Fitzhugh Fella

I agree 100% Minty and you can bet your bottom dollar if the fans would welcome transparancy so would the staff and the players/managers. Like you say NC is entitled to do exactly what he wants, we have no rights or say on how our club is being run any more, and I am eternally grateful he persuaded ML to become involved, but if promotion is to be achieved we need a "together ship" and from where I am sitting it appears that there is some doubt that is the case.

I think you will find AC Milan emphatically denied this I for one always enjoy reading the national's report of our games because it is written from an unbiased standpoint. The Observer's write-up of the Saints v Pompey Cup-tie last season is a perfect example. When compiling writing the books I have always preferred to quote national rather than local reports.

I gather work did start and certain elements have been completed. There was then a hitch which I am loath to reveal on here because I would get shot and now fresh builders are being sought.

I think the truth lies is in your 3rd sentence;work had started but has now been delayed while new contractors are found.

I agree but to be fair the booing was just a few and I think they were booing at the result more than at the players. That second half was such a typical Saints performance - you know that one where they simply run out of ideas and never really look like scoring in a month of Sundays

This

Class act

Wise and sane words Minty. I think this is NC's way of ensuring the Echo can't get hold of Saints images from away matches and use them in their home write-ups. The feud is ongoing it seems!

All this means is their death will be more lingering. Today the end could have been swift and with little pain. Now it will slow and agonising and we all have ringside seats.

This forum obviously encompasses a wide spectrum of Saints fans, young old, left right, pessimist optimist etc etc etc. There are trolls ignore them. They will be those that post negative if you don't like them ignore them There are that post happy clappy if you don't like them ignore them. But above all let's all cut out the personal stuff because as sure as hell if you were standing next to someone at a game you didn't know and your views disagreed no way would you call him a Nazi or a trolly dolly or whatever. One of my main rivals on here is NickG who I regard as way OTT in his optimism. It gets on my nerves and I'm sure I get on his with my pessimism but I'll give him his due he never resorts to personal stuff and that is what is making this forum quite an unpleasant place to frequent. I thought about jacking it in but there are parts of this forum I like, it is informative, I find it helps me when saints lose and sometimes it is bloody funny. I lost my job recently after 34 years. No problem I'm grown up but it still hurts and I have 2 kids still at school. I don't need every time I post a load of people referring to what I used to do for a living or why I got sacked - it is not relevant to SFC just as the colour of my skin or my religion is not relevant. I come on here to get away from work not to have it rammed down my throat by anonymous people I've never met. I feel a bit sorry for the mods because whatever they do they will get criticism but really it is up to us to moderate ourselves or at least cut out the personal stuff. The irony is we are all Saints fans so we all have at least one thing in common. Sorry gone on a bit but I think we all need to have a look at ourselves sometimes.

So Saints, according to Malone, break a contract and you accuse me and the Echo of causing damage. I want Saints to succed very much but I don't like to see us allegedly not honouring our written committments.

Well, I know where you are coming from but if Martin turns into a Premiership centre-half (and he is looking promising) then you might wish to reconsider your feelings towards Malone just a tad.

I think part of the problem was that had the Eastleigh game been arranged on the Saturday we played Sutton then it is more likely Saints would have fielded more 1st teamers, there would have been more publicity and Eastleigh would therefore have got a bigger gate. I did wonder why Malone chose to go through the Echo. I guess he didn't really want to make a big deal of it by going through the FL (that would certainly have upset Saints) but he also did want to make the point that the contract had been broken.

PPS As a poster of sub 50 posts I fully expect to be ignored!! Thanks for your response, written with feeling but no gripes from me as you obviously speak from the heart. And of course you are right, we are only ever going to regain our standing in the upper echelons with ML's money. Football has changed, but not for the better, but none of us can turn back the clock. My personal feelings are that we should always treat people worse off than us with dignity and respect. I don't think that has happened with the Eastleigh match, where it appears we have simply ignored contractual obligations safe in the knowledge that the little person daren't complain. I do not want to support an organisation like that. You say move on and that is easy, lets leave Eastleigh behind us, but at the end of the day I can no longer love my club unconditionally if it behaves like a bully in the playground. I could type more but the way this forum now works it has taken me half an hour to get thus far.

Thanks for your response, written with feeling but no insult. I was being a little devil's advocate I do admit

I had a bet to myself that this thread would not get to 10 posts without a personal insult from a butch boy cretin. Just off to pick up my winnings.

I did not know that but it is interesting that we happened to have a free Saturday at short notice.

is not happy that the game with Saints did not take place on a Saturday "as it was due under the terms of the Aaron Martin deal", he also is quoted as saying "next season I hope Saints honour their obligation to play us on a Saturday". According to the Echo when Martin was signed by Saints there was "a written agreement that they would visit them (Eastleigh) for a Saturday friendly for the next 3 years". The Echo goes on to claim "Saints rubbed salt in Eastleigh's wounds by playing Sutton Utd managed by ex Eastleigh boss Paul Doswell "on their one free Saturday". The crowd last night was 1655 which was more than Malone expected. So - is the Echo stirring up trouble or are they merely just reporting back a fact and are duty bound so to do? Are Saints out of order for breaching a written agreement or is it a storm in a teacup? Is it important that Saints maintain a good relationship with their local neighbours or should they be grateful that Saints give them the time of day? So many questions - aint it grand we have a forum to debate them?

Hadn't thought of that - its what Spurs did to us re Bale and what Crouch never admitted to re Walcott.

Saw your old mate Dave Juson there - still holds a candle for Rupert!

Just emptied the whole lot - feel a whole lot better

Ottery if everone had the same sense of humour as you this forum would be a far pleasanter place to dwell. Incidentally heard loads more rumours tonight but I'm buggered if I am going to repeat them. They all sounded a bit crap any way.

Wide right

You got it in a nutshell, Bern, it was the pressure of the fans that finally persuaded NC to back off - for now!

Just back having watched the first half (I have an early start tomorrow). Goodish game - had trouble recognising Saints players apart from Bart and the two centre-halves, Martin and Tafozellio (sp). Oxlade-Chamberlain caught the eye though, very lively and dangerous - has grown a bit too. Big crowd meant it was impossible to get a decent view.