Top 5 reasons not to give a f*ck if we go up or not

[doddisalegend]

Well they would say that.

 

Would be interesting to get views from Norwich and Swansea fans too.

 

Sure they enjoyed every miniute of their thrashing by Man city

Edited 15 April, 2012 by doddisalegend

[doddisalegend]

Supporting saints has hardly been slumming it - go and watch dagenham being dicked every week or follow a nonleague side if that's your thing.

Following us has been as much about getting back to the top table as doing my best Common People impression.

Without promotion and relegation and the opportunity to progress, football loses its edge and you might as well be dulling yourself on snacks and watching an exhibition game.

 

Except that's exactly what the PL is for a club like us no chance of winning it, a good season is finishing somewhere from 12 and 14th the only excitment will come if we get dragged into a relegation scrape the "fun" we've had in the last three seasons won't be there in the PL .............not that people will mind becuae they'll get to watch teams like arsenal and man city ....

[gazzzza]

Why though? What's so great about being in the premier league?

i guess its where most of us have seen our team play for most of our lives.

[Rasiak-9-]

We have to go up. I simply can't take the patronising "ah ok" conversation ender when some United/Chelsea/whoever plastic pr*ck asks me what team I support and obviously dismisses bloody ME as the one who isn't a proper football fan.

 

Annoying and sicken though it is, no-one cares about the champo or the lower leagues whatsoever. The title race consumes all the attention week in week out no matter what and the "crisises" that people talk about are teams like Wigan/Blackburn losing 3 on the spin or Liverpool not getting into Europa, rather than whats going on at good, honest teams like Luton town who have been busted down year after year by a football league that washes their hands of them.

 

I just can't take another year of that.

[doddisalegend]

We have to go up. I simply can't take the patronising "ah ok" conversation ender when some United/Chelsea/whoever plastic pr*ck asks me what team I support and obviously dismisses bloody ME as the one who isn't a proper football fan.

 

Annoying and sicken though it is, no-one cares about the champo or the lower leagues whatsoever. The title race consumes all the attention week in week out no matter what and the "crisises" that people talk about are teams like Wigan/Blackburn losing 3 on the spin or Liverpool not getting into Europa, rather than whats going on at good, honest teams like Luton town who have been busted down year after year by a football league that washes their hands of them.

 

I just can't take another year of that.

 

Well technically that's not true the fans of all those clubs in the lower leagues certainaly do care about them. Wierdly I actually felt a perverse sense of surperioty supporting saints in the lower leagues knowing full well most of the plastic PL team surpporters would never surpport say Chelesa in League 1. You make a point though it seems alot of our fans are more worried about what people think about then surpporting a non PL team than they do about enjoying a good game of football on a saturday afternoon in a lower league and would rather lose 6-1 to cieth than beat oldham 6-1 becuase it's PL...

[Whitey Grandad]

At your service...

 

3PM KO:

 

Played 22

Won 16

Drawn 2

Lost 4

 

Any other time KO:

 

Played 21

Won 8

Drawn 8

Lost 5

 

 

Means nothing really but I was bored!

 

Good grief, that was quick! And it bears out what I have always suspected. Now how about Reading? West Ham?

[Fan The Flames]

If we stay down it won't be as easy as just 'going again' next year.

 

Next year we will have the expectation on our shoulders as we'd all expect us to compete. This season we have come into the league somewhat unsure of what to expect and it's been a good laugh so far.

 

We will lose players for big bucks, there's no way you can hide away from that.

 

I also don't believe we're going to have a good as chance as this for a long, long, long time. We need to focus and take the chance now.

 

Remember Ipswich 6 or so years ago? They came so close and were top 2 most of the season but lost out to Wigan I think. Their best players went (even though they were supposedly financially secure) and they now continue to bobble around doing nothing at all in the league, even with investment behind them.

 

We have to take the opportunity we have in front of us now, and I believe we will. It will not always be this good.

 

 

That all happened to Reading last season.

[Midfield_General]

Jason Statham wouldn't have gone either, he's cool and tough. And everything I'd like to be.

 

[Frank's cousin]

As much as Turkish's reasons are pretty spot on and Not being too worried about the sky ****** and the way it has ruined fair competition, going up is what it MUST be all about otherwise what is the point? Sport is all about striving to be the best you can possibly be - yes we will always be restricted by some circumstances, but we have not yet seen what the best we can be is under the NC regime. If it turns out it's a yoyo or championship side so be it, but the players the club and the fans deserve a chance of testing ourselves in the top tier and seeing what that best is.

 

And as for patronising shiedt from the slug balancer and the other boring miserabl ****s on MOTD, feck em, they are so far up Kenny Dalgliesh's arse, it just shows their opinions count for feck all.

[Turkish]

We have to go up. I simply can't take the patronising "ah ok" conversation ender when some United/Chelsea/whoever plastic pr*ck asks me what team I support and obviously dismisses bloody ME as the one who isn't a proper football fan.

 

Annoying and sicken though it is, no-one cares about the champo or the lower leagues whatsoever. The title race consumes all the attention week in week out no matter what and the "crisises" that people talk about are teams like Wigan/Blackburn losing 3 on the spin or Liverpool not getting into Europa, rather than whats going on at good, honest teams like Luton town who have been busted down year after year by a football league that washes their hands of them.

 

I just can't take another year of that.

 

Why do you give a f*ck? I work In Reading and am surrounded by plastic Spurs, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal fans. Funnily enough a lot of them have been Reading fans as well since Christmas. Those "fans" will never feel what it's like to win a big game. They'll never understand how it feels to grab a stranger Inside a football ground hugging each other and going mental because we've just scored a goal in a local derby. A sky sports subscription doesn't give you that. whenever any of these replica shirt clad idiots start giving it the big one I tell then they can talk to me about football when they actually go to a game until then their opinion means f*ck all.

[dune]

Why though? What's so great about being in the premier league?

 

It's the top table where you should aspire to eat. Anything less is second best. Second best is failure.

[Frank's cousin]

Promotion and relegation is what it's all about? I bet if the PL had their way they would reduce it to 16 teams, select who they wanted based on tv audience potential, and make it a closed shop - and I suspect most fans of those clubs selected would be happy with it..... For me that's what the pl has created - it's also about fear. Fear of relegation and loss of revenue and that makes for 451 ****e..... Played by most in the bottom half.... Sadly westHam and BFS would probably become the new Bolton and stay up and is 'legend' would improve playing the same old antiquated shiet . .... But the satisfaction of seeing us get promoted still outweighs those negatives

[Monk]

Wonder what Swansea and Norwich fans would say.

 

Mong thread written by a poster who is ball's deep in himself. love's it.

[Turkish]

Wonder what Swansea and Norwich fans would say.

 

Mong thread written by a poster who is ball's deep in himself. love's it.

 

Why is it?

[Badger]

There are several things I detest about the Premiership, but want to see Saints play - and win -at the highest level they can.

 

Whilst another season in the NPC might be "fun", I suspect we would lose a few key players and next season might not be the ride we hope for. Several clubs who miss their opportunity fall away in subsequent seasons.

[corky morris]

The PL is a turn off for me & I would have taken a play off place if offered it last August, but having been in the top 2 all season, finishing any lower than 2nd is a huge disappointment & just says to me that Saints 'bottled' it................

Wether I want to be there is another question. I am not sure either way, but now we have come this close I think I want us to go up.

As for the play-offs. I remember the Derby games. Up there I got soaked to the bone & could not believe how away goals did not count, but it does in every other 2 legged match........I really dont want to do that again & if we do I am not sure I even want to go to the games & I have been to about 30 this year already!

I hate Premier League footballers with a passion. Many of my clients represent them & on the whole they are not the kind of people you would want to call your friends. Its not about their arrogance, its how plain stupid a lot of them are & I really dont want a bunch of mercenaries invade our club for £60k a week & do nothing, but moan.

[Monk]

Why is it?

 

Do I really need to write some keen paragraph to explain this? Your a clever bloke, its obvious why.

[beatlesaint]

Who are these "few key players" we might lose if we dont go up then ?

The only ones I can think of that people might be remotely interested in are Rickie and Lallana, although Rickie's age may well put them off and thats IF the club acepted offers for them and IF they wanted to leave. They both signed long term contracts in the last year and niether could have thought in their wildest dreams we would be in this position after just one season back in the Championship.

 

So who else would be wanted by Premiership clubs ? None of the defence or keeper for a start, apart from Lallana none of the midfield, possibly Cork but I doubt it, and none of the forwards apart from Rickie.

 

We are a good team, but team is the operative word. On an individual basis there isnt that much that would be calling out to Prem teams. Thats not saying as a team we wouldn't be any good in the Prem before everyone starts having a go :-)

[Turkish]

Do I really need to write some keen paragraph to explain this? Your a clever bloke, its obvious why.

 

Maybe you should. Over 3 pages there have been some very good posts, some of the best I've seen on here for a while. So clearly not everyone seems to think its a "mong thread"

[pap]

There is a post from me, somewhere in the bowels of the defunct S4E, arguing that losing our Premiership status would not be the end of the world. And so it wasn't. Nearly was, and things looked very dicey when we were in administration - but we're on the up and progressing nicely.

 

I expect us to get up, but it's not the end of the world if we don't. It has been nice to win games and unlike in the past, where it was almost impossible to catch a glimpse of a team plying their trade in the lower leagues, we've got stuff like Saints Player which mitigates a lot for those who can't get to every game.

 

So another season in the Championship wouldn't be terrible, particularly in the context of the five year plan, but in earnest, I'd be bitterly disappointed if we didn't make it up now.

[Ewell]

I've said this before, and it wasn't well received, and given our position I'm less sure of my conviction in saying it but I only want to go up as champions.

 

I want to see Saints win the league, any league. I don't think in my lifetime that we will win the premiership unless there are some drastic changed in the makeup of football.

 

Arguably, we are in a better position than most to sustain a top flight position for a very long time with all the investment that has taken place and the cash that could be available

We might not be in a position to win a league for many many years. I think I'd rather **** around in the championship for a few years and win the title than become a mid table premiership team.

 

Mate I could not agree more and I wish I had written that. The Championship is brilliant, so competitive, proper football and the standard is also improving. If we could win this division and not go up and still manage to hold onto our better players then I think I would take it.

 

Most just have this overwhelming desire to watch us play the likes of Man U, Chelsea etc. I really do not miss the days of going to the big grounds and walking home with your tail between your legs after a 2 or 3 nil defeat at best. You have to wonder if their actual desire is to watch Saints or just to be in the premier league, I do wonder!

 

Well done Turkish for starting this thread. Who gives a **** about the Premier League; I just want to win the one we are in that will do me thanks and if we go up as a consequence then so be it.

[Monk]

Maybe you should. Over 3 pages there have been some very good posts, some of the best I've seen on here for a while. So clearly not everyone seems to think its a "mong thread"

 

 

Ok, Ok, not a mong thread. Yes, there are some great points, ultimately every team/club wants to be in the PL, here's 5 reasons why.

 

1: Southampton can continue to grow back into a fully established PL club. There will be games we get drummed in e.g Norwich 1 – 6 City but losing 3-0 to Leicester City is just as bad in my opinion and there had been games we bossed the household name, 6-3 Utd.

2: Academy will continue to thrive and grow with the new EPPP, we will have the select of best talent and will continue to develop PL players. The likelihood of our own players being selected for England games will rise.

3: Our reputation will grow enabling us to attract better quality players. Allowing us to compete for European football again or even the odd keen Carling/FA Cup run.

4: Packed out st.mary’s stadium, of course the plastics are coming out again but I’d rather a stadium full of 30,000 than 22,000.

5: More importantly, it’s where we belong.

 

I doubt you’ll agree but that’s why.

 

edit: and this does'nt mean I havent loved the npc and actually competiting to be champions of a league.

Edited 15 April, 2012 by Monk

[Window Cleaner]

Ok, Ok, not a mong thread. Yes, there are some great points, ultimately every team/club wants to be in the PL, here's 5 reasons why.

 

1: Southampton can continue to grow back into a fully established PL club. There will be games we get drummed in e.g Norwich 1 – 6 City but losing 3-0 to Leicester City is just as bad in my opinion and there had been games we bossed the household name, 6-3 Utd.

2: Academy will continue to thrive and grow with the new EPPP, we will have the select of best talent and will continue to develop PL players. The likelihood of our own players being selected for England games will rise.

3: Our reputation will grow enabling us to attract better quality players. Allowing us to compete for European football again or even the odd keen Carling/FA Cup run.

4: Packed out st.mary’s stadium, of course the plastics are coming out again but I’d rather a stadium full of 30,000 than 22,000.

5: More importantly, it’s where we belong.

 

I doubt you’ll agree but that’s why.

 

edit: and this does'nt mean I havent loved the npc and actually competiting to be champions of a league.

 

You've forgotten that the bonanza bucket of Liebherr cash must be getting a bit stretched by now.

At the end of this season I expect the "equity" will have to be boosted by another 10/12 million to about 45 million,plus whatever all the work at Staplewood is going to cost us.We need to go up at the soonest because we'll run out of cash(well available credit) if we don't.

[Thedelldays]

Let's be honest

Other than coming on here and some banter with mates

 

I could not give a fuk if go up

[shurlock]

Except that's exactly what the PL is for a club like us no chance of winning it, a good season is finishing somewhere from 12 and 14th the only excitment will come if we get dragged into a relegation scrape the "fun" we've had in the last three seasons won't be there in the PL .............not that people will mind becuae they'll get to watch teams like arsenal and man city ....

 

You seem to equate being tested and progression with winning - that's not the case. I want to see saints test themselves against the best -win, lose or draw and get better as a result. Reading exhibited PL ruthlessness on Friday - they showed Danny Fox that if you get sucked inside, you'll get punished. In recent weeks, Hull (three times) and Palace (once through Martin) let Fox off similar mistakes. I want to see us be the best we can be, cutting out mistakes like that and playing the likes of arsenal or man city is just a means to that end.

 

And crashing the big four beauty parade and bloodying a few noses would only make it sweeter.

What has made this season great is not just the winning but the fact that we were underdogs for large parts of it - that teams and oppo fans expected to beat us -and still do- and were shocked when they didnt. That would be even truer in the Prem where self-regard and narcissism is on a totally different level. It must be great being a Norwich or Swansea right now and I want to be back doing that with my Saints.

Edited 15 April, 2012 by shurlock

[Whitey Grandad]

You've forgotten that the bonanza bucket of Liebherr cash must be getting a bit stretched by now.

At the end of this season I expect the "equity" will have to be boosted by another 10/12 million to about 45 million,plus whatever all the work at Staplewood is going to cost us.We need to go up at the soonest because we'll run out of cash(well available credit) if we don't.

 

Staplewood would normally be amortised over a long period and would appear on the balance sheet. With crowds near 30,000 the financial situation must be a lot healthier than the figures from a season ago would lead you to believe.

[Dalek2003]

As I have said many times before, this season was about consolidation and we were set up for this.

 

At the very worst we will be in the play offs. This is quite an achievement in its own right and is far more than could be expected after our modest preparation over the summer in the transfer market.

[Window Cleaner]

Staplewood would normally be amortised over a long period and would appear on the balance sheet. With crowds near 30,000 the financial situation must be a lot healthier than the figures from a season ago would lead you to believe.

 

Don't know,salaries have gone up as well and the squad has become significantly bigger.We had a lot of biggish crowds last year as well. It's not a couple of thou on the average home gate that's going to balance with the increase in salarial mass.

[Dan]

Seconded big time. Football isn't about being disappointed if you don't do the treble in a season. I feel sorry for the armchair fans of the 'big clubs' because they don't get the ride we get.

 

Travelling the length of the country to grounds like Prenton Park with a thousand other like minded people to follow your team because you're proud of your city and where you come from is what it's all about.

 

Witnessing a dramatic fall from the big time over a short period of time but still keeping faith and going to 40 games in league one regardless because it's your football club and the result doesn't matter is what it's all about.

 

Going to Preston on a tuesday night and getting done 5-1 but not caring because you've had a cracking day out with your mates in a place you wouldn't ever visit otherwise is what it's all about.

 

Going into random pubs at away days and being able to have a real discussion with opposing supporters about football and not having some pompous City supporter who has only followed the club 3 seasons tell you that your club is **** is what it's all about.

 

Paying a days wages for a ticket to watch us get done 4-0 at the Etihad Stadium by a bunch of arrogant players who earn more in a week than I will earn in 10 years in not what it's about.

 

Here here.

 

Proberly one of the best posts on here in years.

[CB Fry]

As I have said many times before, this season was about consolidation

 

And as the rest of us has said many times before no it wasn't. The target this season was and is promotion.

 

Good thread so don't ruin it.

 

Promotion would be an adventure but I am not looking forward to randoms in the office having a opinion on my team because we are on MOTD.

[rshephard3]

Maybe you should. Over 3 pages there have been some very good posts, some of the best I've seen on here for a while. So clearly not everyone seems to think its a "mong thread"

 

It's amazing that some people aren't opening their eyes to what more than half the people on this thread seem to agree on. How can it be a mongy thread?! Someone try telling me it's a laugh to travel to grounds ready to get patronised and shat on by clubs who happen to have thrown hundreds and hundreds of millions at football which we haven't. The point is that the advocates of ultimate competition on here are talking about joining the league of ultimate inequality and skewed competition. All IMHO of course.

[buctootim]

Someone try telling me it's a laugh to travel to grounds ready to get patronised and shat on by clubs who happen to have thrown hundreds and hundreds of millions at football which we haven't. The point is that the advocates of ultimate competition on here are talking about joining the league of ultimate inequality and skewed competition. All IMHO of course.

 

Do you think clubs like Doncaster and Scun thorpe didnt /don't feel the same way about travelling to Leicester, West Ham and Saints? I love the championship and have mixed feelings about getting promoted. A large part of that is because I like seeing Saints winning and being successful. The championship is almost as skewed as the Pl and gulf in resources is almost as stark between Saints and Barnsley as it between Man City and Wigan. We need to be honest about the reasons some aren't sure about going up - being a bigger fish in a smaller pool has its attractions.

 

The money spent on transfers and wages in the PL repellent and it has done a lot to destroy the pleasure of being a fan and damaged the England national team. I'd love it if success became much more dependent on income through the ticket office and developing your own players - but that isnt going to happen anytime soon. So if someone gave us a couple of billion just so we could stuff the top four on a regular basis, how many would say "no thanks" and cite how great the championship is?

Edited 15 April, 2012 by buctootim

[Rasiak-9-]

Why do you give a f*ck? I work In Reading and am surrounded by plastic Spurs, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal fans. Funnily enough a lot of them have been Reading fans as well since Christmas. Those "fans" will never feel what it's like to win a big game. They'll never understand how it feels to grab a stranger Inside a football ground hugging each other and going mental because we've just scored a goal in a local derby. A sky sports subscription doesn't give you that. whenever any of these replica shirt clad idiots start giving it the big one I tell then they can talk to me about football when they actually go to a game until then their opinion means f*ck all.

 

I literally agree with everything you've said mate, I'd also add one more thing - they'll never know whats its like to win when being massive, massive underdogs. United fans will never have the rollercoaster ride that we have.

 

But, I just can't help but feel a huge urge for Saints to prove themselves as one of the great clubs in English football that they are. I've had enough of the lower leagues, the novelty has worn off. I want us to be a solid Premiership team with fantastic support getting national attention and us giving the big six a bloody nose now and again.

 

Recently I got into a little facebook argument with a plastic United fan responding to this status of mine:

 

 

"If I decided right now to become a "fan" of Barcelona and identified myself as a Barcelona fan from this moment forward, it would be no less ridiculous than the overload of Man United plastics on my Facebook congratulating themselves whilst sat on their IQ in front of their computer screen watching Citeh fail at Arsenal. This can also be applied to anyone supporting a big team with a history of success from an area they are neither from nor have any connection to."

 

To which a Man United plastic (living in Surrey, never been to Old Trafford etc.) gave me some kind of snooty response telling me that he was a true fan etc.etc. and that we were somehow "equal" in support of our teams.

 

Gay little facebook wars aside, Hopefully everyone on here will relate:

 

Sure, everyone has every right to take as much joy and sadness from the success or failure of any football team anywhere, that's all well and good.

 

Its just I don't see how you can identify Manchester United as "your" team when you aren't from Manchester/Salford and don't have any connection to the area or community. With no actual tie to the club or city other than a completely arbitrary erm-i'll-pick-that-one choice, I simply don't see why as I say, me supporting Inter Milan for example (I did go to an Inter game once and bought a shirt!) is any different to someone outside of Manchester being a United "fan". The bemused reaction that your average person would give to being told that some English guy was a fan of a club team abroad is exactly the same reaction I have, and make no apologies for having to someone outside of Manchester supporting United. I just neither understand it nor equate it with fans who support their local teams.

 

If you're from an area with no football team and have no family connection to any team whatsoever I can sort of understand it.

 

Incidentally I'm from Balham, South London and not Southampton! But my father/English side of my family (I'm half Polish/English) are all from Southampton and numerous childhood weekends with grandparents were spent down there. I remember I supported Man United until the age of about 8 and even went to see Beckham/Giggs/Schmeichel etc. play at Selhurst Park. It was enjoyable from my young perspective of seeing all these ridiculously famous footballers before my very eyes and I cheered David Beckhams equaliser.

 

However, when I went together with both my father and the largest away following in the history of the Premiership to Selhurst Park in 1999, surrounded by my fellow Saints fans as we beat Wimbledon to complete the greatest relegation survival story ever (having only got 2 points out of our opening 9 matches) Things were different. The feeling of togetherness, brotherhood, unity and belonging that I felt throughout that match was something I simply cannot describe to other people who haven't experienced it. This team, those 11 men, those red and white striped kits, that badge, this club, despite not being very successful at all and having the smallest home ground ever in the Premiership (The Dell) represented me and truly represented the thousands of my brothers and sisters that stood alongside my young shoulders.

 

Even at the age of 8 I could understand that this was not only my football club, but an inescapable part of my identity that I didn't choose anymore than people can choose race or sexuality.

 

Now, as I write this on the eve of yet another away day at Selhurst Park I can honestly say that I wouldn't have it any other way.

[Monk]

Turkish, after thinking about it, this is actually a top thread.

 

Apologies.

[Fan The Flames]

Turkish, after thinking about it, this is actually a top thread.

 

Apologies.

 

Oh look Turkish has sneaked into the Monks house.

[Griffo]

I saw a comment on Facebook myself earlier. Some d*ck who has a passing interest in football and doesn't support Saints said he can't wait for us to go up because he wants to watch the top 4 teams at St Mary's and especially wants to see Aguero and Ballotelli against us. If going up will mean we have these sort of c*nts going to games then forgive me not being too fussed if we don't go up. I go to watch Saints regardless of who we're playing. Give me a last minute winner at some northern ****hole with 800 other Saints over thousands of Saints all sat down at Arsenal watching us get dicked 6-0. Also the financial impacts of going up will be crippling personally and I'll have to beg, borrow and steal to get to every away game still.

[rshephard3]

Do you think clubs like Doncaster and Scun thorpe didnt /don't feel the same way about travelling to Leicester, West Ham and Saints? I love the championship and have mixed feelings about getting promoted. A large part of that is because I like seeing Saints winning and being successful. The championship is almost as skewed as the Pl and gulf in resources is almost as stark between Saints and Barnsley as it between Man City and Wigan. We need to be honest about the reasons some aren't sure about going up - being a bigger fish in a smaller pool has its attractions.

 

The money spent on transfers and wages in the PL repellent and it has done a lot to destroy the pleasure of being a fan and damaged the England national team. I'd love it if success became much more dependent on income through the ticket office and developing your own players - but that isnt going to happen anytime soon. So if someone gave us a couple of billion just so we could stuff the top four on a regular basis, how many would say "no thanks" and cite how great the championship is?

 

Being selfish about it, I go to football for my own fun. In some strange way I find it fun to go to Pride park in the playoff semi and lose, go to Hartlepool in the 3rd tier and shout Flinders for 90 minutes during a dyer 0-0 draw. Im not only resigned to saints not being champions league/sky big dogs, I actively like it. Sure, I want us to continue as a footballing entity of sorts but I'm not so sure about the merits of establishing in the top tier. The up's and downs provide the emotion to keep me coming back. Granted this doesn't sit very well alongside wanting saints to win every single game, I take that point, but I hope some understand where, in my warped little football world, I am coming from!

[Thedelldays]

I saw a comment on Facebook myself earlier. Some d*ck who has a passing interest in football and doesn't support Saints said he can't wait for us to go up because he wants to watch the top 4 teams at St Mary's and especially wants to see Aguero and Ballotelli against us. If going up will mean we have these sort of c*nts going to games then forgive me not being too fussed if we don't go up. I go to watch Saints regardless of who we're playing. Give me a last minute winner at some northern ****hole with 800 other Saints over thousands of Saints all sat down at Arsenal watching us get dicked 6-0. Also the financial impacts of going up will be crippling personally and I'll have to beg, borrow and steal to get to every away game still.

how old are you..?

[Griffo]

how old are you..?

 

What's it to you? The 'beg, borrow and steal' comment was tongue in cheek but football will be an even bigger hit to the bank balance if we do go up.

[Window Cleaner]

and Ballotelli against us.

 

 

he'll just have to hope that we play them in one of the few weeks when he isn't either suspended or has ducked off to avoid the press because he's done something stupid.

[marc_saint]

[Frank's cousin]

I saw a comment on Facebook myself earlier. Some d*ck who has a passing interest in football and doesn't support Saints said he can't wait for us to go up because he wants to watch the top 4 teams at St Mary's and especially wants to see Aguero and Ballotelli against us. If going up will mean we have these sort of c*nts going to games then forgive me not being too fussed if we don't go up. I go to watch Saints regardless of who we're playing. Give me a last minute winner at some northern ****hole with 800 other Saints over thousands of Saints all sat down at Arsenal watching us get dicked 6-0. Also the financial impacts of going up will be crippling personally and I'll have to beg, borrow and steal to get to every away game still.

 

However much you 'love' Saints, truth is as we will never have more than 20-25K that is a real hardcore... in terms of packing SMS or one day an even bigger stadium if ever necessary is because of success and the quality of the opoosition in making it an attractive fixture - ITS THE SAME at any club, give or take several 1000 and these extra 'fans' help pay for the success. If they pay their money on the gate to be entertained, then that is their right and choice. Being precious about someone wanting to see top 4 clubs is childish. You dont blame them, if you wnat to blame anyone, its those that dont go when they could who say the are full on fans or at least admit we dont need stadium that holds more than 20K...

[Kingsland Red]

For what it's worth I will watch Saints whatever division we are in and have no interest in any other professional club.

However it is evident that we already have 'supporters ' around us in the Kingsland since Christmas who quickly get on the players backs. They either have short memories or weren't at games in Div 1.

Dare I suggest it is the armchair supporter who will want us to go up as they will be able to see us on TV more often ?

[Sour Mash]

However much you 'love' Saints' date=' truth is as we will never have more than 20-25K that is a real hardcore... in terms of packing SMS or one day an even bigger stadium if ever necessary is because of success and the quality of the opoosition in making it an attractive fixture - ITS THE SAME at any club, give or take several 1000 and these extra 'fans' help pay for the success. If they pay their money on the gate to be entertained, then that is their right and choice. Being precious about someone wanting to see top 4 clubs is childish. You dont blame them, if you wnat to blame anyone, its those that dont go when they could who say the are full on fans or at least admit we dont need stadium that holds more than 20K...[/quote'] No-one would want to be at a game sat next to someone like that.

[Micky]

This is what I alluded to above, people already expect us to walk it next year if we fail this year. Straight away the expectation is on us, we've done so well this year because it wasn't on us. Next season is a different kettle of fish if we're still here and trust me, it won't be as fun as this year.

 

Exactly and you can talk about investment all you like, we may well sign more players and invest yet more money. But that guarantees absolutely nothing - look at Leicesters outlay, did it help - not one didlysquat really. If, we blow it (and I have a real, real bad feeling) then I think we will be in this league for a while to come. A bit like Leeds trying to get outta league 1 - should be a doddle, but couldnt just make it.

 

Having said all of that - I'm actually not that bothered about the prem anyway - I tend to think it's one of the most uncompetitive leagues going - 3 teams in with a shout, after that everybody else making up the numbers.

Edited 15 April, 2012 by Micky

[Micky]

The last 2 season at my local club have been the best that I can remember. Chester City went out of business 2 years ago. A new club was founded and is self funded and run by the supporters. There's no big wig director making a mess of everything and bleeding money out of the club. They've just won their second promotion in as many seasons and will be playing in Conference North next season. Only one league below where they were when they went bump. They got over 5000 for the top of the table clash against Northwich Victoria last week. A Ryman league & new club record. It's a pleasure to be able to lend support to the club and voulenteer to help out when possible. A lot of clubs could learn a lot from their business model.

 

I despise what the Premiership has become. Everybody thought the Sky money was good when it poured in back in the 90's. The truth is that it's made things worse. The rich have got richer and the poor have got poorer. Get rid of the Top 4 or 5 clubs into a European league and make the Premiership more competitive.

 

This, this and this a thousand times over. Somebody, somewhere, at some time (although probably not in my lifetime) is going to come and level the football playing field, make the game much more competitive, but more importantly - give it back to the real working class people - the fans, where it rightfully belongs.

[ericb]

Got to say this is a top thread and i'm definitely in the camp that is really non plussed about the premiership. Maybe English football was like German football i'd be more excited, looking after the fans; genuinely competitive; cracking atmospheres; encouraging youth development and local lads playing.

 

Unfortunately it's not, as others have said it's a rotten fu.cking corpse of the game i first started going to in the 80's. When you hear commentators talking with almost pride about the fact only four clubs have one the thing it sickens me.

When i see plastic scousers/mancs/chelsea/gunners (delete depending on where you live or work) it angers me.

When i have to put up with their fuc.king clueless sh.it that they spout about the lower leagues i feel like slapping them.

When they start claiming that they support their club in the same way i do i walk away laughing at the pri.cks.

 

The lower leagues have been a blessing for us as a club, i've gone on record here before to say it's given the club it's soul back. The away days have been immense at times and when you see 200 hartlepool fans coming down on a tuesday night for a game that means fu.ck all to them you realise why we do this crazy thing.

 

As for those saying what do Swansea Norwich fans think? Well i've chatted to quite a few Norwich fans this season and whilst they like playing against the top sides most fu.cking hate the "experience" of a match day. It's been sanitised, they have matches shifted around, they've been shafted by ticket prices away from home and they everyone and their gimp who has access to a sky box having an opinion on their team (whilst forgetting that they used to play in Europe & are hardly a small side).

 

I really, really wish the premier league would fu.ck off to be honest. Honestly i couldn't care less about the English league not being the best in the world, what good has it actually done most of the 92? I want the game back to a state where we can compete again, and by that i don't just mean saints, but sadly those days are as good as over.

 

I'm not certain but i've got a feeling that after the best part of 30 years following saints i probably would be disillusioned to the point of not going anymore if we spent too long in the premiership. Sad thing is if i did i'm sure some mong would take my place & the game would get that little more diluted and dull.

 

Veering off topic slightly i noticed on Friday that we had the first glimpses of the premiership, for probably the first time since we went down i saw a family (i assume) in the northam i'd never seen before, all of them in the new kit holding megastore bags & two of them (probably in their late 20s) with their faces painted.

 

If that's the price for success i'm going to get very bitter very quickly, especially as Cortese is already talking about us becoming a "global brand". I mean FFS have you seen those ****ing mongs on youtube from india etc singing Arsenal or Chelsea songs!?

 

I'm in no way bigoted (hell i've called Charming man out on it a lot of times) but ask yourself honestly do you really want this for our club? Just watch this video a few times and then really seriously think if the premiership is what you want? Cause when i see this kind of crap i don't want it in football at all, let alone our club

[warsash saint]

If it means witnessing cheating c**ts like Ashley Young every week, then Championship again for me!

[Sour Mash]

Got to say this is a top thread and i'm definitely in the camp that is really non plussed about the premiership. Maybe English football was like German football i'd be more excited, looking after the fans; genuinely competitive; cracking atmospheres; encouraging youth development and local lads playing.

 

Unfortunately it's not, as others have said it's a rotten fu.cking corpse of the game i first started going to in the 80's. When you hear commentators talking with almost pride about the fact only four clubs have one the thing it sickens me.

When i see plastic scousers/mancs/chelsea/gunners (delete depending on where you live or work) it angers me.

When i have to put up with their fuc.king clueless sh.it that they spout about the lower leagues i feel like slapping them.

When they start claiming that they support their club in the same way i do i walk away laughing at the pri.cks.

 

The lower leagues have been a blessing for us as a club, i've gone on record here before to say it's given the club it's soul back. The away days have been immense at times and when you see 200 hartlepool fans coming down on a tuesday night for a game that means fu.ck all to them you realise why we do this crazy thing.

 

As for those saying what do Swansea Norwich fans think? Well i've chatted to quite a few Norwich fans this season and whilst they like playing against the top sides most fu.cking hate the "experience" of a match day. It's been sanitised, they have matches shifted around, they've been shafted by ticket prices away from home and they everyone and their gimp who has access to a sky box having an opinion on their team (whilst forgetting that they used to play in Europe & are hardly a small side).

 

I really, really wish the premier league would fu.ck off to be honest. Honestly i couldn't care less about the English league not being the best in the world, what good has it actually done most of the 92? I want the game back to a state where we can compete again, and by that i don't just mean saints, but sadly those days are as good as over.

 

I'm not certain but i've got a feeling that after the best part of 30 years following saints i probably would be disillusioned to the point of not going anymore if we spent too long in the premiership. Sad thing is if i did i'm sure some mong would take my place & the game would get that little more diluted and dull.

 

Veering off topic slightly i noticed on Friday that we had the first glimpses of the premiership, for probably the first time since we went down i saw a family (i assume) in the northam i'd never seen before, all of them in the new kit holding megastore bags & two of them (probably in their late 20s) with their faces painted.

 

If that's the price for success i'm going to get very bitter very quickly, especially as Cortese is already talking about us becoming a "global brand". I mean FFS have you seen those ****ing mongs on youtube from india etc singing Arsenal or Chelsea songs!?

 

I'm in no way bigoted (hell i've called Charming man out on it a lot of times) but ask yourself honestly do you really want this for our club? Just watch this video a few times and then really seriously think if the premiership is what you want? Cause when i see this kind of crap i don't want it in football at all, let alone our club

To be fair that video properly cracked me up, worth a watch.

[Hedgehog]

THe worst thing about going into the Premiership will be:

1. Paying more per game expecting to see all 'the stars from the top teams' , not that i care as i just want to watch the saints, but actually seing their second tier teams as they have Champions league games to concentrate on

2. Having our games more F'd around by sky for such games

3. Relegated to snippets of coverage on Match of the day, or its like

4. Seeing ex Saints players playing against us, and no mention of their roots at Saints from the football pundits

5. W***ers like Hanson and Shearer discussing our failings