How do you follow the Saints when you're not in Southampton

[aussiesaint20]

Not talking about away days here either, interested to hear tales of people going extraordinary lengths to follow the Saints from abroad. Be it from those living outside Southampton or locals that have been on holiday during the season. I know it’s easier to follow from outside the U.K now that we’re in the Premier League, but some of my favourite memories are from listening to Saints Player in the early hours of the morning, Fonte’s goal against Brighton being the highlight. I also listened to the Bournemouth away win in the middle of NSW, sitting in the only place in the campsite I could charge my laptop, the laundry. Had one of those annoying sensor lights that would go out every ten seconds, luckily enough I couldn’t sit still anyway!

 

I’m sure there are Saints fans that have received weird looks while being tuned in to a dodgy hotel internet feed somewhere, to listen to whispering Dave and his ‘what we don’t want to doooo now’ speech. Or tried a dozen different pubs to find one that's showing our game. On a similar trend, have you bumped into a fellow Saints fan in another country? As enjoyable as following the Saints from different parts of the globe can be, it doesn’t compare to watching it with other half-crazy fans. So with that experience in mind and for possible future reference, I set a thread up on the overseas page to help get all the groups in one place. (Link to groups) For now though, I’d love to hear other people's Southampton tales from afar.

[SNSUN]

Fortunately I've rarely been abroad when Saints have been playing. Most touristy resorts now at least have football on the big TV's, so it's easier to watch a game when away. In Paphos when we played Derby in the nPC I simply found somewhere that did it - it attracted more than one Saints fan too! We get everywhere.

 

I'm off to Mexico on Wednesday for my honeymoon/first anniversary and my intention is to give myself a complete media blackout - no phone, no internet, no newspapers. I'm sure that won't last - I'll crave any news of Saints signings...

[saintchris23]

When I can't make the games it's usually easy enough to find a stream.

 

I do miss being able to listen to Dave Merrington on the radio always spouting the obvious though!

 

Other than that, Saintsweb, NewsNow and texts etc from friends.

[Suomi Saint]

Been abroad 18 years now....follow the Saints on here and on Abu Dhabi Sports. Last year on Al Jazeera. Usually go to an away game on the infrequent occasions I am back in Blighty - last live match I saw was Walsall away!! When I'm in Finland I sometimes watch the matches in my local bar. 18 years ago there was only BBC World Service, so times have definitely improved.

[david in sweden]

Almost 30 years in Sweden...but I still get back to see a few games, otherwise it's Saints Web, News now..and watch matches on one of the streamed threads, which occasionally show U21 games, too... so I rarely " miss" a game even if when don't get to SMS.

 

Also enjoy those those You Tube posts showing match highlights and goals.

[red&white56]

I lived in Switzerland for several years, after living in the Midlands. This was before Sky and the internet, and as the Suomi Saint said the only way to keep was via the world service on a Satruday afternoon when they would broadcast live from a game during the second half, or by buying an English Sunday paper (I had to drive up to Zurich to get one on the day otherwise I could one one or two days later from my local shop).

 

I had one other connection. Before leaving the UK I was a member of Midland Saints, and they used to publish a monthly newsletter with detailed match reports. I managed to persuade them to send it to me in Switzerland for a few years - God bless them!!!

 

If any of them read this message then please accept my thanks, you kept me sane for a few years!

[Convict Colony]

The last 7yrs I've lived in Australia, Singapore and now South Africa so like others Saintsweb and watching game either online or on tv in South Africa as they show tonnes of games.

[ThaiSaint]

I live in Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand. The last few years we have had every Premiership game shown live here. Now I understand that True (the Thai provider) have lost the franchise. I wait to hear who the new provider will be....

[saint_jas]

Saints player or stream from Nottingham...

[Reib80]

I use mainly here and streams on match day

[austsaint]

I remember listening to the Saints v Hammers Championship game on a laptop [Player] while on a fishing boat off the east coast of Tasmania (Oz) about 6am - I think Jos equalised late on (into our net!!!!) and I nearly fell overboard with relief.

[Farnboro Saint]

I've recently got back from four months travelling round South America. Eight countries, from Colombia to Brazil. Naturally I wore my Saints shirt with pride in every country, making it my mission to find some fellow Saints fans.

 

I wasn't holding much hope of watching us live, apart from streaming (it isn't like Asia where they show every single Prem match) but I did however manage to stumble into a bar to see the 2-1 loss to United live on TV, in literally the middle of nowhere in Ecuador. The last place I was expecting to see us live.

 

On my primary objective though - locating Saints fans, I started to lose hope. Chelsea and Manc fans bloody everywhere, I even found a Wycombe fan, but no Saints... Until, having almost given up hope, at the very top of Machu Picchu in Peru, I bumped into a couple of Kingsland season ticket holders and had a great chat for twenty minutes or so. I'm aware that now we are concentrating on the big picture - the 'global brand', it's no big deal really.. but it's always nice to bump into some people who share that same love as you do, half way round the world. For me, it made a fantastic day, even better.

[SaintBobby]

I remember how enfuriating it was before the days of the internet-world-web-thingy.

 

Can remember as a kid being on holiday in Corfu or somewhere and finally tracking down a Sunday newspaper on the following Tuesday showing, I think, Saints had drawn 2-2 with Liverpool and had started the season with 1 win and 2 draws (1985?)

 

In 1996, I was on holiday with a mate and knew I'd miss the first game of the season. I think it was also Souness's first game in charge and I phoned my parents to get the result v Chelsea (?). Nil-nil, I think. I happened to be at the Texas School Book Depositiry at the time - the site of JFK's assassination - and felt slightly secretive and furtive spending $5+ to phone home for a football result and was thinking that if the FBI had bugged the line, it would definitely sound like a code word of some sort.

 

Nowadays, I rely on twitter and the #saintsfc hashtag.

[Professor]

Although living close enough to go to most home games, I can't make it every time but with streams on the web, I rarely miss seeing a game on the computer screen if I'm not at the match. Total transformation from the days when you only got the results from the radio at 5pm and to read a report on Saturday night meant going to the newsagents by New Milton station for the Echo's Pink Paper to come in. Tend to use First Row Sports or Wisiwig when I need a stream.

[Spades]

Whilst in Vegas earlier this year, I watched saints on my ipad in bed, in the early hours. Overlooking the strip.

 

Quite a surreal experience, but thoroughly enjoyed.

[Spades]

Also, whilst in Bulgaria over Christmas of the championship season. I remember having to share 1 headphone with my partner, as we listened to commentry on the Saints-Bristol City game on boxing day. I think we lost 2-0. Not quite the luxury we got this year!

[Hamwic]

Over the years I have managed to see Saints on TV in Hong Kong, the Middle East but the strangest was in Denmark where I sat in a bar in Copenhagen next to a rather inebriated Dane who turned out to be a Saints supporter. Also watching W Ham v Saints in a bar in Spain was a bit odd; everyone else in the bar seemed to be Spanish W Ham followers.

[buctootim]

Over the years I have managed to see Saints on TV in Hong Kong, the Middle East but the strangest was in Denmark where I sat in a bar in Copenhagen next to a rather inebriated Dane who turned out to be a Saints supporter. Also watching W Ham v Saints in a bar in Spain was a bit odd; everyone else in the bar seemed to be Spanish W Ham followers.

 

Same here. My girlfriend got admitted to hospital for 10 days taken ill during a work trip to Copenhagen so I flew out for a week to be with her. Was late January and really grey, slushy and bleak. The highlight was being in a bar in Nyhavn watching a game and educating the barman on all things Saints related.

[Lazlo78]

After relegation to League One, I vividly remember our opening match against Millwall. I was playing a music gig and had my smartphone on the floor next to me. Between each number, I would refresh the BBC Mobile page to get updates. I remember Paterson scored for us but Millwall equalised and the match ended 1-1. In League One I heard most of the matches via SaintsPlayer with Dave Merrington confidently leading me towards promotion. 22nd of February 2011 was a special day. Finally, we played the mythical Tuesday night match in (rainy?) Hartlepool; the true test of fanship. And I was there with Dave whispering in my ear...

 

For the JPT final I tried to get tickets, but that never seemed to be an option for people abroad...

 

11/12 season I remember a few games better than the rest:

 

Away against Pompey my wife had arranged to meet some friends and I refused to go. She stormed off with the kids and I was left alone with the computer. But what a match - that Guly, he's some character, eh? Home against Pompey I was at my parents's place answering all sorts of annoying questions from the entire family - and that's when Norris scored the... well here we call it 'the equaliser', but on Portsea Island it's still called 'the winning goal that kept them up and derailed our promotion bid'...

 

Against Blackpool I was at my parents again, but this time wise enough to hide with a laptop. What a disappointing match and result.

 

Away against Middlesbrough with promotion at stake, I was playing a music gig once again. This time I could not do with BBC Mobile, so I brought a laptop instead. While the guests were giving speeches etc. I had the laptop on my snare drum following the drama. Again, what a disappointing result and I hope the people who hired us for the job didn't notice my uncontrollable outbursts and spasms behind the drums...

 

PL has been a much different experience with all matches available online. Heck, it's almost too easy

 

The coming season I need to get back to St. Mary's. With three little kids and a very strained economy it's one of those things I need to time perfectly before suggesting to my wife, but nothing beats actually being at St. Mary's...

[Colinjb]

It's fairly easy to follow the team from Coventry. I really do admire the guys who stick with it abroad, not so much in the EU as the TV rights are rather exhaustive - You would never miss a game in somewhere like Malta, but in the more far flung areas.

[Gaz@Maybush]

Watched first game of this season v man city in a pub in Orlando. Me and my nippers were only saints in pub full of city. Was funny as when we went 2-1 up. Stunned silence as we went upside down.

[edprice1984]

Only time I have ever made a proper effort to watch a game while away from home etc, was the Man Utd cup game (we lost 2-1 after Chaplow put us in the lead). Found random bar while in deepest darkest Essex (ok not quite Machu Pichu, but probably more dangerous locals!). Anyway although wearing the Sash shirt, managed to keep quiet and fairly anonymous until of course Chapper banged it into the top corner...then I became very noticable. The total silence apart from me doing my nut was hysterical - the problem was the plastics in the 2nd half when Utd brought on Scholes, Hernandez and Nani and scored the winner. A few muppets thought it was clever to get up in my face, I didn't react - just said that it must be really exciting to see a team that are probably going to win the Premier League sneak a win against a League 1 side - that annoyed them even more, which was when I decided it might be a good time to leave.

[hutch]

Whilst in Vegas earlier this year, I watched saints on my ipad in bed, in the early hours. Overlooking the strip.

 

Quite a surreal experience, but thoroughly enjoyed.

I wish Mrs. h was so obliging

[buctootim]

I wish Mrs. h was so obliging

 

Take her to Vegas instead of Ventnor and she might be.

[Saint Fan CaM]

I am currently in Barbados and have been keeping track occasionally of transfer news (ha!) on here mainly. Sometimes I'll look at Newsnow streams.

 

As a little aside, I got to see a Legends 6-a-side tournement in Bridgetown at the weekend. The Carribean All-Stars won thanks to some fantastic strikes by none other than Stern John. Other notable performances came from Kevin Davies (PFA All-Stars) and Robbie Fowler (Liverpool). Plenty of other 'name' players including Denis Wise who had to go home early due to a managerial issue.

[ph11be]

I was (technically still am) a season ticket holder and went to every home game since the age of 10 (now 30), before I moved to the US just over 2 years ago. Since then I have had to make do with following news online and streaming on matchdays. Now we are back in the premiership, you can see every match live. If the game is on sky, I use a UK VPN and my parents sky subscription to watch on SkyGo, if not you can watch basically any game here (http://www.firstrow1.eu/), if you don't mind a few adverts. In terms of saints news, I use the BBC website and newsnow (and occasionally saintsweb). In terms of general football news, I like the 5live football daily podcast and the BBC website.

 

When I'm back home, I will always go to any home games (managed to see the 1-1 with Arsenal and the victory over Liverpool this year). Eventually plan to move back and resume normal duties in the Kingsland!

[saintalan]

I'm a Winchester boy now living in Windsor so not far to travel but do it every home again.

 

Have been a regular since 1970 and ST since 1975 after relegation, even kept it while working in Saudi Arabia in 82/83 but only made it back for a few games.

 

Best effort would have been travelling back overnight from Houston in the jump seat of a DC10 flight deck around 96.

[cambsaint]

I used to get down to half a dozen games a year while my parents lived in Winchester. however they moved to be close to my sister in their late 80's and regrettably are no longer with us. Having been brought up in Winchester since 3yo, my other sister moved away, and I now have no contacts with Winchester -my home town, apart from the Hunt & Co exhibit in the City museum.

Unfortunately ill-health struck and I now find it difficult to attend matches without my son's help, so i see very few matches these days.

I rely on the internet and Sky Sports, but even though I should know better my Saturday night mood is still dependent on Saint's result- something I find incredible!

My attempts to find a decent screen have either resulted in a very poor quality feed or my anti-virus warning me of potential threats.

[svetigpung]

Been in Sweden for twenty years now.

 

In the good old days i used to follow the important games on Ceefax.....how depressing.

 

Nowdays , Viasat (swedish Sky) show every game live here, either on tv or its website....bit better than those dark days.

 

Inbetween them it was Saints Player. I think this was more painfull and less clarity than northern Dave and the ever-crashing Saints Player.

[hutch]

The old SaintsPlayer/SaintsWeb combo (before the SaintsWeb upgrade, when we used to crash every match) was a real treat. My Player used to buffer anything up to 5 minutes, so as long as Saints Web hadn't crashed, I knew what was going to happen on the "live" commentary long before whispering Dave. Happy days.