AN ENCOURAGING WEEKEND

This weekend`s football has been memorable for the Snopper Street afficionados of Gillingham, Charlton and Southampton.  Both the Saints and the Addicks were in FA Cup action, with Gillingham continuing their League Two programme with an away game at  Stockport County. 

The Cup matches were intriguing.  On Saturday, the Saints pulled off an impressive victory against Premier League Blackpool, winning 2-0 with goals fro Lee Barnard and our very own Brazilian, Guly do Prado.   Much of the pre-match hype surrounded Blackpool boss, Ian Holloway`s decision to play a weakened team against the Saints.  In the event, he made nine changes from the team that played their last game....but Saints manager Nigel Adkins made eight changes himself to the team he put out last time.   Saints reward is a home tie against Manchester United in two weeks time. 

The United fans forum headline is `Southampton have the honour of playing the Red Devils....`  which just shows their appalling arrogance.   I don`t think I`ll be going - as the gate receipts for FA Cup matches are shared 50-50 between the two clubs, it means that half my ticket price will find its way to Old Trafford.  And I`m not prepared for any of my cash to go to the most blatantly arrogant football club in the world.  So there!

Charlton, after a difficult week that saw the dismissal of their management team, despite the club lying close to the top of League One, went to White Hart Lane yesterday to take on a rampant Tottenham team.  Perhaps the 3-0 defeat for Charlton was predictable, but the pride we feel here in Snopper Street is for our street`s hero, Scott Wagstaff, who was given a free role to harrass the Spurs back four, put pressure on the opposition and disrupt the Spurs` free flowing passing game with his non-stop running.  

 Scott and his team mates came out of the game with their heads held high, having acquitted themselves well against stellar opposition and they will have grown from the experience.  I`m reliably advised that Scott exchanged shirts with Jermaine Defoe after the game.  I`m sure Defoe is as chuffed about it as Scott is.

But perhaps pride of place this weekend might well  go to Gillingham whose 5-1 win at Edgeley Park on Saturday saw them back to winning ways after their narrow 1-0 defeat at Wycombe last time out.  Six wins in the last seven matches is surely promotion form?

If only every weekend was as encouraging.