100%Red&White

Because: It will be a big crowd. There will be 3k Brighton fans. There's a fairly local rivalry. There's quite a bit at stake on this game. And as the OB let bournemuff fans out at the same time and there was immediately a confrontation I think it will be interesting to see if they still believe this is the best option. Brighton fans wont miss their trains, there aren't any.

IMO. The fact that Hants OB decided to let the skates out and go against everything that’s done at any other high risk fixture in this country, including down here before, suggests they wanted arrests. We had an escalating hoolie problem and they probably wanted convictions to send out a warning – it’s was openly stated in the local media before the bournemuff game that they were specifically targeting Saints fans. As it turned out, just anyone would do. They erected an impenetrable steel barrier outside the Northam end so anyone coming out of the Kingsland side of it could only have gone in the opposite direction to where the ‘Freebourne battle’ took place. That would have meant those involved in this particular trouble must have come out of the Itchen North. I’d bet those fans were just amazed to see the 4000 skates spilling onto Britannia Road and just reacted, like many had done inside the ground, exchanging insults and the situation immediately developed and quickly got out of hand in the ‘heat of the moment’. It’s just that the OB had their cameras firmly fixed on only the Saints fans despite both sides playing up. It looks like a controlled situation was allowed to develop, as many other potential trouble makers were tucked up on the other side of the stadium, giving a manageable number of ‘scapegoats’ enough rope to hang themselves. For some certainly ‘wrong place, wrong time’. Will be interesting to see what happens next Tuesday.

I guess they'd say we were pulling in 30k attendances to watch a team that wasn't particularly successful and eventually relegated - we were still getting 30k in that relegation season. If we achieve promotion next May I can see STs selling very well next season and just about selling out if we go on to make it back to the Prem. Then if Cortese's/Marcus' plans are realised then that will mean it only gets better. Personally I believe they'd really want to develop the area around St Mary's and are leaking possibilities of moving out-of-city to force issues. SMS can easily achieve 40k, which I agree is a realistic figure for a realitively successful Saints side, with improved corporate facilities and a new train stop outside the Kingsland.

Agree. Football fans are soft these days. If SMS is ever to be expanded I can't believe it would be allowed unless a new train station/halt is part of the plans. There's also been talk of water taxis, utilising a developed river front. I hope we never leave St Mary's and certainly wouldn't want to relocate out of the city as I'm sure that will only mean one thing, a ground-share. No ta.

The Ugly Inside fanzine. The most intimidating fence-rattling ever seen at a derby game.

But. The skates were also "acting hard" and "goading" but from a safe distance - the only difference was they didn't get near enough to the fence to rattle it and so didn't go to prison. I'm with the Kaiser on this one.

Don't know if previously mentioned but "if only" the boy Connolly wasn't so injury prone he'd have been one of the best strikers at the club. Wrist. Slapped.

Nutshell. David Connolly, knees like eggshell.

If you're looking for a top striker and natural goal scorer although it's got to be said, just a little prone to injury then David Connolly's your man.

I'm impressed, you 88* maybe the only fans to have ever travelled away to a ZDS game anywhere in the country - other than a semi/final! We never won it btw. *33,000 went to Wembley!

The "or so" bit being around 200 less. As skate Andy Awford said at Hull on Solent, in typical blue-few bullsh*t "massive...huge p*mpey support...800-odd travelling fans". Unbeaten for half a dozen, possible "last ever game" and he calls that "massive". Still, twice as many as they took to their previous away game I suppose.

Many (probably most) clubs are doing some kind of deal on tickets these days to get bums on seats, that's a good attendance in this league against such opposition whatever the price. Notts County are offering adult and child tickets for a quid to local sports clubs when they play us next week. The skates give away thousands each home game aswell (and their crowds are still ****!)

And all those last day 'Great Escapes' were pretty good too!

Although the 70s/early 80s gave me the best memories with Saints the 90s also provided some great days, particularly the Alan Ball era. Probably from the first days of (believe it or not) SISA, getting rid of Branfoot and the arrival of, one of my heroes, Bally. That first game away to Newcastle watching in the Hulse Road club, then the St Valentine's Day Massacre of Liverpool on a snowy night in front of the Sky cameras, Bally's first home game and Le Tiss setting off on his greatest ever period. Being priviliged to watch Le Tiss throughout his career, culminating in that goal against the Arse at the Dell's final (one that mattered) game - although that one just crept into the 2000s of course.

I'd agree, more consistently travel these days but the best away trips I've ever had were in the 70s/80s. The difference today is it's far easier to travel and unlike the 70s/80s it's relatively safe to do so now. As you mentioned it was very likely you would encounter trouble back then which put many of the more sensitive types off from travelling on a regular basis. Saints could take away a great crowd one week and then, for no apparent reason, considerabley less the next. But big games, particularly in the cup, thousands could travel, many on the old football specials, we had 10k on the road on a number of occasions. When it was good it was fantastic!

Another famous Brum one from the 70s. I clearly remember Peter Wells running out to the end we shared with the home fans and they all warmly clapped him into the goalmouth. He humbly returned the applause at which point they absolutely slaughtered him and he was mercilessly barracked for the entire 45 minutes he stood in front of them. It was a touch more intimidating than the occasional "you fat b*****d" from the Northam.

I must have a look in the attic for me ol' DMs and Harrington.

http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10280~2180685,00.html Well, if we're going to take more than 1,400 up there Saints fans are going to have to break a habit of a lifetime and not leave it to the last minute to buy tickets. If the initial allocation isn't sold out by the 22nd we don't get any more.

Ask him what happened would ya? It's driving us all crazy

Well if he is a professional boxer he'll probably be suing 'whoever' done it for loss of earnings.

TBF that's a pretty good offer and it's also buy 2 get a third free! http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10280~2175934,00.html That's 3 games, 3 curries, 3 pints and good seats for £82 and you can also take a kid (under 14) for nothing each time. No brainer if you take the nipper to SMS.

On South Today, Friday evening, they were talking to Mr Plod about Police arrangements to keep order at Saturday's match and he said they were "targetting Saints fans". If they had kept Dorset's-Zimmer-Mob, back there was little chance of confrontation and so no nawty faces for their cameras, so, IMO and like the skate game, this was an ideal opportunity to let a situation develop to take out their targets.

If that bit's true then you have to admire the boxer's restraint as he'd probably have made mincemeat of Barnard and f**ked up his pro licence.

Initially of course. Win the 2 up and coming home games and we're likely shift the next allocation too.

True. Can I be the first to welcome this new Bournmouth fan I’d give that honour to Totton and Christchurch tbf. Between Southampton and the New Forest is a sizeable stretch of water and the Waterside towns. I wouldn’t think too many actually from the city of Southampton would consider us part of the New Forest in any way. It is, like Bournemouth, a nice place to visit but then come home back to real life. Sway v New Milton, I’d say that’s a “New Forest Derby”.