Saint's weakest link - the fans?

[Deano6]

We now have a team that is playing quality football at a very high and consistent standard, playing with flair, composure and a toughness that we've been lacking for a good number of years. In every position we have players that look like they belong in the top half of the Premier League.

 

We have a manager and a coaching team who are looking exceptional, producing a fit, intelligent, well drilled team that has been described as "the best coached team in the league" over the last week.

 

We have a chairman who, love him or loathe him, has been proven to have made very good decisions at difficult times to bring about footballing improvements on the pitch, and who handles himself with dignity out of the spotlight.

 

We have a brilliant youth academy and continue to spend more on improving our infrastructure.

 

 

This is a new-look Saints side that plays with style and swagger. And yet when you look into the stands you still see the same lazy, fat, sloppily dressed guys with their beer bellies hanging out of their same pair of jeans they've worn for years, no pride in their appearance and often no sense of personal grooming. It suddenly brings tho whole outfit back to looking very amateurish to the outside world, at a time where the message we are trying to convey is "Our Time Is Now" and "Our Dream is Real".

 

 

So what's the solution - do we need to be getting our acts together and making the same step up in quality as everyone else at the club has over the last couple of years? Should we be starting to take personal responsibility, doing extra training, spending time in the gym, sharpening our image by paying some attention to ourselves and buying some decent clothes that fit?

 

Or should we accept that, like a girlfriend who has outgrown us, the club is too good for us now and we should step aside to let a new crop of fans who are capable of being Premier League come in to replace us? Is it time for the club to move onwards and upwards and out of Southampton?

[Pat from Poole]

Yes.

[Colinjb]

Speak for yourself

[John Boy Saint]

That sees the Stadium extension plans safely put away in a dusty filing cabinet in a small room deep in the bowels of St Mary's Stadium then!

[Saint Malc]

I know the OP is a wind up but the atmosphere on Saturday was electric all game. Usually, after 15 minutes, the tendency is for the volume and intensity to slightly drop but no. Saturday was absolutely fantastic. The biggest irony, however, was when the Fulham fans, whose away support is less impressive than Wigan's, sung; "Your support if f***ing s**t". They did redeem themselves later though (We want two)

[Secret Site Agent]

We now have a team that is playing quality football at a very high and consistent standard, playing with flair, composure and a toughness that we've been lacking for a good number of years. In every position we have players that look like they belong in the top half of the Premier League.

 

We have a manager and a coaching team who are looking exceptional, producing a fit, intelligent, well drilled team that has been described as "the best coached team in the league" over the last week.

 

We have a chairman who, love him or loathe him, has been proven to have made very good decisions at difficult times to bring about footballing improvements on the pitch, and who handles himself with dignity out of the spotlight.

 

We have a brilliant youth academy and continue to spend more on improving our infrastructure.

 

 

This is a new-look Saints side that plays with style and swagger. And yet when you look into the stands you still see the same lazy, fat, sloppily dressed guys with their beer bellies hanging out of their same pair of jeans they've worn for years, no pride in their appearance and often no sense of personal grooming. It suddenly brings tho whole outfit back to looking very amateurish to the outside world, at a time where the message we are trying to convey is "Our Time Is Now" and "Our Dream is Real".

 

 

So what's the solution - do we need to be getting our acts together and making the same step up in quality as everyone else at the club has over the last couple of years? Should we be starting to take personal responsibility, doing extra training, spending time in the gym, sharpening our image by paying some attention to ourselves and buying some decent clothes that fit?

 

Or should we accept that, like a girlfriend who has outgrown us, the club is too good for us now and we should step aside to let a new crop of fans who are capable of being Premier League come in to replace us? Is it time for the club to move onwards and upwards and out of Southampton?

 

We've been good enough until now.

 

We are the ones who stood cheering when playing teams like Dagenham in league one when we might not have a team to cheer the following year.

We are the ones who stood cheering when we took the points against Brighton who had never been beaten at home that season.

We are the ones that stood cheering when we got so close to winning the Championship but sang 'We are going up'.

We are the ones who kept the club going in it's darkest times.

We may be shabby, underdressed, overweight, with our beer bellies hanging out, face a little unshaven, hair unkept and breath less than minty, but WE are the ones that Lambert, Lallana, David, Fonte,Schneiderlin and others played for, and who cheered them to give them the belief that they could succeed back to the Premiership.

 

If what you want is the team to be supported by a load of fiona phillipses, I am a Southampton Supporter,I am a Southampton Supporter,I am a Southampton Supporter,(relegation)I am a Chelsea Supporter,Then to paraphrase a famous rapper, Give me one European season, then **** Saints, you can have them back.

 

If I'm no longer the fan Saints want, then perhaps they aren't the team for me., But until then, I'll carry out turning up. My beauty, like everyone elses, is skin deep.

[MINIBARCELONASAINT]

They should impose a dress code. Turkish could collaborate with the club to produce it.

[dronskisaint]

They should impose a dress code. Turkish could collaborate with the club to produce it.

 

Bald and Primark the future??!!

[adrian lord]

Don't know what the OP is on about. I am tall, fit, muscular but not muscle-bound, and dress superbly.

[Kingsland Red]

We are Southampton - we'll dress how we want.

[JustinR]

Totally agree with the OP. We also have far too many ugly fans for my liking.

[Glasgow_Saint]

Totally agree with the OP. We also have far too many ugly fans for my liking.

 

 

In agree we do have some ugly fans and thats not ideal. Our fans (home) are also very quiet. Get along to Stoke this weekend to see how fans should behave

[LostBoys]

We now have a team that is playing quality football at a very high and consistent standard, playing with flair, composure and a toughness that we've been lacking for a good number of years. In every position we have players that look like they belong in the top half of the Premier League.

 

We have a manager and a coaching team who are looking exceptional, producing a fit, intelligent, well drilled team that has been described as "the best coached team in the league" over the last week.

 

We have a chairman who, love him or loathe him, has been proven to have made very good decisions at difficult times to bring about footballing improvements on the pitch, and who handles himself with dignity out of the spotlight.

 

We have a brilliant youth academy and continue to spend more on improving our infrastructure.

 

 

This is a new-look Saints side that plays with style and swagger. And yet when you look into the stands you still see the same lazy, fat, sloppily dressed guys with their beer bellies hanging out of their same pair of jeans they've worn for years, no pride in their appearance and often no sense of personal grooming. It suddenly brings tho whole outfit back to looking very amateurish to the outside world, at a time where the message we are trying to convey is "Our Time Is Now" and "Our Dream is Real".

 

 

So what's the solution - do we need to be getting our acts together and making the same step up in quality as everyone else at the club has over the last couple of years? Should we be starting to take personal responsibility, doing extra training, spending time in the gym, sharpening our image by paying some attention to ourselves and buying some decent clothes that fit?

 

Or should we accept that, like a girlfriend who has outgrown us, the club is too good for us now and we should step aside to let a new crop of fans who are capable of being Premier League come in to replace us? Is it time for the club to move onwards and upwards and out of Southampton?

 

I presume this is just a wind up post as the EPL will not allow clubs to become franchises such as the US teams. You may have read recently about grass roots football - local association - English players etc spouted by the FA

lately.

[John Boy Saint]

 

In agree we do have some ugly fans and thats not ideal. Our fans (home) are also very quiet. Get along to Stoke this weekend to see how fans should behave

Err last season the Britannia was like a Chapel of Rest until they had clawed back 2 goals and were in with a shout, it was only when Jerome spanked in a (hard to say but true) marvellous strike that you found out what all the fuss was about, until then it a Very very poor showing from the Potters fans.

[Solid Saint]

I take offence to this thread as I am well ripped.

 

And I wear mirrored aviators like a boss.

[Bourne Valley Saint]

Given all of the original poster's positive comments about the club, it's the empty red seats that baffle me. We had bigger crowds in League One. I don't care what shape or size the occupants are - just fill them up.

[Give it to Ron]

Given all of the original poster's positive comments about the club, it's the empty red seats that baffle me. We had bigger crowds in League One. I don't care what shape or size the occupants are - just fill them up.

 

There is a massive difference between now and League One - you could hardly stream or watch a match live in a pub on matchdays then - its a big factor now with reduced crowds - have a look at other clubs on matchdays I will bet not many get complete sell outs.

[angelman]

I agree that we should be filling the stadium. I have been to every home game so have done my bit. But the bit about sloppily dressed fans and pride in personal appearance - what a complete and utter load of ****** - never read such tosh. Who cares what the fans personal appearance is like? You might think that people dressing up in River Island or some other tatt is what people should look like. Personally I think River Island is dreadful rubbish (no offence meant, but just to show the one person's opinion differs from another). As an adult I would never wear colours as that to me is something kids do - but if adults want to, then that is up to them. My nipper wears my old Rank Xerox shirt. What should we all be wearing to maintain a high degree of personal appearance? Jacket & tie, suits, tails and a top hat?

[KelvinsRightGlove]

I agree that we should be filling the stadium. I have been to every home game so have done my bit. But the bit about sloppily dressed fans and pride in personal appearance - what a complete and utter load of ****** - never read such tosh. Who cares what the fans personal appearance is like? You might think that people dressing up in River Island or some other tatt is what people should look like. Personally I think River Island is dreadful rubbish (no offence meant, but just to show the one person's opinion differs from another). As an adult I would never wear colours as that to me is something kids do - but if adults want to, then that is up to them. My nipper wears my old Rank Xerox shirt. What should we all be wearing to maintain a high degree of personal appearance? Jacket & tie, suits, tails and a top hat?

 

That would be class to be fair.

[Hatch]

maybe we would have more fans in the ground if Strictly Come Dancing started an hour or so later.

 

The number of people leaving early is a good indication of how popular the show is and how it is draining our support.

[Bucks Saint]

The number leaving early is going up because of...the number leaving early. I heard a guy say last weekend that he might leave on 80 mins, because of all those who leave on 85. Pretty soon the rush for half time beers will be swelled by the leavers

[Bourne Valley Saint]

Never mind those that leave early. I must have got out of my seat at least 20 times during the match to let people out. I was up and down like a yo-yo. That's the trouble with 5.30 p.m. kick offs and cold weather - slackbladders!

[Spudders]

Never mind those that leave early. I must have got out of my seat at least 20 times during the match to let people out. I was up and down like a yo-yo. That's the trouble with 5.30 p.m. kick offs and cold weather - slackbladders!

This is a good thing. These people walking in & out are doing so on the instructions of Deano. Hopefully the constant getting up & sitting down will help some of the fatties burn off some calories.

[angelman]

The number leaving early is going up because of...the number leaving early. I heard a guy say last weekend that he might leave on 80 mins, because of all those who leave on 85. Pretty soon the rush for half time beers will be swelled by the leavers

 

I confess to leaving early most games. I am a bit retentive about it...when the extra time board goes up, I look at my watch and leave 1 minute before time is up, getting to the exit about 20 seconds before the final whistle. If not, being at the top of the stand, it takes me an annoying amount of time to get out (admittedly not too long, but patience isn't a virtue I have) and too long to get over the railway lines. The Fulham game I stayed till the end as too many people had already left.

[100% Saint]

I agree that we should be filling the stadium. I have been to every home game so have done my bit. But the bit about sloppily dressed fans and pride in personal appearance - what a complete and utter load of ****** - never read such tosh. Who cares what the fans personal appearance is like? You might think that people dressing up in River Island or some other tatt is what people should look like. Personally I think River Island is dreadful rubbish (no offence meant, but just to show the one person's opinion differs from another). As an adult I would never wear colours as that to me is something kids do - but if adults want to, then that is up to them. My nipper wears my old Rank Xerox shirt. What should we all be wearing to maintain a high degree of personal appearance? Jacket & tie, suits, tails and a top hat?

That would be a classic for last away game of the season!

[Deano6]

We've been good enough until now.

 

We are the ones who stood cheering when playing teams like Dagenham in league one when we might not have a team to cheer the following year.

We are the ones who stood cheering when we took the points against Brighton who had never been beaten at home that season.

We are the ones that stood cheering when we got so close to winning the Championship but sang 'We are going up'.

We are the ones who kept the club going in it's darkest times.

We may be shabby, underdressed, overweight, with our beer bellies hanging out, face a little unshaven, hair unkept and breath less than minty, but WE are the ones that Lambert, Lallana, David, Fonte,Schneiderlin and others played for, and who cheered them to give them the belief that they could succeed back to the Premiership.

 

If what you want is the team to be supported by a load of fiona phillipses, I am a Southampton Supporter,I am a Southampton Supporter,I am a Southampton Supporter,(relegation)I am a Chelsea Supporter,Then to paraphrase a famous rapper, Give me one European season, then **** Saints, you can have them back.

 

If I'm no longer the fan Saints want, then perhaps they aren't the team for me., But until then, I'll carry out turning up. My beauty, like everyone elses, is skin deep.

 

That's the perfect analogy - Yes, you did all that back then, and it was enough. But we were League One back then, second rate, third tier. The club has since improved itself immeasurably in every way. How have you improved yourself? The club has done so by retaining the top in quality and casting out those that haven't made the grade. For every Adam, Morgan, Jose and Rickie there is a Jordan Robertson, Jacob Mellis, Jon Otsemobor and Neal Trotman. Ask yourself, which one are you? Is it enough for you to simply "still be around" because the club can't get rid of you (a la Pulis / Forecast), or do you need to shape up or ship out?

[The9]

There is a massive difference between now and League One - you could hardly stream or watch a match live in a pub on matchdays then - its a big factor now with reduced crowds - have a look at other clubs on matchdays I will bet not many get complete sell outs.

 

There is also the little matter of my ST working out at £33 a game now compared to £12.50 in L1. I'm giving serious consideration to just doing everything the same except not bothering to go to the match next season - £33 is a lot of beer to drink on a Saturday afternoon, even at Southampton prices.

 

And on that note, yes, the OP is correct, we need more rich fans who are too stupid to realise they're not getting value for money or that the club doesn't really need to charge that much anyway, and I hereby stand down from my position of self-appointed superfan.

Edited 29 October, 2013 by The9

[Greenridge]

We can start to worry when Pochettino rips in to the fans like AVB.