dronskisaint

'They may end up flying straight past us' I'd always associated that form of flying with the word 'plummeting' .....he said happily!

'a place for the caravan to pause while the driver fills his pockets'. '....tarmacs a few drives, sells some lucky heather & a few clothes pegs':smt083 Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1240162/PATRICK-COLLINS-Shame-men-basket-case-poor-old-Pompey.html?ITO=1490#ixzz0bYga28fY

LOL - You'd never get 40,000 at your sh*thole unless you made it the only place in Scumpey that you could sign on!!

Comatose giant I suggest?

'I thought Murty was brought to the club by Wotte' Brought in on trial but signed by Pardew according to OS - must admit I'd forgotten he was there before AP.

Interesting look back....can't be bothered to re-read the whole thread but I must have done at the time as I was devouring everything that was printed & wearing out the F5 button. 8.5/10 from me - in hindsight I think it was an educated appointment & a statement of intent from the new owners. They realised that they had to do a root & branch restoration job & put in a sustainable structure throughout the whole club. In appointing Pardew they have set out their stall - he had a proven record of recent success, not flash - just an air of capability & was in touch with who was doing what throughout the leagues. He, in turn, set about sorting the players that were going to fit his game plan from who we had & from those available...I think that in Harding, Hammond, Lambert, Murty & Jaidi he has made excellent choices...the transfer window shut before he (not having had a pre-season to prepare) could see how the new players would blend with what he had - more were obviously needed & he has played the loan market with mixed success I would venture. Trotman I believe was/is a good player to bring in & his game has improved under the stewardship of the coaching team & playing alongside Jaidi - a long way from the finished article but generally more good than bad. Papa is still an unknown but there's class there & an eye for goal - understandably he has taken/is taking time to adjust but I look forward to his contribution to the second half of the season immensely & I hope he could be the 'x-factor' (how I hate that programme!)that we need to make the difference in making the play-offs. Antonio, in my opinion, hasn't really worked out....if he hadn't scored at Bristol would he still be here? Probably not but he's young, strong & fast & could yet maybe add another dimension to his game. So now the January window...of course it depends on who is available but he has now had a really long, hard look at what he needs over what he has got & this could be the chance to push on with providing quality throughout the squad. If we were able to field our strongest team every week (unlikely due to age/fitness/number of games etc) we probably have as good a footballing side as any in this league but we need quality replacements to cover for Connolly, for instance, who is sheer quality when fit but can't be relied on every game. Ricky is a god but he is going to go through jaded spells, Murty (when back), Jaidi, Perry are in their thirties so whilst we have reasonable flexibility & some good youngsters coming through we need a bit more depth in quality. I don't know who I'd like to see come in (well I can dream) but I'm sure that our Pardew, Wilkins & Downes management team have been proactive during the closed-window period & have a wealth of contacts & experience to draw on. I keep saying it but I am such a happy supporter at the moment....the comedy store down the road provides an ongoing reminder of how it could have turned out...or worse! Happy New Year

:D:D

'oh and 1 other thing if anyone from Colchester is reading this sort you f*cking PA system out, we only heard every other word!' Agreed - when they were reading out the half-time scores you needed to ask the next stand round what the away score was...it seemed each stand got a word in sequence around the ground! Surreal! I arrived early, drove up to the ground (sort of a Matchbox size version of a real modern stadium) to see how far away I'd have to park & a nice lady took a fiver from me to park within 50 yards of the ground. The benefits of the site are obvious & the lack of fans (we must have been 20% of the total & 50% of the noise...& we were quieter than usual - hangovers - or was that just me?) made the trip easy...getting out wasn't bad either & will be better still when the new junction to the A12 is done. Couldn't help thinking that's how our M27 site would have been for location. After a night's sleep I still feel the same....a draw would have been fairer but how many days like those have we had & not many people get much at Colchester. The OS has Lambert saying that there were words in the dressing room - the desire is there & in reality this team has only been playing together for a relatively short while so the results we've had are pretty creditable. One more pop at the ball boy situation - the one on the right of the away stand was lucky not to get lynched (I think they moved him away after one particularly bad bit of ball ignoring but I was the other side of the stand) - if they're too tight to pay enough ball boys for a one ball system then they should me made by the league to employ ones that get off their arses & do the job. The situation was ridiculous & summed up the small minded ethos of the team.

Just back from the match after foggy drive up the A12 I agree with much of what has been said...game of two halves etc but they weren't great in the first...one shot (the goal...a good move f*ck 'em!) & a header. We just weren't penetrating at all & credit Pardew for changing it at half-time. Second half was much better...Connolly oozes class when fed properly & he replaced Spidey who was muscled out of it (agree with the earlier comment about gamesmanship & nasty side of their game - the ball boys should have been charged with bringing ball-boying in to disrepute...tw*ts) but Colchester do play as a unit who know each other pretty well so not used as an excuse. Antonio, in my opinion, should go back or, if kept, just used late as a sub - it takes less than ten minutes for the opposition to suss his entire game. Lallana, Harding, Ricky, Lloydy & Connolly all worked their nuts off against a very organised defence & ours was good for the most part...we got caught twice by a couple of great passes but our luck in front of goal wasn't there today...their keeper made a couple of blinding saves & the post shot was desperately unlucky for Lambert. Couldn't really say whether the goal was offside - just that it was the best move of the game & deserved a goal. In fairness we didn't get much from a very below average set of officials. Trotman worth a punt at £500k in my view, he has matured so his stay seems to be doing him good - however when he was substituted it did look like he was waving goodbye. Bit worried to see Jaidi (I think & Ricky, I think) bawling at each other & being separated after the second goal but it might have been Hammond - shows their desire to win though which is good. To sunmmarise...we did ok, another day it might have dropped for us & we were a long way from being outclassed...a little more depth in the squad in January would enable us to sub with similar quality....I'd always start Papa in front of Antonio...Despite the murk at the match I'm not too despondent & while it's mathematically possible I trust Pardew to put out the right teams to hit the play-offs. We've come a loooong way in half a season! Loved the 'Where are yer'?' chant in the fog!

Fantastic - Very much appreciated! I'm in J98/99 N4...if you're nearby I owe you a beer :-)

Can anyone tell me the parking/park & ride arrangements at Colchester please? I've looked for the thread that I read earlier (Thorpe le Saint?)but can't find it. Many thanks in advance - not been to the new ground - saw us in a cup match at Layer Road in the Ossie era once.

+1 - He's doing a lot of the creating..as is Spidey. Isn't it refreshing to have so many choices & none of them bad?! Happy Xmas

Given the progress being made from top to bottom I guess AP will be returning to West Ham as victorious visiting manager...possibly as early as next season but that's still a long shot. I do feel we would not have to do any reinventing if it should happen though - the majority of the current squad would fit seamlessly in to most Championship sides & would do so for us - without a doubt our owner will continue to back the progression - it was in his first vision/business plan. Happy Xmas....isn't it?!

Saints crowd in superb voice! COYR

Infantile even....skate fans probably think he's a paedietrician!:wink:

Spot on description (right in front of me too) - Holt was off the field & play acting to waste time - it was one of the few good decisions the ref made on the night. The Norwich number 6 (my programme doesn't show them having a number 6!) should have been off for two punches to (I think) Lloydy while he was on the ground in front of the Itchen - the ref & linesman were both within a few feet of the incident & only booked the player. Norwich are one of the better footballing sides in this league but they got what they deserved out of the match - there was a cynical & dirty side to the team that was out there which ultimately cost them ...listen & learn Grant Holt!

Just back in hotel room from the match - I live near Norwich now so relishing greeting my staff after driving back tomorrow! Couple of points...we were awesome in the first 20 mins - they could not live with us. We were hungry, chased down every ball & player. For some reason when the second didn't come it looked like we were missing something/one. Thought it might be the balance that Lloydy has been giving the midfield although I thought he had an excellent game at right back tonight.Spidy didn't really get in to it which may be another reason Then they scored & came out for the 2nd half & started being first to the ball as we had been - thought the ball dropped kindly for them & that their players started to get a touch agricultural...another ref (how sh*t was this one?) might easily have sent two players off but we weren't at all fluent. I was right next to the Holt (thought it was Martin?) incident at the end...he wasn't touched & the dirty crunt had been dishing it out all night! Poetic justice that we should win...they got their just desserts for a change although they were better (& luckier ) than us in the second half. And finally (though somewhat disjointedly) the kid....he was probably goaded in to doing what he did but did very little harm. He was frightened & crying when the stewards brought him back which made Papa's gesture at the end worth the entrance money - top man who went up hugely in my estimation. Great goals too...just seen them on SSN - great saves from Bart too - It's brilliant being a Saints fan isn't it?!!

Jessica Ennis would get my vote for being cutest. Giggs is/has been a good player for Stretford but even their fans (all over London) wouldn't dub him a legend in the same breath as Law & Best. I don't include Charlton because the tw*t predicted 6-0 to U****ed in the pre match run up in '76...that's MY prejudice & it's not ever going to be against a Saints player. MLT is a Saints legend as is Lawrie, Legless, Channon, Paine, Franny, King Ron plus many slightly lesser gods too many to mention. They'll never be less so because one person takes a very individual perceived morality..Charlton was banned from receiving tickets by the FA or League for selling them to put cash in his pocket .....who gives a sh*t? Not me...he played for a lesser club! :-)

Doubt he's capable...if he can then he wasn't educated in the slum:eek:

Great matches - Early seventies, can't remember which year but Leeds were top...we....weren't & we beat them at Elland Road (we always win...) 3-1. Two own goals & a Channon penalty from memory! I got sooooo p****ed :-0

NC & ML saved Southampton Football Club - where was the Echo then? It shows a lack of respect not to work with the release of good news in conjunction with the bringers of the same - yes the planning application made it within the public domain but if they were requested to cooperate & didn't (we're not talking about hiding tax dodging, bungs etc - this is good news all round) then they should expect the same in return - i.e. the ban. 100% applaud the action - they were asked to respect a request, they declined - now they should go out & buy their match ticket!

I'd have Beattie back in exchange for Pulis's nipper!

Wow - sends a real statement of intent for the future! Happy, happy Saints fan....:-) Q. - Will our training ground be worth more than kraP nottarF as well as being more prestigious?

Possibly all he'd bring to the job though Good luck to him though - he was just out of his depth with us - a bit part player in the bad old days. We've moved onwards & upwards in all senses...he must get whatever he can get...we know he's cheap - Rupert told the world!

For all the offsides we looked more likely to score when he was on - frustrating player, a mix of magic & inept but provided us with a new chant to the BWP tune!