amsterdam

It's a bit mad today with the fireworks - Xmas is not such a big event here as they have their own tradition of Sint Klaus who comes over from Spain in late November and gives out presents for 12 days, so the 25th is not a big pressie-event. NYE, however is all about massive fireworks; an interesting experience if you are mildly wasted! Try and get to Club Paradiso or the Zulu Lounge near Leidseplein or Panama if you're at the top end of town... And make sure you wrap up tonight - local weather says more snow is on the way! Enjoy your stay!!

"because when we went down we lost some of our better players" I'm turning into a big fan of Pardew, but I'm not sure of this comment (which he has said before); who does he mean? Surman? Yes, probably. Dyer? BWP? Rasiak? Personally I feel he could big himself up more and say that the team we have now is stronger, more reliable, grittier and much more suited to the challenges we face. Really, of the players we lost, is anyone regretting the loss of those gone?

Walsall are 4th though? Might be a challenge (haven't checked who they've played)

All good - shame I've given up smoking the good stuff. Waiting for the reports from those who went - nice to grind out a result? Or did we win easily?

Tim - could you not "ghost-write" an autobiography based on Ron's memories?

I'm not going to watch this as: a) I hate any sort of cruelty to animals b) It's my birthday this weekend and I don't want to start on a downer But I do feel strongly about this and if it's as bad as I guess it is (from the comments of some fairly strong-stomached posters above), then in response to the original OP's question - I'd be quite happy to stub my cigarettes out in this person's eyes and nail his gonads a leather strap attached a long rope connected to an express train. Hope the f**ker dies slowly and painfully. No other comment really.

Fine thanks Mick - haven't seen you on here for a while? Not wishing to take this thread to TMS, but your idea has merit. We could have a weekly show where the public gets to vote off one politician until there's just one left and they get to rule the country until the next series. What weekly forfeits would you make them do though, to prove their suitability? Eating bugs or being able to do the American Smooth are a bit lame?

Ooooooh! Reactionary! But with what should we replace them? God forbid a President Blair, Brown or Cameron... Too much emphasis is based on the "illusional" power of leadership in the UK. I like the Swiss example where the head of govt has no real power but they need someone to meet visiting dignitaries etc, so they appoint someone for 1 year just for ceremonial duties.

Know what you mean about the life sentence!! Did you see the open-letter rant posted by the Grimsby fan below? Don't know how many times over the years I wanted to say the same to Saints...!! Dear Players of Grimsby Town FC I am writing with regard to my absolute astonishment and disbelief as to the sheer magnitude of your complete lack of talent and failure to carry out the job for which you are paid to do. I am not aware of any swear word or other derogatory phrase in my current vocabulary which comes close to a description of your ‘performance’ (and I use that term loosely) this afternoon, but let me just say that you have collectively reached a level of inadequacy and ineptitude that neither I nor modern science had previously considered possible. In fact I recall a time, in my youth, when I decided to call in sick at work and instead spent the entire day in my one bedroom flat wearing nothing but my underpants, eating toast and wánking furiously over second-rate Scandinavian porn. Yet somehow, I still managed to contribute more to my employer in that one Andrex-filled day than you complete bunch of toss-baskets have contributed to this club in your entire time here. I would genuinely like to know how you pathetic little píssflaps sleep at night, knowing full well that you have taken my money and that of several thousand others and delivered precisely fúck all in return. I run a business myself, and I believe I could take any 4,000 of my customers at random; burn down their houses, impregnate their wives and then dismember their children before systematically sending them back in the post, limb-by-limb, and still ensure a level of customer satisfaction which exceeds that which I have experienced at Blundell Park at any time so far this season. You are a total disgrace, not only to your profession, not only to the human race, but to nature itself. This may sound like an exaggeration, but believe me when I say that I have passed kidney stones which have brought me a greater level of pleasure and entertainment than watching each of you worthless excuses for professional footballers attempt to play a game you are clearly incapable of playing, week-in, week-out. I considered, for a second, that I was perhaps being a little too harsh. But then I recalled that I have blindly given you all the benefit of the doubt for too long now. Yes, for too long you have failed to earn the air you’ve been breathing by offering any kind of tangible quality either as footballers or as people in general. As such, I feel it’s only fair that your supply runs out forthwith. I trust, at this precise moment in time, that Mr Fenty is in his office tapping away on the Easyjet web site booking you all one-way flights to Zurich, complete with an overnight stay with our cheese eating friends at Dignitas. Don’t bother packing your toothbrush – you won’t need it. In the event that our beloved chairman can’t afford the expense (understandable given that he’s soon going to have to assemble a new squad from scratch), then I am prepared to sell my family (including my unborn child) to a dubious consortium of Middle Eastern businessmen in order to pay for the flights. Christ, I’ll drive you there myself, one-by one, without sleep, if I have to. Failing that, understanding that most dubious Middle Eastern businessmen are tied-up purchasing Premier League football clubs, I ask you to please take matters into your hands. Use your imagination, guys – strangle yourselves or cover yourself in tinfoil and take a fork to a nearby plug socket, or something. Just put yourselves and us fans out of our collective misery. So, in summary, you pack of repugnant, sputum-filled, invertebrate bástards; leave this club now and don’t you fúcking dare look back. You’ve consistently demonstrated less passion and desire than can commonly be found within the contents of a sloth’s scrótum, so frankly you can just all fúck off – don’t pass go, don’t collect your wages, don’t ever come back to this town again. I look forward to you serving me at my local McDonald’s drive-thru in the near future. Yours sincerely A very disillusioned Mariner

First moved to Bitterne from Paris when I was around 12 (many of my mum's relations were already there). I was more a footie "fan" than a Saint although I went to the Dell a few times and we had friends who lived in the flats that overlooked the Archer's Road end, so watched a few matches from there. It wasn't until I went to Uni in 1984 where there were some 15 of us in the halls of residence and everyone was football mad - Scousers, Mancs, Leeds, Leicester, Forest and a weird ex-druggie from Pompey called Harry the Horse, who kept calling me Scummer (first time i heard that term). It was traditional as we got ready to go out on Saturday nights to sit round and watch Final Score and take the p*ss out of each other. Because I was from Soton everyone assumed I supported them - I didn't really, but went along with it and gradually got more and more drawn into it; particularly as we had such a great season... so I was a glory hunter!! I've never lived in the city since, but the Saints are my link to the city I spent my youth in and I cannot imagine NOT supporting them nor following anyone else (even after all the rubbish we've been through in recent years)...

I saw that - a top post! And I know exactly how he feels - guess most fans have felt that way sometimes! But I saw in another thread on that board that Olly played OK and some posters were saying they hoped he'd stay for the whole season. Good luck to him..

Griff - wouldn't argue about Whitgift School - I didn't know anyone who went there but the grounds/facilities looked fantastic - a bit of a step-up from my own alma mater, Merry Oak.. Purley is OK as well, though, isn't it? I spent many hours on the Purley Way (in traffic jams) on my way to Sainsbury's, Ikea, all the places mentioned above, including the old airport (wasn't there a TFI Friday's, next door?). I have to say I enjoyed my time living in Croydon, there were a couple of decent pubs and restaurants about, but you really had to be local - as someone mentioned, a wrong turn and you are in West Croydon or Thornton Heath and you could come across a whole world of problems... I guess the whole of South London is like that though? I had good mates in Brixton and Balham which both had terrible reputations back in the day, but I had some great nights out there... Wonder how Hatch got on - is he still alive?!

I don't have PM so sorry to nick this thread! I think Bletchley was ALL council estates, wasn't it? For the London spill-over - I remember my mum telling me loads of stories of London "gangsters" stashing stuff with locals... I don't remember Whitely Crescent (mind I was 7 when we left in 1974 to live in Lisbon), we lived in Surrey Place and I went to Wellsmead and was due to go to Denbigh (sp?). My Step-dad worked at the OU. It was a great place to grow up because it was basically a huge building site in the late '60's... It must have been just fields when you were there? Bletchley Park? Was your old man in Intelligence?

SHAT It, you SLAG! Pretty boy like you don't want to do porridge... I saw on another thread RonM that you're also an ex-Bletchley boy from the '60's? You stalking me? Whaddon Way? Forfar Drive? Small boys playing football with jumpers for goalposts? Bunce's? Fine Fare? Marvelous...

I'm probably being a little harsh as I live amongst the cloggies (just outside Amsterdam). I spent 2 weeks in immersion classes when I first moved here and when I was tested actually had a rating of 4.0 (1 is "novice" and 5 is "native speaker") and my kids are fluent, but I just don't find it a nice language to speak. Having said that, the Dutch are a lovely bunch of people and do like to speak English, so even the local Albert Heijn check-out girls and beggars recognize me and and always start with "Hello sir!" - I'd be disappointed if I spoke (at least 2 languages) fairly fluently and could only find work as a shelf-stacker or beggar...

Ha! But parts are OK? We lived in South Croydon - opposite the Whitgift school and never had any bother. Coulsden is OK too and it's convenient for London? When I lived there I was in my late 20's/early 30's and a lot more of a ****y bar-steward than I am now - I'd have strong doubts about going back now...

I go along with that - I did a year of a Russian language degree before switching. Later with work I travelled around the CIS regularly and it was useful to know things like "PECTOPAH" is pronounced "RESTORAN" (restaurant) - it's quite a phonetic language, but not sure how useful it is to learn. Chinese and Arabic would both be useful, but coupled with a law degree? For "fun", Spanish and Italian would be much better? Dutch is a pig to learn!

The Shawshank Error of Judgement

The Blue Orchid or Joe Banana's? Both are dire! The Whitgift Centre is a reasonable shopping centre (but nothing there you wouldn't find in Southampton). Tend to agree with others on here, it's not the best place (and seriously, keep an eye out, there are some very dodgy characters about). When I lived there we mainly went up to Clapham Junction or into town for nights out.

Saturday Evening Ague

I'm not surprised it was like sardines that day - the Dell felt cramped with 15,000 in there; how they got over double that in there is amazing! That must have been a hell of a game. Looking at the final table from that season, Fulham won it on 57 points, second was WBA with 56 points, and Saints were third on 55 points, so if we'd beaten WBA we certainly would have been promoted. We seemed to have gone into a bit of a decline after that season (before my time)? Also to David in Sweden - in the photo I have, all are "in kit" - I'll try and scan it in; it's a nice picture - Sir Ted Bates has a lovely cheesy grin and Sir Alf looks... well exactly like a young version of Sir Alf!

We first entered the cup in the 1894-95 season (as Southampton St Marys) and lost 4-1 at home to Notts Forest...

Don't think he'd need to "run around" TBF...

It does ring a bell, Jill - I remember something about MickN and some midgets; very disturbing.... Hatch - I'm no psychologist, but if I was looking to shuffle off this mortal coil, I'm not sure "Location, Location" would be a prime factor? Having said that, I seem to remember that they had to put nets around the Eiffel Tower because loads (maybe slight exaggeration!) of people were chucking themselves of it?