Fitzhugh Fella

Manji just lives for threads such as this as it gives him (presume it is a him) the chance to hurl his "bed-wetter" insult. As soon as I saw the thread GITR I opened it in expectation and I was not wrong. Some things never change.

TBH - he has hardly passed on information that most of us who have been following this thread haven't deduced already? Its a bit of a poor state of affairs when a guy who works at the club on the retail side of things can't pass on a bit of gossip. Back in the day that was what supporting the club was all about - a week of rumours and gossip in the town about the players. Now we seem to be living behind an iron curtain.

I think we remain a good Championship side but we certainly are not a Premier one. The only significant improvement on last season is the addition of Clyne but we know we need a lot more in other areas. (Can't judge JayRod yet as he is being played out-of-position.) People on here are saying yesterday was a wake up call but to be frank we shouldn't have needed a wake-up call to know what the Premiership is all about. Wigan aren't a good side, remember they have just sold their best player, but they handled us with ease once they got our measure. Their finishing was clinical (why does Lallana always want to take that extra touch?), their movement slick and we lacked the guile or skill to cause them too many anxious moments. Come April we may well rue not picking up a point at home against a side who will be relegation rivals. Yes we have 5 days of the window remaining but under the circumstances of us needing to hit the ground running while we bed into a new league, why oh why do we always leave things to the last moment? Some other observations from yesterday I thought Guly worked his socks off but he is not a Premiership player - if he was there is no way we would have been able to sign him when we were in League One. No NC in the Director's box - was he in the crowd? Or maybe chatting a few chairmen up? I hope he has a few rabbits up his sleeve. Thought Davis had a good first half - tidy and busy. Their keeper did not play a blinder - all his saves were ones he should have made. Hooiveld looks really uncomfotable with the ball at his feet but he remains our best defender.

I really don't know how the BBC can continue to report the situation down the road with a straight face let alone a degree of gravitas.

This really has been the most painful of drawn out transfers. This guy looks class and could be a defining influence in our season. I can't see any other club at this late stage gazumping us or bringing Bologna to heel but if Liverpool or Spurs do pull something off, perhaps that will tell us something about our modus operandi when it comes to transfers. I have believed us getting Gaston was going to happen but am starting to think the sands of time are running out now and the shame is we have wasted time and energy on a transfer when we could have been looking at other targets. I think in future I don't want to know anything until it actually happens - as they say its the unrequited hope that gets you in the end!

Don't want to rain on the parade but according to some Italian Saints on the List, the owner of Bologna has just been interviewed on Italian TV and said the two clubs are some way apart in agreeing a fee. They are asking for 20m up front (Euros) and we have only offered 15m spread over 3 years. Also he is angry with Ramirez for some of his comments and is considering fining him.

This is a plaster being administered to a gaping wound. It might stem a bit of beeding for a short while - and give Birch credit for keeping a dying man a short reprieve - but all of this is just throwing good money after bad, a last desperate fling of the dice if you like. A month from now this car crash will hit its final brick wall. It would have been interesting had ML not materialised whether our administrator - whose name temporarily escapes me, was it Fry - would have managed to have kept out life support machine on as long as Birch has managed. I am starting to have doubts re the integrity of the FL however, esp as Lampitt is now all of a sudden a creditor.

But St Charlie, with respect, the trouble is..... the longer we go without signing proven Premiership players, esp defenders, the doubts will grow and a sense that something is not quite right will inevitably increase with each passing day. Yes there well may be a spate of big signings yet to materialise and I am sure the club are working hard irrespective of when the chairman takes his holiday, but there is no denying it would have been better to have got them bedded in before the season starts. A heavy defeat on Sunday will not be ideal (I would bite your hand off for a 1-0 defeat right now). I talk to a lot of fans who live in the town etc etc who don't use this forum and there is a growing sense that things, as they stand, could be healthier. We are all excited to be back, we are all 100% behind Adkins and impressed with what he has achieved, but football is a fickle business and right now everyone in their heart of hearts are doubtful the squad we have as of today are capable of staying up. I have been smoking a Hamlet since the Coventry game but the inactivity of the last few days has started to unnerve me a tad.

The trouble is..... the longer we go without signing proven Premiership players, esp defenders, the doubts will grow and a sense that something is not quite right will inevitably flourish. Yes there well may be a spate of big signings yet to materialise and I am sure the club are working hard irrespective of when the chairman takes his holiday but there is no denying it would have been better to have got them bedded in before the season starts. I talk to a lot of fans who live in the town etc etc who don't use this forum and there is a growing feeling that things, as they stand, could be better. We are all excited to be back, we are all 100% behind Adkins and what he has achieved but football is a fickle business and right now everyone in their heart of hearts are doubtful the squad we have as of today are capable of staying up.

Both good reasons to wear a mask in a city that has no shame or class - today Mr FM has been another cracking day in the history of this forum, and to think when you passed the original info over to me 3 years ago it would lead to a cottage industry which includes71662 responses.

In a word No - I only venture in PO territory for the odd fishing expedition and I always wear a mask

Surely the best option for the trust now is to use whatever funds they have to fund a phoenix club. Trying to replace Chanrai and keep the club from liquidation would just eradicate what funds they do have without ultimately ensuring survival. If I were a skate - and thank the lord I'm not - I would be begging TB to switch of the life support machine and then get to work on forming a new club.

Terry Paine and John Sillett - check my original blurb at the top to find out more re the signings!

Oh Yes big time - we are publishing a massive whos who in 12 months time that is going to blow the Alphabet book out of the water. It is called ALL the SAINTS and is going to be 600 pages and dare I say it the most comprehensive and well-researched "who is who" book ever published. We have "done" the pre-war players and are now working on the post-war players but no stone is going to be left untouched. I am very confident this will be the best ever historical book on any club. Me Gary Chalk and David Bull have spent years on it. Cheers and thanks for asking

If Plymouth cannot blow Appy's babes out of the water I would suggest they are in for a tough season.

2m does seem a tad excessive though - I mean what has Birch actually done?

Get in touch when you return - I shall miss your contribution to the Pompey thread though, I am becoming ever more reliant on your sleuth like activities. Have a good holiday!

Hi everyone - just had 3000 books delivered to my house so it is time to get selling. (A big thank you to Steve Grant for giving me permission). "Suited and Booted" is my latest offering and is a Saints pre-war history told mainly in photographs. There is a squad or team photograph from virtually every season starting with the famous sash one from 1888. That was the photo I showed Andy Oldknow prior to the club deciding to go with the sash in 2010-11. There are also plenty of other photos of players, memorabilia, the grounds etc. Many of the photos - some hand tinted in colour - have never been seen or published before and the book has been quite expensive to assemble, design and print (getting on for 20 grand). A4 size, it is printed on high quality paper and although I say it myself it is a work of art thanks to the work of the designer, Saints fan Rob Culley. Anyway it is in the local Waterstones and the club shop priced at £16.95 but I can let anyone have a signed copy for £15 if they pick it up here in Otterbourne. Alternatively if you send me a cheque for 18.99 to 1 Park Lane, Otterbourne SO21 2HY I will post it out. Cheques to be made payable to "Hagiology Suited" Paypal also accepted to duncan@duncanholley.co.uk I have also arranged for Terry Paine and John Sillett (ex-manager of Coventry when they won the FA Cup and son of Saints' star Charlie Sillett from the 1930s) to do some signing sessions at Waterstones Above Bar 6pm on the 30 August and the next day at noon at Waterstones West Quay shop. Terry and I will be at Eastleigh's Waterstones 2:30 Friday 31st Aug. Terry and I and David Bull will also be giving a presentation at Basingstoke Discovery Centre 2pm Thursday 30 August. 2010 fan-of-the-year, Herbie Taylor has kindly reviewed it so if you don't want to believe my pretty dreadful sales patter read what Herbie says about it - I have been asked to review Duncan Holley's new book, 'Suited and Booted' so here are my thoughts. It is said that you should never judge a book by its cover - this book refutes that claim. The cover and binding of this book is superb, it makes you want to open it to see what other goodies are inside. Believe me it does not disappoint. The pages are thick and and tactile, this book has a quality feel to it as you turn the pages and the pictures are stunning. 'Suited and Booted' is a pictorial snapshot of Southampton Football Club pre the second world war. Primarily it is a book of old photographs, starting with the St Mary's Football team - winners of the Hampshire junior Cup - in 1888. It concludes with a squad photograph of saints in 1938 -39, the last season before the start of the war. Each photo has a facing page with a brief summary of the season depicted and sometimes a reference to a player from the picture. But it is a cleverly crafted book because the text does not overpower the photo's - it just teases you to look more closely at the pictures. For example, Billy Dawson the trainer, who first appears in the 1895 team gets a mention in the text alongside the team photo from that year to the fact that he will further appear in photos for the next 15 years and suggesting that each photo will show Billy putting on weight photo by photo. So you have to have a look, and sure enough Billy does getter bigger by the year - and smarter. He looks every inch a gent in his final appearance in the book for the 1910-11 photo. Could easily be mistaken for a Director! I warmed to Billy, i reckon he was a character. This book will appeal to anyone interested in the social history of football, because as the years unfold the photos show advances in team wear and changes in the visual appearances of the players, lots of big black moustaches in the early years, and every player has a full head of hair. I love to look at old photo's and try to imagine the stories behind them and what it was like all those years ago. In this book the early photo's show the players looking straight at the camera, almost as if they were suspicious of it. But of course these pictures were not taken by a modern point and click camera, the photographer would have taken a lot of time to set up his camera on a tripod and I can imagine the players sitting watching as the cameraman ducks under a cloth cover to manually focus his camera and i guess pop up and down to make adjustments to the sitting arrangements of the team. No wonder some players look bored. Amazingly it is not until the last team photograph in the book that players begin to look relaxed enough to smile. So here we have a book brimming with the romance of the history of our great club in pictures. Perhaps I can whet your appetite with a verbal glimpse at some of the pages. I love the nostalgia of leather footballs and the sturdy leather football boots, with protection for the ankle - you can almost smell the dubbin as you turn the page! In some of the early pictures there are players wearing their shin pads outside of their socks, looking more like cricket pads. I notice too that the 'keepers wore the same shirt as the outfield players in the early days. Eventually you are able to spot the 'keeper because he is wearing a cap. It is not until the 1905/06 photo that the 'keeper becomes identifiable by wearing a different coloured shirt. Apart from the players some of the club officials draw attention to themselves, they appear in the dress of the day, a dark suit, resplendent with their pocket watch chain hanging like a badge of office, even Billy Dawson cant help showing us his pocket watch chain. One mystery for me is a photo from 1896, it shows a gent in a smart jacket holding a cane under his arm. He is named as Mr Isaac, the scorer! Did he wander in from a cricket match? Our friend Billy Dawson turns on the style in this photo! Fans are also included in the photographic history. There is a great picture taken at the Dell 1905/06 which shows a mass of fans standing on the terrace at the Dell, all wearing hats, mostly flat caps but there are several bowler hats to be seen. One thing intrigues me in this picture, everyone appears to be looking toward the camera, except one fan who seemingly does not want to be photographed, he is holding what looks like a newspaper over his face - the mind boggles - was he not supposed to be there? Should he have been at work? a criminal on the run? Or had he told his wife he was working overtime! There is so much that can be gleaned from this book if you look deep into the the photo's. I could go on, but you must get this book for yourself. There is a story in every photograph if you look for it. 'Suited and Booted' is a typical Hagiology production in that it has obviously been well researched and edited, but this is not a book full of facts and figures, it is a delightful pictorial history of pre war saints. A great addition to the Hagiology collection. I can see it appealing to young and old alike. I asked my 12 year old grandson to have a look - his reaction was, "it's cool." I will finish this review where i began it, with the front cover. Any Estate Agent will tell you that a property with 'kerb appeal' is the easiest to sell because anyone looking at it from outside will be tempted to go in and have a look around. If it is dull and uninteresting to look at, they may not bother to go in. 'Suited and Booted' has 'kerb appeal', one look at this on the shelf of a book shop and you will want to pick it up and look inside - and you will go ahead with the purchase. The front cover is stunning in its simplicity and quality. You are on to a winner with this Duncan. Herbie Taylor. PS The cover can be seen at http://www.hagiologists.com

Great song obviously sung with Skatesmouth in mind. Good find Andy

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Southampton-v-Portsmouth-fc-match-badge-Demolition-Derby-scummers-1-pompey-4-/251076893958?pt=UK_SportsMemorabilia_Football_Memorabilia_ET&hash=item3a75595d06 For the sake of being able to produce a badge such as this, a club is about to meet its maker - hope they think it was all worth it - a few of the bestest probably think it was. WTFILN

Is Blackmore suggesting Adkins is being pressured to play a certain way because that is what it seems to me. I am starting to feel a little uncomfortable and would rather we played in a way the players at least feel comfortable with.

Favourites for the drop in this morning's Observer {11/8} and our odds on being Champions a rather sobering 7500/1

Becoming a little bit concerned now....on quite a few fronts, but no doubt the happy clappies will hurl the usual "bed-wetting" insults. I have a lot of faith in NA but I think he should stick to formations that have up to now worked well.

How long will this one drag on until it fizzles out I wonder?

I've got Andy Oldknow's mobile nos so I will text him to find out.