Kenilworthy

Technically, as a N.Ireland international, wasn't Chris Nicholl our first non English manager? Although he was born in Wilmslow.

Will Champion

John Arlott actually supported Reading. I guess they struggled to find a celebrity who was a real Saints supporter in that era.

Stuart Ripley was a definite failure, though I would say that David Hirst was a qualified success in that he had an important influence in our solid season of 97-98. He was badly missed the next season and if he failed it was due to his susceptability to injury rather than his quality. Andrei Kanchelskis came on a free transfer at the start of 2002/3 as backup cover so can't really be judged as a success or failure, although his record is played 2 (as sub) won 2. How about Mark Hughes? According to his agent at the time of his signing 'Southampton have never signed a player like Mark Hughes before' - totally oblivious to the fact that, as other have already said, in KK we signed the current European footballer of the year. On an alleged £15K a week, Hughes was perhaps one of the greatest wastes of resources Saints have ever had. Signed as a striker he was so ineffective he had to be moved into midfield to accommodate him in the side - again allegedly his deal insisted he had to play if fit. It didn't take Glennda long to show him the door when he took over.

I have seen Steve Cotterill at just about every Saturday game at St Mary's recently. I assume he is either scouting or working as a Prozone anayst. He would be a very good candidate for the job.

I don't think he would have the motivation to be manager. But surely we should be using him as a specialist coach for corners, free-kicks and penalties.

In the car park crush after the game the right wing of my Astra was wiped out by a coach carrying the Forest directors.

A year later Arry inherited what was pretty much the same squad, minus Killer, and told us that players who had outclassed Liverpool at Anfied weren't good enough to stay up

Does anyone know of a DVD or video of Scotland 5 Wales 3 from the Home Internationals in about 1969? I think Ron scored two goals, one of which was a bullet header from the edge of the penalty area that he couldn't have vollyed harder.

It feels like waking up with a massive hangover without having gone to the party the night before

I compiled the original stats. And there is a good reason for leaving out Wigley, Gray and Sturrock and that is because their careers were even shorter than is normal for Saints managers and I was interested in looking at the early performance of managers who went on to have at least a season in the job. I am certainly not anti Sturrock, I would happily have seen him given a proper go. I can already hear the 'ahas' about including Pearson as he only had a short career. But I left him in as the most recent manager and the one who cames closest to JP's circumstances. I totally agree about the lack of statistical validity. However, whatever division we are in, with whatever playing resources and whatever financial considerations it is inescapable out that not one of them produced what you might call a truly outstanding start, though a number (especially Dave Jones who started really badly) did go on to prove capable managers.

A good win. But we were very poor against a hopeless Doncaster side whose only really tactic was to get the ball to the great oaf Price who would then run into our defenders to win free kicks. A decent team would have taken them apart. Indeed on the rare times we did play football, such as the build up to our first goal, Doncaster couldn't live with us, sadly they were few and far between us much of our play consisted of aimless hoofing. There was absolutely no doubt about either penalty. How Hird, as the last defender, stayed on the pitch after the blatant trip for the second penalty, is beyond me. It was a tame effort by Surman as well and easily saved by Sullivan. Peckhart would be a decent player if he had a first touch. McGoldick would be a decent player if he moved at all. All in all though a good day out at a very nice stadium in lovely weather.

The Portugese players were put off that evening because they weren't used to playing under floodlights! In the home game with Newcastle both sides wore stripes. As the home side we were meant to change but didn't understand the rule. As Eric Martin walked off at the end a firework was thrown on the pitch and it went off in his face. Also in the first round away against Rosenberg Trondheim we became the first ever English side to lose a leg to a Norwegian side. At that time it was expected that you would hammer a team of Norwegian part timers 10-0. But we won the return 2-0.

what makes the badge traditional is that it was on our shirts when we won the cup and in two other major cup finals. And since we never had a shirt badge before 1974 it is the only shirt badge we have ever had. It changed in the mid 90s when the old style football became the pentagon one, which I agree is rubbish since no one uses them and I would like to see it changed back. The biggest argument against changing it is that the new design would probably be done by expensive graphic designers and we would end it with something completely lacking in soul like Arsenal's new badge.

I don't think it's fair to include Groves. He can hardly help rupturing his achilles tendon and ending his career while playing for us can he? In the dozen or so games he did play he looked the business. And as for Speedie, nasty toe rag as he is. Whose fault was it that he came to the Dell? Branfoot insisted on him as part of the Shearer deal.

Alan Ball - His signing at Christmas 76 transformed the cup final side in slow decline into one that romped to promotion the next season. Chris Nicholl, a real coup in signing the captain of a first division side, he came with a guaranteed record of promotion. And one often forgotten - Mick Mills. Came in during the 82/83 season to stablise a side still reeling from the loss of Keegan. Next season we nearly did the double. Crucially, he taught the side what it took to win away from home. I'll never forget the second to last game of 83/84 on a Monday evening at a near deserted Hawthorns. We seemed to be settling for the inevitable draw when Mick was heard shouting "ere we can win this one". A 2-0 win was duly achieved followed by 3-1 at Notts County on Thursday and we were runners up, with Man Uninted finishing fourth in their two horse race with Liverpool.

I was speaking to a business contact yesterday who is also a freelance football reporter for the Times. Knowing that I am a Saints supporter the first thing he said to me was that Lallana is already being watched closely by Premiership teams.

If you have any difficulty quote the Sale of Goods act. I had problems with a Saints shirt a couple of years ago - initially the shop refused to exchange it even though it bobbled and laddered terribly after being worn twice and washed once. However a conversation with Trading Standards put me clear. If an item such as a football shirt is less than six months old then the seller simply has to replace it if it is not of merchantable quality, that includes it being worn and washed any number of times. After six months the burden falls more on the person having purchased it to prove they have not mistreated it.

Just back - thansk to living in the Midlands. The difference today is that unlike Cardiff and Birmingham were we started brilliantly and blew ourselves out, this time we played within ourselves for the first half and then blew Derby away in the second half. 3 or 4 nil would not have flattered us, and we could have had those goals with betting finishing. Davis didn't have much to do but made a blinding save just before half-time. Lallana was very good. Star of the show though was Schneirderlin who was awesome. all though, we worked together as a team. If we keep this up we'll be ok.

How about the pre-season game at Crystal Palace in 1983 when Peter Shilton dislocated a finger during the game and Palace loaned us one of their keepers?

last season I drove to Cardiff and then got the park and ride into the city centre. You can walk to Ninian Park although it is a bit of a haul. Or you can make the very short train ride from Cardiff Central to Ninian halt