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Here come our new 'rivals'...


Saint-Armstrong

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What's that sound I hear? It's a lot of buckets rattling.

 

When I was in secondary school in Winchester there was a kid who claimed to be a Bournemouth fan. I met him again a few years later when as it happened we both chose the same university... Bournemouth University, as it happens. By that time he was a Saints fan, and I can remember the last time I saw him in the flesh he was wearing our 125th anniversary shirt when I saw him outside his halls of residence on Holdenhurst Road. I asked him 'I thought you were a Bournemouth fan?' and he replied 'nah I've always been Saints!'

 

According to the fountain of knowledge that is Facebook he's been to nearly every Bournemouth game this season and is shouting about their success, particularly looking forward to playing us 'scummers' next season. A rivalry by the way that I will never, ever understand. I've never looked down on Bournemouth and thought we had a very good relationship until we dared to drop to their level and beat them three times in their 'derby'.

 

None of this is a 'fairy tale'. They spent £3m on Callum Wilson and the season before that £2.5m on Tokelo Rantie. They're bankrolled by a secretive millionaire and whilst Eddie Howe is a good manager, it does help when you have a massive wage budget and transfer kitty - something I was pleased to hear the Daily Echo's editor Andy Martin, an old lecturer of mine at uni, say on Five Live last night, between a gushing Steve Claridge and over-excited set of pundits. Blackpool's achievements a few years ago kick this one into the long grass.

 

Will I be hoping they do well next season? No. I couldn't give a toss.

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None of this is a 'fairy tale'. They spent £3m on Callum Wilson and the season before that £2.5m on Tokelo Rantie. They're bankrolled by a secretive millionaire and whilst Eddie Howe is a good manager, it does help when you have a massive wage budget and transfer kitty.

 

Thats harsh! Whilst they have had a decent amount of investment, their wage budget and transfer spend is still significantly below a good number of other teams in the league. Particularly those with parachute payments and some with rich backers of their own.

 

From -17 points in League 2 to the Premier League in such a short space of time is extremely impressive.

Edited by Matthew Le God
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not our rivals and never will be

 

What is your definition of a "rival"?

 

Of course Saints vs Bournemouth isn't like Saints vs Pompey, and the interest is largely from the Bournemouth fans. But there is still more spice and interest from both sets of fans to a Saints vs Bournemouth game than Saints vs West Brom or Sunderland or Burnley etc.

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Thats harsh! Whilst they have had a decent amount of investment, their wage budget and transfer spend is still significantly below a good number of other teams in the league. Particularly those with parachute payments and some with rich backers of their own.

 

From -17 points in League 2 to the Premier League in such a short space of time is extremely impressive.

 

It's not harsh. A 'fairy tale' to my mind is Hartlepool staying up having been ten points adrift three months ago with a hopeless bunch of players, or Blackpool going up via the play-offs a few years ago with a squad made up of cast-offs from other clubs.

 

I fully recognise the achievements of Eddie Howe who is a good manager, but you cannot ignore where this success has come from or what it boils down to. They were able to pay Burnley £1m+ to get Eddie Howe back when they were in League One, a significant amount of money especially when you consider it cost us the same to buy Lambert from Bristol Rovers. It's unheard of to pay that much for a manager at that level. £3m is still a big amount of money for a Championship team to pay for a League One striker, and then consider the wages of players like Boruc and Jones on loan. They were bidding £5m for Birmingham's Demarai Gray in January.

 

We've done the exact same though and are no better. We spent way beyond our means to get out of League One and then paid a decent amount to escape the Championship. I read somewhere a few months ago that the only reason they escaped penalties for their unbalanced spending was because the Lallana deal and their 25% cut.

 

I fail to see how this is a heart-warming tale, especially when Bournemouth fans act they way they do. It's not just us either, there wasn't much love from Reading's lot on Twitter last night, although admittedly they're not much better. 'AFC All Mouth' was one description that amused me last night. I was staggered that Jeff Mostyn actually said on television that he was pleased with their record win away from home because it was one better than us against Sunderland. Where does that attitude come from? Mostyn should know better than most that we've been pretty good to them over the years.

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Thats harsh! Whilst they have had a decent amount of investment, their wage budget and transfer spend is still significantly below a good number of other teams in the league. Particularly those with parachute payments and some with rich backers of their own.

 

From -17 points in League 2 to the Premier League in such a short space of time is extremely impressive.

 

I'm sure we were backed significantly more when we were coming up the leagues, and I don't remember anyone critising that and we were being called a fairy tale story in a lot of quarters.

 

Fonte, Lambert, Lallana and co in League 1 would have been on mega-money, at that level. I think it's safe to say we were bankrolled on our way back up, but it was done in a sensible structured way - similar to how Bournemouth have achived it, but I'd say it's on less resources than us.

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I'm sure we were backed significantly more when we were coming up the leagues, and I don't remember anyone critising that and we were being called a fairy tale story in a lot of quarters.

 

Fonte, Lambert, Lallana and co in League 1 would have been on mega-money, at that level. I think it's safe to say we were bankrolled on our way back up, but it was done in a sensible structured way - similar to how Bournemouth have achived it, but I'd say it's on less resources than us.

Lambert cost more than the next 2 biggest transfers in that league that season combined. One of those 2 was Dean Hammond...to Saints

 

Didn't lambert also triple (or even quadruple) his wages when he signed for us?

we blew everyone out of the water completely in that league. 2nd was the bare minimum the season we went up

 

the NPC, that was very good

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It's not harsh. A 'fairy tale' to my mind is Hartlepool staying up having been ten points adrift three months ago with a hopeless bunch of players, or Blackpool going up via the play-offs a few years ago with a squad made up of cast-offs from other clubs.

 

I fully recognise the achievements of Eddie Howe who is a good manager, but you cannot ignore where this success has come from or what it boils down to. They were able to pay Burnley £1m+ to get Eddie Howe back when they were in League One, a significant amount of money especially when you consider it cost us the same to buy Lambert from Bristol Rovers. It's unheard of to pay that much for a manager at that level. £3m is still a big amount of money for a Championship team to pay for a League One striker, and then consider the wages of players like Boruc and Jones on loan. They were bidding £5m for Birmingham's Demarai Gray in January.

 

We've done the exact same though and are no better. We spent way beyond our means to get out of League One and then paid a decent amount to escape the Championship. I read somewhere a few months ago that the only reason they escaped penalties for their unbalanced spending was because the Lallana deal and their 25% cut.

 

I fail to see how this is a heart-warming tale, especially when Bournemouth fans act they way they do. It's not just us either, there wasn't much love from Reading's lot on Twitter last night, although admittedly they're not much better. 'AFC All Mouth' was one description that amused me last night. I was staggered that Jeff Mostyn actually said on television that he was pleased with their record win away from home because it was one better than us against Sunderland. Where does that attitude come from? Mostyn should know better than most that we've been pretty good to them over the years.

 

There are plenty of teams in that league with money, what Bournemouth have done is outstanding.

 

Wether the owners are loaded or not is irrelevant, is still a fairy tale for their fans who have had to put up with all sorts of sh!te over the years and only 6 years ago were staring non-league in the face.

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It seems that those who have lived in or near Bournemouth are more likely to dislike them, two guys that I know who went to Bournemouth uni feel that way, the idiot fringe that wish to build a rivalry seemed to have achieved their mission with them; those friends that have had effectively nothing to do with the town though are pleased for them.

 

I'm in the later bracket. Truly delighted for them. I'm not falling into a bitter trap of building another toxic relationship as we have with the Skates, Bournemouth is the little brother.... I couldn't be happier at their success, it is of mutual benefit to have us both in the top flight.

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Do you want a medal for being able to use italics or something?

 

You continue to miss the point that although Bournemouth have had an owner putting money in, they are still on a smaller budget than lots of other Championship clubs. That is what makes it impressive this season.

 

For example... Fulham's Ross McCormack cost them more than the entire Bournemouth starting XI last night.

Edited by Matthew Le God
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Delighted to see them come up, they deserve it after playing so well. A remarkable achievement to get from where they were to the PL.

 

That said I don't see them as rivals. They are along the coast about 30 miles. Reading are about 40 and I don't see them as rivals either.

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I'm sure we were backed significantly more when we were coming up the leagues, and I don't remember anyone critising that and we were being called a fairy tale story in a lot of quarters.

 

Fonte, Lambert, Lallana and co in League 1 would have been on mega-money, at that level. I think it's safe to say we were bankrolled on our way back up, but it was done in a sensible structured way - similar to how Bournemouth have achived it, but I'd say it's on less resources than us.

 

ANd how much do you think the likes of Boruc are on at Bournemouth?

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Will they be calling us northern scum?

 

I am also delighted for them. Much rather the Cherries than a team from some midlands or northern dump. Good luck to 'em.

 

Have had many summer days down there. Sandbanks is the b011ocks. For being a coastal town its a huge shame soton has no proper beach. When i say spent at the seaside what i really mean is most the day on the A31.

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Well this thread is about how the rivalry should be - and that you'd expect from teams only 30 miles apart. Thanks for the comments, I definitely think you lot are in a far better general mood than you were in league One!

 

There will always be the bitter and twisted types like Lord Duckhunter - he's beyond hope and consistently gets his knickers in a twist over us. I can imagine him foaming at the mouth over last nights events...which pleases me. Generally most of us AFCB fans seem to get on OK with Saints fans. Going to be interesting next season whatever happens, hell we might even sneak a draw with you down here if we're lucky..

 

Plain weird at the moment, hasn't sunk in tbh.

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I imagine we're subsidising the wage.

 

But whatever, they've achieved a great thing on far less resources than we had. Respect to them.

 

So basically they can thank us for their success because we loaned and paid for them to have a top class keeper....

 

You're welcome Bournemouth:D

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So basically they can thank us for their success because we loaned and pay for them to have a top class keeper....

 

You're welcome Bournemouth:D

 

;)

 

to be fair, we've helped them out a fair bit in the past. Lallana, Surman loans.

 

Oh, and we helped them get a fair wedge from the Lallana deal.

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I don't see them as rivals.

 

How would you define "rivals"? Ok, its not Pompey levels of rivalry, but there is something different about Saints vs Bournemouth than a lot of other games Saints play.

 

They are along the coast about 30 miles.

 

So what?

 

Ipswich to Norwich - 45 miles

Newcastle to Middlesbrough - 40 miles

Bristol to Swindon - 40 miles

Liverpool to Manchester - 35 miles

Cardiff to Swansea - 40 miles

Cardiff to Bristol - 45 miles

etc

 

Reading are about 40 and I don't see them as rivals either.

 

Reading is 50 miles away from Southampton. Again, okay its not Pompey levels of rivalry but our fanbases will overlap geographically and there is a degree of rivalry between the clubs even though it is nowhere near Pompey vs Saints levels. That doesn't make a team not a rival however.

Edited by Matthew Le God
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Some people appear to see it as you are either a rival or not, with no grey area. There are scales of rivalry, some relationships with other clubs being more intense than others.

 

Saints vs Bournemouth will have more spark about it than Saints vs Charlton. That makes it a rivalry, but relatively small compared to what we have with Pompey. It is also more one sided with Bournemouth seeing us as their biggest rivals, but us putting them below Pompey.

Edited by Matthew Le God
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Some people appear to see it as you are either a rival or not, with no grey area. There are scales of rivalry, some relationships with other clubs being more intense than others.

 

Saints vs Bournemouth will have more spark about it than Saints vs Charlton. That makes it a rivalry, but relatively small compared to what we have with Pompey.

 

You can tell you're bored with the current football manager.

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For those of you saying well done to little Bournemouth and it's great , here are a few facts for you.

 

They hate us and call us scummers

 

They love Pompey & particular Twitchy

 

It is not some sort of fairy story , they pay massive wages and have outspent most clubs in that league .

 

They are following the Portsmouth model , with a rich Russian bankrolling a Poxy little club .

 

It makes me laugh that people complain about The Skates and yet another side who do exactly the same thing are praised .

 

No set of supporters love another club, its ludicrous to suggest such a thing.

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You continue to miss the point that although Bournemouth have had an owner putting money in

 

I've not missed that point to begin with, so it's hard to continue missing it. Anyway, don't let me distract you from your spreadsheets.

 

Reading are about 40 and I don't see them as rivals either.

 

I've never understood that one either, and their behaviour when they won at our place was downright shocking at times.

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What's that sound I hear? It's a lot of buckets rattling.

 

When I was in secondary school in Winchester there was a kid who claimed to be a Bournemouth fan. I met him again a few years later when as it happened we both chose the same university... Bournemouth University, as it happens. By that time he was a Saints fan, and I can remember the last time I saw him in the flesh he was wearing our 125th anniversary shirt when I saw him outside his halls of residence on Holdenhurst Road. I asked him 'I thought you were a Bournemouth fan?' and he replied 'nah I've always been Saints!'

 

According to the fountain of knowledge that is Facebook he's been to nearly every Bournemouth game this season and is shouting about their success, particularly looking forward to playing us 'scummers' next season. A rivalry by the way that I will never, ever understand. I've never looked down on Bournemouth and thought we had a very good relationship until we dared to drop to their level and beat them three times in their 'derby'.

 

None of this is a 'fairy tale'. They spent £3m on Callum Wilson and the season before that £2.5m on Tokelo Rantie. They're bankrolled by a secretive millionaire and whilst Eddie Howe is a good manager, it does help when you have a massive wage budget and transfer kitty - something I was pleased to hear the Daily Echo's editor Andy Martin, an old lecturer of mine at uni, say on Five Live last night, between a gushing Steve Claridge and over-excited set of pundits. Blackpool's achievements a few years ago kick this one into the long grass.

 

Will I be hoping they do well next season? No. I couldn't give a toss.

 

Didn't you work on some of their media and attend quite a few games?

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I imagine we're subsidising the wage.

 

But whatever, they've achieved a great thing on far less resources than we had. Respect to them.

 

Really? There are various way of looking at things. Transfers..looking at promotion season and the 2 seasons leading up to it (ie this season for B'mouth, a few back for us)

 

AFCB (in millions)

Buy 3.81 Sell 3.26

Buy 3.57 Sell 0

Buy 1.38 Sell 0.827

So net spend was 4.673m

 

Saints (in millions)

Buy 4.94 Sell 12.62

Buy 2.63 Sell 0

Buy 2.49 Sell 4.47

So net spend of -7.03m (having spent just £1m more than AFCB)

 

Wages are always hard to know what's what, but it was on the wireless this morning that they pay pretty decently. In the period of those 3 seasons, they have had 11 loans in and 12 players in on frees. We had 9 loans and 10 frees.

 

However, I am more than delighted that they have been promoted. Just want Brentford to be able to do it but I can't see Derby losing to Reading, although I guess Ipswich might lose to Blackburn.

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How would you define "rivals"? Ok, its not Pompey levels of rivalry, but there is something different about Saints vs Bournemouth than a lot of other games Saints play. So what?

 

Ipswich to Norwich - 45 miles

Newcastle to Middlesbrough - 40 miles

Bristol to Swindon - 40 miles

Liverpool to Manchester - 35 miles

Cardiff to Swansea - 40 miles

Cardiff to Bristol - 45 miles

etc

Reading is 50 miles away from Southampton. Again, okay its not Pompey levels of rivalry but our fanbases will overlap geographically and there is a degree of rivalry between the clubs even though it is nowhere near Pompey vs Saints levels. That doesn't make a team not a rival however.

 

Personally I define it as this "a person or thing that is competing for the same object or goal as another, or who tries to equal or outdo another; competitor. "

 

By that logic everyone in the league is a rival as we are trying to outdo them, be better than them.

 

As you mention Portsmouth that is a true rivalry that has been developed over a long period of time. We don't dislike each other simply because of our geographical locations. We have a long history together. We have probably played each other competitively around 70-80+ times. We have played Bournemouth twice in the league in the past 55 years. It doesn't have that rivalry because there has been no history to build up. No emotion, no ill will of each other.

 

While some along the coast may try and hype it up and create a rivalry I myself will remember the good that we did for them. We have sent them countless players, we have had friendlies with them. Let them use our facilities and staff. And as much as they hate it being said we helped them in their need for help financially. These things do not sound like the actions of a rival. Would we do that for Pompey? No chance. When they were in financial **** we just laughed at them.

 

So as I said it isn't about how close you are to someone. It is about the relationship you have with one another. All my Bournemouth fan friends wish us well and the same goes for my Southampton ones. Our relationship has always been a good one and I have no doubt it will remain that way.

 

Who knows if Bournemouth establish themselves and stay in the same league as us then that history and emotion can change into something else. But right now they are only a rival in the sense that I want to beat them, get three points and finish above them. No different from Man Utd or Leicester.

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What???

 

A fair few Reading fans acted like total nobheads when they won 3 - 1 at our place. I know I'm not the only one who witnessed it.

 

Didn't you work on some of their media and attend quite a few games?

 

Yep. Being the kind-hearted Saints fan I am I gave up my time and money to work for them when they were in the doldrums. Got to know their squad quite well. I left before they went up to League One/the money came in.

 

I'll always remember how smug they were when they beat us in a pre-season friendly. Unbelievable.

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I was there, what did they do to act like "nobheads"?

 

Threatening language and behaviour on the walk back to Southampton Central and then again on the trains was something I personally saw. Again, something I don't understand. They'd won, were looking good for promotion, there is no rivalry, where does that kind of thing come from?

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Really? There are various way of looking at things. Transfers..looking at promotion season and the 2 seasons leading up to it (ie this season for B'mouth, a few back for us)

 

AFCB (in millions)

Buy 3.81 Sell 3.26

Buy 3.57 Sell 0

Buy 1.38 Sell 0.827

So net spend was 4.673m

 

Saints (in millions)

Buy 4.94 Sell 12.62

Buy 2.63 Sell 0

Buy 2.49 Sell 4.47

So net spend of -7.03m (having spent just £1m more than AFCB)

 

Wages are always hard to know what's what, but it was on the wireless this morning that they pay pretty decently. In the period of those 3 seasons, they have had 11 loans in and 12 players in on frees. We had 9 loans and 10 frees.

 

However, I am more than delighted that they have been promoted. Just want Brentford to be able to do it but I can't see Derby losing to Reading, although I guess Ipswich might lose to Blackburn.

 

One problem with that comparison is that it doesnt adjust for inflation. Would Lambo have cost £1m if we had bought him in 2013 as opposed to 2009? The retort is that there hasn't been the same inflation in L1 as the PL and the Championship. Even so, we bought players in the Championship -Sharp and Fox being the obvious ones- who would have cost significantly more today (I.e. in Bournemouth terms).

Edited by shurlock
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Thats harsh! Whilst they have had a decent amount of investment, their wage budget and transfer spend is still significantliy below a good number of other teams in the league. Particularly those with parachute payments and some with rich backers of their own.

 

From -17 points in League 2 to the Premier League in such a short space of time is extremely impressive.

 

Mick Macarthy who is pretty stright talking , claimed that they should be in and around the play offs for the money they've spent on fees and wages .

 

The press seem to be having a field day with this Little Bournemouth line , but the truth is somewhat different . Whilst traditionally a small league 1 or 2 side , this is not a Burnley or Blackpool situation . Yes other clubs have more parachute money , but with the level of investment they've had ( which Howe has made the most if) they should have been top 10 at least . For a top 10 spending club to finish second is not as great a performance as the media are making out . The surprise is down to their ignorance and lack of interest in lower league football , rather than Boscombe pulling off any shocks .

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No, it's the point entirely. They would not be in the Championship without the money they have spent, let alone the Premier League.

 

I wouldn't mind but this whole 'we hate the scummers' sh*t gets on my nerves.

 

It's irrelevant to their fans - that is the point I was making. They have spent years watching sh!te, gone bust more times than I can remember and 6 years ago were very nearly non-league. In that respect it is a footballing fairy tale.

 

Did the fact that we were bankrolled by the Leibherrs make our success any less exciting, no.

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They're like a lovable little brother that wants to call us names, but I'm not going to pretend I'm not pleased they're up.

 

That's because we get to get b0llocksed in New Forest pubs, patronise them and get an easy 6 points, just like in League One. The away match that season was one of the ones I enjoyed the most, along with Brighton (seaside, pubs and 3 points) and Orient (London pubs and 3 points).

 

Unlikely to get them to beat in the League Cup next season if we make Europe though.

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Mick Macarthy who is pretty stright talking , claimed that they should be in and around the play offs for the money they've spent on fees and wages .

 

The press seem to be having a field day with this Little Bournemouth line , but the truth is somewhat different . Whilst traditionally a small league 1 or 2 side , this is not a Burnley or Blackpool situation . Yes other clubs have more parachute money , but with the level of investment they've had ( which Howe has made the most if) they should have been top 10 at least . For a top 10 spending club to finish second is not as great a performance as the media are making out . The surprise is down to their ignorance and lack of interest in lower league football , rather than Boscombe pulling off any shocks .

 

This is done quickly after scanning the league table without out checking all the details of the deals, but I'd say the following squads were more costly than Bournemouth's to assemble...

 

Norwich

Derby

Middlesborough

Blackburn

Nottingham Forest

Cardiff

Fulham

Reading

Brighton

Wigan

 

Possibly some others as well. To finish above them all is impressive.

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This is done quickly after scanning the league table without out checking all the details of the deals, but I'd say the following squads were more costly than Bournemouth's to assemble...

 

Norwich

Derby

Middlesborough

Blackburn

Nottingham Forest

Cardiff

Fulham

Reading

Brighton

Wigan

 

Possibly some others as well. To finish above them all is impressive.

 

I agree - it would be wrong to say that they haven't spent much money and don't have much investment, but it would be equally wrong to suggest that what they have achieved still isn't impressive given the clubs they have finished above.

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