JackanorySFC

Agree with this 100%. Cannot at all see the appeal of standing packed in a plastic cup serving chain pub, 4 deep at the bar then queuing for a p*** behind a "comedy" Saints fan with painted face and crocodile dundee hat screaming the "we've got Van Djik" song over and over. London is IMO the greatest City in the world with literally hundreds of outstanding boozers within a 30 minute journey of Wembley's Stations. Have a drink with your mates then do something about the atmosphere in the ground itself. Up the Saints!

I think it's pretty safe to assume the Club keep an eye on this board so this could be an opportunity to get some ideas over to them to really make the most of the biggest Day for Southampton FC since 2003, and if we win the biggest day since 1976. Recently the Club have taken to handing out those little paper flag things. Maybe I'm in the monitory here but IMO they look cheap, tacky and an even more small time version of the infamous Chelsea "plastic flags" that Liverpool still rib them about. Basically they are only good for paper aeroplanes/ darts. Whatever your thoughts are I reckon there's an opportunity to do something bigger and better on Cup Final Day. Personally I'd like to see a great big **** off mosaic at our end of the ground. Needs to be simple, smart and poignant to make maximum impact. I'd propose red and white stripes with black lettering saying something like: "LEGEND AWAITS" or "BECOME IMMORTAL", you know the sort of stuff clubs with more creative fan bases than us come up with. Appreciate the Club would prefer to be more on message with something like #WEMARCHON but think we could/ should be more original to reflect the uniqueness of the game. Thoughts?

Let's have it right, most on here *****, moan, complain and rarely see eye to eye (apart from beautiful nights like tonight) but we all give a **** enough to go whenever we can. Let's keep this thread open for the tales of once a decade (if we're lucky) ponces trying to chum up to us regulars in the hope of getting a +1. Remember Cardiff loads of clowns from School I hadn't seen in years that (used to?) support United/ Rugby etc somehow getting tickets for the game. Guarantee there will be plenty more this time.

This 100%. La Rat is a gutless ***** that melts in the face of vitriol. Forget Dejan (standard foreign Prem mercenary, yawn), give Lallana everything you've got!

I've gone from outright pessimism to upbeat optimism. FFS this is a Cup Semi Final fellas? Get behind the lads and be as loud as possible. Up the ****ing Saints!

Always liked Bournemouth. For me our rivalry with Pompey is about more than football, it's City vs City. Let's be honest, Bournemouth is a lovely seaside town people from Southampton go on day trips to in the summer and nights out to pull their (definitely on the whole hotter than our) women in their (definitely better - well certainly a few years ago anyway) bars/ clubs. Bournemouth is where people from Southampton/ Pompey got evacuated to in WWII (well that was the case with my Gran anyway), not exactly a hotbed of industry/ working class people so therefore little interest in a working mans game. Like them and hope they continue to punch above their weight. Pompey on the other hand I genuinely can't stand in any way whatsoever.

No, was showing as available so called the ticket office and did it over the phone. Really weird TBH. I buy tickets online for cup/ away games pretty often and encounter loads of weird and wonderful issues with the clubs UI! Oh well, all's well that ends well. Got to say I'm bricking the actual game(s), think their intensity (and our complete lack of) will see them steam roller us. Just hope we don't give them a huge allocation, blocks 1-3 can be an unforgiving place when on the wrong end of a shellacking

Just gone online to get my season ticket seat and our "fantastic" online ticketing system is not allowing me to put my seat into the basket, instead get this ****ing annoying message: Will try using a different browser... Anyway, yep I was one of those that didn't realise they were open to members already so getting my seat bought ASAP. I'm in Blick 2 and yes, for Liverpool/ United games it's seriously ****ing annoying they put away fans in the boxes directly behind us. Have seen multiple problems up there, Scousers worse than anyone else actually.

Why were they told not to wave Isreali flags, they are Isreali? Are Italian clubs not allowed to wave Italian flags? This is football, leave your extreme, fascist politics out of it. Waving Palestinian flags at Isrealis (like the handful of crusty student types that have clearly never visited the region stood outside the Itchen before the game) is border line insightment of hatred IMO.

You're right, it was actually the 80's. However said individual was still doing summer soccer camps "in touch with League Clubs" in the 90's, I was "scouted" along with others in my side but my old man wouldn't let me anywhere near it due to the association with alleged nonce. Can of worms this all over the country. Good to see fellas finally able to talk about this sort of thing and expose the disgusting stuff that went on. Some of the stuff I read about Bennell and his "play house" at the weekend in the broadsheets was unbelievable and quite disturbing. Word going round this could be bigger than Saville.

There was a very prominent Youth Team coach at least linked to this sort of thing down here in the 90's. Won't say his name on here but petty well known there were allegations about him. Not exactly surprised, just hope the club did the right thing at the time.

Sums it up perfectly for me and those I was with on Thursday.

"Clattenburg, was ****ing right Adam Lallana's a nasty ****e He said to him 'Do you know who I am' Replied 'that baby's not yours in ya brand new pram'"

Agree 100% Lovren just another typical foreign mercenary. We've seen loads before and will see loads after. Quite funny watching him melt though so I'll do my bit as a supporter and give him both barrels even if I don't mean it. Speaking of melts... Lallana is by a clear, country mile the worst of all the defectors (even Koeman). He was our Captain and we turned him into one of the country's best attacking forwards, we had just progressed under Poch and we had a real chance of pushing on that summer. Instead of acting like the ****ing Club Captain he was supposed to be he went rogue and led the exodus by threatening to go on strike after being tapped up by "Stevie G". He is clearly mentally fragile and absolutely melts every time he comes down here. Plenty of material for him too seeing as allegedly his baby isn't actually his (I saw the thread on Twitter where it all came out leading to him shutting his account). I've said this a few times but clearly people like Genk don't accept that our club are not run by bad people (not since Cortese left anyway), the obvious anger at the way he left spoke absolute volumes and I'll take their version of events over a noddy footballer that is mentally weak. I hope we smash em. Scared that Coutinho will score a blockbuster or 2 and we all know that Mane is sheer box office and worth way more than we sold him for. That said we did the business last season, that was one of my favourite games at St Marys, so sweet.... Up the Saints!

I'll give Lallana dog's abuse/ He's scum and completely disrespected out club. Lovren is just another foreign mercenary, never cared about him. Although he clearly reacts so worth it just for the effect on him and their defence. Lallana is clearly weak minded and has thin skin. Never seen a player buckle like him before or since. Good. He was our captain and Academy flag bearer but turned king rat. We are not a nasty club. The people that run SFC are not bad people. The fact we gave one of our most decorated academy graduates absolutely no thanks/ send off says it all. Proper narcissist and threw all the work the club did for him back in his face after a chat from "Stevie G" et al on England duty. Feeble, weak and probably a little thick if we're all honest. Also easily got at if (like I appreciate 99% of fellow Saints fans) you don't detest him like I do so worth giving him both barrels anyway just to watch him hide on the pitch and get subbed on 70 mins. Shaw - Good lad, we got loads and he left for the biggest club in the world Morgan - the same Wanyama - Foreign mercenary same as Lovren Mane - As above Pelle - Will never see him again Chambers - Almost forgot about him. Bless him, hope he does OK I suppose. Leaving was a mistake and will give him some stick for it but not really mean it Clyne - Been a good move for him and we invested the money well. Was never properly one of us IMO Koeman - A snake purely for the promises he made. Up there with Branfoot Poch - In hindsight did a huge amount for us. **** him though, hope he ditches Spurs soon

Allen and the rest of the P*mpey Pravda will do their usual and ignore it. He actually sounds pretty miffed he hasn't got it actually, no need to mention the monies are outstanding. On TBA they are denying it, don't think anyone has posted the link to the radio show yet (I found it on the TS site in 2 minutes so easy to get hold of). Maybe Mcloughlin is a liar, making it up for his own self serving ego or some other villainy? Skates once again bouncing cancer charities... This is why I'll never respect them and hold a special hatred for anything skate related for my entire life. By not being put out of business/ keeping that dump of a ground is a kick in the balls to all honest tax payers in this country, not to mention the small businesses in PO and the people that receive help from the hard working charities like St Johns Ambulance and Cancer Research that got done over. Scum.

On the Ugly Inside site it's been posted that there are rumours coming out of Pompey that Alan Mcloughlin is still waiting for his testimonial money. He even mentioned that the money is due to go to Cancer Charities "when I finally get my monies through" (37minutes 40secs here: http://talksport.com/football/warm-podcast-max-rushden-sunday-october-23-161023214543) on the Max Rushden show on Talksport at the weekend. The game was in July and he's still waiting for it? I know they bounced some charities in their last admin but no excuse now? Maybe giving away all those season tickets for a fiver a game wasn't the best move now that cash flow has practically stopped? Bang out of order not paying an ex pro money (even more so when he's giving some/ all to charity) 3+ months on IMO.

Glad you mentioned that cringe fest "We are the Itchen..." when we are just about 1 nil up. I think it's a **** song anyway, but can tolerate it if we were 4-0 up or something. As for the "is there a fire drill" I'm impressed people can get that head above the "s'cuse me mush" and "sorry fella" 's as our fans desperately try and get to their cars 3 minutes before everyone else rather than applaud our players off. FFS just have a pint and let the traffic die down! The lack of Saturday 3pm KO's definitely a big factor.

God this season has been poor hasn't it? The £20 cap on tickets (£30 Prem' - £10 Virgin Media) hasn't helped numbers or atmosphere. Sunderland, Burnley and even Stoke all sat down. Swansea nowhere near as good as previous season. Obviously the lack of Saturday 3pm KO's doesn't help. Is football just simple getting more sterile? The big clubs always put up a show, Chelsea will be noisy, as will the Scousers and as always the loudest my miles will be United. But the middle/ lower Prem clubs are getting a lot quieter IMO. I must add I think our home support is up there with anything else in the league. Not saying it's amazing, more the lack of atmosphere elsewhere. But considering no visiting fans have offered anything in the way of proper noise we do a decent job of making it ourselves. At least our away support actually stands up as well.

Exactly this. I have zero intention of sitting in my allocated seat, me and my mates all bought on separate days due to eligibility, no doubt meeting up with others there and will travel in together. Just rock up, find a decent space with your pals and get behind the lads. By the way, anyone that has bought tickets on others names etc I can confirm nail varnish remover removes the biro name off the ticket piece of ****. Up the Saints!

Some of the more critical replies on this thread are from fellas I know for a fact attend every Saints and England game home and away. I think the TO have dropped a(nother) boll*ck here. Amateur hour.

Yeah I bet the gaffer can't wait to get on the sauce over there! ****ing hell though, seriously the gap between us and them is unreal... Our Chairman has extensive networks across North America and a guest of events like the Men in Suits conference in Brooklyn last winter, even this summer he arranged a pre season training session at UA's HQ in Baltimore. Their CEO basically cold calls the New York Cosmos whilst on a 72hr break with his missus. Probably flew cattle turning up bleary eyed in a scruffy, creased suit and egg stained crumpled shirt smelling of stale, airplane Heineken. Peasants.

Good shout that, will get on and sort. Cheers

Easy as a regular internet user etc to say that and yes, I agree as times go on people will be more savvy about this. However my father in law to be for example, he never looks at the official site or focus. He reads the Echo and listens to Solent. He relies on me getting tickets (he does 4/ 5 games a season and has done since the 60's) as thinks the TO are useless for whatever reason. I'm absolutely certain there will be literally thousands of Saints fans like him (and when I say say fans, I mean supporters of the club that may or may not be as "engaged" with the club as you or I). Common sense would dictate anyone with an SO post code or proof they have been to games in the recent past would be added to the database and allowed tickets. Or at least allow ST holders to take a +1 (after everyone else has had a chance to buy tickets).

If your thinking of getting one spend proper money and go to http://www.barmyflags.co.uk. Go and watch England away and you can spot a home made/ cheap imitation (esp the nasty plastic ones) a mile off. The BF one's by a mile the best quality. Expect to wait 3-4 weeks+ for it though. Matey that owns Bf is a northerner that actually started the business after seeing the massive ensign Saints flag that was hung up in the Archers each week and thinking that's how all football flags should look! I asked for the original Southampton Crest in one of the quadrants, hard to get a hi-res image online but what they came up with was perfect! Don't be cheap.