BREAKING up was easy to do as the Saints players said goodbye for the summer.

The squad were still in high spirits as they called at the training ground yesterday for one final congratulatory meeting before they went their separate ways for a six-week break.

There was a real buzz about the place as they revelled in the morning after the night before despite the lingering headaches and hang-overs from the parties to celebrate their Premiership survival.

It was smiles all round as they savoured their achievement and looked forward to a stressfree summer with another top flight campaign to enjoy on their return.

They collected their kit and their demob papers which included target weights and fitness levels to be attained before they report back for pre-season training on July 1.

The break is shorter than normal with the Premiership campaign resuming a week early on August 7 to allow for the Euro 2000 finals afterwards.

For some though the season is not yet over. Paul Jones and Mark Hughes have internationals with Wales while James Beattie looks likely to be picked for the England Under 21 side in the Toulon tournament with Wayne Bridge also a likely contender.

And after scoring the goals which kept Saints up Marian Pahars is going back to play for Latvia in European Championship qualifiers at home to Slovenia on June 5 and away to Greece four days later.

But Egil Ostenstad will get his first real break from football in four years after being told he will not be needed by Norway.

Others will be working on their fitness. John Beresford and David Hirst will spend the summer completing their recuperation from major knee ligament surgery.

Richard Dryden will be working hard to recover from his knee operation while Chris Marsden is likely to need surgery on a groin problem.

David Howells fears he may need a third knee operation to cure the problems which dogged him for most of the season.

And Jason Dodd wants to sort out his knee injury which required a pain-killing injection ahead of the 2-0 win over Everton.

Converted for the new archive on 25 January 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.