spyinthesky

I remember when Saints had a decent Youth team (smashing Pompey 7-0 etc) with the likes of Sam Gallagher/Hesketh etc in the team. They were on a decent run in the Youth Cup and played Nottm Forest at home in the latter stages. Patrick Bamford scored 3 or 4 in a humbling defeat for our youngsters and I dont think we have had a decent crop of youngsters since then. Hopefully they can do a number on Man City. I am old enough to remember our Youth team playing Man Utd in the mid fifties in a team of top rate youngsters some of which, including the fabulous Duncan Edwards) who lost their lives in the Munich Air Crash a couple of years later. We had the likes of Terry Paine and John Sydenham in our team and got thumped 5-2 at The Dell but actually beat Man Utd 2-1 at Old Trafford in the second leg. If we can get one or two youngsters who go on to perform at the same level as Paine (and Sydenham) then that would be great.

It is said that Brexit has been described as an anti-elitist revolt was but was, in fact, a coup by one set of Oxford public schoolboys (amongst others Boris Johnson, Michael Gove, Jacob Rees-Mogg and David Cameron etc many of them members of the Bullington Club) against another. There certainly seems a paucity of information about the benefits of Brexit. One of the main reasons quoted by my Brexit supporting friends was 'taking control' and not allowing unregulated immigration. All the news coming out nowadays is the continued flow of mainly young men regularly arriving at Dover at a time when the M20 leading to Dover is gridlocked by trucks trying to reach the continent.

Wouldnt it be interesting if Nadine Dorries and Dianne Abbott were both in Government together under the control of Liz Truss

I know it is akin to looking at the season through a microscope but in view of our recent dire form since the heavy defeat at Villa Park, if JWP hadnt scored the two crackers at Brighton and Fraser Forster hadnt been in such good form v Arsenal, we could now be looking perilously over our shoulder on 36 points with 2 away games remaining (assuming another hit to our goal difference at home to Liverpool)

Jim Ratcliffe has Southampton links as he owns (or used to own) a nice pad on the river at Beaulieu.

Dusic, Fair comment. However there were two ladies on our table who were taken by the looks of Sam McQeen and Jack Stephens (a beardy thing I understand) so I assumed in todays world there is a degree of equality. However I have learned a lesson and it wont happen again .

Went along to SMS last night for a packed (and I mean packed!!) dinner event to raise funds for the Saints Foundation - now 20 yrs old. Raised over £100k for the charity. Good to see Ralf, the new owners, Kat Liebherr plus families, Martin Semmen etc plus JWP, Oriel and Jack Stephens plus a cameo appearance from Sam McQueen. We may be average on the field but the club seems to do a very good job in the Community. Perhaps wrong to say this but a couple of the Saints womens team who were up on the podium looked very attractive and I am sure they are excellent players.

Pope?

Interesting comparison. Presumably the £113m v £44m includes all the wages costs rather than player costs although the gap between the two is difficult to understand. The £44m is provided by a company by the name of Sportrec and apparently covers the salaries of 26 players broken down, as follows: 1. Goalkeepers £7.3m 2. Defence £6.0m 3. Midfield £12.1m 4. Attackers £18.3m Transfer costs @ £48.5m

According to a table in Planet Football, Saints wage bill is £44m which fits in exactly with the clubs current League position. At the top is Man Utd with £208m (what value they are experiencing) and at the bottom is Brentford with £12m (tight wads!!!!)

55th year? You are just a nipper compared to some, me included!! (but well done though, we have been through a lot together and it doesnt get any easier!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Our away support has been pretty decent in recent times. Just wonder what take up would be like if we had a reasonably successful team. Meantime a big up to Norwich who seem to fill their stadium for home games and the away end always looks full when they travel despite being the worst team in the Prem.

Is it correct that we have sold all the away allocation for the game?

As a long standing supporter, I would rate Shilton above Niemi but that is not to denigrate Niemi who was an excellent keeper. Flowers was solid but not in the same class as Shilts and Antii. Strange thing is that Saints have never produced a top class 'keeper through the youth set up. The only ones of note that I can remember coming through the ranks were Bob Charles and Alan Blaney but neither of them progressed. Gerry Gurr could possibly be added to that but not sure if he came through the ranks.

Global exports are now 8.2% higher than they were on the eve of the pandemic. Advanced economies have rebounded with a 5% uplift. Meanwhile the volume of UK export goods is 14% lower compared to the start of 2020. The UK's trade deficit in January was easily the biggest on record at a huge £26.5bn for goods and a net £16.2bn if revenue from combined goods and services are taken into account. As David Smith in the Times commented, UK exporters are operating with one hand tied behind their backs due to an economically damaging Brexit done in such a way that little or no thought was given to the consequences. I have to admit to voting Remain but happy to take on board the fact I may have been wrong if the benefits of Brexit lived up to the claims of its promoters. Unfortunately I have yet to see any of the promised upsides appearing (notwithstanding the challenges of Covid etc) If anyone can advise how the 'Oven Ready' deal is progressing to the benefit of the country, I would be happy to take on board.

He reminds me of a Hooray Henry type of character Harry Enfield would play resplendent in a cheap wig.

Agree. Mack is a decent poster who will take the piss out of us when deserved and willing to accept the micky taking when the reverse happens. Quite a refreshing change from the 'Toy Salesman' guy who posted on here some while ago. Whatever happened to him I wonder?

Rod Liddell has written a big piece on MLT in today's Sunday Times Sports section. Relatively favourable ie allowing MLT the freedom to post his relatively crankish points of view without too much dilution of his exceptional feats on the football field. Mention was also made of our dear old friend Dejan Lovren who, apparently, has called for a boycott of Disney due to its promotion of LGBT+ features.

From the Villa game the equivalent League record (and appreciate it contains one Cup game)is P6 W0 D 1 L 5 F4 A19 Pts 1 Of the measley 4 goals scored one was from an own goal and the other from a (fantastic) free kick. We have changed overnight from a team that was difficult to play against and with a good degree of confidence to an absolute shambles, especially in the Villa, Watford and Chelsea games.

I have had the pleasure of meeting MLT on a number of occasions and, as described, he came across as a pleasant, well grounded, person. When I first read about his rather extreme posts, I thought they were written by someone who had hacked his twitter account. Now I realise this is not the case and I feel rather let down. MLT gave me so much pleasure as a player and loyal team member that his 'conversion' to a David Icke type leaves me more than a little saddened. I dont think that he has done himself, his family or friends any favours by his publication of rather extreme and unfounded views.

Fair comment. However I think, by and large, as a country we have done OK with the reduction in fossil fuel usage and moving onto Offshore and Solar power generation. That sends out a reasonable message to others. But what if the major emission producers like China, India, Russia, USA etc dont comply?

What I find it difficult to understand is if we were to live like monks and give up most/all of our polluting ways and produce zero emissions, it will have a very minimal effect on the world's pollution. It is estimated that the UK is responsible for between 1-1.5% of the world's emissions, equivalent to that produced in the process of mining Bitcoin. Coal consumption remains at 8.5 billion tonnes pa with China tripling its mining of coal since 2000. Poland is one of the countries deciding that it would rather increase pollution than run short of energy and ignores a daily $50,000 EU fine for using highly polluting brown coal (lignite) So, on that basis, it seems that spending a lot of time and energy to protest in the UK is not going to achieve too much and irritate the hell out of a lot of us caught up in the protests.

Good piece about the Saints being Ed Chamberlain's (and his son's)favourite club in today Sunday Times. His favourite player was Steve Williams

0-0 then?

I went in the early 70's when Leeds were in their prime and I lived up that way, standing on my own around the half way line. Joe Kirkup scored a terrific own goal (headed) and we then equalised. Gerry Gurr caught a corner and, as he was about to clear upfield, Billy Bremner gave him a dig and Gerry reacted. Crowd shouted, Referee didnt see what had happened but turned round to see Bremner fall to the ground as poleaxed. Ref gave a penalty and I yelled in protest. I guess the Leeds fans around me had a degree of sympathy and surprise and I received no grief. We lost 2-1.