Fitzhugh Fella

This is an accurate and sensible report back from S-Clarke, However. A few observations of my own if I may Schneiderlin is not Chaplow (unfortunately). Elegant and good looking on the ball he maybe but he does not make his presence felt. De Ridder is an impact player whereas Chamberlain could do it from minute one - what a shame we could not have held on to him for one more season. Lambert must have either been ill or carrying an injury - NA never subs him. Lallana is not firing on all cylinders - don't know why but something is not quite right there Tonight was unconvincing but full marks for grounding out 3 points which at HT looked unlikely. We won tonight because between 45 and 55 mins we were unplayable - what a shame we could not have sustained our supremacy a little longer and particularly after their man got sent off Ref was good - hardly noticed him and I think only Kelvin Davis got booked for us. Thought the Hull sending off was a little harsh but I have not seen any replays. Do Prado had one of those infuriating games when everything he did looked cumbersome...but then he scored. His unpredictability is his greatest strength.

This latest news is a real boost to the chances that this thread will, in a month or two, reach 1000 pages and 50000 replies; when it does (and not before) then we should close it and let the good ship AFC Pomfrit start their journey from the lower reaches of Hampshire League football in comparative peace. But for the time being the ride is just too good to get off.

And the people that ruled Portsmouth just departed Chairman as a "fit and proper" person to own a football club will be suitably admonished?

Why wait?Loan him on a pre-arranged deal to buy.

I did say almost Don't worry I belong in the camp that would see them blown off the face of the planet.

Oh dear and here we go again - I almost feel sorry for them

Part of Southampton heritage

Sometimes your attempts at irony - if I read you right - don't really work. I went, I am a Saints fan but i took great pleasure in being able to support a side that play decent football. And as my grandfather on my mother's side hailed from Totton I felt no pangs of guilt for transferring my allegiances for the day. Perhaps you should start posting more genuine posts rather than trying to be too clever. Apologies if I have misread your thoughts.

I didn't think Appleton interviewed very well at all. He didn't look or sound confident, he was full of cliches and his words were spoken mantra-like. If I was a skate I would seriously be underwhelmed.

My Dad reckons the best tactic sides could employ at SMS is to start with 10 men - maybe after last night he has a point?

It wasn't Banarama it was "Steam"

Now if the Northam sung that instead of the crap they came out with last night......

Thought the Northam to be a bit moronic last night. That Steve chant was embarrasing and all this jeering and ole business at 10 man Peterborough was pretty cringeworthy too. Plus we're the Northam and we're the Kingsland makes us all look like we all have identity issues.

Just back and v happy and relieved we won (ugly wins are good) but somehow I feel it was not a great victory to savour. I fancy had they kept 11 men on the pitch we would have won easily but all of a sudden we didn't know how to penetrate 10 men and we became too elaborate. Least enjoyable game at SMS so far this season but the fact we got 3 points speaks volumes so that is a positive in itself. Negatives? Where was everyone - a nice autumn evening, and yet only 21000+ - are the armchair fans - you know who you are - getting a little too cosy? And please Nigel let's not ask Kelvin to pass the ball out - he simply is not up to it. Thought Chaplow was good again tonight, also thought Richardson's performance was far inferior to Butterfield's Saturday display. A good 3 points but not a lot to stick in the memory.

Dave Paton was the lead vocalist in a local band called the Sunsets which included Gerry Gurr on drums and Micky Judd. They performed at the After 8 regularly. Dave Paton is living in Scotland now, Gerry Gurr in Stow in the Wold and Micky Judd remains local. the New Forest I believe.

That's interesting I did not know that. Of course if they suddenly announced that the winners of the League Cup automatically got a Champions League place things might change a bit.

What on earth do you mean Grow Up. Sorry I am giving off a reasonable opinion I would have thought. Yes fringe players do benefit as things stand - that is good BUT and here is the rub and the point of my post Fringe players will only benefit if the fixture means something and if the clubs continue to undermine the competition it will quickly become anything but beneficial. I understand what NA did last night and of course the Boro game is more important and players have got to be protected from exhaustion and injury but that being the case let's just scrub this competion because it has become devalued. And for the record I don't think we should have a fan on the board but ironically ever since we became a limited company in 1898 the board has had "fans" on the board with the main qualification being wealth and in some cases expertise in the financial world. Rather ironic that Manji was not complaining then. I don't know why people have to get personal when a view is expressed on here - just because you don't like or even understand where I am coming from surely doesn't entitle you to make personal remarks?

Go and read some of the comments on the "just back from the game thread" - that is assuming you can read.

Swannymere - I would be grateful if you could direct me to recent "dig at the club". I am extremely happy at our progress this year and very impressed with what NA has achieved. I was merely saying what is the point of the Carling Cup. It seems the only clubs who take it seriously are middle table prem clubs - but even then the Europe route it provides is increasingly being undermined.

No I didn't but I went to Swindon and the two home games. I accept this is not just Saints but most clubs which is why I have come to the conclusion that unless you give it 100% in a competition with your best players (remember the JPT anyone) then what is the point?

of spending good money to go to Selhurst Park, Swindon A, Torquay and PNE at home, etc if the club, at the end of the day, just treat it as a training exercise or a chance to blood youngsters who ordinarily would get nowhere near the 1st team. I fear fans are getting ripped off. Genuine question. A lot of travelling Saints supporters have spent good dosh to go to the Palace tonight but is it really worth it as the club (rightly or wrongly) don't seem too bothered about progressing. The Carling Cup now resembles the 1960s Combination Cup and no one went away to watch those games.

Never a footballer in a million years

How about the 2000 that bothered to travel?

I recently came across some old 8mm colour film of the 1976 FA Cup Final, shot by "Movietonews" and have had it put onto DVD. I have just watched it (about 15mins) and I have nver seen this footage before - there is no sound but there are some great close ups and different angles of the game I certainly have been unaware of before, plus lots of close ups of the Royal Box (the Queen in a blue bobble hat, Prince Phillip looking bored etc). They nearly miss Booby Stokes's goal but there are some great angles previously unseen on tv before, or at least by me. My reason for posting is to ask if anyone is familiar with the movietonews footage - it starts with the two club rossettes and an a baloon and then bizarrely ref Clive Thomas running out onto the pitch, alongside the players bouncing the ball like a schoolboy? Also is there an interest in people seeing this sort of thing? I thought I might - with the publication of our next book - do a sort of history power point presentation and this sort of footage might be of interest. I dunno I might be barking up the wrong tree but if there is enough interest I would love to make this stuff available for all to see. I have also just recently bought about 2 minutes of colour footage (privately shot) of a Leeds v Saints game in 1948 which I know has never been seen before - just trying to gauge is there any interest out there? Colour from 1948 is unheard of. Seeing Alf Ramsey run out in a red and white shirt and Elland Road without any stands is quite something. Please let me know if there is any interest.

Cracking game of football which we deserved to win. My one niggling doubt is we don't have enough cover upfront - with Barnard out long term we simply need another option on the bench. Connolly will not last the season. Chaplow MoM for me tonight he was everywhere but Hooiveld a close second. Fonte made one bad error but had a good all round game. West Ham flattered to deceive - lots of huff and puff but really did not look dangerous.