Just the Ticket - A night at St. Mary's

Another day of intermittent rain.  I started the day working in my study but got a call from a client towards the end of the morning and joined him for a working lunch at the Hampton Inn in Bishopdown Farm.  I didn't feel much like working after that so pottered around this afternoon writing a few letters and tidying up paperwork. The study still seems to be in as big a mess as ever.  Tonight, Richard and I went into Southampton to watch the Saints take on Sheffield Wednesday in Round 3 of the League Cup.  We had to queue to convert Thom's concessionary ticket into a full adult ticket for Richard.  When we eventually got to the window we were told that this couldn't be done as it was less than fifteen minutes before the start of the game.  No such condition had been put on the transfer of the ticket when I ordered it on the phone - in fact I had been told to go to the ticket office and the only reason it was such a short time before kick-off was because we had to queue for about half an hour! In the end a supervisor gave us what we wanted and we arrived in our seats about one minute before kick-off.  I felt sorry for the enormous queue behind us because what could have been a two-minute transaction ended up lasting nearly ten minutes and they certainly wouldn't have seen the beginning of the game!  Saints put out a reserve team (only two players had appeared at Saturday's game against Aston Villa) but managed a 2-0 win to assure themselves a place in the last sixteen (Round 4).  Unfortunately the next round will take place when we are away in Barcelona so we won't be able to go.  To Richard's delight, Aston Villa managed a 2-4 win against Manchester City at The Etihad Stadium.  After a 4-1 defeat at the hands of Southampton on Saturday this really does go to show how unpredictable and exciting English soccer can be!