Cornwall_Saint

I felt bad enough making some brutal decisions on FIFA 16 as I was raising Plymouth Argyle through the leagues I can't imagine actually having to bring in a player who's given so much over the last 18 months and say to him "Cheers for everything, but you ain't staying". You'd feel like a right proper c**t.

My biggest gripe with the presentation was that it faced directly to hospitality while the whole West Stand (and probably some of the Family Stand too) got shafted by that header thingy. To the actual Saints fans in hospality, no grudges, no complaints, glad you guys got the top viewing. To those who are there purely because of their job or workplace, and who are not going to do so much as to even check our results next season, these were the last people who deserved that fantastic view.

Club had done it before. Fair enough then, I stand corrected.

As much as you sound like a party pooper, I think you are bang on. I think we are at the peak right now, and if we end up near the bottom those numbers will easily drop. It might hold for a while but it won't forever. Like everyone else in the Scottish Leagues, we are stuck in a country where most people support the bigots and success of a local side will not change that. Long term what can we do? Not an awful lot (Catholic/Protestant schools don't help matters) but I think if the club makes regular attempts to give tickets to schools and clubs, it will only benefit us long term as some kids may realise their heart lies with Saints, and we can gain potential lifelong supporters (and potential offspring of those too) from these initiatives. It won't turn us into a team with 50K attendances (not even 10K), but it can help shape the future. Apart from that, we just have to enjoy what we have right now.

I was at this game, and I remember the announcement too That aside it was one of the most boring games I've ever attended in my life...

Can't see us handing the bigots the South Stand. It's our Family Stand for a reason, you know punters ain't gonna stop swearing in the West and Main because the kiddies have been booted out of their usual place.

I'd love to see us keep the W6/W7 to ourselves, it's those sections that have seen those who want to make noise and sing be able to come together and give us a real atmosphere. If we take that away, where will they be able to go in such a large group? Those involved have done some brilliant displays, and many are avid travellers to away games, removing that section for them would be unfair. Question is, £££ will be the answer. The section will be open for most matches this season, but the club aren't going to reject the opportunity to allow bigot fans to enter in their numbers. Bigger payday, the club only loses out financially if it's away stand only. As someone else said, we don't have the numbers to sell out regularly as our last top flight spell proved. Our usual attendances are in the 3K/4K range. My guess is W6/W7 (5 too?) will be open through the season, barring bigot visits and any other potential big away supports (like if Killie are unexpectedly on the way to winning the league). The club would be silly to turn down potential sales.

I'd hazard a guess they were Buddies who couldn't get home end tickets. 442 is a shocking away attendance for a derby, especially one which their playoff hopes rested on. Fair play to those who did show up, but those who didn't attend because it was "our day to rub it in", poor show. Supporting your team should always come first, especially when their playoff hopes were in the balance.

Just landed back in Exeter. It's been a fantastic weekend and it's weekends like this that explain why you support the local team instead of the "big boys". These are memories for a lifetime. The result topped it all off, and it's a nice feeling to have ended M*rt*n's playoff hopes too. The result was justified, M*rt*n spent most of the game booting us off the park, how the f**k their no. 25 didn't get booked for that tackle in the first half? We were running towards our own half ffs, with no threat and he made no effort for the ball. It was brilliant to see us aiming for the win even when it's already job done. It's a nice touch to see Morgan score the last home goal of the season, he's always been committed to the cause. Trophy presentation could have been better, couldn't see a thing from the West Stand. Pain in the arse when you know some of those in hospitality (with the best view of the trophy) are only there because of their jobs/workplaces and are hardly going to look at our results next season. I really enjoyed listening to the speeches at both the game and the parade later on. You could see how much it meant to the players, especially those who returned such as Samson, McGinn, Jack Ross himself, while having Sutton appreciating the love from the fans as we expect him to move on. I really hope he gets a chance to play next week, he's been damn good to us and is in the rare position of being part of both our 2006 and 2018 league winning squads. Great time at the Bankhouse too. Rammed to f**k but what an atmosphere. Makes you damn proud to be a Buddie. Thank you to Jack Ross and James Fowler for making this weekend possible. If you told me 18 months ago we'd be having a title party I'd have said "at least we've only had one year in the third tier then". How far we have come is absolute testament to the job those two guys have done, the decisions they've made to release certain players and bring in certain players. The efforts from the guys they've placed faith in? Stunning. There's a great feeling at the club right now, and I've never known there to be such a great community feel around the fans either. What a time to be a Buddie. I, and the rest of us will not forget this weekend for the rest of our lives.

Well, you have a long way to go before you'd be remembered the way Shull and St Ricky would be...

I loved that one as well, and the video from Rory Kramer was epic. As you say it's as if it was prophetic... "When I die, I want to be remembered for the life I lived, not for the money I made"

This is fantastic news. Absolutely delighted with this.

Can't believe that, shock to the system. Absolutely loved Wake Me Up. His hit with Nicky Romero was top notch too. Absolutely shocked by this, and gutted too. He was quality.

I couldn't believe it when I seen he scored the winner against PSG.

I know I'm not one who can attend games often so watching Saints is limited to tv and highlights, but I cannot understand how people rate Mullen higher than Reilly. Gavin is the first striker since the 90s to score 20+ goals for Saints, Mullen has been with us since November and scored twice. What does Mullen add that Reilly doesn't? What are those who can attend games seeing that I can't?

I've done this too. Morgan has been excellent (as have so many) but wanted to spread the vote instead of a Morgan double. So Cammy gets my YPOTY. With the David Barron references elsewhere. I liked him, always gave his best and I thought he was decent. It's a shame to see how his career ended up, injuries ruined him.

GK: Keep Samson. I'd release Ross Stewart as we haven't seen if he's capable of dealing with the Championship yet. Don't mind if a replacement is better or worse than Samson, as long as it's someone who can challenge him. LB/RB: Keep Eckersley. Keep Demetriou unless we can get 3 adequate full backs in. Would love to get Liam Smith back but I think Hearts would be silly to release him. I'd release Irvine. CB: Keep Baird, he's young and been through a lot with us already, and he is a decent player. Davis is a must to keep. Would happily see Gary Mack stay. However, I would want a new CB who would go straight into the starting lineup. Defence hasn't been a strong point so new, better replacements would be ideal. Donati could stay in a coaching role but not as a player. CM: McGinn - must keep. Magennis - must keep. McShane was decent to begin with until Flynn arrived and took his place. I'd keep McShane unless we can get two good CMs in. Hill will go back to bigots, no point chasing a deal for him. LM/RM/Wingers - Cammy Smith is a must keep, he's been excellent. I'd keep Hippolyte but ideally one or two good wingers coming in would be important, especially with Morgan gone. I would like to see us try and get Morgan back on loan, I don't see him getting game time at the bigots right now. Release that Kirkpatrick guy, and Flanagan too if he's not doing much for Elgin. ST: Would be very good to keep Reilly. 22 goals in a season is a great return. Can't say much on Mullen, his goals record is not great and needs to improve but some on here think he's alright and they will have a better idea than me if they can go to games unlike myself. We need to get someone in who is ideally better than these two or can at least provide good competition, we don't know how these two will cope in the top flight. I'll sadly say Sutton should go, shame as he's been a good player in his two spells but I don't think he's going to be good enough now. Ross Stewart like the other Ross Stewart didn't do much for us this season and hasn't proven himself above League One so preferably release him.

I was picking out the league games only as I know he's now on 16 as of about 15 minutes ago. As a (half) Belgian I'm well aware of his Belgian appearances which can often be frustrating I'd start him at the World Cup but I'd warn him if he didn't get up to speed quickly I'd be bringing in Batshuayi. In five games at the Euros Romelu only scored against the ROI (that probably means he's a Sevvie in the eyes of Sellik fans).

One of the problems is the "style" of football. I was in the pub by chance during the derby and afterwards we were trying to explain to a United "fan" that had they played their season out the way they did in the 2nd half that game, they'd probably still be in the title race. Perhaps not win it, but they'd be a lot closer in. They have the players capable to play that way, but Mourinho is so set in his tactics that none of the front lads have freedom. Lukaku scored 20+ every year for Everton because they were free to play (perhaps too much). Salah is flying at a club who encourage it, Kane gets freedom at Spurs (he'd have 45 goals if his team mates didn't claim some of his goals). Pogba would thrive on that freedom. We said he'd look much more like a £90m player in the City team. It's nice and well saying they are having a good season but my belief is they'd have provided a better challenge in the league with an attackive style, and Sevilla would not have dumped them out of the CL.

He looked done at St Johnstone when he was only getting sub appearances then hit the mark with us. Considering just about all his appearances are sub ones quoting 2 goals in 20 is a bit unfair. I think if he gets regular starts he can still bag 10 goals for someone in this league. As you say, we shall see what offer he gets... He's ex Raith isn't he? He returned to Motherwell, returned to Saints...next stop Kirkcaldy!

No surprises there. A number of fringe players will leave as they were signed for the Championship and not SPL. Liam Smith returns to Hearts, Hill to bigots, Morgan too. Some of the old guard like Irvine and Sutton could go. This will leave a lot of spaces available in the squad.

Don't see why Sutton wouldn't get into another Championship side. His main quality has always been to score goals, not things like pace or skill so (like Boyd) he can still have another year or two. A team in dire need of goals would be silly to turn him down (wage demands aside). Dumbarton spring to mind but obviously they have to contend with the playoffs first. Someone like Ayr if they come up could find him useful, or QOTS if Dobbie left. He scored a decent amount of goals 2 seasons ago then lost his place after Reilly's goal scoring form and the arrival of Mullen. I think he can still do it in the Championship.

Agree with this. Before I relocated I always found the away atmosphere better than at home, I guess as an away day it's more of a day out sort of thing than the usual same auld journey to a home game. I probably miss away games more than home games, cannae beat a great away day.

I vaguely remember that actually it's fine, I won £1 on roulette yesterday

As someone who only gets to see us on tv and highlights it would be unfair of me to make any sort of judgement on Donati (especially as yesterday was his first start). If he features on Saturday I'll see him then, but if Accies were happy enough to let him go he probably isn't good enough for the SPL anymore. That being said, I'm sure it's been said on here it's more about the coaching side with him, and providing the cover for releasing Buchanan as we had 3 decent CBs anyway.