Remember when you were last happy as a Saints fan

[Lard]

Born in ‘67 ..enjoyed cup finals,even the loss to Forest at Wembley  etc

went to  the infamous Everton semi final  numerous local derby’s etc  

In  Recent times…just the JPT win. 
scraping promotion under Adkins was nice…. But even last season’s promotion came with huge trepidation. 
Damn I’d like to celebrate again.

can we get back that ruddy excitement?

[East Kent Saint]

I had forgotten what that feeling was ! However watching highlights of Arsenal v Real yesterday,  I remembered that excitement and pure enjoyment of watching a side I wanted to win do so . Not because it was Arsenal per se but it was a sort of English side against a top Spanish side .

[LiberalCommunist]

We got promoted via the play offs last season, which is something I did not expect to happen in my lifetime, so I'm not going to pretend that I've not been happy with saints for years. But, rewording it, when did losing stop stinging so bad, I'd say around 2018. Mark Hughes, (leaving that amazing swansea game out) & the dreadful ownership led us to where we are now. But I don't begrudge these times, we have no divine right to be just mediocre rather than awful. We are actually quite fortunate our currant owner is going to foot the bill. Plenty of clubs in far more choppy waters. 

[stknowle]

Easy. When we had Mane, Pele, Tadic etc tearing it up under Koeman. 

[Lighthouse]

I can’t see why anyone wouldn’t be happy with winning promotion at Wembley. The feeling didn’t last long when we started signing players but still, that was a good time to be a Saints fan.

Before that, 3rd October 2009 (I don’t know why that date sticks in my mind) until summer 2016 was all pretty awesome.

[Holmes_and_Watson]

Pretty much the start of any close season. That's when the hope for the following campaign begins.

[Stripey McStripe Shirt]

I was ecstatic when we won at Wembley, but can pretty much pin point when I knew we'd be doomed this season. Not sure why, but it's the second Russ stepped out on stage here. Something just screamed not professional enough/too pally for the Premier League...

 

[Tauro]

2 hours ago, stknowle said:

Easy. When we had Mane, Pele, Tadic etc tearing it up under Koeman. 

Best football I've seen saints play as a collective having watched since the early 90's. Genuinely believed we could be anyone on our day. 

[Simo is back]

Wembley last year , Pimpey 4 nil , Liverpool away Semi final.

[Football Special]

1 hour ago, Lighthouse said:

I can’t see why anyone wouldn’t be happy with winning promotion at Wembley. The feeling didn’t last long when we started signing players but still, that was a good time to be a Saints fan.

Before that, 3rd October 2009 (I don’t know why that date sticks in my mind) until summer 2016 was all pretty awesome.

Yes. Look at the videos at the final whistle at Wembley just last summer, up there in my 40 years as a Saints fan 

[The Kraken]

Wembley playoffs was brilliant. Definitely the most exciting way to go up, if not the most convincing. It very quickly went to shit but if you can’t enjoy a Wembley win, whatever the competition, something is a bit awry.

[EssEffCee]

1 hour ago, Lighthouse said:

I can’t see why anyone wouldn’t be happy with winning promotion at Wembley. The feeling didn’t last long when we started signing players but still, that was a good time to be a Saints fan.

Before that, 3rd October 2009 (I don’t know why that date sticks in my mind) until summer 2016 was all pretty awesome.

3rd October was the game when we came out of the minus points I think.

[Saint Garrett]

Most of last season. 

[Colinjb]

Last May, brilliant couple of weeks. That Wembley final was truly special. Winning a playoff is a wonderful way to win promotion.

But, consistently happy as a Saints fan? 2009 to the 2017 League Cup final. From Administration to the San Siro and a Cup final. If we ever come close to such an astonishing journey again in my lifetime we will have done incredibly well.

Edited Sunday at 21:33 by Colinjb

[S-Clarke]

Wembley was a great day, although in isolation it was just a day - what came after has been a shitfest.

My best memories of supporting this club are through the Adkins > Poch > Koeman eras, just an amazing 5-6 years of moving through the leagues with a core of players who grew and stayed with the club on the journey. That'll never happen again due to the finance and our model nowadays, so I'm pleased I got to experience those years when I did.

[aintforever]

The play-off win at Wembley is up there amongst my best moments as a Saints fan, even the semi-final last year was a fantastic occasion, probably the best atmosphere I have experienced at St Marys.

[Patrick Bateman]

5 hours ago, stknowle said:

Easy. When we had Mane, Pele, Tadic etc tearing it up under Koeman. 

This. My favourite Saints team ever, even more so than Ball's and Strachan's. 

[Saint_clark]

The play-offs was amazing but I knew what was going to happen this season so it pretty much only lasted the rest of that day, the day after I was just looking forward with trepidation. 

Last time properly happy, the league cup run under Puel. Being at Anfield for the Schlong goal in the semi final was one of the best moments of my life.

Last time consistently happy, under Koeman. 

 

My enjoyment of the sport at the top level is so damaged now that I didn't even react when Ramsdale saved the penalty at 0-0 on Saturday, I still knew what was going to happen after. 

[ApprenticeBillionaire]

In the purest sense of the question the LAST time was promotion at Wembly.

Other than that, people talk about the Koeman days but we played some breathtaking football under Poch. We were absolutely fucking next level at times, our press game was fucking incredible.

[TheAlehouseBrawlers]

I was thinking, about this time last year, but then I remembered us getting turned over by Cardiff, Stoke and hammered at Leicester and the play-offs suddenly looking a bit iffy. So last time is clearly the play-off games.

Wonder how we'll all be feeling this time next year.............?

[SaintBanks]

13 hours ago, stknowle said:

Easy. When we had Mane, Pele, Tadic etc tearing it up under Koeman. 

What a team.

[Sarnia Cherie]

13 hours ago, stknowle said:

Easy. When we had Mane, Pele, Tadic etc tearing it up under Koeman. 

I remember the match where we were home to Liverpool and went 2-0 down in a short time. Koeman's clever substitutions turned the game around. Mane scoring and then, I think, Pelle equalising. As if that wasn't enough Mane banged in another to give us all 3 points. Still very clear in my memory is Ronald Koeman who was recovering from foot surgery, running as best he could along the touchline to celebrate the 3rd goal. I think that took us to somewhere like 6th in the League. Happy days.

[adrian lord]

Class of '67 here too. Koeman era was the last joyful one, from his first tweet onwards!

[Saint86]

16 hours ago, Lard said:

Born in ‘67 ..enjoyed cup finals,even the loss to Forest at Wembley  etc

went to  the infamous Everton semi final  numerous local derby’s etc  

In  Recent times…just the JPT win. 
scraping promotion under Adkins was nice…. But even last season’s promotion came with huge trepidation. 
Damn I’d like to celebrate again.

can we get back that ruddy excitement?

I can't imagine only counting the JPT win as the last un-caveated sense of happiness as a saints fan in recent times. That's sad 😰.

The club almost went out of business, so yeah, that JPT win was a great day out sure, but the 2 years that followed it were fantastic (only saints fans could lambast a manager for not winning the championship as a newly promoted side 🤣😂). I loved when we had Poch, i loved when we had Koeman. I remember vividly the game away at Chelsea (October 2015) where we went to the bridge and comfortably beat Chelsea (who still had the likes of Hazard, Cahil, Terry, fabregas, oscar, and Willian) as a moment when i realised what a special side we had that year - and as it turns out, the best saints side i've ever watched. And that in turn led to European football and another Wembley visit under Puel (which we should and nearly did win - if only there had been VAR).

Even the dire seasons that followed had their moments. Another one i can remember vividly was Gabbi's goal away at Swansea that essentially secured our survival. My eldest was only a couple of months old at the time and i half developed a superstition that we weren't conceding a goal when he was in the room... so needless to say i woke him up when gabbi scored 😂.

And then the play off final win last season was fantastic - something i was able to then take my eldest to.

And somewhere in amongst all that was Lambert's first touch headed beauty of a goal vs Scotland - which i think is the loudest i've ever cheered any goal ever.

Good times come and go. This year has been shite, the next few years might be shite for all we know, or we could win the league next season... but whatever happens, saints will come again. And the worse the pain in the interim, the better the rise will be that follows - no pain no gain... look at us in 2009, luton in recent years, Wrexham... fancy Bradford might be about to begin their own little journey as well.

Edited 23 hours ago by Saint86

[Bakovnetski]

Saints 6 Manchester United 3

[so22saint]

In reverse time order:

Play off final

Beating the skates with Dings

Sunderland 8-0 (and that season in general), Villa 6-3, Liverpool 3-2 (in the game that probably convinced them to buy Mane)

JPT (last ever game with my mum so extra special)

Last league game at the Dell

3-3 against Liverpool in that last season

6-3 against Utd and 3-1 before that

4-2 at home win to Liverpool with goals from Le Tiss, Rideout, Wallace

 

 

[Andrew Watson]

Wembley apart,probably the terrific season under Ronald Koeman.

[east-stand-nic]

Let's be honest, it's only been this season that has been awful. Winning that play off final was awesome. Prior to that, the last relegation season wasn't great but it was not mega sad times. 

The lawrie era was my favourite from the 1978 promotion, the league cup final, Highbury and Fratton 84, runners up, numerous European games. Great days. 

As an aside, I also enjoy the many relegation scraps we were in during the 90's. Not great football at times but the main man le tiz made it special. 

Edited 17 hours ago by east-stand-nic
Spelling

[Saint Fan CaM]

Echo those saying play off final, but this season has been so bad it’s pretty much destroyed the joy of that event in a way.

Thing is, I get my joy from the anticipation of a game knowing that my team has even a small chance of winning. Since the very start of this season I’ve not felt that once, whereas I can say hand on heart that PRE-SR I did have that feeling to some extent. This is counterintuitive given the amount of money they’ve invested - it’s just been spent on shit players and inappropriate managers resulting in miserable uninspiring performances.

[benjii]

22 hours ago, Lard said:

Born in ‘67 ..enjoyed cup finals,even the loss to Forest at Wembley  etc

went to  the infamous Everton semi final  numerous local derby’s etc  

In  Recent times…just the JPT win. 
scraping promotion under Adkins was nice…. But even last season’s promotion came with huge trepidation. 
Damn I’d like to celebrate again.

can we get back that ruddy excitement?

You didn't enjoy the Championship promotion season, or Koeman or Pochettino's teams?

[BallBoy]

I wish I could say it was the last time we scored a goal or even won a game. Sadly I no longer feel that way. Every goal scored is followed by one or more conceded and every slightly promising performance is followed by an abject surrender. So even happy moments are tainted by a total lack of expectation. The last time I was happy? Probably the play off final but it only lasted a few weeks (when we were not actually playing! 

[Lard]

1 hour ago, benjii said:

You didn't enjoy the Championship promotion season, or Koeman or Pochettino's teams?

Both tenures were great. Very much so. 

[Gloucester Saint]

Last time was Wembley and there were some good moments last season mixed in with frustration at the defensive helplessness and slow play. Before that, Ralph and Project Restart, played some excellent stuff, and good spell in 2022/23 pre-Villa away. 

Then before that the League Cup Final and Europe, prior to some horrific football under Pellegrino. Adkins, Poch and Koeman enjoyed watching their teams hugely, the two seasons under Ronald are on a par with 1983/4 and 1984/5 my first full seasons as a supporter for me.

Enjoyed Pards team and the JPT as well. Before that, WGS period very good, Hoddle as well. MLT, Bally and Lawrie.

1989/90 some excellent attacking football under Nicholl, a top centre half away from pushing Arsenal and Liverpool at the top.

[Appy]

After Wembley, allowed myself 2-3 weeks to enjoy being promoted. Then started wondering how the hell we were going to stay up. 

[Whitey Grandad]

45 minutes ago, Appy said:

After Wembley, allowed myself 2-3 weeks to enjoy being promoted. Then started wondering how the hell we were going to stay up. 

That feeling lasted about ten seconds for me.

[stknowle]

1 hour ago, Appy said:

After Wembley, allowed myself 2-3 weeks to enjoy being promoted. Then started wondering how the hell we were going to stay up. 

If we get promoted again, after the initial happiness, the trepidation will just take over, probably worse next time and it will just be mythering that we trump ourselves and pile on more embarrassment. Sport relies on a reasonable degree of competitiveness and hope to be entertaining. That is basically gone unless they fuck off with this PSR/FFP bullshit. Would still be tough, it generally is for promoted teams, but not bordering on impossible as the last 2 seasons have been for promoted teams. It’s a shit state of affairs, draining and apathy inducing. 

Edited 12 hours ago by stknowle

[sambosa75]

Playoff final last season.  It was the day my son, aged 5 at the time in his 2nd ever match, fell head over heels in love with football.  I was off the drink the time (not that I have a problem or anything 🤣) so fully indulged his request to get into the ground 2 hours before kick off to watch the ground fill and atmosphere and anticipation grow.  Then for us to score to go 1-0 and then hang on for the win, I was so overcome with happiness and sentimentality that I shed a few tears.  That said, it was tempered by the fact I knew this season would be a struggle, although admittedly not the complete and utter shambles it has turned out to be.

[Lord Duckhunter]

“Happy” is a relative term when you’re a Saints supporter. I think “not miserable “ is a better description….

 

Loved the Nigel Adkins championship season so much more than last, even though it didn’t include a Wembley finale.

Us old cunts are lucky we lived through Laurie’s reign. As well as Koeman & Poch did, that’s the peak for me. The signings, the youngsters & the style of football, impossible to repeat. Just a shame that in 50 years of watching, we’ve won one fucking proper trophy….

[Convict Colony]

All the time except when i open up this forum.

[FredVaFC59100]

5 hours ago, Convict Colony said:

All the time except when i open up this forum.

you are wise, but there is sadness in your wisdom.

[ChristopheVAFC]

Personally, I was very happy for you after your season last year and your promotion back to the Premier League.