Saints fans taking some flack on the echo...wonderful!

[Acker79]

Wouldn't it be good to contrive a draw on the last game of the season that stops them being promoted. OK I was only 5 at the time but it still hurts.

Our last game is against notts county, who are currently 13 points outside the play offs. It is, of course, possible to make up that difference, but I'm not convinced they will, and they would need to for one point for them to prevent Southampton getting in the play offs. Or we would need to drop down to 6th and need that point to be out of reach of Southampton.

We have Huddersfield the week before, that might impact on where Southampton can finish.

 

[sfc1976]

You're obviously entitled to dislike who you wish. But this has to be the most one sided hatred/'rivalry' in world football! In 20+yrs of following the saints, I'm not sure I've ever heard a bad word said against you lot. This arrogance thing seems to have become self perpetuating myth. Indeed, there was a thread on our forum the other day on which the general consensus was that you have a better mananger, play better football, and thoroughly deserve to be where you are.

 

[Simster]

You're obviously entitled to dislike who you wish. But this has to be the most one sided hatred/'rivalry' in world football! In 20+yrs of following the saints, I'm not sure I've ever heard a bad word said against you lot. This arrogance thing seems to have become self perpetuating myth. Indeed, there was a thread on our forum the other day on which the general consensus was that you have a better mananger, play better football, and thoroughly deserve to be where you are.

I don't think I've seen Southampton FC mentioned more than a handful of times until this season.

Broadly speaking, we've never much liked Portsmouth but you lot have always been well off our radar.

 

[Easy 10]

I don't think I've seen Southampton FC mentioned more than a handful of times until this season.

Broadly speaking, we've never much liked Portsmouth but you lot have always been well off our radar.

This is the first time we've found ourselves in the same division for yonks (last season included obviously), so there's still novelty value in having them slumming it with us. The fact they were hot favourites to go up at the start of the season, and are still seen as an (abeit diminishing) threat to our own push for promotion, was always going to lead to an escalation in banter/hostilities.

Add Pardew to the mix, plus Mr "prove the clubs ambition" Hammond, plus that useless flatters-to-deceive fop Harding, and it was inevitable SCC would become more than a small blip on our rivalry radar. We ARE the smaller club, so it is our duty to get under their skin and provoke a reaction while we enjoy our League superiority over them for a change.

I genuinely enjoy growing to despise other clubs, as I can savour and enjoy their misfortunes that much more. Long may it continue.

 

[Mileoakman]

You're obviously entitled to dislike who you wish. But this has to be the most one sided hatred/'rivalry' in world football! In 20+yrs of following the saints, I'm not sure I've ever heard a bad word said against you lot. This arrogance thing seems to have become self perpetuating myth. Indeed, there was a thread on our forum the other day on which the general consensus was that you have a better mananger, play better football, and thoroughly deserve to be where you are.

I don't think its the fans or the club at Southampton to be honest, its that arrogant, two bit, pofaced manager of yours that gets our goat. The bit about we might go up if we can keep up with Southampton is what pissed off me and a lot of others and I can't wait to lead the chorus of 'Are we keeping up with you Nigel' as he strolls across our pitch in a few weeks time. Have you noticed also how gratious he is in defeat as he never has a good word to say about the opposition and its always down to 'bad luck' that they haven't won by a cricket score instead of being turned over by Walsall or some other 'lowly' team. My main reason for hoping that Saints don't go up is that it might result in 'Nigel' being shown the door

 

[pasty]

With our last 2 home games being SCC followed by Huddersfield, it is not inconceivable at all that we could prevent SCC from getting automatic promotion. Would you accept a last home game defeat if it denied SCC automatic promotion or even getting into the play offs?

1978 was a long time ago, but revenge could be on the agenda - mwah ha ha, mwah ha ha, mwaaaaaa ha ha ha haaaaaaaa

 

[Boris Yeltsin]

Southampton fans aren't arrogant.

Sheffield Wednesday fans, on the other hand...

 

[Bwian]

I know this has come about because of a few SCC idiots who flooded the Argus comments section on Saturday but it's getting a tad embarrassing now. I don't like SCC but we're looking like we're suffering from football's equivalent of 'small man syndrome'. I hope all of this posturing and 'na-na-na-na ing' doesn't blow up in our faces come the end of the season.

 

[JBizzle]

I had a conversation last night with a Saints fan. His side of the conversation was essentially snippets such as the following:

"When we catch you guys it will only be the inevitable coming true"
"We have the best squad in League 1"
"Brighton will fade"
"When was the last time you beat us? 1970-something?"
"What? You didn't beat us last year, we drew at home!"
"Oh, I forgot the 3-1 game. Still... everyone gets lucky once"
"When we catch you guys it will only be the inevitable coming true"
"We have the best squad in League 1"
"Brighton will fade"
"Lomana Lua Lua must be nearly 50! He was no big loss, not like Lallana"
"When we catch you guys it will only be the inevitable coming true"
"We have the best squad in League 1"
"Brighton will fade"
"We battered you at home this year"
"When we catch you guys it will only be the inevitable coming true"
"We have the best squad in League 1"
"Brighton will fade"

My instincts tell me that its fans like these who irritate. Not the nice ones...

 

[Brovion]

This is the first time we've found ourselves in the same division for yonks (last season included obviously), so there's still novelty value in having them slumming it with us. The fact they were hot favourites to go up at the start of the season, and are still seen as an (abeit diminishing) threat to our own push for promotion, was always going to lead to an escalation in banter/hostilities.

.

To be honest a lot of that that also describes our rivalry with Palace. They're not our ancient rivals, they were never on our radar until the Mullery/Venables era of the late 1970s, and for most of the time since then they've been (with respect to Cheeky Monkey) bigger and better than us*. We've barely played them over the last twenty five years and yet still most Brighton see them as our biggest rivals. Strange. Currently a rivalry with Southampton makes far more sense, even if it is only a temporary outbreak of hostilities as with Cardiff.

*EDIT: And for most of the time before the Mullery/Venables era as well.

 

[chucky1973]

I know this has come about because of a few SCC idiots who flooded the Argus comments section on Saturday but it's getting a tad embarrassing now. I don't like SCC but we're looking like we're suffering from football's equivalent of 'small man syndrome'. I hope all of this posturing and 'na-na-na-na ing' doesn't blow up in our faces come the end of the season.

I agree with this, up to recently although constantly looking over the shoulder at them in particluar, I had no hatred to Southampton, but just recently, I have been reading what they have been putting on there Echo forums and they just are so blind about whats happening around them it beggers belief, even today they are saying that they are the best side in the league bar none and not a good word to say about us.........and Saturday as soon as MK dons had finished they were on teh argus slating us.........last night was pay back time and very enjoyable too.

 

[Easy 10]

To be honest a lot of that that also describes our rivalry with Palace. They're not our ancient rivals, they were never on our radar until the Mullery/Venables era of the late 1970s, and for most of the time since then they've been (with respect to Cheeky Monkey) bigger and better than us*. We've barely played them over the last twenty five years and yet still most Brighton see them as our biggest rivals. Strange. Currently a rivalry with Southampton makes far more sense, even if it is only a temporary outbreak of hostilities as with Cardiff.

*EDIT: And for most of the time before the Mullery/Venables era as well.

I still don't see Southampton as our "rivals", but I have developed a healthy and flourishing disdain for them.

A large proportion of their fanbase still seem to be operating under the delusion that they are a Premiership club "on loan" to the lower leagues. They have a large, new-ish stadium, a large playing squad, they still spend millions of pounds on players, and have quite a recent history of a long stint in the top flight. These factors combine to give some (not all) of their fans a belief that the third division is very much "beneath" them.

Which really does make it all the more enjoyable when they lose at home to Plymouth and Rochdale.

 

[Hiney]

In terms of the definition of a 'big' club, how do we judge that?

If you've been in the top flight for a long time but consistently struggled, does that make you more successful than a club that has moved around the lower leagues but actually won more games.

Saints were consistently in the top flight since they went up in 1978 but in many of those seasons they escaped relegation by the skin of their teeth.

There are some interesting stats around.

In the overall post-war league table on the football365 website (admittedly only up to 2001/02), purely based on points won, we are 16th. Manchester United and Liverpool are top, as you might expect but you also have Reading in 4th and Bournemouth in 6th. We are also below Brentford, Bristol Rovers, Rotherham, Chesterfield and Tranmere.

Southampton, despite only being in a lower division than us for TWO seasons, come 71st in that table.

It's a funny old game innit?

Statistics - Football365 News

 

[Hiney]

On the same website, the 'all time' league table (up to 2007/08) has us at 44th and Southampton at 65th, both having 75 seasons-worth of results.

Statistics - Football365 News

We are therefore, considerably better/bigger than Southampton and I claim my prize of a brand new anorak.

 

[pasty]

Saints were consistently in the top flight since they went up in 1978 but in many of those seasons they escaped relegation by the skin of their teeth.

And lets face it, they wouldn't have lasted that long if it hadn't been for ONE player.

 

[clapham_gull]

I have a problem with this recent Southampton rivalry thing since I've disliked them since the 70s.

I often have irrational thoughts about them and their defeat is usually the second result I look for.

Newbies the lot of you.

 

[16bha]

Southampton boss Nigel Adkins told BBC Radio Solent:
"We absolutely battered them. They got one opportunity, it came of Rahdi's (Jaidi) head and the lad's gone through and he took it well.

"We looked powerful, strong and we created so many opportunities and the ball wouldn't go in the back of the net.
"We looked a massive threat from set-plays. We had so many opportunities it was untrue."

You still lost, you knob!

 

[Sam Ovett]

Brighton and Hove Albion - 21 letters
Southampton - 11 letters

Therefore we are the bigger team.

 

[severnside gull]

20 games ago the south coast club were 9 points adrift of the Albion and were bragging about how quickly they would overtake us at the top.

10 games ago they were 6 points adrift having caught up 3 points in that time and were bragging about when we would fade and they would take over at the top

Today they are 10 points adrift and Adkins is still making the same excuses.

At the present rate of "catching up" they should be 12 or 13 points behind after another 10 games and 15 points adrift by the end of the season.

 

[NMH]

Thanks mate!! I've never experienced all this arrogance I must say. Most saints fans I talk to know full well we're pretty shite really.

To be frank, I think there's a surge of one-upmanship all of a sudden. Perhaps it's down to the coverage you got on South Today compared to us, I don't know.
Personally, I'd like to see Southampton get promoted as well as us, this season. A nice local fixture.