Laurie McMenemy on the chances of the Saints, the founder of success and a lost hero

If you look at the current table and see that there are only five games left, of which only two are at home, it doesn’t look good. The public has expressed its opinion at half-time and it is more or less clear that it will be very difficult for us to get out of the last three.

It will be interesting to see what happens in the locker room, the manager’s office and the boardroom. Previously, the same administrators who had worked there for many years, representing the broad masses, had to be in the meeting room.

Now everything is different. No owner needs the value of what they have lost, and when they break, everything breaks.

I think the fans still have to do their best to cheer the players on the field in the next five games. The next game is, of course, the Saints’ longest league run – to Newcastle.

Let’s hope the staff gets enough effort from the team and can make a little run. So keep smiling, keep supporting us, and let’s hope that by this time next week we’ll be more positive than the ratings are giving us right now.

Last week, I read with interest about the annual Saints Foundation Benefit Dinner. That was what I was connected to, as it started to help the people of the city in different ways.

But I was completely stunned and delighted to see how they raised £127,000 that evening. I had to read it over and over again to believe that they really brought in so much. The evening was attended by many football fans, as well as people such as the mayor, local deputies, councilors.

So it’s really become a trustworthy situation where supporters and people like the ones I mentioned can do a little bit to help people who need help in one way or another in the area.

Bravo to the Foundation and CEO Greg Baker. He is in charge and has always been very involved and driven.

This part of the football club probably doesn’t always get as much publicity as the team, but they should be congratulated, Greg and his staff are doing so much to help people in our area.

There was a letter in Echo recently that I saw and the headline was “Wonderful tribute” and the letter said “What a wonderful tribute to Eddie Meighton.” The famous open top cream bus that carried our players after winning the FA Cup in 1976 was driven by Eddie. He has since passed away and this bus followed him on his final journey. A very fitting tribute to him and condolences to his family.

When we won the FA Cup we stayed in London overnight and then returned. We always had an open city tour the next day and had a great evening in London after winning the FA Cup. We returned half asleep and were taken to City Hall.

The crowds were huge, we could hardly believe it. We went to the town hall, met the mayor, and then we were taken to the balcony. And I remember that all our cars were on the ground, but the bus we were on took us from London to City Hall. And Eddie Mayton, after that he will be our bus driver and will take us around the city.

I remember he was a good gentleman and I told him, “Come on, you’ll come with us.” And I took him to the balcony. He had a day in his life because he was a passionate supporter. He loved to ride around the city, which is why it is so embarrassing to read that he passed away, and he expresses his condolences to his family.