Fitzhugh Fella

I can put you in touch with Manny - he is really good to talk to - he lives in C Ford. Another avenue is Bill Beaney who knows everyone and can be contacted outside the players entrance on match days. duncan@duncanholley.co.uk

Yes Wayne Talkes (with an E) lived in Bitterne! Crazy Diamond - I suppose before I gave out numbers I would have to know a bit more. Maybe Roy Beazely who used to tun the ex-Saints could help? I could get his number. Since I wrote that article of course we have had Aaaron Martin and Harlee Dean, both surnames that could be first names. Whatever happened to H Dean?

Some people would argue Marcus Liebherr "saved" SFC. I prefer to consider he made a very "sound" investment and one of the spin off consequences of that sound investment was that we lived on as SFC. I am pretty sure Marcus's overriding ambition was to invest wisely and if at the same time he made a lot of people happy then great. He seemed to take genuine pleasure in that fact. But please can we take the "evangelical knight in shining armour can do no wrong" element out of the argument?

I will say one thing and I speak as someone who fell out with Matt badly over the Pinnacle affair. If anyone is foolish enough to believe MLT is actually trying to destabilise this club they must be off their rocker.

I have wondered why cause of death was never made public. None of our business I know but evenso.......?

Dont tell Trousers!

I think this thread is one of the most depressing ones I have read on this forum and some of the criticism of Nick to be grossly unfair. I am not a big friend of Nicks other than a couple of pints at away matches. Whenever I go away he always seems to be there, which marks him down as an active fan other than an armchair one. That means something in my book. I really do not think he seeks to be known as a spokesman for Saints fans but with the local media as lazy as they are down here they get one phone number and look no further. If someone from the Echo ring you up and ask for an opinion my guess is most on here would give it? The fact that Nick has had to resort to getting the IFO to adjudicate is incredibly sad - why are SFC that vindictive against one man? It makes no sense whatsoever. To always blindly assume that whatever SFC do must be right - because we all support them - is quite frightening. Tbh although I will probably get into trouble for saying it I do believe the current owners of this club to be bang out of order in this particular incident. What is the point of turning on your own fans? I will say it again - this episode is incredibly sad and totally avoidable. I would ask all fans how they would feel if they were in Nick's place?

The Football Echo says rested, but I am not sure. I guess we will find out on Tuesday. I would keep Bart in. One thing I hope Butterfield keeps his place instead of Richardson as he is much better going forward and uses the ball so much better.

Hardly "new" faces though! I agree re BWP however.

Richardson has been a big disappointment - his distribution is non existant.

a Redknapp signing I recall

I see a very polarised debate coming up. I think we had better get used to the fact that, like it or not the current executive chairman of Southampton FC will not make a special case for probably our greatest ever player. I think this goes back to Pinnacle or at least started then. There is no doubt Pinnacle's involvement in the takeover did not impress the Liebherr camp, who were unfairly put on the back burner. I make no comment on the rights and wrongs of all this - just a little sad it has happened, but modern day football seems to have less and less time for tradition, sentamentality or loyalty to the past.

Just spoken to a mate who was at the Swindon game yesterday and the word all around the ground was Austin is coming here.

A good analysis. I would emphasise the point about Richardson's distribution - it was truly shocking. He shuts his eyes and hoofs it basically. He may be a reasonably good defender but his passing and crossing is woeful.

I am flabbergasted anyone reads the Daily Mail let alone buy it.

Paul Ince reads this forum don't forget.

I have Meridian coming around after lunch to talk about last night's result.

And Carlisle was 1977

Ottery. good to see the team respond to your pep talk! Tbh this sort of result was bound to happen sooner or later, just surprised it came on the road. Good to see us take our chances, more of the same for the rest of the season. History was made too. First time ever 6 different scorers away from home!

I am writing this before the Oldham game but I think the main area we need to strengthen is not signing new players but making the ones we have more ruthless, especially away from home.

He won't go to Palace. They told Steve C that they expected consolidation this year and promotion next but no money. Not surprisingly Steve C declined the job and if Howe has any sense he will pick Charlton. However I don't reckon they are that much a better option. He's a good manager and I would not have been disappointed to have seen him here. H emight be better off staying where he is and chosing a club that don't have Palace or Charlton's problems.

For once I - mistakenly - thought we might a decent write up in the national media, especially now we have drawn United. In the Guardian this morning (yes I know I am sorry but it is the only one left I trust just a little) the whole write up surrounds Holloway's infatuation with Dalglish with one line on Lallana at the end. Absolutely laughable and so indicative of how myopic the media are these days to the big 4. How can you work a story re the new Liverpool manager into a Saints v Blackpool? Go read the Guardian to find out and weep.

Nah we just need to show we are a proper football club, with proper fans who can fill a stadium with people left outside. A club with tradition, passion and a pride that we have been down but we are on the way up (with a little investment). I don't care about plastics, because plastics can become real fans. I am giving my ticket to my 17 year old son who has lost interest over the last few years in the hope he can recognise something I am also hoping Nicola will recognise ie this is a club worth backing. We can't lose to be honest. Exit means we can concentrate on promotion with our diggnity intact - and victory? Well let's just wait on that one.

what life could be like if we were in the Premiership. The Cup-tie v Man Utd will fill the executive boxes for the first time since his arrival, the stadium and the press box. It will bring in club record ticket sales and spin offs not to mention tv rights. This club will be the focus of the footballing world from Bangkok to Boston. A far cry from what he has so far experienced ie away to the Daggers etc. This will give him a real taste of what he is chasing, a real raison d'etre to invest more to rub shoulders with the elite. While us fans have experienced a really rocking St Marys he has yet to see it (Pompey excluded which was rocking for different reasons). it is a great shame Marcus Liebherr will not witness what is bound to be a memorable occasion and one which will hopefully give Nicola the taste of what can be achieved. The JPT was great but nothing beats playing one of the top teams in Europe and perhaps even getting a result. The draw could not have been better. A real chance to showcase what we can once more become.

We have been fairly lucky with injuries over the last 18 months - so I would beg to differ that we have enough at present to gain automatic promotion. We still need a bit of cover in key areas before I will be ready to agree with the OP.