Nineteen Canteen

I agree with all the above but the issue of top down driving is an issue for us blokes who enjoy it and so have to resort to doing it after dark and in disguise. So here is a list of cabriolets circumstances permitting I would be happy to own. BMW 6 Series and Z4 - titter not Honda S2000 Jaguar XK - do you notice women just don't drive Jaguars apart from the x-type and who would drive those? I would need to buy a trilby and a smoking jacket though. Mercedes SL Lotus Elise Caterham Any 'classic' convertible from the 50's, 60's and 70's although things started to go awry towards the end of that decade. There is only one thing I like seeing dressed in rubber and it's not an MGB. I was going to include the Aston Martins but when you buy an SL350 for half the money or even the SL500 and get £20k change from a budget for an Aston and avoid the footballer and his WAG image I think the Aston is the reserve of another class of driver all together. It's not a ladies car but is one with an image problem IMO. Ribbo's Mister Two is on very dodgy ground but probably once was a ladies car but with time passing the Max Power mod types have got hold of them and they are now the reserve of the young 20 somethings and their chrome tailpipes. (BTW the one thing is Girls Aloud which I suppose is 5 but still the perfect orgy?)

Listening to Hamster talk about his car it got me thinking to what constitutes a Ladies car and are these cars born ladies car or do they evolve over time. For instance if VW sell a car with an optional plastic sunflower for the dasboard cupholder they I think they intended from the start to make the Beetle a 'girlie' car. However, when Suzuki started making 4x4's I think they genuinely wanted to appeal to the mass market but made them so effeminate in thier mud loving capabilities they appealed to women as accessible non-masculine machines. Then we have the shopping trolleys of choice of the 'older biddies' who seem to require lots of head room and don't care about looks so any 1 litre highsided mongrel offspring born from the marriage a small hatchback and the popemobile and you have their vehicle of choice. For example the Vauxhall Agilia and Toyota Yaris Estate, yes estate - I am not making it up. So off the top of my head and not thinking to much about current or past models here is my list of ladies cars. All Minis (except the JCW) All BMW 1 series All Audi 3 series Mercedes SLK Mercedes CLK convertible Mazda MX5 Vauxhall Agilia All Suzuki 4x4 - especially those with the playboy symbol on the spare wheel cover MGF Toyota Yaris Volvo XC90 - the staple of the school run All Saab covertibles - especially in yellow VW Beetle Ford Ka Volvo C70 Vauxhall Tigra All Fiat 500 Ford Focus CC BMW 3 series convertible All Peugeot 20x Nissan Micra Renault Clio Honda Jazz and finally the Bentley GTC simply because what Bentley allowed Stephen Ireland to do to one of their car to please his girlfriend will come back and haunt. Officially, the stereotypical WAGs mode of transport and proof that money can you but everything except love and good taste. I'm surprised Bentley weren't asked to put ankle chains around the wheel arches it wouldn't have looked out of place. Any macho men out there driving around in these cars or women to prove my theory. Would any of you be happy to own any of the above or more importantly have I missed any off as I'm worried about my own mode of transport. My Wife has a Mini convertible and I only drive it after dark with the heated seats on - just like real men. I have conducted extensive research on this matter and this afternoon on a trip to Essex I tested my theory by recklessly peering into cars that I overtook in 70mph winds and driving rain to confirm the sex of the driver. It wasn't always easy to tell so assumed in these instances it was a woman in all cars that supported my theory otherwise I pretended I hadn't noticed them.

Sorry JB my anti-virus software blocked access on the grounds of good taste. I know I said you had a red chopper in your garage but I don't want to see vidoes of you taking it out. Thank god for Norton.

Why do you ask if you don't want to talk about it? They say ignorance is bliss, is it?

BTW you may want to dwell on this insult. Do you seriously believe my sole desire is to cause harmful intent (legally speaking) and nothing but (to clarify 'pure') ? Read my posts before your answer as like you I just want to talk about my club, understand more about the issues of the day and ask questions about my opinions that require some correlation. Having an opinion different to your own does not label someone as being 'pure malice' and to refer to them as such can accuse you at best of parochialism or worse threatened by alternatives and / or the ability of others, but let's not go there. I suggest you put me back on ignore like you keep telling everyone.

BS before you write your bs have a look at said poster's history and personal and unsubstantianted attacks on me and you'll know that I don't insult people unless it is warranted. I agnore a lot of the playground stuff but insults dressed as thinly disguised slander or that are way over the top need to be responded to IMO. I don't see why I should be despised for having a different opinion no more than I feel I should regard Dune or yourself as some kind of disciples. My opinions on MLT, McMenemy and Crouch are based on my personal observations and what most of us who are not ITKer's are aware of from the media. I have never underplayed the positive contributions each have made but neither do I simply ignore the very damaging and negative influence they have had IMO. Likewise, if a respected poster says something to the contrary to make me rethink my views then I tend to listen and take it on board. However, people with a very different view from me on many aspects are actually just as critical as I am of these 3 people that seem to be so blindly defended by some. Trust, faith and respect to me are absolute prerequisites in life and qualities that work both ways. When people let me down be they distant heros or close friends or somewhere in between I move on and 9 times out 10, time has proven me right. MLT acted dishonestly IMO and that is not a personal trait I wish to ignore as we are not talking a little white lie in any event. I have also lost faith in both him and Crouch over the Pinnacle affair and even giveing them the benefit of the doubt of the NDA's that ensures their silence or 'straight bat' replies IMO events and their actions just don't stack up. Finally, McMenemy has proven over time there is more to his support of Saints than simply the love it. From this forum I learned that he allegedly cashed in readily on the PLC and then proceeded to bite the hand that fed him which in my experience in life no matter what happens you remain gracious to your benefactors and recently the alleged reasons for turning his back on Saints seems bitter and spiteful IMO so lets hope his apparent new found love of Grimsby and allegedly free lunch and ticket at Bournemouth comes to fruition. We don't need these people at this club anymore what we need are new heros to mirror some of the good things about these 3 whilst not making the same mistakes. My support is as loyal as it isn't blind.

This weekend we will be mostly avoiding this thread for 2 reasons.

No 1 penalty taker and yet he couldn't kick the ball out of play when he had to. Makes you wonder why he missed one, or would that be a cynical thing to say?

I would expect you to but Dune without the c will not even notice or come back and tell me I'm thick as well as stupid.

Try not to waste your 3 posts a day on me as it would be interesting to hear some of your original thoughts on the past, present and future happenings concerning the club we love. In the meantime I will treat your posts with desdain.

Sorry you need to speak up I can't hear you down there

In the low 70's the last I looked of the hot bed of sales the hardback non fiction chart. How much was marked off 70%, 50%? Doubt he has barely covered his publishing costs not to mention legal costs that I assume he must have endured when the police took the case to the CPS. I suppose there may be an argument for recharting it as a work of fiction then I think it may struggle to even register in the top 500, IMO.

In that case why didn't she contact the BBC News Team - is it the money? As for the shoddy letter she didn't come across as someone flush with O and A levels and great prose. I don't doubt she is griveing but I don't doubt either she is exploiting the death of her son for her own gain. I can't believe Brown hasn't made mistakes in other letters he has sent so why did those next of kin not sell their non-story. Probably because they were proud to receive such a personal recognition as oppose to damage the process for future families put in a terrible position because their loved ones chose to serve their country well aware of the price they might have to pay.

It would be a disaster but just for the reaction of old BS himself the re-appointment of Lowe would be one of comedy genius. This place would implode, Baj woudl have to plug into servers bigger than GCHQ to support the short ciruiting spittle that would spray henceforth. Won't happen will it?

But that is usually the view of those on the 'shop floor' who simply want to go to work pick up their pay and leave. People who buy into the company and its operating environment tend to have a more realistic and understanding approach to decision making. The recent postal strikes being a case in point. Your mate isn't always an example of 'good people' and young people coming in better trainied and better educated are sometimes the answer if the established don't see them as a threat and choose to work with them. I have read and heard responses like yours so many times and usually its just sour grapes and a failure to move with the times. Managers are their to run the business and get results just like football and I don't suppose Ferguson holds back from making unpopular decisions for fear of not being liked. He makes them in the best interests of the club not the individual. The only time I have experienced 'touchy feely' management is in the Civil Service an how many billions have been wasted in the NHS and the MOD for starters on failed IT projects? It's because they are run behind the front line in a 'comfort zone' instead of having some focussed and hardnosed directors and project managers in there and dictating the show and managing deadlines and staff accordingly.

Why is it a point worthy of debate? Am I of some threat to Southanpton FC or the future or Mr Cortese? He's a clever bloke but I doubt he as a view on the thousands of ST holders this club has or unlike you considers it necessary. I can easily contest your personal (not every Saints fans) comments on the less than holy trinity but shooting fish a barrel gets a bit boring after a while. Still even you write in the past tense except for MLT and you forget to stress he was a hero to all Saints fans until he decided to tarnish that image quite badly IMO. He is no Niall Quinn that's for sure and despite all the support this club gave him he decided to take 'Le Tiss' out of it. As public relations go - not his finest hours and still not a word from him and he continues to pedal around the circuit as if nothing happened. Great footballer but not such a great man IMO.

John, how do you think the Sun got to know about? Let her be? IMO the womon bought it upon herself and a chance to sell a juicy story which the Sun was happy oblige as it suited their political agenda. She admitted herself, it wasn't for the money in an interview which again IMO is simply reverse psychology on her part no that she will realise that. Mrs Janes is being reviled in some quarters long with the Sun and rightly so, people are increasingly quick to sell their story to the tabloids for a quick buck but in this instance we have found a new low. I have no doubt she is griefing for her dead son but she chose to do so without any dignity whatsoever unlike the many other loved ones who have grieved with sadness, pride, honour and a deep respect for their returning serviceman and those before or subsequently after them who have paid the highest price possible. Mrs Janes and the Sun decided to try and capitalise on a grammatical error of such inconsequence in such a genuine message for their own ends that they dismissed the depth of public feeling towards Mr Brown who in some small but very genuine way was trying to provide a personal acknowledgement. Can't be easy writing those letters and what they mean when you are responsible for sending these people out to help fight the cause. I firmly believe that Mrs Janes never considered what could be the actual consquences of her son joining the Armed Services and she can moan about equipment but in many cases I expect you could have all the protection in the world but one massive and accurate hit then that equipment is as pointless as her deflected grief. Mrs Janes can disappear into the crack beneath her skirting boards and spend her money but I doubt we will be rid of the Sun so easily but at the train station yesterday it was nice to see a much larger pile of unsold copies of this rag than usual. Very worrying times that poeple responsible for this printed toilet paper can actually believe they can influence poiltics in this country and it's good to see this has spectacularly misfired on them.

The Persuaders and The Sweeney.

No, but I won't stop going as a result. McMenemy was like a carbuncle on this club in recent times and now it has been lanced I don't see the point in encouraging it to grow back IMO. Cortese like everyone else won't get it right 100% of the time but i would be surprised if he reversed the ticket paying policy because it works, end of story.

You mean the Sun, Tory alliance a marriage made in hell.

Maybe not but is it any better to take your story to a paper and seek a bit of monetary gain and IMO muddy at best the memory of your son and show a complete lack of disrespect for all those other families who have received letters from Brown and have just accepted them for what they are. A heartfelt thank you, recognition and sincere condolences. There is only one of us in the playground and it's the one who doesn't know some basic facts about this country's PM and that having lost the sight in one eye he could lose the sight in his other. Ironic the Sun are positioning themselves as the mistake free grammar police. How many lawsuits have they settled in thier time I wonder? I don't hear myself being abusive all I hear is the sound of you back pedalling faster than Murdoch and his media empire. Still at least we get to watch the Ashes on Freeview and perhaps for the time being Cameron's landslide has been reversed on a sea of empathy for Brown. It will be good to see that unholy trinity of alliances, Murdoch, The Seedy Sun and Cameron have a little sweat for a while. Cameron's fawning over the war dead memorial yesterday was just as shameless and pathetically over the top - was he trying to smell the poppies as they are as plastic as his motives at the moment and its disgusting how our war dead are being manipulated to his considered political advantage. They have got it so, so wrong.

Why pamber to his churlishness and reward his dummy spitting? The McMenemy bridge has been burned IMO otherwise Cortese is not as shrewd as some suggest. Do we need McMenemy to boost crowds? I don't remember the corporate boxes being full to bursting the last time he played meet and greet for the club.

I agree with Duncan but I am more worried than saddened but then I didn't know him personally. Sometimes if a director is disliked by some it's a sign he he is simply doing his job and sometimes it means he is doing it very well. Cortese seems very clever but we are left a bit exposed on the footballing side and a senior person who understands not just the business of football but the footballing culture in this country. To many outsiders at times it must feel like an acquired taste and I personally would have liked a major change like this to occur during the next close season. I'm sure it won't upset the apple cart but nonetheless a time for a modicum of caution than dismissiveness.

Are you suggesting the fold away shopping bike is uncool - its seriously cool compared to that red chopper you keep locked up in your garage.

Keith, it's also beginning to smell a bit like your posts. Ex as in got too expensive?