jamesfp1 Posted 22 January, 2015 Share Posted 22 January, 2015 Born and live in southampton. True story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danger Mouse Posted 22 January, 2015 Share Posted 22 January, 2015 No one in our family are into footy apart from me and my bro. So when me and him were kids (6 and 8-ish) we liked footy but didn't have anyone to support. Then my brother's bestest friend, whose family had moved up from Southampton, asked if he'd support them with him. Like the d!ckhead he is he said yes. Then my brother asked me the same thing, and like the d!ckhead I am I also said yes. That was ~30 years ago and it stuck. Incidentally, when I was 16 or so I had a friend without a team and managed to persuade him to support Saints by pointing out that we had Shearer, the best striker in the country. Then we sold him to Blackburn and he switched allegiance, the b*stard! He's now a de-facto Arsenal "fan" due to his brother in law. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericb Posted 22 January, 2015 Share Posted 22 January, 2015 A couple years back I decided to pick up following football as a hobby. Was originally going to pick one of the big teams to support, but I didnt want to be like a stereotypical American bandwagon supporter, so, knowing that some family was originally from the UK, I did a little research and traced them back to Southampton. This was back at the end of the 2012/13 season when we were relegation contenders and my first two games were the 3-1 win over Liverpool and 2-1 over Chelsea. I just checked the scores that season on BBC and other sites but come last season, with the NBCSN coverage, and started watching games. I guess you could say the rest is history. And that is how any overseas fan should do it, not a problem at all with an overseas fan supporting our club if they're families heritage is from our fine city. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fan The Flames Posted 23 January, 2015 Share Posted 23 January, 2015 And that is how any overseas fan should do it, not a problem at all with an overseas fan supporting our club if they're families heritage is from our fine city. People can support who they like, if they want to put their following into context then that's fine, but if they don't that's fine as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bilbot79 Posted 23 January, 2015 Share Posted 23 January, 2015 Was thinking about a club to support when I was 13 at home in n ireland. Didn't want to jump on the bandwagon of utd and Liverpool like everyone else. Then discovered an absolutely amazing player that could have left for a bigger club but stayed true instead. Really admired Le Tissier so Southampton it was. In the back of my mind I always had a dream we would rise up and become great and I have to say, it's f***** happening! I seriously hope we make the CL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bilbot79 Posted 23 January, 2015 Share Posted 23 January, 2015 Born in Texas, live in Texas. I am one of those Americans that "picked" a team to support. I began supporting the Saints at the beginning of the 2013-2014 season. So the question is why, when I have no real ties to Southampton. First a few general conditions. I have always been a fan of football but just even a decade ago, exposure to the EPL was very limited. How did it get broadened in America? Two things in my opinion 1) FIFA Soccer video game for Xbox or Playstation. Wildly popular in America - people began to learn teams, players through the video game. 2) NBCSN's gonzo coverage of the Premier League starting in the 2013-2014 season. Generally, 6 hours of coverage Saturday morning. Secondly, the ability to stream live any game allowed a supporter to see every game if desired. You could not be shut out if you were interested. It's hard to be a fan, if you can only watch 5 games a year. So, why Southampton? 1) I didn't want to pick an obvious team, an "easy" team, a la Chelsea or Man U, or the very trendy Liverpool (in America). I tend to take paths least traveled. 2) I wanted to pick a team who wasn't an obvious relegation threat. If I had picked Norwich last year, what is my outlet to support them this year? A few internet reports on ESPN.com? No fun. 3) I was attracted to the home grown English element of Southampton. It seemed in England Southampton was everyone's second favorite team. 4) I didn't want to pick a London based team. I liked the regional aspect of Southampton. South England's team. No other competing clubs near by in the Premier League. 5) Did seem like an up and comer and at the time they were a very young team; Chambers, JWP, Shaw.. (remember, this is 2013) 6) They seemed to have good ownership in place and were starting to spend a little money.. Ramirez, Osvaldo, etc. (remember, this is 2013) So, I decided then and there I would support Southampton through thick and thin.. whether we had 25 points by mid November or 4 points. wouldn't matter. I have been rewarded and so far it has been a very thrilling 2 years. I know some might consider my journey to support Southampton as "not putting the time in" or "not as authentic" or "I haven't suffered through the really dark times" or "just another American getting in our business" but I am OK with people feeling that. God knows these are great times, I feel fortunate. I mention and talk about Southampton to anyone who will listen here in American/Texas. So, I consider Southampton "my team" but if by some awful set of circumstances we find ourselves in League One ten years from now, I will still support them, even if my only outlet for information is a single line fixture result posted on BBC.com and this website. All are welcome at the Church of St Marys. Will only make the club stronger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griff Posted 23 January, 2015 Share Posted 23 January, 2015 Although I live in West Sussex I used to work in Southampton in the 90's and everyone in the office supported Southampton, or kept vey quiet. So I started following results, then started to learn about the team, started to hate Rupert Lowe and then went to a game and was hooked. Having been through to good and bad times I still can't really believe how well we are doing and in the Man U game I admired the organisation in the defence but still felt that dread that it was all going to go tits up. Especially in the last few minutes. I still think one of the best games I've been to was when we beat Tottenham at home 4-0. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericb Posted 23 January, 2015 Share Posted 23 January, 2015 People can support who they like, if they want to put their following into context then that's fine, but if they don't that's fine as well. Great well in that case i'm sure you'll never complain about plastic Mancs or the like and have no issue with the game being financially skewed towards the big clubs because of their branding overseas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bilbot79 Posted 23 January, 2015 Share Posted 23 January, 2015 Although I live in West Sussex I used to work in Southampton in the 90's and everyone in the office supported Southampton, or kept vey quiet. So I started following results, then started to learn about the team, started to hate Rupert Lowe and then went to a game and was hooked. Having been through to good and bad times I still can't really believe how well we are doing and in the Man U game I admired the organisation in the defence but still felt that dread that it was all going to go tits up. Especially in the last few minutes. I still think one of the best games I've been to was when we beat Tottenham at home 4-0. I remember that. It was like the perfect game of football. Destroyed them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SW5 SAINT Posted 23 January, 2015 Share Posted 23 January, 2015 I grew up in Worthing in the 1960's. The other boys in my class at Primary school supported teams like Chelsea, Tottenham, Man Utd , Celtic and Arsenal. I hit on Southampton because we used to visit the city a couple of times a year. Harbour boat trip around the docks etc, then picnic in New Forest or Mayflower park. It was always a place I liked. Even then I was proud of my originality of not following one of the so called big teams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5string Posted 24 January, 2015 Share Posted 24 January, 2015 Brought up in the New Forest, therefore Saints were the nearest 'main' club (sorry, Bournemouth!). 1st game was the Boxing Day game at the Dell during the '75/'76 Cup winning season - may have been Bristol Rovers? Didn't get to Wembley, but went to see the victorious team return on the open-topped bus outside the Civic Hall - I was one of the 250,000! Never supported anyone else 'properly',though I like to follow local teams where I live... the mighty Diamonds of Airdrie currently. That's a tough gig! As a result of my meanderings I also 'follow' Exeter, Yeovil, Crawley, Rangers, Falkirk and St Johnstone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miltonaggro Posted 24 January, 2015 Share Posted 24 January, 2015 Born in St Denys, Dad played for Southampton boys and was a pal of John Sydenham and Terry Paine, in the blood so had no choice whatsoever and wouldn't have it any other way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheCholulaKid Posted 24 January, 2015 Share Posted 24 January, 2015 Both Mum and Dad's family are from Locks Heath. Being border country, one family are skates and one Saints. Never lived there myself but lots of time spent with grandparents and both Nick Holmes and Steve Moran as local heroes didn't leave me with much choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint Trev Posted 24 January, 2015 Share Posted 24 January, 2015 Because I was born there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJSFC Posted 25 January, 2015 Share Posted 25 January, 2015 My old man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pappalotti Posted 27 January, 2015 Share Posted 27 January, 2015 As a Feyenoord supporter i visited 18 oktober the game against Sunderland. Historic game. We, my daughter and I, came to see Pelle play and see the Koeman brothers. What happend that day was a dream. See my post the italian flag. Met Some Guys at Southampton inside and still in contact. What a warm club. ITS one big professional family. Felt in love with this club. Vision is the same as Feyenoord : we dont buy succes we breed it! Whats even greater: shirt saints in 1885 was the same as Feyenoord shirt still is!!! So the other Side of the heart is white. And that beats for both clubs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom & Gerry Posted 27 January, 2015 Share Posted 27 January, 2015 Me Dad took me. At first I preferred the Albion Band and wanted to get home for the Lone Ranger but it gets in your blood doesn't it? and there is no cure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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