Tamesaint

A point which has not been raised so far in this debate is the attitude of the Leibhers to capital investment. It has been remarked before on this board that the Leibhers like to invest in tangible assets rather than in short term assets. I am not an expert in how they built their business but it is pertinent that one of the first decisions that they made at Saints was to invest in better training facilities at Staplewood - despite the Lowe regime having constantly told us how wonderful Staplewood was. Putting the money up for a gradual stadium expabnsion may well tie in with their business ethos. It is Cortese who keeps on mentioning a larger stadium. See his interview in the Sun 10 days ago. I am sure that if a larger ground had been completely ruled out by the Leibhers he would never be raising it. My view, for what it is worth, is that a gradual stadium expansion will start within a season or two of us getting into the Premiership - a bit like Wolves have done (cue abuse about Wolves's relevance to us :-) ). I don't know which stand will be expanded first but I bet that a gradual expansion would see the stadium being filled!!

Its easy. Just read the Bible and the story of 5 loaves and 2 fishes (or was it 5 fishes and 2 loaves?). A little divine intervention can go a long way.

Which post was that? I would be quite interested to know. I cannot remember a post mentioning these figures. We know that you aren't very good with numbers so I would be interested to see your source.

You cannot expect them to get figures to add up. They aren't very good with numbers in Portsmouth. Must be something to do with their webbed fingers - I mean even old matey Corp Ho reckons that Pompey's attendances are increasing: 16,496 - first match v Brighton 13,438 v Reading 14,354 v Cardiff 14,935 v Blackpool 12,102 v Peterborough If you have had a Portsmouth education that's a steady increase!!

You are priceless aren't you. Do you really exist or are you just a made up comedy figure??? Why on earth did you include transfer fees in that sentence if you now acknowledge that the transfer fee that we received for AOC was double what we had spent in the last 2 years?? If transfer fees have not been overspent, why include them in that sentence? You quote the attendances of 3 matches you have played this season ... but have conveniently forgotten the first home match of the season when you had an attendance of 16,496. Rather than Pompey's attendances increasing, it looks as if your attendances peaked at the start of the season and have been falling away ever since. Like you (according to your wife / sister) Pompey's attendances have peaked too quickly!!

You are stupid because you say that we are running at a loss on transfer fees when we have just pocketed £12 million from Arsenal for Oxlade Chamberlain which is roughly double what we have paid out in total over the last 2 years. You are stupid because you say that your gates are increasing when on Saturday you had 14,000 at fratton Park and on tuesday you had 12,000. Do you understand now ?? Or are you just stupid ??

You Pompey boys are not very good with numbers and cash are you ?? I would like to know how transfer fees mean that we are running at a loss after just picking up £12 million (plus addons) for Alex. Corp - you really are priceless. Are you really this stupid or are you pretending?

12,102... Pathetic You really are priceless aren't you. If you ever tried to p*** yourself laughing you would end up drowning!!

Blimey!! That ref must have been really awful. I wonder if the Clot will blame him!!!

Oh dear. Another poor ref. He must be poor as Pompey are 2-1 down at half time. I hope he improves or else he is going to get it in the neck from the clot.

If I was an Arsenal fan, I would be crying out for Wenger to be replaced by someone like Adkins .... but these days football is so strange. The top clubs are so far up the ar se of the Champios League that they will not pick an up and coming English manager like Adkins. Their new manager will have to have European experience and know the ins and outs of the Potuguese second division or the name of Messi's barber. I bet that Nigel doesn't even know the best route to the San Siro from the airport!! These days you cannot just pick a good English manager from ouside the Premiership for these sort of clubs. A big club would also need a name as their next manager. I mean , who at Sky has even heard of Nigel Adkins ?? Has he ever been a summariser on a televised Champions League game?? Has he ever been interviewed on the Talk Sport radio breakfast show ?? You won't be able to convince your average plastic Manc or your stay at home Chelsea fan / Gooner that you have chosen a good manager if he hasn't been spotted fawning round Jamie Rednapp or talking b ollocks with Alan Brazil. I think that Saint Nigel is here for a long time.... and I am delighted by it.

I went to MK Dons & saw Nigel's first game in charge. What a difference between then and now. That night was really depressing. We were dumped in the bottom 4 and another relegation seemed on the cards. That night was soooo depressing. The amazing thing is that the team in that match looks very similar to the team these days. Davis, Harding, Jose, Seaborne, Butterfield, Hammond, Morgan, Lambert, Connolly. The only noticeable absentee was Lallana and on the other hand Puncheon was also playing. What Nigel has achieved with this same bunch of players is quite frankly amazing. Long may Nigel be our king.

That is very unfair. Corp has an interesting life. It is about to be dramatised by the BBC. I have got an advance copy of the script: Date Saturday 10 September Time 6.45 pm - Unlucky Pompey have just gone down 4-3 to the cheating Hammers . The Saints have just won at home again and the gap between them and Pompey is increasing ever larger. Scene: Corp Ho's front room - somewhere in Portsmouth Present : Mr & Mrs Corporate Ho. Mrs Ho: (seductively) Hey , bro. Little Corpette is out at our mum's. Why don't you and me go upstairs and try to make her a little brother. Corp Ho : (crouched over a keyboard) - In a minute my dear. I just need to finish this post for the Saintsweb. Mrs Ho: What are you still on that? You've been writing that for ages. You even missed listening to Clotterill's moan about the ref to start writing that.. Corp Ho: Its all right. I heard it last week and I will hear it again next week. I just need to fiinsh this post. That Rallyboy has been really getting on my nerves lately. Mrs Ho: But you have been writing on that forum for ages . At first you promised that you would only write when you were at work. Corp Ho: Yes. but all the fat from the burgers I was flipping just messed up the keyboard. Mrs Ho: Now you have now written nearly 800 posts - all on the same subject. Don't you think that they are bored with reading the same drivel from you? Why don't you come upstairs? I'm nearly 16 now so its almost legal. Corp Ho : I can't sis. I am committed to the great Pompey cause. If I keep banging away on the same drum they may listen to me. I cannot rest until every Saints fan has joined the Blue Few!! Mrs Ho : (annoyed now) : Well I'm going out then. You aren't the only brother I've got!! THE END And then he posted on Saturday evening.

What a surprise. Charlie Wayman comes out with a negative comment.

He is from Portsmouth. What do you expect? Intelligence??

I note that Corp came back to this thread but never answered this question. Is it possible that Corp has got it wrong & the cancer charites have not been paid??

AOC's dad never really achieved that much in the game. He was a bright winger who never ever seemed to fulfil his potential. I wonder if his son will ever do better?

Is there such a thing as the internet police who can shut down Irish websites?

Has the website with the Harry story been got at? I looked briefly at work but I cannot find it now at home when I have more time to enjoy it.

Hmmm. You are worrying me know

I'm with the OP. I have been offered a full corporate hospitality package (got to be there at 11.30 for a 2.30 koff. I wonder what we will be doing for those 3 hours!!) I never get corporate hospitality so cannot miss out on this one!!

I think the bookies are a more reliable indicator of what is going to happen than the press. The spread betting firms in particular offer predictions on the number of points each team will gather. Sporting Index offer: Leicester City Points SELL76 - 78BUY West Ham Points SELL76 - 78BUY Reading Points SELL70 - 72BUY Nottingham Forest Points SELL69.5 - 71.5BUY Southampton Points SELL68 - 70BUY Birmingham Points SELL66 - 68BUY Leeds Points SELL66 - 68BUY Burnley Points SELL66 - 68BUY Hull City Points SELL66 - 68BUY Ipswich Points SELL66 - 68BUY Middlesbrough Points SELL65 - 67BUY Cardiff City Points SELL64.5 - 66.5BUY Brighton Points SELL64.5 - 66.5BUY Blackpool Points SELL62 - 64BUY Millwall Points SELL58 - 60BUY Portsmouth Points SELL57 - 59BUY Bristol City Points SELL56.5 - 58.5BUY Derby Points SELL55 - 57BUY Crystal Palace Points SELL53 - 55BUY Peterborough Points SELL52 - 54BUY Watford Points SELL51.5 - 53.5BUY Doncaster Points SELL51.5 - 53.5BUY Barnsley Points SELL51 - 53BUY Coventry City Points SELL50.5 - 52.5BUY (You sell if you think the result will be less than the prediction, you buy if you think a team will gain more) On the whole, I think this is a pretty fair summing up. Can anyone spot any value?? I think we may be quoted a little on the high side but will not bet against my team. Brum and Pompey look overrated. palace could be the surprise team. Last season under Dougie Freeman they recovered well from the mess that Burley had created. I do not expect them to be champions but I think they will get more than 55 points.

I warn you ... this is truely awful ..... Man knocks on door to deliver parts... "are you Nelson Mandela?" "yes" "I've got 500 Nissan Micra steering wheels here for you" Nelson reply's "I didn't want those but just leave them in a pile over there" Next day another man comes to the door... "are you Nelson Mandela?" "yes" "I've got 350 Nissan hub caps here for you" "I didn't want those but leave them with the steering wheels over there" The next day another man comes to the door... "are you Nelson Mandela?" "yes" "I've got 200 Nissan car seats for you here" "I didn't want those but leave them over there with the rest" The next day another man comes to the door... "are you Nelson Mandela?" "yes" "I've got 800 Nissan windscreen wiper blades for you here" Nelson reply's "let me have a look at that piece of paper... this is for "Nissan main dealer"!"

Hilarious. You ought to take up comedy writing for a living. Genius like this is wasted on the Saints Forum. Hollywood beckons. Why don't you go over there and give them the benefit of your great wit??

Great post