Jump to content

Club or Country?


Saintjersey

Recommended Posts

I'd choose Saints over England.

Perhaps if England played an exciting attractive style of football I could get patriotic about it, but all to often it's bland and disappointing. When I watch England, in the major competitions, half of me is always thinking what do other nations think of our football, are they held in wonder by our superior skill, determination, tactics, good looks? I can't remember the last time I was proud of England's football, possibly the 10 men against Argentina in 98 or the knock out stages of the 90 World Cup. Quite often I'm in wonder at other teams, Zidane playing at another level to every other player, the non stop running of South Korea in 2002, even the brick wall that was the Italian defence in 2006.

If England were clearly the best team or had something special about them, maybe it would sway me away from favouring Saints. I still find it hard to believe that the Germans could really have celebrated the 1990 W.Cup win with such glee, if that had been England I'd have been gutted. In addition I was thoroughly embarrassed by England in 2006, it was a ****ing awful display.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Southampton; and it's not even a decision which requires any deliberation.

 

Sure, I get caught up in the atmosphere of the major International tournaments (when we actually manage to qualify for them), and naturally I like to see England do well, but I feel no real connection to the National team.

 

If for some reason we ceased to have a National team, I wouldn't really be overly fussed; whereas, Saints is a passion that courses through my veins, and is a part of who I am. Part of my identity. Take away my Southampton, I'd be lost.

 

So it's a 'no contest' really. For me, there is no Club vrs Country 'debate', as there's nothing for me to debate. I rarely even think about England, save on International dates, Southampton on the other hand, are part of my life every day. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Seeing as I've been going to various major tournaments without an affiliation for 15 years I'm glad international football exists about once every two years, but being not-English, no longer living near enough to Cardiff to bother going to see Wales play for £10-£15 when they had decent opponents, and there not being a GB football team, its Saints all the way for me.

 

I'd rather see Saints win a recognised competition than Wales qualify for a major tournament OR England win one.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

people have been saying that since I can remember...

simply not happened

 

there was supposed to be a break away european league by now - no

 

the prem was supposed to be split into two by now - no

 

the sky contract was supposed to be torn up and the clubs making their own deals with who ever they liked by now - no

 

infact, europes top leagues are NOW 20 teams strong each...cant remember which league but one UP'T their numbers from 18-20..?

 

There's been no "break away" European League because the big European clubs have stitched up the CL revenue between them as a result of their collective meetings despite Platini's reforms, and they know they still need their national leagues for exposure and additional tv revenue and can't afford to leave their national leagues behind for credibility. This way they get money from both.

 

No Premier League 2 "split" because Phil Gartside of Bolton only mooted the idea last year, clubs haven't yet worked out if they'll be better or worse off, and it's not really in the interests of the successful sides to protect the ones who would be better placed to challenge them with a few transfer gambles if their revenues were guaranteed even on relegation. However, it may yet happen, just like match 39 might.

 

No "tearing up" of Sky contract and individual bargaining, because all Prem Lge motions have to be carried by more than the 4 or so clubs who would obviously benefit from that, and because legislation prevents a single broadcaster monopolising coverage... not to mention that contracts are legally binding and the tv companies would sue for billions.

 

And there's still pressure from UEFA to shrink leagues to 18 due to Internationals and more specifically the effect the use of top club players in Internationals has on their performance and the brand value of their Champions League cash cow - and to counter your vague "one European league has expanded", I'll raise you a "one European league is shrinking to 10 teams from 18 next season" (Wales, presumably to raise the overall standard, which was bad enough in 1995/6 that I got named in a Welsh Premier League squad for a team that was in the UEFA Cup that season - true story).

 

So rather than none of it happening, the money-rich clubs have found ways to get themselves a big share of the pie without having to go down that route, and there's still an ongoing power struggle between the erstwhile G-14 (this is q. funny : http://www.runofplay.com/2007/11/08/uefa-v-the-g-14-the-short-history-of-a-pointless-disagreement/). Everything else is still, as it were, a political football.

 

Anyway, where was I ? Oh yeah, football will eat itself.

Edited by The9
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It is like asking "who do you prefer, your friends or your family?"

To me Saints are like my family, I didn't choose them and I can't dis-own them, but no matter what they do to me, they are still my club and I love them.

England are my friends, I am happy when they do well & it does upset me when they do badly (I didn't watch an England game for 2 1/2 years after following them to Germany for the 2006 world cup) but it doesn't define who I am.

If you were to ask me to list the things that define me, "Southampton supporter" would be in there. "England fan" wouldn't.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It is like asking "who do you prefer, your friends or your family?"

To me Saints are like my family, I didn't choose them and I can't dis-own them, but no matter what they do to me, they are still my club and I love them.

England are my friends, I am happy when they do well & it does upset me when they do badly (I didn't watch an England game for 2 1/2 years after following them to Germany for the 2006 world cup) but it doesn't define who I am.

If you were to ask me to list the things that define me, "Southampton supporter" would be in there. "England fan" wouldn't.

 

But would you be an English southampton supporter?;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was having a really indepth discussion at work today over which you think is more important, either your football club or the national side.

 

Personally I always would prefer to Saints to do well rather than England (obviously both doing well is the best scenario).

 

So I was just wondering what everybody else thought about it.

 

I do every Saints and England game, home and away. Yet I would say Saints just edge it over England.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Southampton; and it's not even a decision which requires any deliberation.

 

Sure, I get caught up in the atmosphere of the major International tournaments (when we actually manage to qualify for them), and naturally I like to see England do well, but I feel no real connection to the National team.

 

If for some reason we ceased to have a National team, I wouldn't really be overly fussed; whereas, Saints is a passion that courses through my veins, and is a part of who I am. Part of my identity. Take away my Southampton, I'd be lost.

 

So it's a 'no contest' really. For me, there is no Club vrs Country 'debate', as there's nothing for me to debate. I rarely even think about England, save on International dates, Southampton on the other hand, are part of my life every day. :)

 

I'll just quote you Halo as you've summed up my view exactly and I'm lazy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

england, i have become disillusioned with club football as its just a money contest. Everything I used to like about watching saints has gone: good football, giant killling, the dell, matt le tiss...

 

I started to feel like that a couple of seasons ago, but once the sh!te really hit the fan, it all came flooding back. The worse it got, the more I realised just what the Saints mean to me. Once your hooked, your hooked. :smt060

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...