david in sweden

of course, the response to this suggestion was fairly predicable, though I didn't expect such an angry response from some. However, just when I'd admitted defeat and put this one to bed, I then noticed that Alan Pardew's comments in " calling for focus " on the OS, also contained some of my own worries about the subject. Reading between the lines, he seems to suggest he enjoys the idea of " holiday football " but has experienced the backlash of New year games that upset the form table. Of course if we're lucky enough to pick up 9 points in the next three League games, people will be happier and think nothing of it, but if they go wrong, it's a real kick in the a** for hopes of a sustained improvement.

well obviously not THIS season, but I think he and Surman got seelcted last season didn't they ..? despite..r*********. AND there are still articles circulating from those useless journos who hint at interest from Prem.clubs. Although AP seems to have advised him well. YES, I think we can say that his development WAS at Saints.

.but was surely good enough to play at U21 level for England - wasn't it ?

I took a long look at your very impressive list and couldn't see... GARETH BALE ? ..and what 's that other lad's name...Theo?, Theo Walnut, or something:confused: sorry, its all that pre-Christmas cheer . YES, of course... Walcott. Didn't they both start with us , too ?

Yes,and do you know that there are some people who even refuse to discuss the subject. Perhaps it puts the fear of G*d into them ..... Now that doesn't sound right - does it ?

Maurice Dancing ..who does he play for ? Will we sign him in the transfer window,...... or ?

Nowadays almost any West Country side we play counts as a " local derby ", I suppose:confused:

Well actually, Christmas " replaced " a pagan festival that was at years end in Roman Times. They weren't stupid enough to take away the festival...imagine a Government trying to take away a Bank Holiday, say ..Whitsun .. there would be a revolution !...so they changed it to fit the bill. Strange really, Easter is a moveable feast, but Christmas isn't.:confused: AND I think you'll find that it might not have been called September, someone else suggested March or April..? but thats Roman anyway. Jesus grew up in a Jewish culture, and the ancient Jewish year was based on the moons phases and there are 13 of them. ( 28 days x 13 = 364 ...and a day or so left over) .

Hey LTC .Last I heard Duncan said there were still some copies of ITN available so why not get your lazy friend to buy his own copy - its worth the Booker Prize anytime !

I don't think it's days, eelpie ..but maybe that 5 years that got lost so long ago is the 5 years that ML / NC say it will take for us to get back to being a top Prem.side ?

Yes, around theat time,I think... maybe 5 BC. I watched a TV prog.someyears back that suggested that the Bethlehem Star was in fact a " triple conjunction " of 3 planets around that time. Which was of itself a pretty unique occurance, and of course the three wise men, didn't have access to the Hubble telescope at the time, and they wrote about it as they saw it. Unfortunately, the 4th century monk charged with the task of calculating the calendar back to find the " actual date " lost count on his fingers and toes and missed it by about 5 years. By the time the error was discovered, over a thousand years had passed, and no-one wanted to alter the history books or almanacs. There were problems enough in 1753 when the Astronomer Royal deleted 10 days from the calender and there were street riots on London calling for the 10 days to be restored.

ABSOLUTELY !.. and we don't know the exact year either, it was all the fault of that Dionysius Exiguus (and a bit from Archbishop Usher) that fouled up the calendar we have now. However, there are people still alive today who can't tell you with any great certainty which month..or even which YEAR they were born in ! I think the most important thing is not that we celebrate on a certain day ..but the fact that we remember to celebrate it anyway.

How do you know it wasn't a few THOUSAND...or even prayers of ONE person, eh? Dare I say to you that I was " wishing " very hard for an equaliser in the 92nd minute last Tuesday evening, but I'm not taking the credit for Waigo's goal, or Bart's saves. ...and I always understood it wasn't what God " allows, or ignores " but more a case of what the governments of.. or.. the people of the world allow to happen. Famine and storms aren't preventable but there are enough resources in the World to help people in catastrophic situations. If not enough people care - nothing will change. You don't always get the answer you want, BUT maybe the opponents fans prayed harder ! OUCH

..and it has to be said that teams with a well-organised defence will always be able to catch a winger (almost any winger) off-side most of the time. Some sides do it very successfully, so it's no surprise to see it - even up to the Premiership level. Not every game, of course but it happens a lot. If the passing to him is that predictable, then the opposing defenders will read it and with his turn of speed, he'll be offside a lot more - unless midfielders can be more creative.

Does that include tickets sent to Exeter, sold /unsold... I wonder?

I did think this was a serious suggestion worth consideration but it seems I'm in the minority and so I'm happy to quit now. It seems few people had read the original post that carefully. But to summarise - I was NOT neccesarily advocating a break AT Christmas, but at some suitable time when the UK's (so-called) temperate climate is at its worst.(Some here suggested end Jan /mid Feb). We all agreed that footballers were overpaid and that soldiers in Afghanistan were worth more (especially as footballers don't get shot at every day). Most people seemed happy to have our teams playing for 9 months non-stop without a break, but will (I suspect) complain bitterly when England exit from the World Cup for the same reason. I NEVER said that SMS had a pitch problem either, but many other clubs (especially some further north do - ask those travelling away fans). I also enjoyed Boxing Day fixtures when in the UK, but always asked myself if it was such a good idea as few positive results ever came out of the Box. Day / New Year fixtures ? (well rarely for Saints anyway.) Most of us get a break around the New year, but footballers don't and those with nagging injuries have little time to recover. So that's my lot said and I'm happy for the Mods to close this thread if they wish. Merry Christmas and the hope that (for once at least,) we can get a full pot from the holiday fixtures.

?...Rather ironic then, that Marcus Liebherr (a man who clearly does believe) was influenced enough by the club's Christian background to buy the club at the 11th hour, and save it from total annihilation. There are also those who prayed for the club in its darkest hour, and saw his intervention as an answer to prayer.

I loved the tale about - when he was a kid he used to go to Highbury and his favourite Arsenal player was .. .Alan Ball. Some years later, Steve was playing in the Saints side ..together with Ballie, who served him up with great passes on the right wing. What a story.. to play League football alongside your boyhood hero !

WHY ?.. surely we've drawn enough games this season already - haven't we ?

not in So'ton maybe, but just ask anyone who was at the Leeds game what winter weather is like in the North. Away games are worth 3 points as well. Listening to the BBC after-match interview. Leeds boss Simon Grayson praised his ground sraff for the great effort they made in cleaning all the snow from the pitch before kick-off time.! Not the best conditions for any game.

YES, YES, YES, but a very ordinary record as a striker. Aside from his 101% application, he didn't score so often but did well on assists and was best serving up chances for James Beattie in BT's 24 goal season.(2002-03) If (as I hope) we sign another striker - even a 33 year old - I'd like someone with a good goal tally behind him. (ala Connolly.)

Get the Players Union to write a clause in every contract - if you can !

A little clarification needed here, I think. I always remember it as there was often a cold, blowing wind along Shirley High Street in JANUARY, as I used to walk down there to shop very regularly - even though it was 25 years ago. Although its supposed to be a temperate climate, the wind coming off the water does create extra cold conditions in wintertime. (my reference to cold) ..and the 12" inches of snow I refer to is here outside my home in Stockholm. SMS has a well-prepared pitch that is very well cared for, but its not so in some other grounds (my ref.again) around the country that often resemble ploughed fields. Contrary to most British conceptions of the Nordic weather. There is nothing unpleasant about a lot of snow in a country that lives with it several months of the year. It's only unpleasant when the wind blows...or like today, when you have to go and shovel the bl**** stuff away three times a day.:mad:

Actually the stats. need not be so different. I'd go along with your 55 games -so far....but for the top 6 in the Premiership. 38 games PLUS Euro qual. games..say another 12 games PLUS a cup run with a few rounds in the League (and /or) FA Cup you'd be up to about the same. The only teams likely to play LESS would be those at the bottom of the Prem. who might go out of those Cups in the early rounds, and only play 40-42 games... even the CCC play 46 League games to start with - don't they ?