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I care about Southampton FC a lot. That means I want the best possible for and from the club. I'm delighted ML arrived with NC, and I'm pleased about whats happening on the pitch. What I'm not happy about is people running my club falling out with the media. Whoever is to blame this is a mistake. ANY public organisation that falls out with significant areas of the media has failed. The Labour party will give the Sun full access to all it's MPs and events despite the ****** written about them in that rag, as will the Tory party to the Mirror. If you're wise you use the media and try to manipulate it, if you're dumb you ban it. A vast majority of SFC 'customers' live within the Echo area, and a vast majority of people get their information about SFC from the Echo.

Not all together a fair assessment. It's Murray's job to comment on things, and i don't call banning all Echo personnel, with mug shots issued to stewards, over a minor spat demonstrates professionalism.

What 'we' think of him? I've got my own mind. I think that NEITHER party is doing themselves any credit here, and as it's SFC rather than the Echo I care about I wish NC what stop behaving like a spoilt child.

It won't sell out. Stupid ticketing arrangement will take care of that. As I've said before on other posts, theey should have given season ticket holders the chance to buy two tickets. As has been said older fans and families won't go, and many prople who would love to go have never got themselves on the data base due to others buying the tickets.

And if the Court does wind them up on the 10th, is that effective immediately?

Eh? 90 mins of Pompey fan on a string as a warm up for the 13th makes a lot more sense.

It's true that David Luker has got some sort of problem with block 4. First closing the rear 5 rows and moving season ticket holders, and then banning the sale of match day tickets in that area. It's all to do with trying to get the riff-raff out of the block so when they sell corporate boxes seats behind we don't offend them. It's a pity because the Itchen North is a cracking atmosphere at times and could be even better if they would re-open blocks 1,2 and 3.

Whoops PE again.

The colder the better. Somewhere to hang you coat.

I don't want to see any of those old topless barmaids back. I still have nightmares. But the barmaid from yesterday ought to be encouraged to get 'em out at every opportunity.

You're the negative poster around here. I'm planning on 5 Wembley appearances this year not 3.

I agree. Not even as a p*ss take

that i like.

I'm block 4 season ticket, and will stick with my usual seat. I am the focus of that stand.

You make some valid points. But speaking as a Saints fan who has yet to sign up to the 'Cortese is God' movement, your statement "to date NC has lived up to his word -investment in players and infrastructure" does need another perspective. It isn't HIS money. It's ML's. And Marcus is worth 2 billion, a wealth constructed without the help of NC. To date anyone with the advice of a decent football agent could have achieved what NC has done.

Re-open blocks I,2,3 for sure. But this is all about getting 'undesirables' away from the corporate boxes.

Why is there so much hero worship verging on the homoerotic for Nichola Cortese? Don't get me wrong I'm delighted Marcus L bought us. 100%. And if NC had a part in ML buying us then a big thanks to him. But why do people presume that if NC leaves Marcus L would do anything other than replace him, after all he has plenty of other business doing very well without NC. And what has been so fantastic about the job NC had done so far. He's spent ML money. Wouldn't any other CEO have done more or less the same? Couldn't this 'story' about NC being coveted by Italian Clubs have originated a little closer to home? Certainly doesn't do NC any harm, and he hasn't been shy about talking about it. But of course not, because we're football fans and we do hero worship very well, and NC is our hero because he saved us by bringing ML to Southampton. So he says.

My point exactly. Example. I'm a season ticket holder. I frequently get a ticket for a mate who lives elsewhere. I buy it against my season ticket as I'm local. Result despite going to plenty of games he isn't on the data base and won't get a ticket. They could sell hundreds of thousands of tickets, but they won't. I understand why sales are limited to people on the database but after a given period season ticket holders should be able to buy extra tickets; or I think you'll find empty seats on the 13th.

In theory i agree you. In practice however i don't think it would work. The Itchen North might sing like the Northam but most people are there not because they can't fit into the Northam but because there is a different atmosphere there. You wouldn't have got 10 minutes of 'Knees Up Mother Brown' in the Northam for starters. My guess is all the Northam will move to the Chapel, and those in the Itchen North will move into the Kingsland South. Simples

I like the idea of putting the away fans in the Chapel/Kingsland corner as long as it really is the corner, not like it is now which is half an end nearly. But I trust that the powers that be realise that all the vocal support will debunk down to the Chapel on one side of the visitors, and the kingsland on the other. Which is fine as long as they move the family stand. I give this a cautious thumbs up.

I'm gonna buy 2 echos every day from now on, just because.

Apparently ML only came on board because of NC, although we only have NC say on that; but ML now owns the club, the debts have been cleared as part of the administration process and the clubs on the way forward. To think the whole wagon will go tumbling off the rails if the executive chairmen leaves is nonsense. You can't knock NC'c personal PR. He was't shy about talking how he has been approached by top Italian sides.

Yes we're improving, and yes this is shaping up to be a very memorable season, but we are not going to make the play-offs. Especially when we're not beating the very sides above us that we need to. Just enjoy the season for the improvements and the cup runs and think about automatic promotion next season.

I couldn't give a toss whether he stays or goes, he isn't going to score 30 goals for us this season, and I'm sure ML would swiftly replace him with someone of a high caliber. Southampton FC is bigger than any one individual, particularly pen pushers.

All Witherspoons will be open from 9.00am