Clash City Saint

It’s not been mentioned but did the PGMOL statement about having made two incorrect decisions against Man U which cost them 3 points against Sheffield and maybe 5 after not performing against Arsenal and even their chances of winning the league on the eve of the game have any bearing of the microscope they were going to be putting themselves under in any future VAR decisions made regarding United? They obviously didn’t want to fuel any anti-Utd biases that were being thrown at them and ultimately at our expense.

Gabba gabba we accept you, we accept you as one of us How can this not be a chant?

Personally I think we've come out of this in a fairly strong position, we had a manager who was always going to leave us for a "bigger" club and wasn't prepared to sign up for the 5 year plan so to lose him now and gain £5million towards the new managers wages can only help us attract own now intended targets. If we look at our last four appointments I feel we've improved with each one, with the new man coming in building on what the previous manager left. I am sure there are countless managers in Europe who will be qualified to take us forwards and would give their right arm to manage us with what we have to offer and I am confident that the club will make an informed and educated appointment, hopefully in the not to distant future. As for RK, good riddance, I've hated Everton ever since Highbury '84 so adding them to Spuds and Liverpool as teams that I will always support the opposition won't be a problem. We march on

40 years ago today, i was a 13 year old boy and I went to Wenbley with my late Dad, Uncle and their best mate. We traveled all over the country watching Saints and obviously this was the pinnacle. When we arrived back in town on a lively coach that also took us to the semi at Stanford Bridge, they decided to celebrate in the Alexander, with me in tow. I remember it being absolutely packed and at some point later in the evening Jim Steel arrived to a heroes welcome. The reason I mention this is that his winners medal was handed around this packed pub, my dad handed it to me and I still remember him saying to me, "look at this, you may never hold one of these again" and of course he was right. After everyone had had a look at it it made it way back to Jim. I wonder if players today would even think of celebrating with the fans let alone trusting us with something so priceless

Are you Jim M, married to Mel, from Bitterne?

Salir do Porto on the Silvercoast of Portugal, right by the Atlantic, so all the bad weather in the UK passes us first on the the way to you guys back home

This was IIRC the 89-90 season and the time of our super subs, Razor and Shearer or as we knew them "The Bruise Brothers". Many a time we would find ourselves in need of a goal and Chris Nicholl would haul off Paul Rideout and throw these two upfront as twin centre forwards with Matty and Rod Wallace as the wide men and play 4-2-4 often with much success and this would then lead to Razor and Franny both leaping in the air as they ran at each other after the initial goal celebration and deliberately missing with their hi-fives A young, talented, hungry, exciting team the likes of which we've not seen for nearly twenty five years, until nowadays anyway.

To put this into context, I remember a So'ton firm from Shirley getting the job of supplying and installing a full length wall to wall mirror in the P****y board room, the lads were I believe from Swathling and the first thing they did was borrow some paint from the painter and write completely across the wall where the mirror was to be installed ''Harry is a c***'. They then went to install the mirror only to find it was an inch too long for the room, After phoning their office for advise and being told to bring it back they then had to borrow some more paint and cover up their handy-work before anyone noticed. I also worked on the building of our Stadium and all the dri-liners were skates and they took great delight in telling me and my mates that they had put scarfs and shirts in the walls there, more money than sense was our attitude. Because Barr, the main contractor was from Glasgow, all football shirts were banned from being worn on any of their sites due to the Celtic/Rangers fans they employed, the bricklayers were all from P***** and they got round this by having the star and sickle embossed as part of the firms' identification on their hi-viz jackets which did annoy us as we weren't allowed to wear our colours/crest on our own Stadium, but we weren't as annoyed as the 'hoddies' who were all local lads and also had to wear these hi-viz jackets, mind you they would get their own back on these Skate brickies by ******ing in the 'muck' that they had to fetch for them. If mobile phone cameras had been around in those days I'm sure these sorts of videos would have been far more common.

As was I and a after years of barracking from the Saints fans for his woeful distribution for the very first time we chanted his name in honour of that tackle. As I remember it, Fash the Bash was putting it about and we couldn't handle his 'aggressive style'. Eventually Franny did what we all wanted someone to do and from that moment on he turned the corner with us Saints fans becoming a firm hero of our generation. Mind you, getting sent off at 3-1 down probably wasn't the cleverest thing to do but it fired the team up and a certain MLT popped up with a couple to claim a hat-trick although if I remember correctly his third would have probably been taken off him these days. The following week I bumped into Franny in a club in town and I said to him that was a fantastic tackle. I asked him it he could hear us singing his name and he told me that he was sat in the dressing room on his own feeling gutted at letting his team mates down by getting sent off and all he could hear was us singing his name for the first time ever, (he did use to get a hell of a lot of stick from some fans) a case of real mixed emotions.

Game being streamed on 1strow as well for those of us unable to get there. http://www.thefirstrow.eu/

There was a live stream of the QPR game and the full 90 mins were shown as the Game of the Day in the evening on Sky so I didn't need MOTD or Gary Birtles comments to asses Gazza's performance yesterday. I thought Gazza was suspect throughout the game and if it wasn't for a continued improved performance from the back four and the poor QPR attack I felt we might not have got the three points we deserved. As someone mentioned earlier Kelv faced three top teams behind a mistake riddled defence and paid the price. Our then inexperianced back four has improved greatly in recent weeks and even though I struggled to see the qualities of Yoshi at first (I realised it takes time to adapt to English football in general let alone the Premiership) we are now seeing the player we had hoped we had signed. Add that to the impressive performances from Luke Shaw and the getting back to basics of just clearing your lines I would personally like to see Kelv back if only to take Gazza out of the spotlight for a bit. I guess one thing we can agree on though is that there probably is no one better qualified at the club that Nigel to asses all three goalkeepers performances and we have seen he's not frightened to make changes all over the park.

As an 8/9 year old....way, way back, I started playing Tyro in the Under 10's League for what has to be the best named Tyro team, Mini Saints, (our Under 12's were Little Saints). Our 'pitch' was on Hoglands Park where the Skate Park is now. We kids would have to carry the posts and crossbars across 'Queensway' and assemble them before our Saturday morning home games. We would often have quite a crowd (for u10's) as we were run by a couple of dockers and their mates would leave their wives to shop in Debenhams and come watch us. I remember that when we were kicking towards those dodgy public toilets, our right winger would often cross the ball only for it to get caught in in the big tree there. By the time we got to Under 12's we had changed our name to something very familiar now but us kids had never heard of it, we became Southampton St. Mary's. Our biggest rivals then and pretty much all my footballing career were Brendon, (always hated them), Sky Blues and Millbrook Probably half our side played for the Tyro Rep team ran by Tommy Traynor (RIP) and some of these also played for the Schoolboy team but as I remember you had to be big regardless of your football ability to stand any chance of being selected. In about 74/75 we (rep team) went across to Bayern, France to play in a tournament against the club teams of Bayern, PSG and Bayern Munich, These were boys signed by those professional clubs and then nurtured through their schoolboy careers, a simular system to what Saints now operate but unheard of in England at the time. We did have one star player in our ranks but as he was a couple of years younger than the rest of us he took the brunt of the **** taking but I guess he had the last laugh seeing as he was/is Paul Rideout. Someone mentioned St Georges school earlier, my memory of them is playing them away at school (Bellemore) and the big center-forward just smashing his way through our defence time and time again, We lost 4-0 and he got all four, big powerful lad even though he was a couple of years younger than us, his name? Ian Baird.

Unbelievably we have nearly 100% agreement on something on here, but I did notice several regular posters haven't put their 'six eggs in' yet !! I find myself agreeing with so many posts here, I also hate the Liverpool kit and like/have the White away. This reminds me of the situation we had back in the 80's when we adopted the Danish pyjama kit as it was know. Pretty much everyone wanted us in our stripes and I remember the front cover of the Ugly Inside (it's in the loft) with a picture of Franny and the caption 'Back to stripes, back to reality' which was a play on Soul2soul's hit 'Back to life' when we eventually changed it. This I suspect is all about marketing. The club knew that due to the forthcoming premiership campaign shirt sale would dramatically increase whatever the design, so why not give us something we don't really want but will get bought anyway then next season when the euphoria of being in the Prem has died off and shirt sales would probably not match those of this season, go back to what the fans want, stripes, and thus increase the sales again. Just a thought.

just celebrated with a few Super Bocks..............****ing get in there !!!!

For me this is the worst Saints 1st team kit I have seen in my lifetime. Even the 'Pyjama' kit was better and that was based on the Danish kit from the previous world cup iirc so at least was current where as when I look at this kit I see Graham Souness in his Liverpool prime. I remember the front cover of the Ugly Inside after we ditched the pyjama kit stating 'Back to stripes, back to reality' (based on the soul2soul song) as that was as equally badly received. The argument of the sash kit not being stripes doesn't wash with me either as that was an anniversary kit so was ment to make a statement reflecting our past. I don't know what this kit is saying? Perhaps it's NC way of saying I'm in charge and the past is the past and this is now but after seven years away from the football world's attention I feel we should have stayed with our traditional stripes as that is the way we are viewed the world over. Can you imagine Real Madrid for instance changing anything, there's not a lot you can do with a complete white kit but that is how we all think of them and that's what they have stuck with, or Barca, AC or Inter Milan, people the world over think of us as red/white stripes, that is our global brand, not this re-hashed Liverpool/Middlesboro' effort and yes I also like the away kit but then away kits are different for a reason, what's the reason for changing to a red first team kit is what I'd like to know?

This is what me and my mates have always maintained on sites across the South. It's like when we work with lads from Bristol and remind them that they're Welsh, (oh how they love that),

I remember us all singing the song below during the course of the season but would have been too young to appreciate the joys of Amsterdam at that age but how disappointed must the older lads been when we went out. ''It's spring again we'll sing again Southampton for Amsterdam'' Not being arsed to look it up but I'm guessing this was where the final was played.

'Archers, Archers do your job'

Sung in 1977 ( until Jim Steele got caught on the ball) due to our Cup Winners Cup place It's spring again we'll sing again Southampton for Amsterdam

Prior to the '79 League Cup Final When we walk down Wembley Way You will hear the Saints fans say 'Who are we gonna stuff?' Forest and Brian Clough Any time the play was out of view down in the corners at the Dell Who did what? do wot do wot wot '76 Cup Final to the turn of The 633 squadron along with arms outstretched mimicking a plane. Weeeee are Southampton We are the best We hate United We hate the rest. Na na na etc.

The thing that I remember from that period of England failure was that it was really a straight choice between Matty and Gazza, us Saints fans and other 'football' fans around the country thought that we should take both to France '98 as it transpired we took neither and when we were looking for that something extra against the Argies even though Hoddle had MacManaman, Sir Les Ferdinand and Teddy Sheringham unused on the bench he introduce Gareth Southgate, David Barry and Paul Merson to help us advance to the World Cup Quarters, the rest as they say is history. Seeing as I've brought up Gazza's omission I thought I'd share a memory of my meeting the 'great' man just weeks before Hoddle announced his squad for France. I was 'sparking' on an extension at the Meon Valley Hotel in the no-mans-land between us and 'them'. The skate Paul Walsh was having a testimonial at Krap Notarf and had booked his guest players to stay at this hotel. The morning after the game I looked down upon the car-park and saw Gazza, Chris Waddle and Chris Woods chatting. With the highs of Euro 96 still fresh in everyone's minds I was keen to talk to them. The thing that shocked me was that during the 20 or so minutes we chatted Gazza was chain smoking and I remember thinking that surely with such a big tournement looming he should have been looking after his fitness. The Duty Manager from the night before jokingly quizzed Gazza about the previous night. Apparently Gazza had invited everyone in the bar back to his room for a party and on finding the hotel kitchen closed he had ordered dozens of rounds of sandwiches for his 'guests'. Gazza could not recall any of it and it was obvious that he was suffering from his over indulging of the night before. Now I except that most of us here would totally abuse an all expenses paid stay at a country hotel but this was the nations darling only days away from Hoddle announcing his squad. I remember Gazza appearing on Chris Evens TGIF show just after the press had exposed Gazza as a heavy smoker and drinker but still before the squad was announced and he walked on set with about 30 unlit cigarettes in his mouth. Basically he was saying that it was untrue what the press was saying and that he didn't smoke but I for one knew he was lying. Do people here remember how Gazza reacted when Glenda told him he wasn't taking him?

Here's a thought. How much would we have to raise for Sports Relief to get that pr1ck Westwood down the road to wear a Saints shirt? Do you think he would be up for some charity work? (other than the charity work he's doing at the moment.....following the Blue few) If anyone has his number why not give him a call and see if he's interested in Sports Relief as opposed to his normal hand relief.

I always use http://www.frontrowsports.eu, if you use the full-screen option the annoying pop-ups on the bottom of the screen don't usually appear but TBH the pop-ups are a small price to pay to be able to watch our beloved Saints from overseas.

Merry Chimbo to all my fellow Saints fans worldwide and to you and your family Scott (unless I'm one of the c***s)

'76 and '88 for me. After going to the semi-final on the Saturday, My Day, his Brother and their best mate, all Southampton Docks Stevedores took me (13) to Krap Notarf for my first time. A cold Tuesday night I think. We drove down and even though we were all decked out in our FA Cup Beenie hats and Saints scarfs I don't recall seeing any trouble as we made our way to the ground. When we got there we found ourselves right by their main entrance with these sort of zig-zag barriers leading to the turnstiles. I remember my Dad asking a copper where we had to go and he said ' you can go in here if you want' So we did........I remember walking out onto the terrace, the green, wet pitch glistening under the floodlight, then I noticed the crowd..and they noticed us. The whole of their end surged in our direction, each with an arm rhythmically moving back and forth, 'Scummer, Scummer, Scummer' rang out from the Farton End. There we were, all decked out in our red and white, completely at the wrong end of the ground. We were in the terrace that ran along the left hand side the pitch looking from the Saints end but right near the corner flag. After being told that if we left we would have to pay again, my uncle and his mate, a right couple of hard bas tards, decided we would make our way the length of the terrace, but not remove our colours. This we did without them hitting anyone even though quite a few words were exchanged and we joined our compatriots in the away section. I remember little of the game although I do remember Stevie Williams playing well on his debut as we were looking out for him having been impressed by him in the ressies. But I do remember Mickey Channon breaking through and finishing in the bottom corner at the Farton End and continuing his run right along in front of them with his trademark windmill arm celebration. Not that they needed any excuse but being in the last minute of a game they couldn't afford to lose as they fought relegation they didn't take it very well. Their whole end emptied, I asked my old man where they were going, 'round here I expect' was his reply. The game was still playing as they arrived at the back of us (the gates having been opened early), 'Pee-orts-muff' clap-clap-clap, the repeated over and over as they stood at the top about ten yards away from the Saints fans who had just turned and faced them. They didn't come any nearer, they just stood there chanting, then as the full-time whistle blew my dad's mate who was stood beside me, said 'right' and just walked up towards them and said 'Come on then you f***ers'. This encouraged more Saints fans to move up towards them causing them to back away and retreat down the stairs. The only actual violence I saw with my own eyes was women and kids being hit and kicked (honestly) as we walked a gauntlet of Skates as we made our way back to our car but three grown men and a kid.....they didn't want to know.