Much as it hurts to lose to SCC.....

[Jim in the West]

....they are several years ahead of us in many respects (large ground, fantastic academy, billionaire backer). Their sojourn in Div 1 was an aberation, and for most of that time they massively under-performed. They have absolutely the right team for this division - huge amounts of muscle, a fair degree of pace, and some genuinely skilful players. We were obviously handicapped without the likes of Buckley, Hoskins, Vicente and Reyes - with those guys on the pitch it would surely have been a different game.

We are on a journey from virtual extinction, and the last couple of years have seen a monumental leap - generally growth rates like that are not sustainable, and it will take time to get to SCC's level.

I did, however, enjoy the fact that St Mary's is actually a rather cheaply built stadium, and situated in a rather depressing area. Southampton as a whole has very little to recommend it. VERY glad that I watch most of my football in a beautiful stadium set in the rolling South Downs just outside probably the best city in the UK. Those things will never change!

 

[LukeOwen]

....they are several years ahead of us in many respects (large ground, fantastic academy, billionaire backer). Their sojourn in Div 1 was an aberation, and for most of that time they massively under-performed. They have absolutely the right team for this division - huge amounts of muscle, a fair degree of pace, and some genuinely skilful players. We were obviously handicapped without the likes of Buckley, Hoskins, Vicente and Reyes - with those guys on the pitch it would surely have been a different game.

We are on a journey from virtual extinction, and the last couple of years have seen a monumental leap - generally growth rates like that are not sustainable, and it will take time to get to SCC's level.

I did, however, enjoy the fact that St Mary's is actually a rather cheaply built stadium, and situated in a rather depressing area. Southampton as a whole has very little to recommend it. VERY glad that I watch most of my football in a beautiful stadium set in the rolling South Downs just outside probably the best city in the UK. Those things will never change!

Very true

 

[bristolseagull]

Agree with all of this. In addition, their home fans know how to create an atmosphere.

 

[Notters]

Well said Jim. St Mary's is shite.

 

[Onlyregisteredtogloat]

I did, however, enjoy the fact that St Mary's is actually a rather cheaply built stadium, and situated in a rather depressing area. Southampton as a whole has very little to recommend it. VERY glad that I watch most of my football in a beautiful stadium set in the rolling South Downs just outside probably the best city in the UK. Those things will never change!

St Mary's is 10 years old, 13 if you include when planning permission and construction began, so it's a stadium of that era, such as Derby, Boro, Stoke etc etc. Your ground looks very nice, but design and technology has moved on in the last 10 years and no doubt if Saints were building a stadium now, it would be very similar to yours.

In fact, Saints chairman told a group of fans at a dinner this week that the club are in early discussions with the council and plans have been drawn up to expand St Mary's to 44,000 and it would be a radical redesign instead of just putting a new tier on like Sunderland did. So watch this space.

The area the stadium is in is the heart of the city. Southampton is an industrial city, founded on hard graft with a soul and with a fantastic history. Something I'm proud of. I could point out that Brighton is pretty much just a place where people go to paddle or die or London types go to say "dahhhhhhling" to each other, I'm not aware of the city playing any serious role in the UK's historical events (please correct me if I'm wrong).

Do keep up.

 

[The Large One]

I could point out that Brighton is pretty much just a place where people go to paddle or die or London types go to say "dahhhhhhling" to each other, I'm not aware of the city playing any serious role in the UK's historical events (please correct me if I'm wrong).

Do keep up.

Says someone who evidently has no idea of what Brighton is like. Yes, you could point out that that is what Brighton is, but you would be wrong. And quite embarrassingly so.

So consider yourself corrected.

 

[Onlyregisteredtogloat]

Evidence would be handy to correct me.

and go....

 

[farawaysaint]

I like St Mary's I think it's pretty impressive Haven't been to the Amex to be fair but to say it's shite is a bit of an exaggeration.

 

[Biscuit]

I really don't have much of a problem with Saints. I enjoyed how close it was last year and loved getting one over on them, but that's about it.

They've got loads going for them and I don't find anything too dis-likable. I hope they have a good season to be honest, they look like they're ready for the Premiership.

Now let's focus on us, and enjoy the ride. It'll be us before long!

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Saints look like the new Stoke. Plenty teams worse than them clinging on to the Premier League by their fingertips.

When we bulk up, we'll be ready to join them.

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

I've got to be honest, I'd never even heard of Southampton FC before last season and I doubt I'm alone.

 

[Onlyregisteredtogloat]

I'm So Ronery
So ronery
So ronery and sadry arone

There's no one
Just me onry
Sitting on my rittle throne
I work rearry hard and make up great prans
But nobody ristens, no one understands
Seems like no one takes me serirousry

 

[Notters]

St Mary's is 10 years old, 13 if you include when planning permission and construction began, so it's a stadium of that era, such as Derby, Boro, Stoke etc etc. Your ground looks very nice, but design and technology has moved on in the last 10 years and no doubt if Saints were building a stadium now, it would be very similar to yours.

In fact, Saints chairman told a group of fans at a dinner this week that the club are in early discussions with the council and plans have been drawn up to expand St Mary's to 44,000 and it would be a radical redesign instead of just putting a new tier on like Sunderland did. So watch this space.

The area the stadium is in is the heart of the city. Southampton is an industrial city, founded on hard graft with a soul and with a fantastic history. Something I'm proud of. I could point out that Brighton is pretty much just a place where people go to paddle or die or London types go to say "dahhhhhhling" to each other, I'm not aware of the city playing any serious role in the UK's historical events (please correct me if I'm wrong).

Do keep up.

Newer than ours then.

 

[shaun_rc]

Apart from the bomb, party conferences, home of one of the (admittedly crackers) Hanoverian kings etc...

But actually none of this is important because Brighton is a vibrant city, which has produced loads of bands over the last few years, has an amazing bohemian culture and is a lovely place to live. It's pretty unique in atmosphere.

Which Southampton isn't.

There are plenty of run down Victorian ex-industrial places. I know it played its part in our maritime history (though not as much as Portsmouth (light the fuse)), but it doesn't make it as nice a place to live now.

 

[shaun_rc]

The main problem with Southampton is that it's one of those places where the shops are all the national chains, it's just dull dull dull. (Oh, apart from the Joiners, that's a good venue, but that's it)

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

So which is worse in terms of quality of life? Surely Portsmouth must just trump Southampton? Just?!?!

 

[Mackenzie]

Southampton fans are amazingly smug, I now understand why we were so disliked by everyone last season and the beginning of this. Good luck to 'em and all that, but I'll be glad when they turn their attention to Portsmouth again. They suck.

 

[Onlyregisteredtogloat]

You can't manufacture a soul to a city. Brighton's so called vibrancy is only on the surface and once scratched the divide between the rich and poor areas are possibly deeper than anywhere else in the South.

I agree it's a middle class mecca and London media types absolutely fawn over it, which is nice, I suppose.

I can travel a couple of miles from my house to be in the New Forest, Meon Valley, fishing on the River Itchen, and be on many sandy beaches, watching the cruise ships come and go. Or take a walk round the City walls and through Southampton's award winning parks or across the Common (which New York's central park was modelled on, apparently). Marvellous. Wouldn't want to live anywhere else.

 

[Notters]

I like St Mary's I think it's pretty impressive Haven't been to the Amex to be fair but to say it's shite is a bit of an exaggeration.

Looks like a factory covered in scaffolding.

 

[butchy]

You can't manufacture a soul to a city. Brighton's so called vibrancy is only on the surface and once scratched the divide between the rich and poor areas are possibly deeper than anywhere else in the South.

I agree it's a middle class mecca and London media types absolutely fawn over it, which is nice, I suppose.

I can travel a couple of miles from my house to be in the New Forest, Meon Valley, fishing on the River Itchen, and be on many sandy beaches, watching the cruise ships come and go. Or take a walk round the City walls and through Southampton's award winning parks or across the Common (which New York's central park was modelled on, apparently). Marvellous. Wouldn't want to live anywhere else.

Why would anyone here care, f***ing stay there then.