Nordic Saint

Yes, English armies set sail from Southampton for centuries, from Agincourt to the Falklands and beyond. Whilst it's true they have a naval base, considerably more soldiers have gone to war from Southampton than from Portsmouth.

Only the bottom half of the first ever club badge was the shield with the 3 roses. "An oak panel in the boardroom at The Dell, saved for posterity in the new stadium, reminds us of the club’s history and also displays the club’s first badge. It’s the shield and crest taken from the County Borough Council’s arms." You can read more about it here: Southampton | The Beautiful History It was a bit random in the early years. In old nineteenth century team photos some players can be seen wearing the 3 roses badge, but others had no badge at all. I think it depended on whether they had someone to sew it on for them, but perhaps it was a bit like a cricketer getting their county cap. Then, of course, shirts without a badge became standard for many decades. You still saw players wearing the 3 rose badge on team blazers.

The 3 roses was the Club's traditional badge for the first 90 years of its history. Players wore it on their shirts at the end of the 19th century. I remember when the tree badge won the competition to replace it in the 1974/75 season. Fans weren't happy with the new badge as they thought it looked a bit childish, but, although the new badge competition was mentioned in a programme, we were never given the chance to vote on it. When I started supporting Saints, players didn't wear badges, except on their blazers, but the 3 roses were on all club related items like lapel badges, SFC mugs etc. Yes, it was originally taken from the city crest but so were many other clubs' badges. You only have to look just down the road at Portsmouth to see that. Incidentally, the badge represents the fact that men have always gone to war from this city. The red and white roses of Lancaster and York together showed that the English armies were united when they sailed from Southampton to France.

I was in the crowd at Wembley when England played Argentina in May, 1974. That was about as hostile a crowd I've seen at Wembley for a friendly. Throughout the match the crowd chanted, "Animals". I think we were still chanting it when we left. Channon and Worthington put England 2-0 ahead, but then the great Mario Kempes scored 2, the 2nd being a 90th minute penalty, which didn't go down too well with the crowd. That was the core of the Argentina team that went on to win the World Cup in 1978, when Kempes was the top scorer in the competition. Incidentally, the England team that night had 5 players who either had or would have Saints connections: Shilton, Watson, Keegan, Channon & Worthington.

If you're in a battle, there's nobody better to call on than Dan Burn. He's very underrated.

All Mexico's results this year: 2026 22 JanuaryFriendly Panama 0–1 Mexico Panama City, Panama 25 JanuaryFriendly Bolivia 0–1 Mexico Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia 25 FebruaryFriendly Mexico 4–0 Iceland Querétaro, Mexico 28 MarchFriendly Mexico 0–0 Portugal Mexico City, Mexico 31 MarchFriendly Mexico 1–1 Belgium Chicago, United States 22 MayFriendly Mexico 2–0 Ghana Puebla, Mexico 30 MayFriendly Mexico 1–0 Australia Pasadena, United States 4 JuneFriendly Mexico 5–1 Serbia Toluca, Mexico 11 June2026 FIFA World Cup Mexico 2–0 South Africa Mexico City, Mexico 18 June2026 FIFA World Cup Mexico 1–0 South Korea Zapopan, Mexico 24 June2026 FIFA World Cup Czech Republic 0–3 Mexico Mexico City, Mexico 30 June2026 FIFA World Cup R32 Mexico 2–0 Ecuador Mexico City, Mexico 5 July2026 FIFA World Cup R16 Mexico v England Mexico City, Mexico

France: Mbappé- father Cameroon + mother Algeria, born in Paris Olise - father Nigeria + mother Algeria, born in London Dembélé - father Mali + mother Mauritania/Senegal, born in Vernon Doué - father Ivory Coast + mother France, born in Angers Barcola - father Togo + mother France, born in Villeurbanne Cherki- father Italy/Algeria + mother Algeria, born in Lyon Upamecano - father Guinea-Bissau + mother Senegal, born in Évreux Tchouaméni- father Cameroon + mother Cameroon, born in Rouen Saliba - father Lebanon + mother Cameroon, born in Paris Mateta - father DR Congo + mother France, born in Paris Koné - father Ivory Coast + mother Ivory Coast, born in Colombes

Just as long as our players have secretly been having altitude training for the last few weeks, they'll be fine at the Azteca. At Estadio Azteca’s elevation there is about 25% less oxygen available per breath than at sea level. So, you’re breathing in about a quarter less oxygen at Azteca compared with Wembley. If you're not used to it, you'll find any physical activity difficult. It takes 2-3 weeks of training at that altitude for red-blood cell changes to stabilize and for your body to adjust as best it can. Your body goes through several phases: Immediate response: Hyperventilation and increased heart rate. First days: Plasma volume drops, concentrating existing red blood cells. Higher heart rate, breathlessness, sleep disruption. Worst period Days 2–5 Heavy legs, fatigue, slower paces Weeks: Kidneys adjust blood chemistry; new red blood cells are produced. Weeks–months: VO₂ max partially recovers but never reaches sea‑level values

I don't hear Man City fans complaining about delays so I don't see why we should either. No news is good news. Hopefully, we won't hear anything for a very long time. It's just a shame the EFL inquiry was rushed through in the blazing heat of Gibson's media campaign. A few more months and it would have cooled down and there'd just have been a fine.

Mexico have only lost 2 out of 89 competitive matches at the Azteca. The only teams to beat them in any competition - Costa Rica in 2001 and Honduras in 2013 -were used to similar conditions.

If Garner and Barney-Smith both win world titles, they'll fill St Mary's for a unification bout, although they'd be wise to avoid each other for as long as possible.

Another Messi vs Mbappe final?

Orient fans discussing Galbraith and Ballard: Ballard link on Sky Transfer Centre | Leyton Orient Forum - #lofc

The difference now is that for the first time in years we have a manager who players want to play for. With a different manager, I doubt that Peretz would have wanted to stay.

It's more likely he was the Me in The Spy Who Shagged Me