JackanorySFC

How mny of these "fat cats" do you know? If your talking bout the handful of CEO's of RBS, N Rock etc fair enough - however if your talking about loadsa money bankers then I'd love to know if you personally know any as it seems you don't. I've got a good mate who grew up in Hedge End, left Wildern with a few GCSE's, dropped out of Barton Pev after a year and in Jnuary will pick up another £250k plus bonus working for JP Morgan - fair play to him! He makes his company and clients huge profits (if he and his colleagues didn't he and his colleagues would get sacked - simple). Thanks to people like him paying £125k+ in tax on that bonus (on top of god knows how much on his salary) as well as spending the remainder on a car, his au pair, restaurants, shops, bars, stuff for his kids, holidays etc he single handidly keeps about 4 teachers in their jobs + pays the wages of bar staff, waiters, salesmen, travel agents etc. Again - fair play to him! However, you could have your way and sqeeze him with tax so much he goes to Switzerland, HK, Germany or the states and pays their teachers, waiters, bar staff etc. The amount of jealousy from some people in this country towards successful people makes me sick - dress it up how you like but it's jealousy, pure and simple - and he got it my havings the balls to move to London at 17 with hardly any qualifications work long days, do his finance exams on the job and with a bit of luck - and still long hrs (he works the asian markets at 6am and finishes with the US at 9pm - not including his commute from Weybridge) he earns huge dough, has the car, holidays, clothes, huge house etc that people are envious of. Yeah, push these people out of the country eh - who needs aspiration!

I will never set foot in their Stadium. A disgusting Football Club that have no place in league football. Unfortunately AFC Wimbledon aren't playing as I'd be giving them my money instead of that p**** Winkleman. As football fans this is something we should stand shoulder to shoulder on and never forgive or forget. Currently AFC Winbledon are top of the Blue Square Premier league and only approx 40 places below Franchise FC. http://www.afcwimbledon.co.uk/

Ha, Dunn won't sort something like that over the phone, we need to accept NC is pretty insignificant to News Int' and he needed to excorcise some serious deplomacy - which to his credit he did. Cortese needed to make a gesture and head up. This is all 100% true, his (and his driver's) name(s) is/ are entered into the reception log at NI and he was given a tour of the newsroom in front of 100+ journos - hardly discreet and certainly not a secret. The discussions were all "off the record" though, so apart from NC agreeing to lift the ridiculous photographer ban there's no more I can say. If you still don't believe me I'm happy for admin here to email me and I can mention names and times which they can double check and confirm their credibility to you. It's read by more "influencial" people than any other newspaper in Britain though? Just because you don't read it doesn't alter the fact that 8m people do every day and 2.6m of those are ABC1 demographic - no other newspaper comes close to that (except the Mail on the ABC1 count). This is all fact - not opinion. I would also say their Help for Heroes campaign, for example, is a very serious issue that most sane people wouldn't dismiss as that of a comic.

Cortese disagrees with you. You can be as sceptical as you like but Cortese was at News International for 3 hours on Tuesday. I'm happy to state my source if it means you finally see sense on this. A very good friend of mine that I've known for 15 years has a column in the Sports section of the Sun and is a full time staffer. He was in the Office when Cortese visited his Boss, Mike Dunn (Sun Sports Editor), he was in the NI Offices for a long time as his own request trying to get the Sun to change it's stance on "South Coast Club", "Clotese" etc. Part of this was to give The Sun the heads up that Adkins was our first choice and to remove the photograper ban from St Marys. Today The Sun referred to us as "Southampton" again, demonstrating the positive results of the meeting. Oh, and that certainly wasn't a mistake - The Sun's Sub Editors are the best in the industry and wouldn't have let something like that "slip" through by mistake. To be fair Cortese wouldn't have bothered with any other paper in the World, but you need to get past this blind hatred you have for the Sun and realise it's huge influence on a number of matters - one of which is sport.

Yes, certainly seems that way. The meeting was 100% arranged by NC, not the other way round (hence NC going to Wapping in his own time). Genuinely don't know the details of the discussion (although at "Fortress Wapping" they don't let you through the gates unless your waving a white flag) just the times he was in the newsroom and the fact he was shown around after the meeting and saw how newspaper production works. Will be interesting to see the Sun's reaction tomorrow (if Adkins is announced tonight) and/ or Monday after the Swindon game. 3 posts, over and out.

Don't work for The (Sunday) Times any more but needless to say I have the odd source on the Sun Sports Desk and NC was at News Int' yesterday for a long time (was quoted 3 hrs), had a meeting with the Sports Editor that ended with NC being shown round the newsroom given demos on how the paper gets created etc. He told me Adkins is nailed on so I presume this was mentioned in NC's meeting. Personally not jumping with joy at the news but he's highly thought of and all good young managers need a chance before they can be a successful experienced manager - MON made his name at Wycombe then Leicester remember?

Goes with what I heard yesterday - deal wasnt done as Cortese was at a certain national tabloid's offices for 3 hours trying to convince their Sports Editor to be nice to us!

Bang on - I went to St Marys at 9.01am on the first day of the season to renew 7 season tickets (last season 3 mates bought them in october so I thought nothing of it) and was told they were no longer on sale. Sacked that game off in disgust and have only been to Orient game so far, have found other things to do and spend my money on now, my mates are mostly self employed so theyre doing cash work. Big big gamble, that won't pay off when you sack a good manager like Pardew that effects results.

No they are not. The Sun has more ABC1 readers than any other newspaper except for the Mail. Fact. ABC1 readers: The Sun = 2.8m The Times = 1.5m The Telegraph = 1.5m The Mirror = 1.2m Independent = 400k Guardian = 1m Mail = 3m Source = NRS Oct 09 - March 10 Seems obvious to me that the newspaper snobs that don't read The Sun seem to, inacurately, think that A- no-one with intellegence reads it, and B- it didn't report on Saints games before when (as above) I've proved that 4 weeks out of 6 they would dedicate a near full page with large picture to us every week speaking in very positive terms - now its approx 40 words of mockery not mentioning our players by name or with any pictures (even the "no suck thing as bad publicity" sayers must accept that (good or bad) we are getting 75% less coverage than we were a year ago in The Sun, most other newspapers aren't mentioning us at all. Someone asked if that was for a Southern edition, the Sun has 5 regional splits I believe for the main body of the paper, however a pullout like Super Goals is full national only. The Lambert wraparound was SO postcodes only - printed at a large loss actually! Just accept that, as a business decision, it's a really, really bad one.

Feel free to check out my post above re Sun newspaper exposure - facts using actual research rather than guessing about a paper that 8m other people - not you, read every day, pre the ban. Oh, and I've just checked the following 3 weeks, admittedly our FA Cup 1st round game was lost with no pics, just a few paragraphs but the following loses to Brighton and Norwich had full page splashes. I make that 4 full page splashes in 6 weeks - how the hell can any sane person say going from that to "clotese" small 2/ 3 column reports with no pics of our players or mention of their names be a good thing? Seriously?

Re "Coverage before ban = zero is completely, 100% incorrect! Had enough of this "lol, Sun are read by thickos and never even reported on us b4, this is genius by Cortese, we'll show 'em!" and decided to look up some facts surrounding this, I've looked at the equivilant week from last year (14th Sept) on http://www.nla-clipshare.com and, shock horror - Saints are featured with a large picture splash and full (very glowing actually) match report complete with large picture (showing flybe clearly on our shirts - hmm, might finally put to bed theory that next season's sponsors won't be bothered) at Charlton away? Going through the next few weeks I find: 21st Sept - "Terry in a rage" Yeovil manager blames officials of being intimidated of our fans as we beat them 2-0. Pic of their manager at sms 28th Sept - no copy available 5th Oct - Full page report with massive pic of Lambert (with flybe logo centre stage) pumping his fist as we beat Gillingham 4-1. Another pic inset of Lambert hitting a screamer 12th Oct - no copy available 19th Oct - Pards gift Just Brill headline, Saints beat Oldham 3-1 with picture of Oldham defender Brill having a mare! 26th Oct - (this is getting easy now) Conngratulations headline as Connelly scores in 3-1 beating of MK Dons, massive full page report with pic of Connelly high fiving Pards (flybe logo in centre of pic again), another pic of Hammond scoring (logo again) and a third pic of fans holding banner saying "we've got more points than Pompey" 3rd November - (stopping after this as it's beginning to take the p*ss) 3 quarters of a page devoted to report of Saints v L Orient (2-2 draw) headline "Lamb and Lions" - "Ricky sparks Saints rally", pic of Ricky scoring with his left peg (flybe logo centre of page again...). It actually seems The Sun have been massive supporters of Saints (and therefore our sponsors) as they carried big pics every monday in large match reports, speaking in glowing terms of our fans, players, club and manager! Hopefully this will put this to bed - what excuse next those who still (and there will be some, even when confronted with blinding evidence such as this) support Cortese's decision?

I'm glad you mentioned this as it appears to be a theme that papers such as The Sun don't cover anything more than "a few lines" on teams outside the top flight. I (along with 8 million others) read the Sun every day. I have just had a look at Monday's edition and their Super Goals pull out, I've made a list below of match reports from outside the Premiership that included a picture. I've marked with an * the games that carried as much text as some Premiership games too. Watford v Leeds Ipswich v Bristol C* Derby v QPR* Leicester v Reading Bransley v Boro Skates v Cardiff* Wall v Cov Donny R v Hull S****horpe v Palace Hartlepool v Sheff W* Dag Red v Tranmere B'Mouth v N County L Orient v Exeter* Oldham v Yeovil Northants v Wycombe* Stockport v Shrewsbury* Cheltenham v Burton Sorry, I've included facts wheras the snobs on here that (whilst ignoring the fact that the Sun has more ABC1 readers than the Guardian, Telegraph, Times, Express, Independent etc) don't read the paper yet slag it off at every opportunity and imply it's readers are "thickos". Seems that whilst your Guardian is delivering mere "lines" on teams outside the top flight, your missing out on a good read lads! Funny you should mention it as, working in London on a team of Arsenal, Palace, Spurs and a lone Man U fan (there's always one), it's only today one of them brought it up. They think we're "mental", and our owner "must be a bit simple" if he thinks that strategy will work long term. The Arsenal and Man U fans especially (people have mentioned they are two of the few clubs that could make our policy work) think it's crazy, their sponsors pay them huge money doe to the exposure they get in front of - for example - 8m Sun readers every day? Oh yeah, and the boycott in Liverpool has really worked hasn't it? Got it in the first shop I saw in the City Centre before the Tranmere game, and it still sells more than twice as many papers every day than that of it's closest red top rival - the Mirror!

Why? Whilst CB Fry may have been rather over the top, it seems his sentiments, that the Echo rightly predicted Pardew would go, are correct? Can't see what the Echo have done except been proved brutily right?

Love to know who his source is, mine's the editor of a national sunday tabloid? One rumour was even saying he banged Curren's little sister - she hasnt even got a sister! Sorry, I wanted it to be true badly as I think she's a slag that looks like she's been ****ted in the face with a frying pan straight off the hob, but it really isn't.

I can catagorically state that the Gerrard rumour(s) is (are) a complete loads of ********. Made up by some scallies and has spread all over the place.

Good point, did a bit of googling and it seems Cuba is great for Schools and Health Care (even attracting "health tourists" from USA but there is still the small matter of shocking poverty (1/2 the population have to live on $1 a day) and over 400 poilitical dissadents currently locked up for up to 20 years each.

Have always wondered - all those that think Capitalists/ Capitalism is scum etc etc. What's your alternative? Just that all I've seen is Cuba, Noth Korea, China, USSR, East Germany etc that have all completely screwed up? The crustys that mildly disrupt my journey to work every May 1st all look disgusting, dirty and violent. I'd hate to think that is what we'd all end up like if we chose whatever their alternative is?

Those saying the Sun fabricates stories and make things up are embarrassingly far from the truth. Law Firms such as Shillings will jump on any report that is un sourced and the Paper will be sued immediately. The Sun makes an absolute fortune, but doesn't "budget" for being sued twice a day. If a paper made something up about you would you sue it? Of course you would! How many people are taking the Sun to Court today for libel? 0. If it made all/ most/ some of it's stories up surely there would be 100's of outstanding libel cases????? I know the Sports Editor of the NOTW pretty well, Paul McCarthy, he has explained to me at lengh the depth what his reporters go into to confirm a story. Believe it or not 9 times out of 10 the story comes to the paper, not the other way round, Agents, Managers, Players, Chairmen, even wives are desperate to get a certain story out to engineer a pay rise, transfer, starting place etc. Anything that might be risque is checked with News Int legal team who double check validaty before the story runs. Sorry, I know that doesn't fit with idiot's agendas (the "we're getting more exposure now than before" arguement is pityful) but all of it is fact.

How do you know if you've never bought it?

lol at people that by their own admission never read the Sun saying it's read by "neanderthals, and thickos". The Sun is read by more ABC1's (2.8m) than the Times and Guardian put together (2.4m), it is the most read English speaking newspaper in the World (more than double the nearest English tabloid - the mirror) and has more Sports coverage than any other British newspaper. It's also the big nasty paper that's doing a "football for £8.50" offer in conjunction with the Football Leagues and over 60 league Clubs aiming at bring football back to communities and people that can't afford todays costs - guess which "South Coast Club" isn't one of those 60? Oh, it also recieved more commercial revenue from advertisers last year than ever in their history so yes, umm, I guess they may know a bit about commercial advertising/ sponsorship? Before attempting to slag off 8m people in this country it's worth doing a bit of research to stop yourself looking like one of the thick, neanderthal types you are trying to run dow. Easily found at: http://www.nmauk.co.uk/nma/do/live/factsAndFigures;jsessionid=86C6EF097120FBF60BA272F7BB864F16

Errr, sorry to state the obvious but isn't the Commercially savvy NC looking a sponsor next season? If you owned a large business/ had control of a serious marketing budget why would you invest in us (potential exposure maximum of 30k every other week here + local press at away games) when other small clubs(we are a small club Im afraid) get that + local press(Echo has 130k readers) and nationals with their millions before you get to the small matter of Sky.... Once again, slate the Sun (everyone at our club has this ludicrus notion we should get more weekly national press coverage than our modest league 1 statur deserves) but they ran a front cover of us after the JPT running at approx 240k copies in SO postcodes due to Southampton being a workingclass city that buys the paper in droves! Great PR by them (take note SFC) at the time, but seems plenty are happy to ignore gestures like that when it suits them Oh, also the Sun are running a "Football for £9.50" promo in asssociation with 60 league clubs aiming to make football accesable to local communites in conjunction with the FA and Clubs. Guess which SO post coded club hasn't signed up?

Absolutely bang on the money - however plenty of "my club can do no wrong"/ "Murdoch kills babies"/ "The Sun's 8m readers don't matter"/ "we don't need Sky"/ "blue chip potential sponsors dont need exposure to 10's of million sky viewers/ Sun Readers when we are getting 18k at hometo Huddersfield next season" will ignore the important editorial message in your post mate.

Jesus, people on here are so stupidly blind in their hatred of anything critical of SFC it's emarrassing, reminds me of a scumbag Mum that swears blind their delinquant kid "ain't done nothing wrong" when deep inside, even their thick brain knows full well they have. The Sun is read by over 2.5m ABC1's every day (more than any other newspaper) - so put that "The Sun is read by thickos" propoaganda to bed. It has by a huge distance the most read pull out sports section (Goals) of any newspaper in the World. It has always had a "soft spot" for us (there are still Saints fans on the Sports desk due to Southampton workers breaking the picket lines in the early 80's) hence the 240k copies they ran in SO post codes after the Cup final at NO commercial gain (the print, paper, ink and fuel costs outweighed a late notice commercial oppertunity - it was seen as good pr to a working class part of the country that buys The Sun regulary). The Sun, however, is the least of our worries. Obviously there are loonies that put their head in the sand shout "Murdoch kills babies" and deny The Sun with it's 8m (3m more than it's nearest rival - The Mail) daily readers has any commercial impact on potential sponsors (Jesus, that's before you involve News Corps stake in Sky which will be a serious problem soon) ALL other nationals will jopin in on this and generally make us a laughing stock. Keep up with the stupid "yeah, annoy everyone saints I don't care as long as we win" attitude, personally always thought we had more class than that!

On a slightly more serious note, I work for a National Paper (not anything to do with Sport) and have a good mate on the Sportsdesk at The Sun who is actually from So'ton and is a Saints fan. The Sun (and others) will not let this go. Saints always had a lot of goodwill from papers such as The Sun as we are/ were seen as a family club that upset the bigger sides regulary on the pitch, had a player of genius that was universally respected in Le Tissier (I'm sure others on here that live/ work in the smoke will confirm fans of all other clubs - esp London ones - when hearing your a Saints fan always reply "Saints, aghhh Le Tiss, he was a genius - should have played more for England, bet he was worth the admission alone eh?") This goodwill built up over decades can be lost in a few months if we continue this "us against the world" attitude to the fans (season ticket fiasco) and media.

Yep today's Sun in the fixtures piece on P19. Oh yeah, the paper some completely clueless morons on here say they aren't bothered about but did the extra print run to all SO Postcodes with the Lambert frontcover after the JPT final and is read by more people each day than any other English speaking paper in the World. Rest assured the Sun will continue with this and all other Nationals will follow suit. Those that think this isn't a problem I suggest stick to licking windows rather than commenting oninternet message boards.