Pudge

Walked to Imperial wharf after the game on Sat as there were no tubes to Wimbledon - nightmare - they were only 4 coaches long and 15 mins apart and were full to bursting before they even got there- had to wait for the 3rd one . Might be a drive to Battersea ( around park area) and then walk .

Ramires and Rui I can understand. But JM - Is the FA now run by Esteemed Leader of North Korea !

looking forward to the trip up there - will be diff from the league game . Gotta just play our way and not be dictated to and snub out Silva & Toure again . same team as before with possibly Torres instead of Eto - hope Cahill is ok for it though

Decided for a change to sit in the West Upper as not many fellow ST holders around us go to Cup Games MHL Gate 8/9 and I must say it was quiet up there apart from a great bunch of kids with their dad's who were slightly the worse for wear ( Dad's not Kids) trying in very high pitches squeals to get some songs going - very amusing. I don't like constant standing or swearing constantly but you felt up there that if you stood up slightly you'd be tutted at by all and sundry and god forbid a few shouts the whole stand kept looking at this Giant Voice a few rows behind - maybe because he kept saying the same thing but at least he had some passion. I go to England & Surrey matches at the Oval & Lords including tests and it is much more fun there now that at the bridge and that is a sad indictment of the state we have let ourselves become for the sake of progress . The downside to this was the stupid cow sitting next to me who had what could only be described as a Professional Camera with extra long zoom add on lenses etc and clicked 6-700 shots off during the match with an annoying booming very bright flash. I spent most of the game with blurred vision and a severe irritation of the constant clicking from the numpty next to me. Considering we were 13 rows up in the West Upper I'm sure all she took what pictures of ants ! The more irritated I got the more she clicked away - so interested she was in the play that when we scored and that was the only time the stand moved throughout the entire game she stayed seated. Note to one gamers a season - sit closer to the pitch and take a few pictures with your I phone - leave the zoom add ons to the press in the press pit ! So whilst I'll still be surrounded by tourists and numpty's on a cup game I think I'll stay put with what I know

anyone actually received their tickets in the post yet ? Got mine on the second day and still nothing- still the post doesn't come until after 3pm and that started before it was privatised - may well come after I get back from work now !

we too were in the west upper front row by the half way line and apart from the bloke sat next to me with the loudest most artificial clapping I have ever had the misfortune to hear( my ear is still ringing today from it) it was largely made up of Foreign Tourists and girlfriends who look disinterested in being there. The atmosphere is poor up there but the view is great and having rushed back from Southampton on Monday Morning ( spent the weekend there for the Game) I was looking forward to a seat that I strangely could sit in for the match ( my seat is in MHL block 9 ). What got me was the two Russian gentlemen behind me. Just before the goal someone came back slightly late from half time and we all got up to let them past ( being the W Upper - no one stands up at any point) Ba scored just as half the front row stood up to let them past and everyone else behind including us missed the one and only goal. at which point very irate Russian who sounded like Count Dracula from Sesame Street shouted out to the poor girl " You Bitch , why can't you take your seats before game restarts" . Now this is not the opera or the opening night on Drury Lane - its a football match for god's sake . This is why despite the fantastic views and the padded seats and the heaters that I couldn't sit in that stand full time. There is no passion, no camaraderie and no bloody support.

done

well i've never been a big fan of Neil Barnett but today's half time announcement was the most bizarre ever - Why oh Why do the people who control the club think that Neil Barnett should announce to the crowd exactly why Mata and Ba did not start the first half- Mata because he had a virus and Ba becuase of his broken nose . Now you assume that this means they were unavailible to play - no they were on the bench and Mata came on after the obligatory 70 mins and Ba was warmed up as usual but not brought on - Eva must be a saint to make a virus cured in under two hours. Now they are helping Benitez make excuses !!! Chelsea never cease to amaze me these days

I have ST for 1 OAP and 1 Adult if you wanted to use today -

i'd happily contribute 10 or 15 to the cause.

Welcome Back Yogic. You've missed the rise and fall of the Mighty Blue's and all their managers and lots in between . If you need any help with gaining facetime with the big 4 Supermarkets PM me - I work for a shopper marketing agency specialising in that exact thing and we'd be happy to help.

Can anyone find the footage from Sky sport tonight just after the Incident? John Soloako is in the studio - they replay the incident three times and he makes it quite clear that Hazard might have only pinched the skin of the kid and he clearly gets the ball- in fact he is quite astounded over the red card. he even states to the anchorman " what else was he supposed to do" - seems like not all the media are against us on this one. Though I'm sure this morning they will run the same dross as everyone else and forget what was said by their own personnel on the night.

I like the idea of turning up and then leaving at 16 mins. if most of us ST holders( I know I would ) - prob not gonna get many corporates but they may leave which is roughly 18k and then real hardcore members leaving possibly 5k plus the away fans in the whole of the bridge it would get the message across. No drinks no programmes sit in silence- under massive flags covering the whole stands ( choose what you want to put on it) so no one is watching the game. when Neil tries to whip up the crowd sit in silence until 16 mins - have a pre-prepared chant and then leave to go to the pub the only games though that we can realistically do that is one of the big 4 as others may be filled with more tourists so will need to be one where members need high points and it will need to be a big Sky game to get the right message across.

Cup Games are mostly now for those who can only make a few games a year and hence whey they are priced so competively. Around Gate 8 HML where I sit there were only 4 regulars the rest were made up of tourists a couple of swansea fans who came with their mates from work and a menageree of blokes with their girlfriends who kept telling them they were bored. Now being a woman I wouldn't take my mates to a match if they didn't like football especially the way we are playing at the moment so bored girlfriends and tourists aren't gonna sing songs . The football is dire the manager is disliked if the players can't get up for a match and they are being paid in a week what most of us owe in a mortgage over 25 years what chance/motivation have the fans. We fork out money week after week year after year and getting home at 12 oclock at night to watch a pile of disjointed slightly disinterested bunch goinmg through the motions. We all knew at HT that it needed changing but the bloke being paid to make those decisions couldn't. The two players who could change the game ran 5k each along the touchline only to be brought on a la soleskar in a lame attempt to try and change the game with 10 mins to go. I only went as it was a 5 pointer and I missed out on Munich last year so am choosing the higher point games to buck the points on my ST up. I suggest that if its atmosphere you want go to away games or to Prague - they are much more like the old days and there is always plenty of singing on teh way up there in the pub before and on the way home. Personally I go to watch the match rather than stand up to hate a team we are not playing at the time but each to their own.

So youv'e been a member for a year woopie well done you . You obviously believe that gives you a god given right to dictate to everyone that their opinions about a club they have supported since birth are wrong. You keep telling everyone to support someone else if they don't tow the party line .You don't see to understand the first thing about supporting a team so unless you have something constructive to say in an adult manner go back to your homework or to your colleagues in the KGB and stop posting such utter drivel.