SaintJackoInHurworth

The ref's not from West Yorkshire is he?

1. Sign up to Facebook(!) - if you are not keen on this, bear in mind that you don't have to add any private information if you don't want to - just keep clicking on skip! You can also create an account using a made up name. I have just created an account for someone called 'Fanof Saints'. He shares a birthday with me, but apart from that I have not entered any personal information! 2. Ask me nicely and I may let you use the account that I have just created. I created an e-mail address to create it, so it has no real identification to me except that Facebook has seemingly recognised that I have logged on from this computer as it has suggested me and all my friends as possible friends! In terms of how you do that, send me an e-mail at: neil.jackson@live.regents-tc.ac.uk. But bear in mind this is not my main e-mail address and I do not check it very frequently!

Actually, I wouldn't say it was previously unforeseeable - I have pointed out the possibility of catching Charlton a number of times, as have several others. As I mentioned last night after the Huddsfld v Millwall game, Charlton have four very tough fixtures to finish the season and it is not beyond the bounds of possibility that they could lose them all. Of course, Swindon are mathematically catchable, but I think they will get the point that they need to secure their place in at least the play-offs. In terms of Saints, however, all four remaining scheduled matches are potential banana skins and not just the Gillingham game. While Oldham may seem like a cert win, bear in mind that they are in good form at present. Any complacency in the squad could cost us dearly! We must put 101% in every game! COYR!

Also, while it really is Huddersfield we need to catch, there is also the possibility that Charlton will lose all of their remaining games - again highly unlikely (even though all their fixtures are very losable!) but Saints have to keep trying just in case! Even if/when it does become mathematically impossible for us to go up, I hope we will still keep going to the end. Despite anything else it would be great for confidence to end the season on a big winning streak ready to start with a bang next season!

Well I agree that's pretty much season over... except that I thought that a few weeks ago and then it looked possible again! You never know - Huddersfield may get complacent next week and suffer a shocking defeat at the hands of Stockport!!! Highly unlikely, I know, but I just hope that our lads will keep going 'til the end anyway... just in case!!

Well, if nothing else, maybe Millwall can do what Huddersfield did the other day and get two goals right at the death to turn the game on its head. That would leave Huddersfield pretty deflated.

I think a few people should join the Huddersfield board and subtly work up these feelings a bit more (being careful not to let slip that you're not Huddersfield fans!). It would help us if their fans start to get on their backs in the next match! hehe

I think one of the best results for us tonight could strangely be the Yeovil vs Millwall result. It means that Leeds go above Millwall, so they will have to pull out all the stops on Friday to get back into the automatic promotion spot. That could be enough to spur them on to victory. Although of course, it could do the opposite and pile presure on them that causes them to crumble on Friday! I think that match could well be decisive. If Huddersfield win it then I think we will struggle to catch them up. But if Millwall win it then of course it is very much 'game on!'. Yeovil could be a very tricky banana skin though. We must not underestimate them. If we beat them, I can then see us getting complacent too and assuming we will beat Oldham, which must not happen! Hopefully though Millwall will beat Huddersfield and we will win the next two to put ourselves within two points of Huddersfield. COYR

My Predictions for next few games, assuming Saints win all five games (which I know is a big ask!): Saturday 3rd April Leeds United 2 v 1 Swindon Leyton Orient 1 v 0 Hartlepool MK Dons 2 v 1 Charlton Oldham 2 v 0 Gillingham Southend 2 v 1 Yeovil Stockport 1 v 1 Walsall Wycombe 1 v 1 Huddersfield Monday 5th April Brentford 2 v 0 Exeter Bristol Rovers 2 v 1 MK Dons Charlton 2 v 0 Carlisle Colchester 1 v 2 Millwall Gillingham 2 v 0 Southend Hartlepool 2 v 2 Brighton Norwich 4 v 0 Stockport Southampton 3 v 0 Leyton Orient Swindon 3 v 0 Tranmere Walsall 2 v 0 Wycombe Yeovil 1 v 2 Leeds United Tuesday 6th April Huddersfield 2 v 0 Oldham Saturday 10th April Brentford 2 v 1 Huddersfield Brighton 2 v 1 Carlisle Colchester 1 v 2 Swindon Exeter 2 v 1 Leyton Orient Leeds United 2 v 0 Southend Millwall 3 v 0 Gillingham Norwich 3 v 0 MK Dons Oldham 1 v 1 Bristol Rovers Southampton 3 v 1 Charlton Stockport 1 v 0 Yeovil Walsall 2 v 1 Tranmere Wycombe 2 v 1 Hartlepool Tuesday 13th April Bristol Rovers 1 v 2 Southampton Carlisle 1 v 1 Leeds United Charlton 2 v 1 Colchester Gillingham 2 v 2 Brighton Hartlepool 2 v 1 Stockport Huddersfield 2 v 0 Walsall Leyton Orient 1 v 3 Norwich MK Dons 1 v 0 Oldham Southend 0 v 1 Brentford Tranmere 2 v 1 Wycombe Yeovil 1 v 2 Millwall Friday 16th April Huddersfield 1 v 3 Millwall Satuday 17th April Bristol Rovers 1 v 1 Brentford Carlisle 1 v 0 Oldham Charlton 1 v 3 Norwich Gillingham 1 v 1 Leeds United Hartlepool 2 v 1 Colchester Leyton Orient 1 v 0 Stockport MK Dons 2 v 1 Wycombe Southend 1 v 2 Brighton Swindon 2 v 0 Walsall Tranmere 3 v 2 Exeter Yeovil 1 v 2 Southampton Tuesday 20th April Brentford 2 v 0 Tranmere Southampton 3 v 0 Oldham This would put us into the play-off spaces with 3 games still to go! Here's what the table would look like: Would be great if it happened !!!

I have already posted comments similar to many of those on this thread in the Brighton match thread, here: http://www.saintsweb.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=21444&page=11#502. My view is that it is highly unlikely that we will do it, but by winning every game it MAY be possible. As I commented yesterday, a loss for Colchester today would be another step in the right direction and that is indeed what has happened. In fact, looking at my predictions from 2 weeks ago, I cannot see Colchester scoring more than 75 points this season. If anything I think they may get less than that. Consequently they are more than catchable. More tricky will be catching Huddersfield or Charlton. At present I have Huddersfield down to get 76 points and Charlton 78. If this is right we would need at the very least to win all but one of our remaining games, drawing the other one, but preferably we would need to win the lot. As, I said, it's highly unlikely, but at the same time, it is that which we need to try to roar the team on towards. Like they say 'It ain't over 'til the fat lady sings!'

Of course... ...just as we are all writing off our chances, Colchester, Huddersfield and Charlton could all give us back hope tomorrow by losing or at least drawing. * I had predicted Colchester getting 80 points until they drew with Brentford, leaving them heading for 78 points. Draw with Wycombe and they will be on track for only 76 points. * Huddersfield could be on track for only 76 points anyway or 75 if they lose to Wycombe! * Charlton are on track for about 78. Lose to MK Dons and that reduces to 77. If these are right then we can still go up after tonights result. By winning every game we would get 78 points. Winning all but one and drawing that other one would yield 76 points and it would be too close to call!!! Of course, no-one expects that - I think we all know that in reality the game has been up for a couple of weeks... it's just that that vague possibility is a killer!!!

I think it will be this: Davis James Fonte Jaidi Harding Hammond Schneiderlin Waigo Lallana Connolly Lambert Subs: Bart, Mills, Perry, Gillett/Wotton, Antonio/Oxlade-Chamberlain/Holmes There is the possibility that he will only play one of Mills, Gillett and Wotton as subs and include two of the wingers in order to have more impact substitutes available.

Apologies to tttdcs - I was approached by someone else about a ticket before you got back to me. I am picking it up in the morning. If anything goes wrong, I could be getting back to you, but I am confident it will not (and if it does, I expect you will have sold your ticket already!) I did e-mail you about this, but it appears you can't have received my message. Apologies for any confusion. Meanwhile, it looks like there is a sudden flurry of ticket offers at the last minute, but it looks, too, as if most of these are changing hands ok. I haven't seen Norm on here recently and I know he had a ticket for sale. I also know there's a lad called Angy on the Facebook group 'Southampton FC' who had a child ticket going for £25. Someone has also approached me about a couple of tickets available in the Carlisle end if anyone is really desperate!!

Nothing received, so please try again. You might also like to try the following e-mail address: jacko_neil@yahoo.com Thanks, Neil PS I think this is probably my last message in this forum today, so if you want to get in touch, try e-mail or I can be contacted through Facebook. My Facebook profile url is: http://www.facebook.com/neil.jacko

Yes - but when I checked the Carlisle website I discovered that you have to either be living within a Carlisle (or was it Cumbria?) postcode area or have bought a ticket from the club in the past. I have also considered asking a friend who lives in the Lake District if he could go over and get me a ticket, but while I was considering that I was approached by someone who has a ticket, so I have been considering that as a possibility. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a child ticket and having spent the last couple of days trying to work out if I might be able to upgrade it at Wembley, I have now found out that the ticket can only be upgraded in person at St Mary's. It is now too late to ask my friend to get me a ticket, so I think I am going to have to settle for dodgy internet coverage of the match. Of course, if anyone is looking for a child ticket, I will happily put you in touch with the lad who is selling his, since it is not going to be any good for me. And if anyone suddenly finds they have a spare ticket even at this late notice, please drop me a line... neil.jackson@live.regents-tc.ac.uk Thanks!

No - that would have been selfish - I live a long way up north and can't afford to go to more than an occasional home match. I couldn't get to that match so I didn't buy a ticket. My only reason for buying one would have been in order to jump the queue for Wembley tickets. I wasn't prepared to be that 'plastic'. So... let me turn this back on you... were you among those like me who froze our butts off up at Hartlepool on a Tuesday evening back in November? If not, I don't think you can criticize.

I've now got the possibility of a ticket... but it's only a child ticket! Is there by any chance anyone who is taking a child on an adult ticket who might be prepared to swap it for a child ticket? I would of course cover the difference in cost. Thanks.

I have just rung the ticket office to see if they are doing anything in terms of selling returned tickets and they are not, so it looks like I am just going to have to miss the final. I haven't even got Sky, so unless I can find somewhere that will have it on (which I doubt as I live in Darlington, so they are more likely to have the Burnley v Blackburn match on) I will have to put up with dodgy internet feeds and BBC highlights in the evening! Oh well, hope you will all enjoy your day out!

Well, I've posted this already, but I'm still looking for a ticket. I would pay a little over original cost if need be, but can't afford ticket tout prices! neil.jackson@live.regents-tc.ac.uk

Thanks - I did see that, but as I am not a full member here I can't send PMs. Is there any other way of being involved? Cheers, Neil

I'm looking for a ticket for Wembley, if anyone knows where I can get one. You can get hold of me using the following e-mail address: neil.jackson@live.regents-tc.ac.uk Thanks, Neil

If we win every game that would give us 80 points. I predict Colchester could get 80 points too, Huddersfield 78, Millwall 82, Swindon 83 and Charlton have a really tough run-in, so I am predicting that they will miss out with only 77. That would therefore be enough to go up, but lose one game and we miss out by one point to Huddersfield. Draw one game and win the rest and it's anyone's guess. My prediction would take us into the play-offs on goal difference ovber Huddersfield. Personally, I think it's unlikely. The biggest banana skins for us are likely to be Bristol Rovers and Yeovil. Also Brighton possibly, though we might be up for revenge against them in that game!

I don't envy them doing this - they must be mad!!!! I did a sponsored walk last summer, for the charity for which I work. We were walking the length of Hadrian's Wall (84 miles), although some of us (myself included) were only doing half of it. The aim was to complete the walk in 4 days (2 days for those of us doing only half of it). Usually the walk is done in at least 6 days! We did a punishing 26 miles on the first day, after which I was suffering with severe blistering on both feet. On the second day, we were scheduled to complete a further 16 miles an a particularly hilly part of the route, but unfortunately the pain from the blisters became too much and I was only able to complete 8 more miles. Even though the route from Southampton to Wembley is much less hilly, it sounds to me that what these guys are opting to do could be equally punishing if not worse! I would advise them to get in lots of training. My training was insufficient. I did a lot of running, in order to build up fitness and stack up the miles, but not enough walking. They need to try to walk at least one day in training where they cover the same distance as their longest day's walking. By the sounds of things that could be as much as 30 miles. I hope that they will achieve everything they are setting out to do and that they can raise lots of dosh for this worthwhile cause.

Great evening - aside from the Swindon result looks like the other scores are reasonably good for us too: Bristol Rovers lost and Huddersfield only drew 0-0.

In League 1, none of the teams above us are winning and BristolRovers losing 1-0 at home to Walsall!