An evening at Staplewood: A tour of the Markus Liebherr Pavilion with José Fonte

So, I was lucky enough to be one of five fans to get the golden ticket to the chocolate factory, as it were.

I decided upon getting home tonight to make sure to write it down in depth now, so as to not miss the details I want to include.

The photographs really can't do the building justice, it really is amazing and it was quite an honour to be in attendance.

Anyway, due to the level of detail - I couldn't fit it into a forum post, so here's a link to a blog I've done on the evening.

I hope you all enjoy and find it of interest.

http://connorarmstrong.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/an-evening-at-staplewood-tour-of-markus.html

Thank for that excellent report.

So, I was lucky enough to be one of five fans to get the golden ticket to the chocolate factory, as it were.

 

I decided upon getting home tonight to make sure to write it down in depth now, so as to not miss the details I want to include.

 

The photographs really can't do the building justice, it really is amazing and it was quite an honour to be in attendance.

 

 

Anyway, due to the level of detail - I couldn't fit it into a forum post, so here's a link to a blog I've done on the evening.

 

I hope you all enjoy and find it of interest.

 

 

http://connorarmstrong.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/an-evening-at-staplewood-tour-of-markus.html

Connor that is brilliant - Thanks Mate

Saint-Armstrong a bloody good read Cheers

So, I was lucky enough to be one of five fans to get the golden ticket to the chocolate factory, as it were.

 

I decided upon getting home tonight to make sure to write it down in depth now, so as to not miss the details I want to include.

 

The photographs really can't do the building justice, it really is amazing and it was quite an honour to be in attendance.

 

 

Anyway, due to the level of detail - I couldn't fit it into a forum post, so here's a link to a blog I've done on the evening.

 

I hope you all enjoy and find it of interest.

 

 

http://connorarmstrong.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/an-evening-at-staplewood-tour-of-markus.html

That was great, cheers for sharing with us!

Really enjoyed reading this. Thanks for writing it!

Top article - I assumed you'd be a bit older as I thought you were a David Armstrong fan! Any relation?

Superb piece and thanks for going to the trouble to write it up. The whole set up is a remarkable legacy of Marcus Liebherr's vision for the Club.

18 months deciding what washing machines and chemicals to use??

Did they keep what was meant to be Corteses personal lift?

A couple of articles in the Times about this both by Alyson Rudd. I can only provide a link to one of them because I do not have web access to my ipad times subscription.

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/sport/football/clubs/southampton/article4258904.ece

That was a great read, thank you for sharing.

Cheers for that.

For a supporter who has followed Saints since being a nipper and being allowed to go to games from 1977-78 season, my interest in Saints is a long term addiction. Seeing this facility and the attention to detail, whilst it all may come across as a little anal to some, the fact the club are doing all they can behind the scenes to improve player performances by sensible percentages continually is fantastic. When you see what we achieved out of Portacabins whilst this place was being built Skies certainly are the limit.

It definitely is a very long way from the "old school" gym at the Dell and players only taking to field 5-10 minutes before kick off on a Saturday.

You must have been buzzing after your tour.

Cheers for that mate.

Thanks a good read from a fan's perspective

Top article - I assumed you'd be a bit older as I thought you were a David Armstrong fan! Any relation?

Me too after watching an older chap tapping away at his iPad in Palafrugell then seeing an extensive match report later that evening on here under your name............ Unless that mop of hair is really a syrup!!

Thanks. A riveting read.

Really enjoyed that reading. Put a lot of meat on the bones from the Club's earlier videos yesterday. Thank you.

Thanks Connor excellent.

Thanks for that - I like and agree that such an occasion produced such a response - I'm sure the club appreciate it too.

If you don't mind me asking - how did the invitation come about?

Excellent read and gives a very good insight.. Cheers

Thanks for sharing your tour with us, much appreciated.

Excellent read, informative detail without too much " over-kill " content. I'm sure many of us would also have liked an opportunity like that, too

Thanks.

Really good and informative piece. Thanks.

Cheers, great read.

Yes well worth sharing.

Great read, thanks.

Thanks for taking the time to post that. Informative and well written. I've now added your blog to my subscription feed service so plenty more like that please.

Excellent stuff!

Cheers for posting.

Oh, I've made the OS!

http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/news/article/20141106-competition-winners-markus-liebherr-pavilion-tour-2066102.aspx

Oh, I've made the OS!

 

http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/news/article/20141106-competition-winners-markus-liebherr-pavilion-tour-2066102.aspx

Miserable git

An excellent report - thank you for taking the time to write it.

Nice one. Cheers for sharing Connor.

Oh, I've made the OS!

 

http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/news/article/20141106-competition-winners-markus-liebherr-pavilion-tour-2066102.aspx

Excellent report, Connor. Looking at the OS report, I was wondering what goes on in the Dinning Room. Can you explain? Do they all make as much of a din as they can for some reason?

But what impresses me is the attention to the minutest detail. I am left wondering whether that was all down to Cortese, or does it originate from those experts in Sports Science that are at the club? From the players having their own mattresses in the overnight hotels before a match, to the personalised mood lighting and choice of music in the massage room, to the oxygen pumped into the washing machines, these are mind-boggling details. Even if there are fractions of a percentage improvement due to each single thing, overall and taken together it might result in the difference of margin that adds up to a few more points at the end of the season. I like that sort of thoroughness and the club's management are to be commended for it.

Great read, Connor - thanks for writing this up and posting!

superb thanks

Thanks fella, a good read

Great report thanks.

But what's with the 'so' to start a sentence? It's weird hearing it, even weirder reading it. This has become a bit of a fashion in recent times, one of the tw*ts on the Apprentice was saying it all the time last night.

So good report. Tks.

Could have at least cracked a smile!

Thanks for sharing this, very interesting

One thing next time, hands out of pockets please when you're having your picture taken

The bit at the end about KL made be well up, but don't tell Hypo!

Great report thanks.

 

But what's with the 'so' to start a sentence? It's weird hearing it, even weirder reading it. This has become a bit of a fashion in recent times, one of the tw*ts on the Apprentice was saying it all the time last night.

Super pedant! He did it 3 times in 3,895 words. There are many things which annoy me about the written and spoken language, but this is going over the top! It reads much more fluently than a great deal of professional reporting (News, Reuters) and comes across as an honest, informative and adept piece.

Super pedant! He did it 3 times in 3,895 words. There are many things which annoy me about the written and spoken language, but this is going over the top! It reads much more fluently than a great deal of professional reporting (News, Reuters) and comes across as an honest, informative and adept piece.

I agree, it is a great read. I'm just curious where this 'fashion' for starting a sentence with the word 'so' has come from, I've only noticed it in the past year.

I agree, it is a great read. I'm just curious where this 'fashion' for starting a sentence with the word 'so' has come from, I've only noticed it in the past year.

I imagine it's got something to do with people tending to write in a more conversational way these days. Which is probably partly down to people writing more online (in forums like this) where you are likely to write like how you speak.

I've started sentences with 'so' before, and while I can imagine it annoys traditionalists (so maybe I'll avoid it now!) I enjoy writing in a way I would speak - feels more natural to me.

I agree, it is a great read. I'm just curious where this 'fashion' for starting a sentence with the word 'so' has come from, I've only noticed it in the past year.

Well, it's been bothering people since at least 2011, but I'm cool with it. Ever since I let stationary for paper go... Breathe. Coxford is also correct.

http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/43273/sentences-beginning-with-so

The one that bugs me the most, like, is when people, like, use the word like all the time, like.

If that makes its way into print, I'll stop reading altogether (like).

Saint-Armstrong, that is a superbly detailed and informative report, which I thoroughly enjoyed reading! Thank-you for sharing.

The one that bugs me the most, like, is when people, like, use the word like all the time, like.

 

If that makes its way into print, I'll stop reading altogether (like).

Like

The one that bugs me the most, like, is when people, like, use the word like all the time, like.

 

If that makes its way into print, I'll stop reading altogether (like).

So, you're like so bang on with this, like. I hate it when people say that and finish a sentance with period.

Period.

Well, it's been bothering people since at least 2011, but I'm cool with it. Ever since I let stationary for paper go... Breathe. Coxford is also correct.

 

http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/43273/sentences-beginning-with-so

You went too early on stationary, ffs.

Great article, my inner pedant didn't spot the "so"s, but sure as hell noticed the "peak" at the black box.

So...

Thanks for your feedback! Glad you found it interesting/enjoyable.