by Nick Mabey. If you hadn’t noticed, the Premier League is in the middle of a two-week winter break (23rd January – 7th February). I get a bit twitchy when there is no football at this time of the year. So the idea of a two-week vacuum has not...
Columns
Suburban Safari: Ocean Village
by Katie Isham. Okay all, admittedly, it’s pretty grim right now. Grey days and even greyer moods. Even the sun seems to have gone into hibernation. Despite the days getting longer, the lack of sunshine is shrouding life in abject winter gloom. Ocean Village is a locale of Southampton...
View from the Kingsland: New owners, new hopes, old fears
by Nick Mabey. After four years of a form of nothingness with our previous owner, and many months of speculation, on 4th January the Saints were finally taken over by a new company, Sport Republic. If the previous regime was marked by inertia and silence, or perhaps more kindly...
Suburban Safari: Big pond for a little walk
by Katie Isham. Short days of January call for a short walk. Time is tight and we must make the most of our precious daylight hours when we’re not constrained by work or that seasonal existential dread exacerbated by the current state of the world that keeps us...
View from the Kingsland: Sam McQueen, support for a local lad
by Nick Mabey. I was very sad to hear Sam McQueen had been forced to retire from professional football at the much-too-young age of 26 after a three-year series of problems stemming from a serious knee injury sustained while he was out on loan at Middlesbrough. Sam has told...
Suburban Safari: A Calshot of Colour
by Katie Isham. After all the panic / excess / stress / chaos (delete as appropriate) of the festive period, the time is right for some outdoor indulgence. Nothing beats getting outside for some big space, big air and big colour. Consider this a preventative attack on the January...
View from the Kingsland: A Christmas Football Frenzy
by Nick Mabey. It’s that time of year again. While the majority of European football leagues take a well-earned winter break for some quality family time, the English league does the opposite and squeezes as many fixtures as possible into the festive season. We can’t even blame the TV...
Suburban Safari: Explore Narnia in Bitterne Park
by Katie Isham. Fake furs on folks. We’re going further afield this week. In a way. Who knew there lies a whole magical kingdom within the suburbs of Bitterne Park? Some creative, imaginative kind souls have designed a walking trail to cast light on the tales of Narnia from...
View from the Kingsland: Snatching defeat (or a draw) from the jaws of victory
by Nick Mabey. In football terms it’s the worst feeling in the world and, recently, the Saints have been rather good at causing it. Since our current manager, Ralph Hassenhutl, took charge in December 2018, the team has conspired to drop 71 points from winning positions. The tabloids and...
Suburban Safari: Winter Woodland and Waterways
by Katie Isham. When the days are cold and short, it’s time to make the most of the sunlight hours whilst you can and head on down to one of the country parks within the Southampton postcode. Is there any better way to warm yourself up on a blisteringly...