THE bookmakers would probably have given long odds on Manchester United not only drawing but giving two goals away at Old Trafford in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.

Also on Chelsea winning 3-1 at Anfield.

Couple that with a 100-1 winner of the Grand National and I suppose the bookmakers have had quite a good week.

That’s something I can poke fun at Mike Channon with, as in the old days I famously accompanied him and a few of the other race aficionados to a small meeting down in Sussex.

At the end of the day I’d backed more winners than any of them, making them grit their teeth as I explained my system had been ‘ini mini miny mo.’ However, Mike has made a wonderful second career, thankfully not as a tipster. He has become one of our foremost racehorse trainers and I would love to see the day one of his horses wins the Derby.

I mention Mike because when I called him as Leon Crouch and I were on the way to Watford for this week’s game, he immediately said ‘yes’ to my request to join Matt Le Tissier and myself on a questions and answers panel this coming Thursday, April 16, at St Mary’s.

It was Mike Osman’s idea and he will MC the evening in his own inimitable way.

We also hope to be joined by Mark Dennis for the second half of the evening when he finishes his programme on Radio Hampshire.

This is our attempt to help the club in these troubled financial times.

The appeal went out loud and clear at last week’s game and with the help of the Daily Echo since.

Before Leon Crouch and I put most of the crowd in the picture before the game from the pitch side, we had been around the hospitality suites and boxes.

There has already been a good reaction with one of the boxes I went into, Bandai, a local toy company, forwarding a cheque for a magnificent sum of £1,500 for which I thank Simon Fettes most sincerely.

Just before the game kicked off, one of the stewards brought a cheque in to me which had been handed to him by a supporter.

He had made it out, after listening to Leon and me, for £50.

I went along to thank him personally.

Donations like that mean so much.

That is why Mike Osman’s idea is such a good one.

The entry price next Thursday is £20. The maximum number allowed in is 500 with a minimum age of 16.

It is an opportunity for the regular supporter from the terraces who wants to help but cannot afford too much, especially in the current climate.

For a £20 donation to the club he can hopefully enjoy an evening of nostalgia, a bit of humour I would have thought, and lots of good questions and answers about the club past, present and future.

If we have a full house it will automatically raise £10,000 with any profit from the bar and refreshments being added to that.

At present Mike and I are trying to gather one or two items to possibly auction on the evening.

I know auctions can be a pain but if we have one I can assure you there will not be too many items and they will all be specia.

And don’t worry if you can’t bid because your £20 is very special to Saints.

It’s alright for a club when they have some success. Their story spreads around the game and communities in general.

But I don’t think Southampton has had as much publicity worldwide as this last week, probably since the last Cup final.

Sadly it is not the sort we would want.

I attended a meeting in London on Thursday. A group of us were waiting for a lift in a big building in the business centre.

The doors opened, someone in the lift said ‘going down’ and I immediately said ‘please don’t use those words with me.’ This brought a laugh and in the ensuing conversation a gentleman said ‘my family and I have always supported the Saints.’ I told him about the Q&A next week and he rang his wife to tell her to cancel any other arrangements and ring up and book tickets (ticket office number is 0800 2800 050).