Nineteen Canteen

Pat you appear to have been watching to much South Today and all that intelligent comment they garnered from the general public on the game. Still no doubt you're right but I can't help thinking that given all this ticketing angst and giving Pompey the chance of a ray of light in their season of doom and gloom it may have been better for all of us if we had drawn Reading at home and marched confidently into the 6th round and let someone like Chelsea bury Portsmouth. I can't help thinking this game will do more to damage our slim play off chances as everyone connected with the club has one eye on the 14th Feb and the last thing we will need is a draw and removing all our jingoism a draw is perhaps the most likely result. We should not forget they have beaten teams a lot better than us this season despite their predictament and watching us lose will be hard to take esepcially as many seem to think they are the underdogs.

Why should you get a ticket because you've been to lots of away games and a mere handful of home games. Away games unless they are in the Cup add nothing to the club's coffers so why reward those fans over those who have paid to see all 23 home games and probably more. I would hope the club give 2 tickets to ST holders to reward them for their upfront investment well before we knew how successful the season could be and those who had the foresight and commitment to buy a half season ticket. Also, lets not forget families of ST holders also have to rely on thier support and agreement to spend a fair chunk of the family budget on Saints so it is only right the ST holder has a chance to repay one of his family with a ticket which is only an option to buy afterall and many will decline that option anyway. So I would hope the club would reward all ST holders with the right to buy their ticket and an option to buy another 1 at the same time. Thereafter, tickets should be awarded to fans on the database for home games and priority given on a sliding scale of matches attended. 10+ 5-9 1-4 Then they can reward fans who for some reason only attend away games and if there is any left put them on general sale. For those who have only bought tickets on the door when they knew the membership scheme had been cancelled then I'm afraid you have been caught with your pants down and you can't buy an insurance policy after you have crashed your car. We have around 13,000 ST holders and this thread suggests they are happy with their position as lets face it critical must see games like this are very rare events so it's not just a question of recognising thier loyalty for this season but all the seasons for which they have paid their dues upfront to support the club and insure themselves for this eventuality. To those not on the database and a poor home attendance please stop your moaning and form an orderly queue when it's your turn.

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I agree - love them or hate them football in our region would be all the poorer without them and they are the last team we need to meet in the 5th round. We saw off Stern John today so perhaps next up should be Rasiak? In fact I probably dislike Reading and their plastic fans more than I do Pompey.

Beware the velcro effect. Get up 5 minutes earlier and keep shaving, beards are for lazy bstards or people who mess about on boats and want to look the part. I should know I had one for about 15 years and at one stage made Brian Blessed look clean shaven.

I don't deny we have a larger support base but last season our attendances noticeably dropped in reaction to the financial / decision making situation at the club. I agree the details of each crisis is very different but the reaction of both sets of fans was the same save the core who will always attend games no matter what. The legends game IMO failed on poor organisation and price and had nothing to do in general with fans being concerned about where their money was going. If they were concerned why did so many drop their notes and coins in the buckets and why was the legends night with McMenemy and Co so well attended? This gloating at Pompey's predicament is difficult to understand given where we were this time last year. If it's because they revelled in our discomfort does that mean we have to react in the same childish way? I thought we had more class than them but maybe I was wrong. As Ghandi was quoted as saying, a culture based on an eye for an eye will only succeed in making us all blind. ( Or words to that effect)

Only to be expected afterall plenty on here can't spell it. The 'a' would have to be a worry.

Maybe but this time last year in our hour of need we didn't exactly pack em in until it was to late. Pompey fans are simply voting with their feet and protesting and what does that remind you off? Don't understand the need to gloat when we acted no differently.

A few seasons back we were 2 up away to Burnley in the first 30 mins or so and Big Dave got really carried away with himself calling Burley - Burnley and Burnley - Burley. His mistake was pointed out and that just made it worse. The rest of that match commentary was some of the finest broadcasting you will ever hear for all the wrong reasons. Merrington a legend? Debateable but better than many who are given that moniker for their contribution to the club but whose passion has never lived up to DM's.

Barclays Bank and invest today whilst the market sells blindly like sheep on the Obama reforms talk. 269p hardly a penny share but I reckon in 6 months you could see a 30% return. If you want to live dangerously, buy into RBS at 33p. They have a very high profile major shareholder who will do all they can to protect their own investment and ergo yours to. Again buy sooner rather than later and when you can sell half your holding to recover your original investment do so and let the rest run on a bet to nothing realising profits incrementally or in whole as you feel comfortable but always without hesitation. Good luck and remember investments can go up as well as down and if we put this egg in your mouth .........

Polly Peck delivered the good times. The only way to make serious money is back your own judgement and go against the crowd. Don't need penny shares for that and thanks to alltalk Obama I would suggest to continue investment in selective banks.

I suppose we should be grateful he is not a Saints legend otherwise some of us would have to start condoning his alleged crime as mere bagatelle? What is the amount in question £40k? No doubt if he was a Saints Legend we could argue a case based on the fact for a successful manager at a provincial club he wasn't as well paid as his peers and therefore deserved to allegedly supplement his income with a little friendly cheating of the public purse.

Can you terminate an expired contract?

Try seeing it from their point of view. I like engineers they understand how things work and their victorian forefathers helped build the British Empire and made this country great. What did Football do? People from Portsmouth are not all inbred Skates anymore than some of the cesspit inhabitants of our fair city. Football breeds hatred and contempt, engineers build footbridges and railway stations in just a few days. Appreciate your surroundings and enjoy sharing your interest elsewhere. As Johnny Bognor will advise you, James May rocks.

Are you suggesting I use the National Health? WE all have issues we can be a tad sensitive about Wes, don't we? Human nature and I am no different on this occasion especially when the original 'humourous comment' was actually delivered with deliberate harmful intent IMO. Funny yes, but in the context it was delivered, I'm not so sure. Anyway, perhaps we would be better off exchanging festive wishes and compliments of the season and all that good stuff. Happy Christmas Wes.

Mr Liebherr has given every indictation that the club should be self-funded and live within it's means and certainly that was the widely acknowledged doctorine of his father. Spend only what you earn and borrowing is a gamble. I don't know about the numbers but guess Nick is alluding to the fact that the higher the attendances the greater the revenue and the better the players we will be able to attract assuming money is a motivator in the world of football. Mr Liebherr has shown investment in the club with the initial purchase price and proposed development of Staplewood but it's less clear to me how the team has been funded and we cannot discount the skill of our manager . If we cannot add to the squad without offloading a dozen players to start with next month can we position ourselves for a push for the play offs this season without increased revenues or a loan or handout from our owner? I think Nick is just trying to manage expectations on the balance of his observations IMO.

A good read Wes even though I don't agree that a fans association is not required especailly now the fans have potentially less of a 'voice' than simply voting with their feet which I have always been against as it's so self defeatist. That siad you make some pertinent points and that history shows something is required if not the blueprint of the past and on that we do agree. Lets hope (and on current evidence) a supports association/action group is never needed but I think it is always important for us to have one elected spokesperson to have a dialogue with the club and be a point of reference with the media. In the meantime I am more than happy to continue with Nick as I think he speaks honestly and at least tries to balance his views to encompass the myriad of views of all the fans. With regards to Consumer action groups I think you took a well intended analogy on my part based on the fact that sometimes you need others to help to fight or champion the cause of many. Which, MSE has done and failed along with the OFT on Bank Charges but at least they have intiated some food for for thought in the retail banking sector and I fail to see a well run Supporters Association couldn't achieve the same for us if necessary and provide comments to the media in good and bad times. I am loving what Mr Liebherr is doing woth the club at the moment but that is not to say that will always be the case and if that day comes we may be grateful of an association we can get behind as the Sainst Trust tried to do and failed during the Lowe era but died on the 'vine of apathy'. ( a nice touch of pathos most worthy of a quote IMO) Are you going to volunteer to stand? No doubt the infamous gang of 6 or whatever it was will be in line to usurp Nick but open meetings won't work when the media obviously want a quote from supporters spokesperson so who should that be and who could rally the troops and talk on our behalf in the hopefully unlikely event it became necessary? Nick seems to be in that position already and worthy holder IMO.

Thank you, gald you god the gist

Yeah, gotta be.

Colin, the trouble is you contribute to the 'bashing' by refusing *****il now) to support that I may have a reasonable argument. By your own lack of public recognition and avoidance of getting more involved with what you started feeds the puerile nature of the arguments against me and if it sensationalises me then that is not my intention and never has been. I may knock certain ex-players, directors and managers but equally there are many more I support and my love for the club does not and never will exclude me from forming my own unbiased opinons about those who we elevate for whatever reason. I apologise if I have got you wrong but your call to have the thread closed seemed somewhat defeatist in my opinion but my post was not mean't as a slight on your character and if you took that to be the case then I am sorry. I do however, standby my opinion and do not consider I have turned this thread into a trollfest for simply suggesting that MLT is neither qualified to coach internationals or that a specialist coach solely for penalties is needed at this level.

Not your finest hour Wes, par for the course for Gemmel and as early on set of this disease could mean now for many of us regardless of cosmetic enhancements. Given Gemmel and your posts cosmetic surgery that is unnecessary unless you seek reductions.

In fairness you miss the point I was making.

I agree with Joe and I have always felt that Nick has tried to talk on behalf of all Saints fans and given the line of divide at times that has been no mean feat. If messers Clark and Marco want a clean sweep then perhaps that should nominate themselves for election as fans spokesperson who simply get out there and make themselves know as a fan worthy of comment in the media. From what I have read Nick Illingsworth is by far the best suited and positioned to speak on behalf of us fans and I have no issue with him carrying on in that vain by the the whole Saints Trust thing must be sorted out as otherwise it's simply a stick to beat all those involved with it. For those who say we don't need a fan representation is a bit like saying consumers don't need action groups like Which?. There may come a time when the club take an action of which the majority strongly disagree and it will be then that the likes of Nick will come into their own. So I for one would like to see a 'Saints Supporters Association' from the ashes of the Saints Trust and bury with it all the other versions of fans association which anyone can call themselves.

Mental Illness, cancer, heart disease, stroke, parkinsons, etc. Where do you draw the line View From The Top' as using a 'self confessed' condition or otherwise as a prejudicial stick to beat others with? I have never confessed publicly to anything specific and mental illness can cover a range of conditions as much as cancer and neither illnesses are funny and in many instances with medical help people can continue to lead a relatively normal as much as the next person, yourself excepted. It's only people like who fuel shame and propaganda about something you have little knowledge to suit your own screwed up life and petty agenda against someone you consider weak or not worthy of your attention. You are clearly one of those types of 'fans' who is happy to use a person's perceived shortcomings without any knowledge to bully and chide and no doubt happy to use racist and homophobic references if you can have a go at people with mental health issue and be absolutely unaware as to what that is. Early onset Alzheimers is a mental heatlh issue if that sort of degenerative disease worthy of a good laugh?