eelpie

PFC will soon be history. The millionaire players, managers, their gluttonous agents, the money launderers and other crooks have had their fill and bled the club dry. They are simply scavenging over what is left of the spoils. The club will be wound up and will not be able to exist even in the lower leagues without their own ground, players nor banking facilities. It will become an AFC sharing pitches with the venerable likes of Havant and Waterlooville, who will probably take over their name. This does fill me with some sadness. No more local derbies when we will eventually be promoted. Some of us oldies remember the fifties when we were kids and it was the local rival with decent players like Jimmy Dickenson, Alex Young and Derek Dougan, and they were enviably the only Hampshire club to have ever won the FA cup, and the top Division title twice (which we have never done). I feel for some of their fans, including some who have posted on here. So the unwholesome sight of their rotten demise caused by their own avarice and consequent exploitation is a tragedy for all of football. Much as I hated or own 'He who's name must not be mentioned' for his smugness and despotic rule of SFC, in hindsight his presence seems to have kept the likes of Mandarics, Gaydamaks and fake sheiks at bay. And the odious vultures discussed in GM's thread never got ther hands on us, thanks to Marcus. Skates will not be wound up immediately on the 10th and we WILL be playing them. Their cup match with us will be their players last desperate chance of glory, so don't expect us to roll them over. History is written. Let's have the last word and beat the buggers!

Original 1885 St Mary's YMA red sash over white or the stunning 1976 kit for me.

No brainer imo. They have both in their different ways proved to be match-winners and are entertainers who enliven games! Play 'em and sign 'em. With 'itinerant' (AP's description) Puncheon in the team I am looking forward to watching some exciting and unpredictable matches ahead. Lots of victories, and fewer boring moments.

True. They are not to be under-estimated. They can play decent football. And if we don't beat them on Saturday there will be much wailing and gnashing of teeth on this forum....

Before we gloat too much at Doompey's plight (and boy, how I am enjoying it) let's not forget how much we are beholden to Marcus. I hope he stays in very good health for many, many years because we must now be raking up a hefty players' wages bill too.

Nail on head

Summarising: Security and policing require away fans to be in the current corner. Majority don't like the proposed changes. And we don't like away fans behind the goals. Many clubs put away fans in a corner where they have less influence on the game. So Problem Solvedl: Away fans to te Itchen/Northern Corner in blocks 3,2,1,48, 47, 46. Away disabled seating in block 46 (which will also dilute away fans mass presence) It will be less disruptiive than all other proposals, and it will be relatively easy to put a dividing wall in Entrance A to accommodate the away fans. Home disabled supporters can be relocated further from the away supporters (and create more seats) to Itchen South. And there will still be a wall of sound still from Itchen North and the expanded Northern I defy ANYONE to come up with a more sensible and practical solution.

A coach?

I don't think the police will approve these plans. They will want the away supporters to be ushered in and out of the ground and to their coaches and to the railway station without passing through home supporters. If away supporters are in the Chapel/Kingsland corner they will have to walk the whole length of Kingsland to get to the Northam Road Bridge, mingling with home Kingsland and Northam corner supporters who will otherwise have to remain in the ground until they have dispersed, which also means The Dell Club will not be accessable immediately after the match. It is a recipe for clashes. Extra Security and policing costs will be exorbitant. There is no alternative to present arrangements. (But well done for consulting fans)

Yet Lloyd has found scoring form when others haven't. He scored our only goal last night at Brentford high into the net from 20 yards, and nearly scored against Ipswich; his tremendous, powerful long range shot was on target and only just got parried away by the Ipswich keeper.

WE must NEVER forget our prime and number one objective: 1. To SURVIVE in League 1!!! (We are actually not many points above the relegation zone at this moment in time, so a win at Brentford (or at least a draw) is paramount. ) 2. A mid-table position. 3. Play-off place Next imo: 4. JPT final (I would rather lose against a Premiership club even if it is Skates than miss out on a Wembley final, and the Dons match comes first anyway) 5. Beat Pompey 6. Round 6 FA Cup. 7. Win JPT Does anyone disagree? Tonight, COYR!

But aren't Poopey supporters part mammal and part skate?

I really do think Rickie must be rested. He does look tired. Better to be on the bench in case he is need, but I doubt it. I would play Papa alongside Barnard assuming Connolly is still injured. Untried before, but well worth the punt imho. Papa has the speed to complement Barnard's goalscoring opportunism.

More to the point for me - can you buy on the gate for the last half hour? Blooming working till then, damn, damn and curses!

No, it's his poking finger.

I respect much of your posts but they would would be more believable if you qualified some of the more misleading statements. There certainly were occasions in the second half when we put together some decent passing movements. And sure, we are still raw and nowhere near Premiership Spurs in quality, nor Leeds as an all-round team (who have more players scoring from all over the pitch) but you are stating the obvious. BTW have you ever sung the 'We're just like Brazil' anthem?

No we didn't fall apart, though there were some scary moments. Ipswich were throwing everything at us but we did not panic and blocked the lot - and still took the game to their end when we could. But it was a long five minutes! It was an exciting game and Saints showed class- intelligent Championship form and teamwork. 'What's the score, Keano!' Brilliant chant! I met some tractor fans after the game and they said we deserved to win. Get well soon!

Patto is a decent prospect and I reckon he will do well. This move is a good one for him if he gets the games, which he needs. He's leaving on a free, but AP is meeting his commitment to reduce the squad if he buys. I just hope we have a sell-on clause. Good luck, Patto. I will follow your career with interest and I wouldn't mind if some day we bought you back.

He was still on contact and back from loan. We were still paying him. He was entitled to use our training facilities like any other Saints player. The whole team were up for grabs at that awful time and he can't be blamed for feeling frustrated with the situation. The takeover was not anywhere near sorted and likely not to happen. When the ship is sinking you don't say no to the lifeboat.

yep. Love Stern. Hate Keane Stern could have (would have imo) become a Saints legend had L*** not shipped him out. He should be given a good reception. Keane should be given a rough reception.

We learned two things from the Millwall experience. Presurise 'em and win the ball! And make a substitution during extra time if we are a goal up!

Yep. Much better than against Millwall when we were seconded in most challenges. Did AP have a cunning plan then?

I'm puzzled about the police control over a small group of Saints supporters after the match. I was pretty quick to get out of the stadium and was near the front by the gates before the narrow passageway leading to the trains. Already, there were a small group of about 30 fanss corralled into a corner by the police including a child on someones' shoulders -(this pair surely couldn't have been involved in 'bovver'.) Were they caught up in a group that had left early intending to meet up with Millwall supporters? I don't know if there had been 'previous' before the match with the same group. But there was no trouble at all, and even a little humour between some fans and the police cordon. Despite the discomfort of everyone being packed in like sardines, we knew that we were being contained en masse until home supporters had left on the trains. It was quite well organised considering up to 1500 Saints fans were trapped in the tiniest of spaces between ground and station, and we had to wait a good 40 minutes. (I was mighty relieved to get to a loo at London Bridge though). Then later at Waterloo the same seemingly small well-behaved but distinctly fed-up group, including child still on dad's shoulders, were corralled again by police at Waterloo. So did this group have a previous history of trouble? Doesn't make sense otherwise. Why only them?

We won't have to worry about that until Hammond returns from injury. I'd like to see speedy Papa on the right to complement Holmes's intelligent play and accurate passing from wide left. Not quite Paine and Sydenham perhaps, but they will give the opposition problems. I also like either Lallana or Connolly forward with Rickie. (And Antonio off the bench against the rough and tumble teams. Should have brought him on earlier against Millwall imho)

You're quite right, Stu. Of the teams above us we have only beaten MK Dons, Walsall and Hartlepool I believe in the league, so eighth to ninth is the realistic target. AP would be slated if HE were to accept this, but we have yet to prove we can beat the top teams, and only when we have done so should a play-off place become the expectation. The players would do better if this demand is removed, imo. Let us not forget that our 'five year plan' is consolidation in League 1 this season. Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Be ambitious, yes, but take one game at a time, and see how things pan out. To achieve the play-offs would mean at least five teams having a very bad run. That would be remarkable. Better the attitude that we have nothing to lose by playing our best. That said, COYR!