Jackie@home

Every week we turn up and get behind the team. Then they let us down. One flaming win since April. Tim, you are just very lucky that you don't have to sit through it. It's only the die-hards left. My husband wouldn't go if he didn't do it for my sake, even lots of season tickets holders who have had tickets for at least 20 years can't suffer it any more. My husband says that at best, it's boring ( when we scrape a 0-0 draw). There is no more excitement. At it's worst, it's torture. There are so many people who will not renew again next season unless they see some serious changes. Lots of these supporters haven't got much interest in the politics, but they do want some excitement, some atmosphere, some HOPE. The vast majority go along looking to get behind the team, but then the same old crap keeps happening week after week.

This is just shuffling the deckchairs on the Titanic. Seeing Lowe has people constantly monitoring the media, doesn't he realise what everyone would think of this appointment? How many more times is he going to appoint a coach from within before he realises that it doesn't work? For God's sake, even some of his family who own shares must be realising that he's not up to the job? It's obviously happened now because he is trying to deflect the blame away from himself - the easy option, sack the manager - he really must think that we are that stupid.

All Dutch people of his age speak English. We spend a lot of time in Belgium and even the women on the supermarket check-outs speak good English - it puts us to shame. They get all our television channels with sub-titles, not dubbed, so they are used to all our colloquial speech.

Kelvin is one of our higher wage earners, therefore he will not be going to Plymouth as they cannot afford him - they do not pay wages at KD's level.

As a supplier to retailers ourselves, you have to question the business model of some of these retailers that have gone bust after the economy has dipped for only a few months - they were so highly dependent on the banks that a 3% dip in turnover has sent them over the edge. Some of them will go bust in January and open up the next day with the same management in the same premises and the general public will often been unaware. Past Times are one of these that stuffed us for £12,000 last year. However, in football, the authorities have quite rightly tried to make sure that administration is not the easy option it used to be - the actions of Leeds prompted this. When Ipswich, Leicester, etc. went bust they recovered pretty quickly, but the penalties inflicted on Luton, Bournemouth, Rotherham, etc. prove that this is the least palatable option nowadays. The point is, with a retailer you can just close down and the people involved can start another business if they so wish. You can't just close down Saints and start up the next day in the Championship - it will be the Wessex league, if you are lucky.

He's right that they have to be self-motivated. No one needed to gee-up players like Svensson, Marsden and Franny. Most of us are expected to get on with our jobs without someone continually talking us up or threatening us. Age is no excuse - I have a 17 year old working for me who just gets on with what ever's needed. You wonder, with sulking McGoldrick, for example, however they got this far in football when it is so highly selective. Mentally, he just doesn't have it. You do wonder, however, how much belief the players have in JP's system. I even agree with Dave Merrington on this one (unlistenable) - if it doesn't work, for God's sake change it. This continually banging your head against a brick wall is the absolute worst thing - it's incredibly frustrating.

Can't help having noticed, sitting in the centre of the Kingsland with our more "experienced" supporters, that whilst the supporters in rest of the ground seem to be dwindling at an alarming rate, that the vast majority of people around me who I used to sit with at the Dell are still going religiously. The old boys with their flasks and blankets, for whom it's really quite an effort on a cold night, are still there. I outlasted Branfoot, I will outlast Lowe. I'm not letting him stop me from watching my team.

There are NO benefits for anyone for us going to administration. Look at Luton and Bournemouth - it's really benefited them, hasn't it?? St. Marco, why do you think "lots of rich people" would be interested in taking us on? Haven't you heard what's going on with the world in financial crisis? Banks won't even lend to each other, let alone to buy a debt-ridden non Premiership football club. Bournemouth nearly went out of existence, and they relied on their old chairman to get involved to stop this happening. They own no assets at all and have no players left - how can this be beneficial?

I know what you mean. I have to tell most of the men around me who lots of the players are nowadays - they are just not up to speed with all the youngsters coming through the youth system. I have to give my husband a run down on all the latest Saints news otherwise he would be hopelessly out of touch.

It's a shame but hardly unexpected. He'd been playing regularly in Boro's first team, so was obviously on big wages, and I don't think he was really that good - I wouldn't pick him over Svensson and Perry. If you look at some of the disastrous performances in defence that he was part of, (eg the 5-0 away to Sheff Wed), I can't understand why others eulogise about him. We were 12th when he joined us, and 18th when he got crocked. I know he was brave - so was Franny Benali, but this in itself doesn't make him a class defender.

When Graham was at the Echo, the Saints coverage was ten times better than it is now - none of the tabloid rumours, but lots of hints at real inside knowledge. Glad he's got such a good job.