Fitzhugh Fella

Thanks that was a good read, have fwded the link to David Bull

It really won't be late Colin 9:30 at the latest I would think, there are going to be a few Saints players there ie Hugh Fisher, Jim Steele, and Paul Bennett.

Enjoyed the Lambert interview, a good read!

Yes Billy I went to visit Arthur in his house once, he lived in Highfield near the Crown pub and he was a charming man, full of good stories from both the football and cricketing world. He also gave me a few photos which I have used in the various books over the years.

If anyone is interested David Bull is doing a lecture on World War One and its effect on Southampton FC and their players, this Wednesday at the Winchester Discovery Centre. http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/news/article/20141009-southampton-fc-and-the-great-war-2006844.aspx

It will end in tears and sooner than their fans realise. When the manager/chairman relationship breaks down it is only a matter of time, believe me.

Allen's spin now Awford is blanking him will be interesting. Apparently the player McInnes wanted to sign is doing well with another club and everytime he scores McInnes gets more hacked off with Awford.

If you read his biographies (a good place to start EBS 1980) you would know his Dad often took him to The Dell where his first hero was Derek Reeves.

Indeed Trousers, this is a significant development and the beauty is...... Neil Allen is part of the story!

Just occasionally, information comes my way from impeccable sources, so what I am going to divulge tonight, “nutjobs” can take as 100% verbatim. I would not post if I wasn’t convinced it was the truth. This is not idle gossip take it from me. There is, apparently, massive tension between Andy Awford and McInnes, in fact the relationship is so bad it is fair to say they both hate each other. Not healthy I would say. “Champagne Ian” never rated “Andy Awful” in the first place (you might remember Awford was not considered up to the task when they instead went for Richie Barker) and I gather the chairman has since been interfering on football matters and even setting up potential transfers without AA’s knowledge. The story gets more intriguing, as it appears everyone’s favourite journo, Neil (Paragraph) Allen has now been dragged into the crossfire as Awford suspected a story The News ran was planted by McInnes. He, not surprisingly, was furious. Awford hasn’t the clout (yet) to ban The News himself, but took revenge by curtly and pointedly only answering "yes" or "no" to any of their questions at press conferences pre and post-match. The bottom line is Awford and McInnes have no mutual trust whatsoever and the relationship between the two is at breaking point and will only end in tears. You heard it here first.

Yes we did and we had no option but to, legally but I think we saw that loyalty in football is a fickle beast which works both ways.

I agree with most of your sentiments except the bit about the club sticking by him etc etc. Let's face it if they didn't think he was good enough they would have shipped him out him quick enough, especially if Cortese was in charge. Look at how Bernard, Sharp and Lee were quickly put out to pasture once we had no further need of them.

To be fair Ron has acknowledged that AL is in a mess and bad PR has contributed to that. Deep down Adam probably is a nice lad it's just that fame and fortune has turned his head and his judgement is no longer sound. It is a great shame as he could have gone done in our history as one of the best but his behaviour and words during the summer antagonised the masses myself included.

Should have kept his mouth firmly shut, this article just fans the flames. I never minded him leaving it was just the manner in which he conducted himself during the transfer which sticks in the craw and won't be forgotten.

Don't get me wrong when Saints score or win no one jumps higher and no one is happier in the pub than me (which I think makes me different to my big mate Alpine not) but I just don't like getting carried away. Incidentally apart from a wobble on this thread I have been very supportive of this new regime and even more so since they were kind enough to endorse Hagiology and the history. I don't relish attacking the club but I agree I am no shrinking violet when I see things I don't like. I was anti Lowe in his final years and grew to thoroughly dislike Cortese, but I like to think I give people a chance. Incidentally I still drink in the Ave prior to games so next time say hello. I am sure our arguments would be less robust face to face.

Does anyone remember this goal that never was v Leeds scored by Mark Hughes? http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1207101/The-goals-Sportsmails-time-favourite-Phantom-goals.html

Seeing you wish to stick to your guns (by the way have you ever posted something that with hindsight was not quite nail on head?), I still stand by the main thrust of that post. We remain at the whim of Our owner. At present she seems keen to run the club in a fan friendly way (that was far from being evident when I started that thread) but nothing is guaranteed it will stay that way and, if she has a change of heart, there is bugger all we can do about it. Having now met her and seen what has happened this summer my view has changed. That's good. I go with the flow and I base my opinions not on doctrines, blind faith, or a desire to be the loyalist fan in the world. Nor do I try to be the forum guru smugly never putting a foot wrong. I will leave that to you.

. You have a lot of time on your hands but searching for that post does nothing to prove your point. The club was being run by Cortese then and it seems even Katharina even came around to my way thinking. Never had you down as a smart arise Turkish but maybe I got that wrong too

Well it is all down to character and personality. I am one of those who comes from the "too good to be true" brigade. Probably because I am older than you. My son who is 20 can see no wrong in Saints but I try to keep his feet on the ground, that way the fall when it comes is not so painful. That philosophy might be alien to you and fair enough but it is how I deal with life.....and Saints

Think that is unfair - I did slag the club off when it was being run by Cortese because his methods were far from fan friendly but I can't remember being too critical of the present set-up. Apart from my little wobble when the players were being sold I have very much supported the board and continue to be impressed.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing but people now bringing up old posts of people's opinions AT THE TIME, to point score are pretty pathetic. No one (apart from uber fan Nick G) is right 100% of the time and this place would be really boring without good honest criticism when it appears deserved. There was a time during the summer when it looked like the club was self-destructing. Happily that proved not be true and I for one am not in the least bit ashamed that for a brief period of time I doubted the Board. AT THE TIME I had good reason. And if everyone on here is completely honest I bet they aren't many (Nick G excepted of course) who when we sold our best players didn't have a flicker of doubt?

Woooa mate, I know "Pancake's" news is not good news and I for one, hope it is not genuine, but if he is posting it here in good faith then there is no need to accuse him of not being a true Saints fan. Why do people always insist on shooting the messenger if the news they carry is not to their liking? It's up to you whether you believe it or not, no one is forcing you.

An insightful article full of new information which all adds up. For my part I still have two nagging concerns. I still don't understand why the club have said there is no rush to offer Cork a new contract and I am concerned that Jay Rod in not signing a new contract intends to see out his present one and move on. But from where we were at the beginning of the summer we have progressed way beyond my expectations and those responsible Reed, Krueger, Koeman etc deserve a big pat on the back.

Schneiderlin was the first foreign player to win his first cap while on the books of Southampton, let's hope Fonte becomes the 2nd.

I think it wrong to let a day go by without someone saying something on this thread and so in 1985 I not only hit 30 but also got divorced. My ex wife came to hate Saints but the irony is her second husband is a big Saints fan and ST holder!!! How unlucky can one girl get and she has no connection with the City.