Thimble

It is clear you goto games but as for watching them seems debatable so it is really pointless arguing! But, it was obvious we were not as up for it as you, as I could only count 2 players who seemed to be putting in a shift and we were no where near at the level we have been playing all season. As for throwing ourselves around and waving imaginary cards none of that really happened did it? I have seen one player wave one card last year sometime and that is about it...And timewasting?...You really weren't watching were you?...I suppose when you have a South American manager it is an easy to make general sweeping accusations. I also would not have begrudged any Albion player going down either especially as Chaplow was on a one-man fouling missions...The blokes a nutter. I am sure if he had ran out of Albion players to leave a foot in on then he would have probably started on his team-mates. Anyway, you can revel in your deserved 3 points but I think you would rather be like that horrible, bitter and twisted man in Lee Clark at Huddersfield...Why can't you just enjoy your victory and promotion? Right, I am out of here, it is obvious that from the rubbish spouted on here most of you are a bit deluded and on another planet and incredibly touchy! I am giving this place a wide berth for a while and if I want to engage with Saints fans I will do so on North Stand Chat, I mean, whilst there are a few Albion on here, for some reason there are loads of Southampton fans who have signed up to NSC!! Laters...Much laters...

I have not obviously read all this thread but I will add my thoughts. Firstly, congratulations on getting a deserved 3 points. When we got hold of the ball we played the much better football which hardly a surprise to anyone but you also clearly wanted it much more than we did, which again, is hardly a massive surprise either. You had blatantly learnt from the game at St Mary's where your players were knackered after 50mins but this time were a lot more conservative which was demonstrated by the fact both your goals were late on. It is a shame that I could count only 2 of our starting line-up who seemed to be bothered but that should not take anything away from your team...You deserved your win and we will definitely see you next season...And just think, you will not have to sit half-a mile behind the goal next time! Congratulations...Hats off to you...

They will be in the minority. I can understand the Millwall one as they are definitely disliked but most of the Lions direct their hatred to West Ham...As for Charlton that is a strange one as I just thought they took no notice of them. Charlton really despise Palace but Palace do not care about and spend their time hating us. As we are on the subject of rivalries, what would you lot have done for a rival had Pompey gone bust?...Other than hating the re-formed club that probably would have been created...

I think you find even the younger Palace fans hate us more...We are very much public enemy no.1 in all of Palace fans eyes. They do not bother with Charlton as they just see them as a silly, happy-clappy, nice club and there is no point hating Millwall as they are too busy with West Ham! I have never really understood this who has the biggest rivalry rubbish either as each derby is equally as important to every set of fans...I mean no seems to mention Plymouth-Exeter in a list of big rivalries but I bet to both groups of supporters it is as intense as any other...The same could be said of Mansfield-Chesterfield and so on, so on... But back to the Albion-Palace, it is not so much a rivalry, just a more deep-seated hatred...

...If both our teams play well, I expect us to still win the game

Both! The thing is we will not "shape up" to deal with you a we just play our own game and it will be a case of how you set up tactically...If results go your way on the Friday then Adkins may come for the draw. As long as we are on our game then it will not matter as we are the better side and should win...The only variable is if Gus starts putting in some development players...We will see...

Pretty well summed up. I am led to believe that Albion-Saints games were pretty feisty back in the late 70's-early 80's which is mainly because we are both South Coast Clubs. But even at that time you were never our main rival...Not then, not now, not ever. Obviously, as I have said, you are a fellow South Coast Club, but that just makes you no different to Pompey or Bournemouth. Our main hate is Palace and I can never see that changing and there is a real chance we can resume hostilities next season. For the final games in the Championship last season Sheffield Wednesday were up against Palace for a relegation shoot-out and the thread on NSC had more pages than any thread about our own games that season! Unfortunately, we have a few saddo's who post on North Stand Chat who have nothing better to do than have a pop at Saints...The thing is, in the grand scheme of things it is a minority or people and probably no more than about 40-50. The sad thing is, mediums like the internet has given these ****-heads a platform to spout rubbish and because for some reason, lots of Southampton fans have registered on NSC this is all they see and form an unbalanced opinion based on the rubbish written there...And if anything these morons are not "obsessed" and trying to start some sort of new main rivalry, it has come about because we have been promotion/title rivals this season and I think you guys have got a little confused by this. Anyway, maybe it is all still silly as you have not really been promotion/title rivals for us...No one has...We have been without equal this season... As for Adkins, he knows he made a mistake with his "keep-up" comment and admitted as such to an ALBION director the other week. But I just think it is funny!...If he wants to be arrogant then I think that is great. I am quite arrogant myself and have no problems with it especially from a football manager...10 years ago we won what is now League 2 under Mickey Adams and he was always going on - If the opposition so much as got a draw against us he would proclaim how they raised their game as they were playing the top team! Just being cocky really...Brilliant stuff! I also cannot understand, what the "inferiority complex" we are supposed to have and if anything, it is a superiority complex! I mean, we have pretty much nothing to be inferior about! Saturday should be interesting and do expect Adkins and your fans to come in for some banter but that is football and should be encouraged...Hammond and Harding should get abuse because they deserve it! But then maybe we should just be smug at 2 ex-players who would not have a chance of getting into our current team. So, in summary, 99% of ALBION fans do not give a monkeys about Saints from a rivalry perspective in the same way you lot should be getting worked-up about a handful of numpties posting rubbish on an internet messageboard...

Multi-quoting this thread I will add a reply. You may have retards on your own board but

I am still surprised you are even bothered about what a handful of idiots on that site actually say. I mean as an example, we should be in celebratory mood but there is a 5 page thread on there about the tannoy announcer trying to get people off the pitch last night, which has become a complete binfest!

...Thanks people. Had to do it the hard way tonight coming from behind twice but fair play to the Daggers, they came and had a real go. We looked awesome going forward but without Greer we seem suspect in central defence so you may get some joy there when we play soon. ...But this is just the start of an exciting journey for us so there is still a way to go yet. I have quite liked coming on here and despite me not being fan of a South Coast love in I am coming round to the idea of it being quite cool if you came up with us...To have 2 South Coast derbies plus playing the scum will make for an interesting season...

...We certainly start off slow in our build-ups but then zip it about with our passing when in attacking positions. We have barely had a chance to "play on the counter-attack" as most of the teams we have played this season have parked the bus even when they have been at home! This has been especially in evidence since Christmas and games have been extremely difficult to break teams down hence the narrow suggesting score-lines despite us being clearly superior. Would you rather have beaten Charlton 1-0 or drawn 1-1?...Not that it mattes now as I fully expect you to be promoted. It may looked like we played on the counter at your gaff because in the first-half, you gave a real do-ing...I was thankful in getting to half-time at 0-0 and was equally thankful that the first-half threat did not materialise in the second period. As for next season we can take heart from teams like Norwich & Swansea who also play passing attacking football so I am quietly confident...Also, I expect the chairman to splash the cash to bolster an already decent squad to make us even more competitive. Now, I am not predicting a promotion push (despite it probably being what the chairman wants) as that would be nonsense, but we should easily see ourselves sitting comfortable in mid-table...

...Maybe but I have no problems with it as I am all for arrogance...I think it is great. Although the silly comment about having an "barely average squad" might get a few laughs considering we are the best team in this division by a country mile...

It is his second straight red of the season so it will be a 4 game ban!! Anyway, as has been said a win against the Daggers on Tuesday will put us up...But if you fail to beat Rochdale on the same night or Bristol Rovers in your following game then we can clinch the title next Saturday away at Walsall. So by the time you lot turn up at Withdean we could already be champions and might have a bearing on the game as Poyet has said once the job is done he fully intends to throw in development squad players for the remaining games so Greer might not have played anyway!

I would be very surprised if events that happened years and years ago will have any bearing on what transpires when we play each other...At worst the players should just treat it as just another local derby like when we play Bournemouth or Pompey, nothing more than that. I would like to think we would strive to keep the unbeaten home run going but we could have promotion wrapped up 11 days prior to our meeting and Gus has hinted that we wants to start trying out players from the development squad...We shall see...

Correction - Gus is doing a fantastic job...It is not over yet and won't be for a while. Of course Poyet will leave at somepoint, that is inevitable but he will stick around for a number or years at least for a few good reasons. I have to agree with you though that league tables do not lie and clubs are always where they deserve to be. We have spent the thick end of 20 years down in these lower leagues and fully deserve to be here...But it looks as though we are finally leaving bottom 2 divisions behind and it should be a bloody long time before we return. Now you find yourselves here and being honest I can understand why you lot might be ****ed off with that...But bigger clubs than yourselves have been here and there is even a bigger club in League 1 right now and they are having a right **** time of things! I am not sure what reality check we will get next year and obviously we will not get the results we have been getting this season but if we can consolidate ourselves in mid-table I will take that...Then we can push on from there. As for the game at your place, we were crap in the first half and you were all over us...At half-time I was genuinely concerned that if things carried on as were going you would win. Those concerns soon evaporated early in the next 45 as the threat you posed in first period was just not there after the break, for some reason you gave up getting tight! North Stand Chat can be hit and miss and I do enjoy coming on here every now and then for a butchers...What I do find amusing though is that you lot tend to bicker with each other constantly...