankfurt about 6 hours later and that all the hermans had turned up early to claim their seats in the lounge. Not only that but when they did show up in dribs and drabs they proceeded to eat and drink the relatively small lounge dry. I was talking to a couple of afrikaans proping up the bar (no seats) who were really ****ed off saying (completely non-racial) things like "f**king germans, they come here and think they own the place" (which they used to of course!)

but as with the everton tickets they were stuck in the envelope with a bit of sticky tape!! very tacky - but effective!

Went to a seminar at Stamford Bridge yesterday afternoon – in the Ron Harris suite. The seminar was OK but the highlight was a guided tour of the stadium by Ron Harris himself. There were about 30 people at the seminar and the first thing he asks is “Have we got any real football fans here?” Of course loads put their hands up and when asked it was the usual ManU etc and never go to games. It so happens my boss who I went with has been a season ticket holder at Chelsea since the late 60’s and Chopper was his hero as a kid. So when he found out I’m a ST at the saints we got preferential treatment! There was a question and answer sesh and amongst other questions somebody asked him did he play against any players as hard as him, and after mentioning the likes of Yeats, Smith etc of lpool, he came up with Dennis Hollywood and John McGrath. Two of my heroes as a kid – in fact John McGrath and Brian O’neil coached our school team for half a season when they were doing their FA coaching badges. One of my first ever away games after I went to secondary school was Chelsea away in 1967 – I still remember it as it was the Saturday before school started in September – we won 6-2 – and Ron Harris said that that was one of his biggest ever nightmares with Ron Davies (4) and Martin Chivers (2) giving their defence hell and he also mentioned John Sydenham (possibly after me prompting him) who nobody could get near all afternoon. The other highlight (not for me though) was the massive fight on Fulham Broadway underground station afterwards. I asked him what happened to David Webb – who did so much to keep us in the old 1st div before he went to Chelsea and became one of their favourites – Chopper said that they have lots of team reunions but that webbo as he called him, very rarely has anything to do with football anymore and has become a bit of a recluse. Of course I had to ask him about Peter Osgood (splendid statue of him outside the ground by the way). Probably the biggest legend in Chelsea history I gather, and massive with us too, especially after '76. It was obvious that the Chelsea team of the late 60’s and early 70’s was extremely close knit and when Osgood died he said it was like losing a brother. I was lucky enough to meet Ossie when I lived in Dubai – he did an after dinner talk at the old Country Club and PhilippineSaint and I (in former guises) both got completely rat-arsed (found your coat yet Pete?). I went armed with saints shirts, books etc and he signed them all. Sadly he died shortly after that.

Extremely! She's doing the Gt South Run on the 28th Oct and has to get from portsmouth to SMS immediately after (but I don't suppose she's running)!!

My daughter is driving over from York - leaving around 10ish and can offer a lift there and back (share petrol etc) if anyone in the York area or somewhere on route is interested.

Been with VM for over 4 years now and got no complaints - got the full package tv-phone-internet and haven't really had anything to complain about. Except that the customer service used to be appalling (on the very few times I called up) but it has really improved over the last year or so. The digi box is brilliant - record two progs whilst watching another - a mate has just upgraded to the tivo which has huge recording capacity and he says that like the sky box you can programme it from your mobile apparently. Internet speeds are lightning fast (where we are anyway), we are currently on 30mbs and we are being upgraded to nearly 100mbs next spring.

Yeah, but they had fantastic sports facilities!

Interesting thread as my dad was the site manager for C A Parsons who put in the steam turbines in (not rolls royce gas turbines as mentioned above.). As a school kid he used to take me down to the site regularly from when the construction first started in 1963 through to when it was commissioned in 1971. There were four 500Mw turbine sets, which were probably the world's most advanced at the time. The problem with Fawley was that when it was planned and construction started, oil was ultra cheap - the spot price for oil was under us$3 in 1963. by 1974 (arab/israel war) it had quadrupled to $12 and by 1981 (some other minor middle east disagreement?) it hit $36, making electricity generation using oil unbelievably uneconomic. Fawley rarely ran at full capacity and two of the turbine sets were mothballed in the late 80's or early 90's, reducing max output to 1000Mw. My dad died some years ago but I still have loads of his photos, most of which were official ones taken for his company. I dug some out last night and I have a superb A3 aerial shot of the power station with the then brand new QE2 in Soton Water behind, probably taken around 1970. As an aside, anyone who remembers the QE2 coming into Soton for the first time in late 68/early 69 will remember that it was towed in by tugs from Cowes Roads as it suffered from severe turbine problems during it's sea trials (I nipped down to Calshot to get some fotos with my instamatic from home in Holbury). My dad, being a turbine specialist, was called in to help out and advise and the QE2 eventually made its maiden voyage to New York in May 69 I think - there were tens of 1000's in soton watching her go (including me!)

Reading about this in variuos papers this morning including http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/sep/17/england-tests-away-twickenham-2015 St Mary's doesn't get a mention and may not figure, and it seems that some premier league managers are opposed to it as the RWC is from 18 September to 31 October 2015 with the possibility/probability of the pitches being damaged. I'd still love to see it at SMS but will be interesting to see how they fit the games around the football fixtuers.

Surprised nobody has really mentioned Gervinho & Cazorla for arsenal. These have got to be two of the best players in the premier at the moment. Gervinho was unplayable and was so frigging quick he caused so many problems for our back four, And Cazorla - first time I've seen him. For such a small guy he was outstanding. These two were far far better than anything manure had to offer and I was at mcity too when I thought that they had a decent midfield - it will take a good side to beat arsenal. To be honest I'm still upbeat about our chances this season. We are not going to play a team the quality of arsenal every week and we have shown that we can match the mank clubs and lets be honest, we should have wrapped up the game against wigan in the first half. I just hope that the team doesn't get too down hearted, but the short time that Ramires was on the pitch made me realise that we could have a real gem there and if he can link up with morgan and llanana we should be making many more chances.

Hi Eric Packing your bags again?? Was living in Sharjah at the time and the two eldest kids were on a flight from LHR to DXB when all hell let loose. Picked them up from dxb late that night - half the (not very large) Dubai army was at the airport

Funny how coincidences happen - talking about the speed of light and stuff (coincidentally ) I was on a train coming out of waterloo last night and another train left at exactly the same time (that's a coincidence in itself on SWT). We traveled at exactly the same speed (slow - not the speed of light!!) as far as Vauxall. During that time you had the uncanny feeling that you weren't actually moving. having done physics at university many eons ago I immediately started thinking in terms of frames of reference (as you do) and the special theory of relativity which was developed by Einstein (probably on a train coming out of waterloo that left at exactly the same time as another train!) in which one of his postulates was the constant speed of light. So when I got in the office this morning I spent sometime refreshing the grey matter on these important and fundamental concepts to mankind Then I log into saintsweb and I find the rest of the known universe discussing the speed of light - weird or what

But why are Crawley rated as 14th most offensive? presumably the cash rich sugar daddy - or have I missed something?

Didn't like it when it came out, and still don't. Quite like the white away strip though

In The Times this morning they discussed the lack of young players coming through for England, especially in midfield. In particular they mention the likes of Cleverly, Wilshere, henderson and Rodwell. It says that Cleverly, who is in the England squad, has only started 8 games for manu and having seen him on sunday I was not over impressed with what I saw. If Hodgson was at St Marys he must have been really impressed with Lallana and also Clyne. Lallana has certainly made the step up to premier level and does not look at all out of his depth or overawed. And Clyne has to be one of the best prospects, and signings that we have made in recent years and hopefully he will prove himself for England U21. Again he hasn't looked at all overwhelmed against either of the manchester sides (needs a pair of non-slip boots though )

the Tees is tidal way past mbro - and the Riverside is on the sea-side of town

My sentiments entirely. Not many people, rich or poor, would put a pile of their own cash into the club knowing that there was realistically no chance of seeing it again. And it's brilliant to see he is still a regular supporter and didn't feel cast out.

Ha Ha, he's a complete unknown entity to us as well!!

Fantastic deal for forest

Just out of interest, what are you going to watch next Saturday?

just discovered that myself!!