Wes Tender

Why don't you start a "compare the owner" thread, SOG? It would have equal relevance; i.e. not much at all. We are where we are. It's all water under the bridge. Move on.

Also had to sit in the Itchen block 5 and look enviously towards the Northam and those in our ST seats. The lower Itchen is like a morgue or a library. Nobody down there feels inclined to chant or sing and even clapping seemed to be too much effort for most.

Yes, he made a fulsome apology and even addressed it to you, Nineteen, as he acknowledged that you had been entirely correct in calling for the apology on behalf of all those fans who had bought his book. He admitted that he had been remiss in not putting matters straight earlier and that it was because his conscience was troubling him to the extent that he could not sleep at night, that he had decided to make a clean breast of things. It really is a pity that you had missed it all.

Totally agree. I'd hazard a guess that in his other job, he is either a Civil Servant or a Traffic Warden. The man behaved like an old woman. And don't get me started on that incompetent short-sighted oaf on the Itchen touchline...

The impression that the first team is looking good is gained mainly on the basis of a decent game against Bristol Rovers that we lost and a capable win against a depleted Gillingham. I'd need to see many more good results to feel comfortable that the first team is looking good and as you rightly say, a lot depends on that squad remaining injury free and without suspensions.

In reality, we were lucky to have won. The game was us back to our usual dreadful play of last season and the season before. Misplaced passing, lack of commitment, poor defending and I was half expecting the loss of the penalty shoot-out to complete the set. Although Pardew had stated that it was possible to win this trophy, we won't if we play like that again. Pardew also said that we would put out a strong team too, but in reality, the defence was weak without Jaidi and Trotman, the midfield was lacking in creativity and accuracy without Lallana, Schneiderlin or Mellis and the attack lacked bite with Lambert playing up front alone. It seemed to be the wrong formation for such a match against a team like Torquay at home. We lacked balls. To give Pardew credit, at least having got it wrong for the first half, he took the bull by the horns, probably having stripped the paint of the walls at half time and changed things around. We looked much more lively in the second half, playing a much more familiar 4-4-2 and brought things back level, but should have had the ability to have won it without the lottery of the penalties. I'm hoping that having scraped through by our fingertips, the fact that we had the spirit to win at the end, will still have the power to increase our confidence and help us on Friday. At least we have the knowledge that we had several key players absent. I think that the new boy didn't do too badly when you consider that he hadn't had the time to get to know his team mates and their style of play. He's very raw, but I think that there is some potential with growing understanding and coaching. Our other newish recruit Waigo, is fast becoming a talisman for the team. He's off to a flying start in the scoring stakes, even though sometimes it beggars belief how he manages it, but the results speak for themselves. Despite the narrowness in the margin for victory, nevertheless a very entertaining evening's football.

HaHa! That's why I suggested that all those in favour of the proximity to the away fans would all relocate too. What is it about the Northam or the Itchen corner that fans appreciate? Is it the particular entrance / plastic seat / concourse? Of course not! They percieve the atmosphere to be better close to the away supporters. They like to chant and sing their hearts out. That is why I sit (stand) in the Northam. I would have no qualms in getting the equivalent seat diagonally opposite to mine in the Chapel. That would be behind the left hand goal post, although if the whole of the Chapel was taken up by home fans and the away supporters pushed into the corner, I might fancy edging closer to the Chapel / Kingsland corner. The Itchen corner brigade would have the choice of tagging onto the corner of the Chapel, or the Chapel end of the Kingsland. Naturally, any who did have a desire to remain in the Itchen North corner, could do so, but I suspect that it is nothing to do with the location at all.

Have a look at the aerial picture of the stadium. The away coaches could be waiting after the game along the road through the industrial estate, The exit from the corner could be cordoned off easily so that the away fans could be funelled out by that road, the home fans from the Kingsland stand guided towarss Britannia Road, past the Shop. None of this stupidity about partitioning the car park on the other side.

I remain to be convinced that the Chapel / Kingsland corner is not a viable alternative for the away fans and they could exit via the Industrial Estate without too much difficulty. But what would happen to the fans in the Northam and the Itchen north corner under those circumstances? Would there then be this stout refusal of the Itchen brigade to move? I supect that as the proximity to the rival fans is the clearest reason for their positioning, as it is for the Northam, the Northam fans would wish to fill the Chapel stand and the Itchen corner brigade would then relocate to the other side of the away fans in the Kingsland. If there have been ructions caused by having the rowdy away fans, or the rowdy home fans in front of the corporate boxes, the problems would be resolved by this switch. Can anybody give convincing reasons why this change could not work? The Police are cited as not favouring it, but what exactly are the problems? Naturally, if the change were to be made, then the time to do it would be the close season. There is no way that the club should be expected to give that compensation to displaced fans for life. One season maybe. If the switch of the away fans was made to the diagonally opposite corner, then no compensation would be needed at all, as any switch of those fans to follow the proximity towards them would be voluntary and likewise those who didn't want to be near us Northam yobs would make their own voluntary move as a result too.

Where to play Lallana had become a bit of a connundrum, but there are signs of some light at the end of the tunnel, as he is starting to form an understanding with Lambert and the two of them are beginning to complement one another. Him being pursuaded to stay at the beginning of the season is starting to look like a good decision all round and he has seen that his mate Surman has hardly done much aside from warming the bench at Wolves. Anyway, by playing and scoring several goals this season, Lallana is doing his future prospects no harm and keeping himself sharp and developing his skills at the same time. Happily, with a wealthy owner, we are no longer obliged to sell our budding young stars to raise the money to keep afloat. If anybody comes knocking for him, we can tell them to go and get lost if Alan Pardew wants to keep him. Naturally we would accept stupid money, but unless the player wants to leave, it is comforting to have this security for our future plans.

It is a real shame that the fake Sheik is selling up to somebody who might actually have some real money behind them. The comedy value that Fahim brought to the table was classic. The man was a complete joke sitting at Krap Nottarf with his chavvy Skate uniform. One can only surmise through conjecture that the whole scheme was contrived to allow the Al Faraj brothers to gain control from Gaydamak Junior, something that apparently he wasn't going to allow. One can only hope that in any event the new takeover is too late to save them from relegation, as the best players are gone and it is difficult to bring anybody else in until January when it might be too late. Also, a lot of the Premiership revenue has gone into the bottomless pit that was Pompey's debts and the running costs to keep them afloat will have to come out of the Al Faraj Brothers' pockets and the revenue from fewer than 19000 fans attending matches. As well as the continuing expenditure to keep them afloat and rebuild the squad that Fahim decimated, they will have to finance the redevelopment of the cruddy shed. They must be out of their tiny minds.

The plastics won't be involved, as even if we were successful in getting to the final, we won't be playing any of the top four teams in the country that attract the plastics.

I looked at their website and their number 13 caught my eye. They have a defender called Reading Fans

OK, Jason, fair enough - peace. It seems clear to me that if some substantial changes are to be made to the siting of the away fans, it ought to be made after the end of the season, following consultation with the fans displaced, so that a resolution of the problems can be made with the support of as many fans as possible. I agree with the principle that both ends should be filled with home fans and that the away fans should be placed in a corner, to marginalise their influence. As to which corner that should be, is hampered by considerations of Policing and the position of the exits. From those perspectives, it is understandable that the Itchen/Northam corner is considered, although having the Corporate boxes behind that corner is a consideration. As far as I can see, the Chapel/Kingsland corner would have been the obvious place to have them had this been thought through properly when the stadium first opened for business.There would have been no problems of access to the Industrial Estate, away from the route taken by most home fans. The coaches could also park there, so that we would not have this ridiculous closure of the car park behind the Northam. http://www.bing.com/maps/default.aspx?v=2&ss=southampton%20football%20club&cp=sghxh3gwhmtv&style=o&lvl=1&scene=4321377 The trouble with bringing about this change now, would be that effectively I could see the need for a complete swap between the Northam and Chapel, as the main reason that the Northam is popular, the Itchen corner too, is because of the proximity to the away fans.

The FA Cup is not exclusively for the likes of those top 4 teams, or why would the 2008 final have been between the Skates and Cardiff and even our final in 2003 is comparatively recent history. The beauty of the FA Cup is that relative minnows like Havant & Waterlooville can progress to the late stages and cause an upset. Would it be a major upset if Torquay best us tomorrow? There are not that many positions between us and them at the moment.

This might be a Micky Mouse competition, but then we are effectively a Micky Mouse team by qualifying because of the division we find ourselves. But as we have a stadium, manager and players that ought to be the best in this division, we ought to have a realistic chance of winning the thing. But tonight's match is important for a very valid reason; it follows close on the heels of a good win on Saturday and a win tonight would do wonders for team confidence and put us on a good footing for Friday's match. Three wins in a row, regardless of the fact that the second win was in this minor cup competition, would mean such a great deal to turning the corner and progressing upwards.

There was already a thread on this, but you had to start your own little one. Little attention seeker, are we? You can hardly accuse me of being a sanitised, sit down, no swearing, no banter fan, as I have always been block 42 behind the goal in the Northam, so as close as the away fans as it is possible to be. I wouldn't take an 8 year old daughter to the Northam, but if your standards aren't as high as mine, then it's up to you how you bring up your children. No point in the nine o'clock TV watershed in your household is there? And was it the football you fell in love with 25 years ago, or was it the swearing, banter, insanitary environment? Anyway, whatever it was, it seems that having supported the saints for 25 years, you are prepared to give it up just because you can't sit in a certain part of the stadium. Diddums.

St Jason Your main concern about staying in the Itchen North appears to be that you are upset that you will not have the banter with the away fans. What if the away fans are moved to the diagonally opposite corner, the Kingsland/Chapel? Presumably you will forget the upset caused by you having to be moved two or three times and wish to relocate there. Also apparently, it is of less importance to consider your 8 year old daughter it seems, than to have the banter, but you don't mind exposing her to some pretty ripe language and some idiotic behaviour that exists where the two rival groups are closest. The thinking behind this scheme is that by marginalising the away support and crammimg our own support behind both goals, we will gain an advantage. If you would rather put your own selfish interests above those of the team, up to you. But don't make out that you are a good supporter of Saints, especially if you'll threaten not to go because of it.

Quite right! The ballboys should be drilled better and if they are not up to it, then as LGTC suggests, the scholars should do it. The ballboys at Wimbledon are just kids too, from the local school, but I bet that before the tournament, they spend hours being coached how to do it to an exemplary standard. In the case of our ballboys, it is entirely feasible that the result of a match could potentially be decided on it. A quick throw in to one of our players could catch a rival defender unaware and a goal scored as a result could win the match. A slow throw in to one of their players, gives us time to position ourselves and removes some advantage away from the opposition. If Harding is frustrated at a lack of ability in our ballboys, then he is a professional and a perfectionist who cares, so good for him. If it is a recurring problem, perhaps he ought to have words with the management about it. As for Harding himself, I have been very impressed with him. The Bristol match left him exposed because Mellis was supposed to have covered him and tracked back, but went missing. He was much better against Gillingham when Mellis was playing inside and Lallana gave better cover for him.

I agree with many of the comments above. It was great to walk away from the stadium feeling so good about the game. During the game, while three up, people around me in the Northam were saying that we ought to shut up shop and hit them if the opportunity arose. I thought that by carrying on the way that we were playing, there was potential for another two or three goals. We had started rather poorly and it looked as if it would turn out to be a scrappy, boring game, either a draw, or one team scoring from a lucky break. But pretty well with the first clear opportunity, Lambert was hitting a beautiful ball on the volley and straight into the net, the Gillingham defence in disarray. Although they equalised, our heads didn't drop and we regained our lead again through Papa Waigo's first proper goal for the club. Confidence started to grow and the play began to flow. A few minutes to half time and my son headed down to the concourse opining that there would be no further goals before half time. What a mistake! And what a good goal from Lallana, working well up front with Lambert. Highlight performances came from Lambert and Lallana. Lambert in particular looked deadly today. What a difference it made getting good service. That was down to Lallana and Waigo. Waigo is a raw talent at the moment, but once he gets used to the lower division English game and gains a better understanding of his team mates' ways, he can only improve. As it was, he did show some good flashes of his potential. Wotton deserves a mention purely because I had been a harsh critic of his and he deserves credit for a solid and rugged display anchoring the midfield. Another player who has had his critics was Mellis, who undoubtedly had his best game for us yet. Against Bristol, he was supposed to stay out wide, but drifted inside, exposing Harding. Today, his brief allowed him to roam in the centre and he really proved to be a menace to Gillingham with his movement and passing. Hammond and James were both worthy of a 7, so solid and did their jobs ably. The defence was excellent, with very little getting past Harding, Jaidi and Trotton. Kelvin had little to do and I believe that if it weren't for the strong wind, that shot for their goal might well have gone wide of the right post. To be entirely fair and not wishing to detract credit from the victory, but Gillingham looked a poor side. Of course, it could be that we made them look a poor team. I am hopeful that the confidence boost that we will have received today and the fact that we are now free from the -10 point penalty, will mean that we will continue to play with this belief and verve, so that we become a cut above the mediocre teams like Gillingham and gain the respect and fear of the other teams in this division. The cup match on Tuesday is a timely one, as if we get a good result then too, we will have a further confidence boost. Perhaps we might have turned a corner, with luck.

A great move by the club. I'm astounded that there is a post stating that are some who protest that if they have to move elsewhere, they will not renew STs. Are they real fans, to throw their rattle out of their pram? This is something that has been debated ever since the stadium opened and the vast majority were for it, but frustrated to be told that the Police wouldn't allow it. Thanks again, Nicola and Markus for having an uncanny instinct for knowing what makes us happy (well, most of us, anyway)

I really do find it hard to believe that a consortium of wealthy Arabs or indeed any other wealthy investor, would find Pompey a good investmenbt opportunity. If they did, then I'd have to question their financial nous. For a start, there are many other better opportunities that make more sense in British football. Secondly, so much money would have to be spent on the infrastructure, new stadium, new training ground, new players, etc, that it just doesn't stack up. Plus, if they are relegated, which they almost certainly will be, why would that investment be viable in the second division? We were entirely a different case, bought from the bargain basement, but with a good infrastructure already in place and bags of potential. And put me in the gloating camp. I have many business clients who follow the blue few and when I see them periodically, we have a good discussion about the situation between the clubs. But there is no reason why we shouldn't have a good gloat on here. I'm sure that the blue few who come on here would recognise the irony of how things can turn around within a few months.

Why is going to the game and having a laugh with your mates less the activity of weirdos, manic depressives and loners? It can be counter-argued that many followers of football go to the matches to pick fights, over indulge in drink because they are immature and would better spend their life with their families. The majority go because it is an entertainment, they get enjoyment from it, it is a social activity to bond with their sons or mates and they can chat about the game over a relaxing pint before or after the match. And so the same applies on here. It can be a hobby, a social activity, the internet equivalent of a pint in the pub while discussing the team, a way of relaxing and unwinding after a hard day's work. Out of the three categories you mention, which one do you fit into? I deny fitting into any of them and consider myself a reasonably normal bloke and reckon that most on here are the same.

Perhaps John from Hedge End did make an appearance after all and was mourning the fact that his hero Lowe was no longer available to toady up to. He was probably the author of the anonymous letter at the AGM too, unless it was written by Cowan or Lowe himself.

Are you suggesting that the fans got it wrong with Lowe and shouldn't have blamed him? He was the architect of the instability originally, when through a mixture of circumstances we underwent a new manager pretty well every year. It was him and the PLC structure introduced after the reverse takeover that made investment into the club unlikely. It was the mindset that it was better to have more mediocre players rather than fewer but higher quality ones that produced poorer results. Ultimately the bizarre experiment imposed by him finished us off. If you wish to believe that our demise was caused by fans' blame culture, rather than inept mismanagment of the club by the board, then go ahead. Count me out, though.