Jump to content

Fraser Nelson ridiculous comment on Saints


Dan83

Recommended Posts

Fraser Nelson (editor of The Spectator) on ITV's The Agenda this week:

 

Discussing National Identity, Fraser (very posh Scottish bloke) came out with this:

"Recently Southampton played Portsmouth, not a single British born player on the starting line, and the crowds only cared about the quality of football."

 

What?!

 

https://www.itv.com/itvplayer/the-agenda

Watch from 21:10 if interested....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is one for MLG - when was the last derby when neither side fielded a British born player?

 

I would say with cast iron certainty that there has never been a South Coast derby match without British born players featuring in the starting line ups.

 

Even when the Skates were bloated with foreign mercenaries in that FA Cup game David James was in goal. In the last league fixtures two English players scored our goals, Lambert and Sharp.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fraser Nelson (editor of The Spectator) on ITV's The Agenda this week:

 

Discussing National Identity, Fraser (very posh Scottish bloke) came out with this:

"Recently Southampton played Portsmouth, not a single British born player on the starting line, and the crowds only cared about the quality of football."

 

What?!

 

https://www.itv.com/itvplayer/the-agenda

Watch from 21:10 if interested....

 

 

When did a Saints vs Pompey crowd ever care about the standard of the football, only kicking the ass of the ultimate enemy counts in those games, sh*te as you like as long as your side wins.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Surely saints have never started any game in our history without a British born player?

 

certainly haven't, Portsmouth may well have done, don't think they had all that many British born players in the cup game in 2010, we had quite a few though, certainly a majority because José couldn't play that day so we would have had just Morgan,Radi and Waigo unless Antonio comes from somewhere else originally.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Isn't he simply saying that he believes 'Britishness' is defined by the general public being happy to watch a local sporting event where none of the participants are British? OK - so he's got his facts wrong in that there was not an 'all-foreign' south coast derby, but there's nothing derogatory implied in his comments at all, if anything he's using it in a positive way to paint a picture of a cosmopolitan and multi-cultural society.

 

Had he said all people who watch football on the south coast have no teeth, play the banjo and enjoy the company of sheep I could understand people getting upset, but whilst his facts are incorrect they aren't exactly anything to worry about! Maybe he meant to say 80% of the players were non-british, or maybe he meant to say Arsenal v Chelsea.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

certainly haven't, Portsmouth may well have done, don't think they had all that many British born players in the cup game in 2010, we had quite a few though, certainly a majority because José couldn't play that day so we would have had just Morgan,Radi and Waigo unless Antonio comes from somewhere else originally.

 

Off the top of my head James, O'Hara, Wilson

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I also saw that and realised he was probably confused with the very recent Plymouth v Pompey game way down in League 2.

 

Were there really no British players in that game!?

 

If he's just got us confused then it's hardly the most heinous of mistakes to make.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

He's either made it up to substantiate his point (possible) or he's gotten the South Coast derby mixed up with another (more likely). I was actually wondering if it might have been Newcastle-Sunderland, but don't think they've player yet this season!

 

It's just the fact he couldn't be any more wrong and Saints have actually been in the media a lot lately as bastions for bringing through English talent!

 

Wouldn't have minded a "recent" South Coast derby though! Would rather play them every season than see them rot in League 2, to be honest.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In the recent Manchester derby, City did not start with any British outfield players. I suppose it's possible that he had this game mixed up in his mind which would mean that apart from

 

- it being a different deby

- only applied to one of the teams

- even that team had an English keeper

 

... he would be spot on.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Isn't he simply saying that he believes 'Britishness' is defined by the general public being happy to watch a local sporting event where none of the participants are British? OK - so he's got his facts wrong in that there was not an 'all-foreign' south coast derby, but there's nothing derogatory implied in his comments at all, if anything he's using it in a positive way to paint a picture of a cosmopolitan and multi-cultural society.

 

Had he said all people who watch football on the south coast have no teeth, play the banjo and enjoy the company of sheep I could understand people getting upset, but whilst his facts are incorrect they aren't exactly anything to worry about! Maybe he meant to say 80% of the players were non-british, or maybe he meant to say Arsenal v Chelsea.

 

TBF, he would have been half right at least :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tch, those Skate-Gooner derby matches are something to behold... plus I've just checked and he's talking bo11ocks anyway, none of the Skate-Arsenal matches in the Prem have failed to feature at least 2 Brits in the starting line up (unless Richard Hughes and Aaron Ramsey weren't born in Glasgow and Cardiff respectively, which they were). Most had at least David James and Matt Taylor for the Skates.

 

Now if he meant English, yeah, 30 Dec 2009 : but that's not "not a single British born player on the starting line" is it? Even allowing for Scottish independence there's still Ramsey.

 

Portsmouth

A Begovic, S Finnan, T Ben-Haim, N Belhadj, H Hreidarsson, Y Kaboul, A Mokoena yellow card (A Vanden Borre, 58 ), K Boateng (N Kanu, 71), R Hughes yellow card (M Brown, 89), H Yebda, F Piquionne

Subs not used: P Diop, J Utaka, M Wilson, J Ashdown

 

Arsenal

M Almunia, T Vermaelen, A Traore, B Sagna, W Gallas, A Arshavin (C Vela, 82), A Song, S Nasri (C Eastmond, 85), A Diaby, A Ramsey, Eduardo (T Rosicky, 72)

Subs not used: M Silvestre, L Fabianski, J Wilshere, F Merida

Edited by The9
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow, I've only just learned that Begovic played for Pompey.

 

Always learning something!

 

There's a bit more too it than just playing for them..... when he signed for Stoke, they had to pay Spurs a million quid..... I miss those sort of pompey transfers

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...