Jonas

Small thing really but the sort of thing that if it were in their favour they'd get tattooed on their foreheads but with that we've got a better record at the SoL in derbies than them 5wins to 4, 18goals to 14. Generally have the better record at their place going back over 50years.

But for all the things that cost us the game and on the proviso they didn't step it up instead of controlling things from a leading position we'd have drawn so in a way were the real winners today.

Seen we got the quintessential pitch invasion and seagull swarm after the final whilstle. Feels like it was a derby now.

Good stuffs with the save from the deflection. Can just give up on those even if just the mentality isn't right. Promising.

I do like the cut of our jib on this. Being able to pass off pity as class, altruism and being nice will discombobulate them.

I've felt that way a few times there. The rightly afforementioned 2-2 was top notch but an exception. The next game there stood out as being exceptionally flat, discussed earlier but it was like they'd peaked and had got bored or miffed at not being able to improve on 7th already or sensed the decline was underway. The Dabizas game was the same and in 2006 they were nowhere near even selling it out. Detected some quick to quit and revert to plucky underdogs vibes today myself.

That game was probably the turning point in the home shirts, away thing as it happens. If its the 91/92 game. Previoius meetings going back years seemed all away shirts but became quite regular after that. Should be in the background of that somewhere. Usually sat in the East Stand but the seats were gobbelled up so had to go back to the paddock. Absolutely no view of the goal from there but did see Paul Bracewell's bloodied face and John Burridge swearing at us pre-game to beat the "red and white bastards" from near the dugouts.

Took me back to 2006. 3-0 even Ballard scored.

Bet 'footballs dead' again over there is it? Most exciting game in years, flags out, even fill their seats for once a few hours ago but games gone now marra

Just thought the intangibles were with them...like they've suffered enough being in the lower leagues, us taking off and the signage carry on this week. Glad the powers that be see it my way, that they deserve their noses permanently rubbed in shit without relent.

Really need to get to bed but not sure I'll sleep through this c*nt yet. Hope it works out chaps.

Just seen in the book thread someone mentioned by the name Ekelund. Remember Southampton getting Ronnie Ekelund on-loan from Barcelona and he looked like they'd unearthed a match for Matt Le-Tiss. Figured because of the foreign player rule at the time he must be great but couldn't edge out Hagi, Koeman, Stoichkov, Romario.

Gary Nelson's books are in a league of their own for me autobiography wise. Used to think All Played Out by Pete Davies was good pre internet but the dispatches aren't a unique source anymore with the net. Football is War was canny but as with above, many of it has been recounted to death and many of the stories will be known.

Cup final last year surely. It wouldn't be this way but I imagined dinining out on a major trophy forever especially regarding them and not let things like bad days or derbys bother me.

Worst thing that could happen for my personal well-being would be draw, replay, penalties. So that.

Yeah. That's not taking the edge off at all for me. If being way better than them, way ahead of them and likely to stay there for the rest of our lives isn't providing the shield I'd like some signs certainly aren't.

By luck my first 10years in football to that Sir Bobby/Peter Reid era there was always something bigger for us even if it was fighting relegation to the third. Then the season pretty much hinged on who finished higher it did feel much bigger. The 1-0 Solano game to me is/was just a totally forgettable occasion that wasn't even talked about a week later. iirc it came after we had re-qualified for the CL and they'd been relegated.

Under Keegan there were times I quite enjoyed the other team holding out for a bit as part of the entertainment to keep a bit of spice in it with constant missed chances and keeper saves feeing like delaying the inevitabe. Was never sure about it thereafter. Was one game against Man City where we forced their keeper into about fives saves in the first 2minutes but it never fet like we were blowing our chances just that we were in for some cracking entertainment.

Be something if it happens on the anniversary of selling Cole to them and that feeling like a return to being a seller club in that initial hour of shock.

Yes the following season felt every bit of their having peaked at 7th and a few points ahead of us and they weren't happy about it after one entire year of it. It was palpable in the atmosphere which was flat and critical. I suppose in fairness they were right because they had peaked, were going backwards and were going to be overhauled by us after only a brief stint on top. Was a bit like the back end of Sir Bobby's time here with us. I remember thinking at the 1-2 in 00/01 at our place that this had to be the top derby atmosphere and vibe in the country by a distance, based also on the the 2-2 earlier in the year. But once we weren't competitive and both going places, especially from their end, it simmered down to feeling like the local dispute it was before and nothing special. By 05/06 they weren't close to selling out despite giving 6-8k away tickets.

Think its ideal for the less ambitious. Can just blame FFP for floundering and stymie fan unrest at their ownership, nice easy job for life really. I used to know this horrible fat c*nt that would love that.

All the grimmer for factoring in how many thrilling title races that those sides did win would have been unmemorable saunters without Blackburn, Chelsea, Man City.

I was a working as a community football coach with them during the 2-2 in 99/00 behind the scenes. Was all the worse for being 2-0 up and having something to lose, heart didn't stop jumping around from the moment they pulled one back. With all their gear on and everything would have at least avoided any shit but the way they went on was like they'd won a two legged cup final. The last time we'd played and we'd drawn the home game after winning away...only memorable thing about it was David Kelly and it felt like just another game somewhere between the Derby and Forest home games in the same period. Who knew?

Totally identify with those descriptions. At that Boro game approaching the away end from a corner some bloke right in front of me was hooked into an alleyway like getting literally hooked off a stage. Obviously were adept at that. Cant say if he was wearing any identifiable colours and the vibe was a sense of it didn't really matter, nor that I was 12/13 at the time. Night game and all that but their was a contrast with the mackems games that season and the year before where they seemed cheeky at best but mostly coy and subdued. Was a bunch of our lot in their sections in the 91/92 game and nothing happened bar them being lead out of the paddock and marched dancing down the touchline to hop into the, post Hillsbrough, packed away end. Cant see it going like that at Ayresome.