FAC RD 3 Torquay United V Brighton 2nd Jan 2010

Come and join us Dave - we'd be more than happy to have you in our club - the craic is great.

But you are on the popside ;D I may well just move further up your way and see what its like up there as I know you would all miss your little chats with me otherwise

I am aware who the fan is and what is alleged he said, while I trust fully the person who heard what was said, its not right I should make any judgment unless I heard from the fan his views and what he states he said.

Shame something wasn't done about the constant, cringeworthy homophobic chants during the second half! How anyone can think it's funny to sing about someone having HIV is beyond me!

Absolute morons!

You could tell Smith was in a bit of pain. Poor bugger screamed out when taking a throw. That nobody else took it really shows poor communication, probably on his part. My guess is that he's got a dislocated shoulder. Nothing worse.

There were a few silly shouts at Thompson, but they didn't happen until after loud collective sighs, which I imagine were more offputting to the player. Worst display I've seen in a yellow shirt for many a year, mind you.

Both teams were rubbish today. Brighton, with the exception of Dickinson, marginally less so.

((Oops. Just read page 8. On the "trouble", I could tell that Brighton player would goad someone as I was on my way out, though by the looks of it, it was after most had left, myself included. He was determined to rub salt in the wound and I would hope someone from the Brighton staff might have a word with him. He didn't deserve racist abuse. Nobody should have to face that. But he could do with a slap.))

Not that long back in after a long day. Anxieties over whether the game was going to be on or not meant that our lunchtime meal was postponed until after the match, and whilst a fine South Devon hostelry made for a more pleasant environment in which to mull over today’s game than a depressing motorway services, it wasn't ideal preparation for a drive back through heavy snow showers on the M4. Luckily for me, I wasn’t driving ;D

The ground staff did very well to get today's game on. The turf and soil in Cary Park was frozen solid, so it was a testament to their work and preparations that the game was given the go ahead by the ref. Much of my observations have already been mentioned above, but a few things stood out for me. I thought Ellis and Charnock did very well today. Both put in some fierce challenges, and Ellis was, as he often is, almost totally commanding in the air, if occasionally more suspect in his overall distribution. Although our wingers were the main outlets today (Thomson especially), neither made any real impact, and it quickly became apparent why Southampton feel he has much to improve upon if he is to progress with his career at St Marys. Hargreaves made some useful challenges – and fouls – but seemed a little off the pace at times. Neither Rendell or Benyon ever looked like scoring, and though it could be argued that Benyon brought more to the table, I felt the unavailable strikeforce of Rendell and Zebroski would have produced more. Adam Smith put in a good shift, and his willingness to play on after sustaining his injury was impressive, if, as it may transpire, a little foolhardy.

Thompson, as much has already been made of, had an absolute shocker, but it was the reaction of the crowd to his performance that more shocking. Unfortunately, it cannot be said that it was an 'idiot minority' who were dishing out the abuse. The fact that the ironic cheer which greeted his fist accurate pass of the afternoon (albeit after 55 minutes) was the loudest collective noise made by the Popular Side all afternoon says more about the nature of the 'support' at Plainmoor than it does about the merits of Tyrone Thompson. Add that to the idiot comments, reluctance to greet the vocal and good natured banter from the Brighton fans with anything even resembling a passionate or witty response, the homophobic and racist abuse mentioned above and it all adds up to a pretty unseemly and depressing state of affairs. It pains me to say it, but away games are so much more enjoyable. Perhaps the minority (though quite a significant minority) who can make the Popular Side such a depressing place to be become a smaller minority at away fixtures Like Swangull, I will be sitting in the Family Stand during my next visit.