Dear Fantasists

[severnside gull]

well yes I do think it's got a little out of hand but let's remember that it started with Cortese and his idea that their club was somehow superior to everyone else which is how, where once there was Southampton, the South Coast Club was born. This was compounded by Pardew, a somewhat unsavoury specimen with a perennial down on Brighton, and further exacerbated by Adkins who - from the dizzy heights of an eight point deficit - decided that the title was theirs by right. Sprinkle in any of the hundreds of derogatory and just plain nasty comments in the Echo, a cancer that spread to the Argus, and is it any wonder there is an exaggerated antipathy towards them.

But yes it is over the top now and hopefully it will end after Saturday once Adkins has been appropriately reviled and the scc sent packing to lick their wounds and ponder on whether the lottery of the play-offs might indeed be theirs to suffer. At exactly that point it really should end.

 

[bhaexpress]

To be fair, that's not what he said. He said if the roles were reversed, and they had won the league, then they'd remind Pompy etc etc

To be honest again I lost interest in reading another diatribe.

 

[Social Sausage]

As you are new here I will excuse the fact that you have no idea of what you're talking about. Frankly we haven't rubbed anybody's nose in the fact that we have walked this league. We have been rather offended by some of the rather stupid remarks of your physio, sorry manager hence the amount of abuse he gets. What is even more ironic about Hammond is that he left us for better things, at Colchester. After a handful of games they went down with him with them however in the same was Harding left us for Leeds they showed very little class and frankly the joke is now on both of them. It's not that likely that Hammond would get into our team now and Harding would definitely be a reserve.

I can understand Harding leaving. If you cannot accept that Leeds, at that time, is a step up then you are clearly one of the blinkered, one-tracked people I've talked about, blinded by hatred. Hammond, on the other hand, is a bizarre one. Like many, he probably was offered a payrise and the opportunity to, at least briefly, play Championship football. Galling, but perhaps understandable if you were a professional footballer. Then again, perhaps not.

On a final note, you say Portsmouth will get a couple of spankings from you next season. Bit arrogant to assume that you are up isn't it ? Worth remembering that Lallana keeps getting hurt and as yesterday showed you are not that good without him. Oxo is already gone and now you look like having a serious problem with Barnard as well. It's nowhere near the formality you seem to think it is, after all a lot of people considered you were up in August.

And I'll make an exception for you twisting my words. I didn't say they would, I said we owe them a couple of spankings. This is exactly what I mean, your hatred warping your perception. I haven't assumed we're up, either - once again, you have twisted my words... I was referencing IF the roles have reversed and we are promoted. Once again... please tell me where I have mentioned that it is a 'formality'?

It's quite obvious you are one of them that cannot be reasoned with... and I'll be very much surprised if you go back and retract what you've accused me of.

 

[Titanic]

Dear Silly Sausage,

Why are you still here?

 

[Acker79]

there's been attention aimed at southampton because

1) everyone at the start of the season had them as dead certs for the title, whereas we would be play-offs maximum

2) their manager is a bellend

3) dean hammond is also a bellend

4) quite a few of their fans have taken the time to register on here, moaning about how 'obsessed' we are with them

As well as

5) We were vying with them (albeit a bit one-sidedly) for promotion and then the division title.
6) They are one of, if not the closest league one club, geographically speaking
7) Local TV not giving equal representation of our games rankles some people
8) The saints/tottenham game from 78 still rankles some people

As an elaboration to your point 4 I would highlight one southampton fan who claimed to be posting on a brighton match thread on a brighton message board while sat at st mary's. He was there to watch southampton play and instead spent his time on his phone on a brighton board claiming we were the obsessed ones.

Having said that, even with several justifications, there are a touch too many southampton threads. But I agree with your last comment, next year we likely won't care that much about Southampton (unless we're vying with them for survival/play spot/promotion)

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Can someone explain to me what exactly are we fantasising about to be called fantasists? We don't have to fantasise about anything. We've got a brand new stadium all paid for up front, a genius of a manager, a superb team who have already been promoted and declared champions.
Am I missing something here?

 

[Social Sausage]

It's a testament to the team this season that we are able to get under the skins of the SCC fans.
Just shows how much they are irritated that a "small" club like us can possibly be better than the "big" club that is SCC.

Just brilliant.

I think you'll find the majority of Saints fans don't look upon you as a little club at all. If some of you had taken a little time to talk to us as opposed to biting at the internet warriors you'll find that we probably share many of the same values. I, for one, have never viewed Brighton as "plucky" or "small" or metaphorically, as a child that you'd pat on the head and go "awwwwwwwww" to. Quite the opposite, in fact. Whenever I saw anything on Brighton or spared them a thought I'd only think positively "Oh, glad they're winning" or "Hope that new stadium gets built soon!". Not once have I personally revelled in any difficult times that you've had. From that perspective, perhaps thats why I cannot fathom why there is such animosity.

I'm happy you're finally getting to move on (moving stadium) and the future looks bright. I know what that feels like, it's exciting to be finally on a level playing field with many other clubs. You're no longer swimming against the tide. No, instead, you'll be riding it. What I can't understand is the level of vitriol. Like I said, I acknowledge Adkins said something stupid in the heat of the moment but I really don't know where these thousands of supposed arrogant Saints fans have come from.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I'm happy you're finally getting to move on (moving stadium) and the future looks bright. I know what that feels like,

No, no you don't. You haven't got a clue.

 

[El Presidente]

Compared to the childish bollocks some of our lot post on the Southampton Echo site, I thought that SS's comments were fair and reasonable.

Anyone who is not an Albion fan who says/writes/posts anything less than glowing in gushing spunk about the club is accused of disrespect/being an inbred/ clueless etc. This is extended to the likes of Tony Bloom and Gus, who have had snide anti-semetic comments and accusations of incompetence levelled at them respectively. Some of the posts on Ask the Club beggar belief, you really have no idea just how lucky we are at this club.

Yet yesterday our 'fans' were abusing Matty Richards at Walsall for the crime of having played for the Albion whilst on loan, doing quite a decent job whilst here, and then moving on to further his career and earnings.

When we played at Southampton all their fans I spoke to at the match were pleasant, knowledgeable and fair in their assessment of both clubs' prospects.

Some people need to grow up or develop a thicker skin, because like most of us who have supported the Albion know from weary experience, what goes up does come down.

 

[Triggaaar]

I can understand Harding leaving.

So can I.

Hammond, on the other hand, is a bizarre one. Like many, he probably was offered a payrise and the opportunity to, at least briefly, play Championship football. Galling, but perhaps understandable if you were a professional footballer. Then again, perhaps not.

It's not that he left, it's really his celebration and winding up the fans last year (he ran to our stand to wind us up and got dragged away by his team-mates IIRC) that's galling.

 

[Biscuit]

Two words, 'Southampton Style'.

You bring it on yourselves.

 

[bhaexpress]

I can understand Harding leaving. If you cannot accept that Leeds, at that time, is a step up then you are clearly one of the blinkered, one-tracked people I've talked about, blinded by hatred. Hammond, on the other hand, is a bizarre one. Like many, he probably was offered a payrise and the opportunity to, at least briefly, play Championship football. Galling, but perhaps understandable if you were a professional footballer. Then again, perhaps not.



And I'll make an exception for you twisting my words. I didn't say they would, I said we owe them a couple of spankings. This is exactly what I mean, your hatred warping your perception. I haven't assumed we're up, either - once again, you have twisted my words... I was referencing IF the roles have reversed and we are promoted. Once again... please tell me where I have mentioned that it is a 'formality'?

It's quite obvious you are one of them that cannot be reasoned with... and I'll be very much surprised if you go back and retract what you've accused me of.

Sorry, I should have said that most SCC fans consider it a formality. Other than that you're talking crap. What you seem to miss is that nobody on this thread has slagged off your club, would you me to ? Okay then. SCC are a team of overpaid, overrated and clearly over winning the league losers.

Feel better now ? At least you now have something genuine to whinge about at last.

 

[Social Sausage]

So can I.
It's not that he left, it's really his celebration and winding up the fans last year (he ran to our stand to wind us up and got dragged away by his team-mates IIRC) that's galling.

Personally, I wouldn't do it. I think abuse is part and parcel and I've stood and watched Sunday football games descend into brawls over such silly things such as celebrations and thought to myself "I'm just here to play football, not fight" and never really excused that behaviour as "getting caught up in the emotions" or most pathetically of all, "he's just passionate about winning".

I was in Spain last year so didn't see the game or the highlights (perhaps I could trawl through the archives some time and see for myself) but like I said, no excuses.

 

[Social Sausage]

Sorry, I should have said that most SCC fans consider it a formality. Other than that you're talking crap. What you seem to miss is that nobody on this thread has slagged off your club, would you me to ? Okay then. SCC are a team of overpaid, overrated and clearly over winning the league losers.

Feel better now ? At least you now have something genuine to whinge about at last.

Not whinging, just tired with all the baiting and confused as to where it's stemmed from. I can't understand the bad blood. Perhaps being miffed with Adkins, yes, but you have made up your mind that Saints, both the club and fans, are arrogant which, for me, is not the case. A few morons, yes, but overall, we're not a bad bunch.

Well done on winning the league; like I said, you've been far the best team and deserve all the plaudits you get.

 

[clippedgull]

Dear Silly Sausage,

Why are you still here?

He's obsessed!!

Oh, I see Saintsweb is a locked out forum, as far as football banter is concerned!! Nothing like free speech

ps.. for what it's worth we met some Southampton fans on their way to Charlton at Christmas..seemed decent enough, but it's no about the fans for me, it's gobmouth Adkins and League One standard Hammond that need lancing from my memory banks!

 

[Triggaaar]

What I can't understand is the level of vitriol. Like I said, I acknowledge Adkins said something stupid in the heat of the moment but I really don't know where these thousands of supposed arrogant Saints fans have come from.

Basingstoke?

Honestly you're reading too much into this. You're manager said a few words, our ex player was a twat, and we won the title, so we can finally sing and shout a bit. And although you don't believe it, quite a few SCC fans do think they're better than the rest of the league (they have a bit of a point, you are a big club for the league, but there's still no place for the arrogance of some of your fans).

And if you go through this, or any footy forum, you will find fans with opinions that are hardly representative of the majority, so your complaints here are no different to those you complain about.

 

[bhaexpress]

I can't quite see why he started a thread using the word 'Fantasists' ? Do you think he meant 'Fantastics' ? Bit OTT even from an SCC fan but okay, we are pretty good.

 

[El Presidente]

Personally, I wouldn't do it. I think abuse is part and parcel and I've stood and watched Sunday football games descend into brawls over such silly things such as celebrations and thought to myself "I'm just here to play football, not fight" and never really excused that behaviour as "getting caught up in the emotions" or most pathetically of all, "he's just passionate about winning".

I was in Spain last year so didn't see the game or the highlights (perhaps I could trawl through the archives some time and see for myself) but like I said, no excuses.

There were other issues between Hammond and the club. He was (allegedly) offered and rejected the best ever contract given by the Albion, and then there was a war of words in the press between him, his acolytes here on NSC, and our former chairman. People took sides depending on whether they were pro or anti the chairman. No one knows the truth, but the truth is a regular fallguy here compared to righteous indignation and the opinion confused for facts.

Again with Hammond, the issue was not that he went to a club with greater history and prospects in Leeds, but that he told the manager he was going away on holiday when his contract expired, and the next minute he is being paraded around Elland Road in a white shirt by Ken Bates. It was his sneaky, disingenuous and plain weasel like behaviour that pissed off some fans, although perhaps we should be long enough in the tooth following our team not to expect too much integrity from players.

 

[Wilka]

Wasn't there something on the official Saints website about them being a "Premiership club" in all but league status?

This sort of thing doesn't generally go down well with your league 1 rivals.

If Sheffield Wednesday or Leeds were in the same position as Saints in a battle for promotion with us and their manager had made such a comment about keeping up with them I'm sure they would also get crap off us.

Add a few ex players and managers to the mix and it's no suprise there has been a bit of banter. If you don't like it don't read it. Simple.

 

[matt]