Saints It Is And Another Hoodoo Needs Breaking
Jan 18th, 2017 by 'holic
So it will be a trip south rather than east in the fourth round of the FA Cup. It took Southampton until the second of four added minutes to see off Championship team Norwich City in front of 13517 lonely souls. It is an opportunity to gain revenge for our defeat in the EFL Cup in November.
It’s true that you have to go back to February 2004, the invincible season, for our last win at Southampton with two unanswered Thierry Henry goals. Our five visits since then have seen us get three draws and lose twice. It’s an unusual bogey venue for sure. Our last FA Cup meeting with them saw us lift the trophy in 2003 courtesy of a Robert Pires strike at Cardiff.
That day lives in the memory. I drove down the M4 with a mate who had a ticket although I was ticketless. We arrived in time for a real breakfast before the pubs at either end of the stadium opened. My hand made sign requesting a solitary spare drew no offers. As John joined the rest of the West Country Gooners in the pub I stood outside with my sign, feeling like I was a living advertising hoarding. Respect to those who are forced to do that to earn a few quid.
Around an hour before kick-off I finally had a bite. A reasonably dressed man with a Geordie accent said he had one for £350 and if I gave him the stub back afterwards he would refund £50 of that. I had bargained on something for around half that but in that situation I decided to accept. When I returned the stub after the match he told me he was on a County FA and didn’t want the stub to be sent back to the Football Association. The fans game, eh?
Of course the ensuing match was a pretty dull affair as Finals go, but Robert’s goal from a deflected Freddie Ljungberg effort ensured our triumph and the smattering of Gooners in an otherwise neutral area of the stadium went as crazy as ever. Our route to that Final included wins at Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge. Twelve months later we were invincible. Oh for such a run this season.
If you have at least 15 away credits you can apply for tickets in the morning, Thursday 19th January 2017 at 11am. Cost will be just £15 plus concessions. Our allocation will be 4,612 tickets. Good luck if you have fewer credits than that. Well done Southampton at that price. It would suggest they will not be going with a full strength first team.
But will we?
57 Responses to “Saints It Is And Another Hoodoo Needs Breaking”
Lock in? Lovely!
Random second.
Nice preview Guv’nor. I trust we go with Ned’s run – see previous bar, rather than more recent history.
COYG
My map says Southampton is actually situated to the southwest, and Norwich to the northeast of London. Not to be pedantic or anything, but shouldn’t East Anglia really be Northeast Anglia, counting London as the center? There is some geographical sense in it though, Northampton is farther north than Southampton.
No comment on the football at the moment. 🙂
Amazing price – I thought Preston’s was generous. My boy and I have 14 credits apiece so I’ll be holding my breath until 1pm.
Pip, you’re a star, much missed.
Countryman, I think you will be ok in the second priority window. 🙂
Clive … apropos the Everton and Man City games my point is that Alexis was leading the line in both games, not OG. Earlier we played some lovely stuff with Sanchez as a false 9, helped by having a nearly fully fit squad during the period. But it looked to me like opponents were starting to figure out how to defend against him (culminating with Everton and Man City).
at my age
i dunno
?
well
i do
and
it’s not % proof
it’s degrees
Nice one guvna. It’s high time we won at that venue.
I remember the 2003 final for the blasé nature of most of our fans that day. We had tossed the league away after being by far the better team compared with a United that tried to kick us off the pitch every time we played them and we were kicked out of the game at Bolton . There wasn’t great excitement on the bus back after a game in which Luzhny had played at centre back. It was played with the roof on and felt a bit odd.
We were diabolical in the EFL recently and it would be nice to get revenge for some recent drubbings by them. Thanks fir the blog Holic.
Clive,
I like the front three you suggest. We certainly need to give Perez a chance
Southampton tickets bought. St Mary’s here we come.
One loanee- Kelechi Nwakali-, is ripping up trees in Holland where his play for Maastricht is getting rave reviews. He needs a special talent visa to be allowed to play for us but stuff like this may clinch it for him. He’s gone a bit under the radar but looks like he may be a real candidate for a first- team place in a couple of years
http://metro.co.uk/2017/01/18/arsenal-loanee-kelechi-nwakali-sends-message-to-arsene-wenger-with-ridiculous-brilliant-maastricht-display-6389775/
Following TTG’s failure completely to spruce up his act @11 above, I have started to pine for a good old-fashioned punfest. Step forward Trev! Please.
COYG
PS It’s a bit rude to take advantage of another’s toping misteaks, and heaven knows, I commit enough enough myself, so I hope the drinker formerly known as thundertinygooner will forgive me.
Would make a contribution to the punfest so long as Trev and the other likely candidates don’t leave me in the larch.
Hope we are toping the league at the time of the passover cedar.
Fir’s fir,bt8
Oooh, I’ve gone all Scouse.
Ure 4given Pangloss itz xstreamly rair that eye maik a Taipeo.
Sorry I missed the pun fest. I had nipped down to the beech which was oak but it’s the larch time elm going out today.
Also pleased to see Alan Birchenall on the mend.
Birchenall was a hero where I grew up. Not to me though.
BBC website headline: Jesus cleared to play for Man City
Guess Pep wasn’t enough. 😉
Jeez, bt8, how many Jesuses do they have at $iteh? But they’ll never have a God, aye.
Arsene Wenger heaps heavy praise on the character of Per Mertesacker as his deal is extended by another year. I wonder if there are the makings of a great manager in the BFG?
The Corporal may not be going to the Palace, after all:
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/jan/19/arsenal-arsene-wenger-premier-league-title-moment-of-truth
Military officers in the palace? Is Napoleon near?
No, not Napoleon. It’s the mango mussolini. Very quiet in here…
And please what’s Macaroni van Boston I’ve hearing Wenger talking about? Is it the new one on the diet plan? Please those with Internet connection can assist with a google, I’ve got only a data connection here. Thanks.
Please don’t mind the excellent English. It will only get better like Ollie.
Anybody mentioned that we appear to have extended Cazorla’s deal by 12 months?
Santi has signed for another year. Hooray ?
…maybe we’re short of midfielders in the Physio Room XI.
Sure that is not, extended Santi’s remedial by 12 months?
West Ham sign Jose Fonte, the Southampton captain and central defender. Seems like a good signing for the Hammers, even at age 33, to shore up their defensive line.
He should improve their back line , he is the Fonte of all wisdom. I’ve already got my coat
For some reason I have this as my earworm today
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWJjcT7Uipo
I went to see the Lego Movie last night. I will never see “The Special One” the same way again.
COYG
late to the party again but “fir tree puns’ ……. ?
Could I win the Fir Tree Pun League ?
Were there such a thing, who would my manager be ?
I guess if he hadn’t got the boot for spending so much time managing his special, er, hedge fund, that job would have to go to topi-‘Arry Redknapp.
After all, didn’t he invent the Christmas Tree formation ………
Well, if he wouldn’t do it, maybe Rosie wood ……
Scousers 2 Swans 3. Looks as if the Arsenal caught the Swans at the right time.
Glad we played the swans first 🙂
Hoping the orcs put the Moaning one in its place.
😀
Trev, leaf it alone. You’re bark-ing up the wrong tree.
I guess your team would take to the pitch wearing amber and as ever-green. It’s important they don’t boreal the crowd.
If they didn’t give the opposition a bit of needle, your manager of choice would have to resin. Then you could sycamore qualified coach.
bath – ?????
Come on, Holic. I need clarity on the direction of the holic pound before I get on the train to the match tomorrow.
Shrek with a late equalizer against Orcs, but still two points dropped.
It’s fun Carlsberg fixed results they might have fixed the set this weekend!
Sorry I meant if Carlsberg fixed results….oh dear the Spuds have scored
There’s no excuse for diving but the Sterling incident explains why some players do. Awful decision by the linesman and ref
Will take the draw, but Spuds get lucky. Down 2-1, Walker shoves Sterling in the back when he’s in the clear in the box, throws him off and fluffs the shot. If Sterling falls down, it’s a PK and Walker off.
apologies from cunts mean fuck all
Be about an hour, people. 🙂
sorry ‘hol
it’s an affliction
?
however
chop chop
we’ve all lives to live
Rivals attending a points-dropping festival?
.
,
48
this is why
?
i heart ‘hol
I love you too, cba! 🙂 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>