PES

Love the statistics, What number are Saints on this list?

Yeah, like buses.

Superb post. For the record id say Saints 27 years in the top flight whilst Pompey languished in the lower leagues cemented a larger fanbase for Saints, I'd say probably 30% more fans likely to attend over a given period of time. I know many of my fellow Pomey on here would not agree, but I really could not care less, it's all just willy waving and which club has the higher % of 'occassionals' Is really of no concern to me and has no bearing on my enjoyment of the game or our rivalry. Based on fanbase and infrastructure, Pompey are a Mid-Championship side at best and Saints 'Rightful' place (If there is such a thing) is probably bouncing around between the Premier League and the Championship along with, Sheffield Weds, Blackburn and Wolves. Now if we're going to base it on TROPHIES, Pompey are a Premier Team and Saints are hanging on by the skin of their teeth in the Championship and not fit to mix it with any of the teams i've just mentioned. I guess it all depends on what criteria advantages our respective teams, It explains why Attendance/Infrastructure arguements are always dragged up on here by the Saints majority and trophies and actually winning things are very seldom talked about on here (Except by me and the the other Pompey fans)!

Excellent post. Was it worth it? Probably not, well if Pompey go out of business then definately not. I think you made a good point, we never bought the FA cup, we lucked our way to the trophy, I think any Pompey side within the last 7 seasons would probably of won the cup in 2008. The key to that cup win was beating Man Yoo at old Trafford, and how they didn't win i'll never know, they even played quite well! The gods were with us in 2008, just as they've deserted us now. The point id like to clarify again is that as a Pompey fan I had no real influence over what went on before, now or probably in the future. I can only experience the ride. The FA cup was fantastic, whats happening now is ****, meh....thats life. If I wanted more GUARANTEED highs I'd support Man Utd, Chelsea or Arsenal (When the dust settles I might have too!) ;-)

Get real Aint! Its Portsmouth FC, not Economists FC! I actually keep a pretty tight control on my own finances and save like a MF for a hoped for early retirement. However when it came to my Football fan life I showed no such restraint, I wanted the madness, I enjoyed it, I didn't think about tomorrow, who as a football fan in honesty does (Without the benefit of Hindsight)? Football is my escape from the grind, I'd do it all again. No regrets or *****ing from me, I saw my team lift the FA Cup at Wembley!. I had no control over who came in then, what happens now or whats going to happen in the future. It's a rollercoaster ride on which we the fans are just passengers, we've had the ups, now its time for the big dipper! And for one final piece of perspective, I'd rather Portsmouth FC died than any of my friends or family. (I know crazy innit!) :D

TBF, I never once said Saints fans would of done the same. Pompey has always had a low-life element which dwarfs that of Saints, but that does not mean I'll standby and not say anything whilst others on here make out that it's the majority of Pompey fans, cos thats just twaddle. As you mention it, the Ted Bates statue is as good a football statue as i've seen and a massive improvement on the first, which was far more insulting to his memory than anything the moronic few subjected him too. Those ignorant cretins genuinely DON'T know any better, the Saints supporter who pocketed the commision and the many prominant Saints fans, Boardmembers and Southampton dignitries that must of seen that monstrosity BEFORE it was unveiled to the footballing world DID know better.

Fair enough, let me rephrase it then, 'It's doubtful Ted Bates would share the same sentiments as many of the more petty posters on here as petty people don't tend to achieve things of the scale Ted Bates did.'

Dont worry it wont happen and despite what Dell Days et al say about Karma or 'What goes around comes around', has no bearing on things whatsoever. Pompey aren't cursed 'cos a few thousand dickheads laughed at Saints in their darkest hour, they're screwed due to irresponsible/dodgy dealings and massive overspending on players wages. Thankfully there is no Football God punishing the Smug gloaters, so gloat away, your on your own messageboard and no mystic higher power is judging you.

Sorry Ringwood but IMO this is a ****, stupid post. People like Ted Bates don't achieve great things by being equally as small minded, petty and childish as some on here, by lowering him to that level you do him a diservice. He would of been a man who enjoyed building things, not seeing things destroyed. No real football people at Pompey would of had anything but upmost respect and admiration for him, the handful of cretins who 'scummed' him wouldn't of even known who he was until he died.

Colin Farmery is a very knowledgable Pompey fans and a genuinely good bloke. I'd say his is as accurate (Given the available info) as your liable to find.

This post has no place on this forum. Far too balanced.

TBF to Corp he was on here plenty yesterday, You must of missed him, he stirs things up on here a treat and I always look forward to his posts. He fights his Pompey corner a lot better than I do!

I aint brave/stupid enough to wear my Pompey gear (Even though I havent got any!) around West Quay, despite what you say I think it'd be asking for trouble. Anyway, Happy new year.

Sorry, but it's wrong to try to capitalise on what was a disgusting event to support your arguement ESPECIALLY when its completely untrue. I seem to have to say this all the time, to refute this misconception that Portsmouth fans en mass, disrespected the minutes silence. The people who dishonoured Ted Bates minutes silence are UTTER scum, I can't even begin to imagine what goes through their heads? But the fact is THIS is how it happened, no more than 2 seperate groups of a handful of utter cretins started shouting Scummer. The noise of Hundreds of Pompey disgusted and embarressed of those cretins amoungst us, were shouting SHUT UP and SHHHH! Before seconds later thousands of Saints fans, in EXACTLY the same way the disgusted Pompey fans had moments earlier, angrily brought short the minutes silence by voicing there anger at the noise from the Pompey end. The thing is those Idiots won, because decent people lost their own discipline within 20 seconds of the beginning of Ted Bates silence, vented their anger and frustration at the dispicable behavior of what I will say again was no more than a handful, say 20 in 3500 fans. Pompey fans should of let the stewards take care of the morons and kept their mouths shut, despite the idiots. One minutes silence means One minutes silence, not One minutes silence but i'm mad at that **** over there shouting scummer! Likewise Saints fans should of kept their own dignity and shut their mouth for 1 f****** minute, THEN let people know how disgusted they were with the behaviour of what would by then of been 12 stupid idiots, arms twisted behind their backs mouthing off as they we're hurled out of SMS by security.

I was having this conversation with my Missus the other day, I was scratching my head to think if I actually hated anyone? I don't. Maybe i'm lucky enough to of never suffered anything enough to make me feel hatred, but I certainly don't hate anyone over football, hates way to strong a word. :confused:

great post Bexy, another Saint who gets it. Have a great 2010.

Not so sure Ginge? The vocal majority on here seen to Hate Pompey as much as even the most fanatically misguided Pompey fan. A complete loss of perspective allround. Humbled.

I don't blame any Saints fan who is amused by the goings on at Fratton park, I also totally get why any Saints fan would like to see this as the beginning of a downward spiral that quickly establishes Saints as the highest placed team again. I don't get the OTT vitriol and the wishing of extinction on your rivals, it makes no sense to me? Sure I know a few Pompey fans who hold extreme views regarding all things Saints, fans who gloated at your predicament and wished for the end of SFC. I must say these Pompey fans don't tend to be the kind of people I generally associate with as they tend to be really, really thick. I don't say this to be in any way provocative, it's just an observation. It's quite a leveller for me to see so many Saints fans mirroring the desires of their intellectual equivalents on the Blue side. I genuinely always made the generalisation (I know I shouldn't) Saints fans as a collective, had a slightly higher intelligence level, yet again it would seem i've got it wrong.

As the city of Portsmouth will have no Football team, who will you look to 'develop' a rivalry with? Obviously it has to be a realistic rivalry, ie not Spurs, or Palace or any other club that already has an existing historic rival? I guess there are other large clubs without meaningful rivalries, but none spring to mind? Maybe Bournemouth, they don't like Saints much either? Hopefully with the chance of a fresh start it'll be a good natured rivalry as by the time I'd reached my early 20's the Viscious and spiteful nature of the current Saints/Pompey rivalry had begun to leave a nasty taste in my mouth.

Unless we go into administration, we won't get away scott free? How do you call the complete dismantling of your squad as getting away scott free. Even if we did stay up by some miracle, we still would not of got away scott free. Anyway, stop worrying, IMO, Sadly Pompey are going to the wall it's just a matter of time.

Some good points here Weststand. Remember as some fans have forgotten, missed the point or plain don't understand, opinion of art is subjective, I can't say your wrong for appreciating SMS over Fratton, how do I know what ticks your boxes? Likewise, surely, people cant say i'm WRONG for appreciating the overall feel I get for Fratton.

There you go. http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/dec/30/portsmouth-avram-grant

Never really thought of it like that? I guess you could have a point.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder Clapham! In the case of the Friends Provident, One mans Functional, Identikit, Bland, Boring Cathedral of the Mundane is another mans Soulless, Uninspired, Samey, insipid Monstrosity.

Get off your arse and find your own! There's plenty out there, GRRRR some people want there schadenfreude on a plate!