Fitzhugh Fella

I think the great thing about that Sunday, was the fact the WHOLE of So'ton took to the streets to welcome back the team. My Mum and sisters hate football but they were all there cheering and it proved to me that winning the Cup truly unites a City. A never to be forgotten weekend. At the time, being 20 it was almost too enormous an occurrance to fully take on board. It was like a dream. Southampton was an absolute madhouse that saturday night. The whole town was clogged up with emotion, cars, people, singing, joy, delerium. No one wanted to go to bed although we were knackered - how I slept I will never know. Jesus, I still get a shiver now.

One of our best ever away performances - remember it well.

On here? Just don't think fans went away in those days - the travel was too problematical. Happy to hear from anyone to prove me wrong though!

I was there - the most one sided game I ever saw! How did Eric never get picked for Scotland after that match and Brown the Scottish manager was there too!

Love to know who went to the earliest away match on this forum. My first away game was Stamford Bridge, Boxing Day 1969 - we lost 3-0! Anyone used to go away in the 50s or even 40s. My dad went to quite a few in the mid to late 50s. Their can't be anyone still alive who went to away games pre-war can there?

How could I forget it - gutted was not the word! Mind you Anderlecht away was a classic! Chanson D'Amour. I remember the Carrick Rangers away match. Not because I went but it was on radio and I invited Stan Fair Oak (aka Dave Carroll) to come to my Mum and Dad's place to listen to the commentary. It was played in the afternoon for some reason. Anyway he and I drank a whole bottle of galliano (Italian ****tail found in Harvey Wallbangers) and got seriously ****ed. When my Mum came home from work she found the pair of us rolling round the kitchen floor unable to stand. Not amused. Will say hello to Ken tomorrow for you.

Had a pint with him in the Otter last night and passed on your regards. He said he was completely innocent at Orient but had a bit of form and he got 6 months for assaulting a police officer. He served his time somewhere near Ipswich. His Dad told him that it would teach him a few things and indeed it did! Now a grandfather several times over but still large of life and plenty to say for himself. He went to St Georges but got expelled after a couple of years and then went to Toynbee. 4 brothers and 2 sisters, quite an Irish family and still a big Celtic fan to boot.

A "Lynham/Fialka/Jackson consortium" taking over Poopey? My God the thought of that is just so mouth watering!

Yea I was there TeamSaint, not many Saints there and an intimidating atmosphere in that vast ground.

Off the top of my head Peach missed at least 2 out of about 25 - nothing like as good as MLT.

I think it best James stays at Farton - his wages are doing the club serious damage.

Picture of Ken in one of this week's Echos. He is now a top snooker coach based in Chandlers Ford. Nice man too.

Not sure if John Mortimore still has an official position at SMS but I was pleased to see him sitting amid all the Saints fans at Orient. Says a lot when someone who has been President can still go to away matches and sit among the great unwashed! John is a genuine link to the 60s - long may he remain a fan.

Did you know for the 4th Round home tie v Blackpool Aston Villa had a coach load of fans at the game. They were so impressed with our performance at Villa Park in the 3rd Round they vowed to support us in the next. Unbelievable but true!

Yes he was telling me about it - happened at Leyton Orient apparently which is why he made the sentimental trip back there last week! He is about 6 feet 4 inches and wide as a tank. When I first met him in the woods he had a big stick with him and a ferocious looking alsation and the gruffest voice I ever heard. Put the wind up me a bit but I see him regularly now and he enjoys a yarn about the god ol days. Will pass on your regards. He told me he is going to Gillingham! I think there is a lot of older fans getting interested again.

I feel you may be right. Or perhaps I feel more comfortable that it might have outgrown me.

John - in short No - now he has gone we are back to square 1.

Ian Mead? Saw him at Orient last week? We walk our dogs together sometimes. Wouldn't want to cross him mind you - he cuts a formidable sight even these days!

Quite prepared to respond to your points when you leave out the personal stuff. While I understand your point about not wanting scientifically perfect football matches I think in this day and age when many careers are delicately poised, a couple of bad offside decisions can affect a player's future. Waigo quite rightly got a lot of stick for his poor grasp of the offside law a month ago but it appears to me he has been working on it. To the best of my memory he did not get called offside once at Orient and last night he showed commendable restraint. When he was mistakenly pulled up when well-placed he could have scored and a goal would give him a lift at a time when he is being overshadowed by Antonio. There's there are a lot of rules that are hard to implement these days without technology but I think the offside law is a particular out-of-date law that no longer fulfills the function for which it was introduced. If we are going to keep it positioning the asst refs on the roofs of the stand might see an improvement. Sorry if you think me starting this thread as "grandstanding" - I am genuinely interested in fans' views on this. Especially those fans I respect.

Maybe I will try and meet NC when he is not busy I don't know. Will have to see! I know AO was not instrumental in bringing ML to the table because he told me.

Well it was introduced over 100 years ago to stop goal hanging and whilst I accept there might be a need to keep parts of it (maybe inside the penalty area) I can't see the point keeping a law that is physically impossible to implement correctly. Even if Charlton's goal was OK because we had a man on the line the asst ref wa sin no position to make a judgement as he was nowhere near up with play. Its a bit like the rule that states there is no standing in Premiership stadiums. Impossible to fully implement or police but rather than adjust the rule what do the governments and officials do? They pretend it isn't happening. Our stadia now are more unsafe than they were before all seaters, as standing amid rows of seats must be a hazard. I say it again - the offside rule is not being properly managed and unless they find some way of using technology I would rather do without - at least let's experiment.

Good to see you still resort to personal insults to emphasise your greater knowledge.

I had heard rumours that he had not been getting on with NC who I hear is a shrewd, tough cookie to deal with. He was appointed after NC rang the FA asking if they could recommend anyone for the position. He had nothing to do with the Swiss coming to the table. In a way I am personally a little saddened by the news because although he had a bad reputation with some of the staff I felt AO was a "football" man and also he showed a genuine interest in the history and traditions of the club when we held our one meeting on the future role for Hagiology and the club's 125th anniversary.

there were 2 incidences in the match last night that really brought it home to me just how modern football has outgrown the offside law. One incidence was an offside given when it shouldn't have been and another was one that wasn't given when it should have been. The first was when Waigo was flagged offside when replays showed he was at least a yard on. He had moved far too quickly and with perfect timing that the linesman just could not keep up. He was in a very likely goal scoring position and it must have been very frustrating for him. Certainly the benefit of doubt (which there must have been) was not given to him which is not following the rules. The second came just prior to Charlton's goal when their winger received the ball at least 2 yards offside but the linesman was about 5 or 6 yards back and as he was nowhere near level just did not have a clue and had no choice but to allow play to progress and they scored 30 seconds later. If the offside law is to stay then there must be a better way of judging it. Quite simply linesman or asst referees on the touchline are in a ridiculous position, perspective wise, to make correct decisions. It's hard enough further back even with a better global view from the stands and the modern game is just too fast. How can an asst ref expected to be level? Those two mistakes which both went against Saints could have been costly.

Good story I only went to Villa away because I was staying in the Gateway Hotel at the time and John Tubbs the manager was a big Saints fan and talked me into going in his car.