Southampton deducted 10 points

[Bevendean Hillbilly]

Living in Southampton I really do feel for the fans, everyone in the city seems to support them.

Give them a couple of years in the third and see how many have suddenly become lifelong Liverpool,United, Arsenal or Chelsea fans because their Dad/Uncle/Grandad played for Liverpool/,Manchester/ Arsenal/Chelsea ,comes from Liverpool/Manchester/London, or their first ever game was at Anfield/OT/Highbury/SB...

"I never supported Southampton because theyre a small club"...

It has happened to Brighton thats for sure.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I ALSO live in the area, and do not feel sorry for them REMOTELY.

I was at St.Mary's the day they lost to Man United and got relegated from the Prem.

Oh how they all CHUCKLED through their tears, and wondered aloud to one another just how many points they'd win the championship by, the following season.

I heard the statement "At least it'll be a laugh next year, winning every week", at least TEN times over the following week. They genuinnely thought that they'd piss the league, and I'm sure they'll be saying the same right now about league One...

 

[sten_super]

<snip>

Rod Liddle, The Times, 05.04.09

I just tracked down that article and read it in its entirety, absolutely fantastic nail-on-head stuff.

Cash-strapped Saints should go for broke - Times Online

 

[Easy 10]

Good innit.
The Times is always bestest.

 

[Bevendean Hillbilly]

Britain urged by France to solve migrant problem

Pffffffffttttt

 

[Easy 10]

Err...don't think they come in via Southampton generally, anyway.

 

[clapham_gull]

I ALSO live in the area, and do not feel sorry for them REMOTELY.

I was at St.Mary's the day they lost to Man United and got relegated from the Prem.

Oh how they all CHUCKLED through their tears, and wondered aloud to one another just how many points they'd win the championship by, the following season.

I heard the statement "At least it'll be a laugh next year, winning every week", at least TEN times over the following week. They genuinnely thought that they'd piss the league, and I'm sure they'll be saying the same right now about league One...

I had a similiar conversion with a fan.

He believed that all the teams in the championship played a long ball game, and with Crouch they would piss the league.

Brilliant.

 

[clapham_gull]

Worth a chuckle

SAINTSFC.CO.UK: / News / Archive / Fans have a simple choice

Then read the disclaimer at the end

 

[Curious Orange]

Worth a chuckle

SAINTSFC.CO.UK: / News / Archive / Fans have a simple choice

Then read the disclaimer at the end

Why on earth do they think it'll be their last ever home game - the chances of some company called Southampton not playing professional football in League One next season have to be between zero and none.

 

[Franks Wild Years]

Good Times article, it makes me glad that I support a club who's supporters would never be so deluded as to presume we should be playing in a higher division...........


Erm......

 

[Curious Orange]

Good Times article, it makes me glad that I support a club who's supporters would never be so deluded as to presume we should be playing in a higher division...........


Erm......

Which team is that then?

 

[Icy Gull]

Which team is that then?

Probably a team that if relegated to League 2 this season will piss the league next

 

[Brovion]

Good Times article, it makes me glad that I support a club who's supporters would never be so deluded as to presume we should be playing in a higher division...........


Erm......

Indeed. It's been quite interesting reading some of the 'Wilkins' threads dug up from last year with bombastic comments such as 'well if you're happy being a mid-table third division team then Wilkins is the ideal manager'.

And of course IF we get relegated we'll piss division four next year, no problem ...

 

[Lady Whistledown]

The bit in the Times article about Saints merging with Pompey is brilliant, particularly the line about them all kicking each others' heads in

Pompey have that thing which tends to separate the top-flight teams from the rest – good players. They also have solid, loyal supporters, but that is about all they have. They don’t have a decent ground and are also short of dosh. Southampton, meanwhile, have an excellent ground but no good players. Given the geographical proximity, any other business would go for a merger immediately. Imagine the size and fervour of the crowd at a newly established Solent United, all of them kicking each other’s heads in.

Edits: what's even funnier is the total lack of ironic appreciation from Pompey and Saints fans underneath, who seem to think the author was being serious

 

[Questions]

The problem with that ' They shouldn`t have overspent then should they ' attitude we often adopt, forgets the fact that the decent fans have no say in a boards frivolous - or not as the case may be - policies to transfers and wages. Its like laughing at Brighton fans and saying the club deserved to go out of the league because they sold their ground before they had a new home.
Now I have no love of Saints whatsoever as a club but lets face it the fans have been pretty disgruntled for a few seasons now with the way the club has been run and have protested such so i do have a little sympathy for their true followers.
On the other hand................ f*** em, its a local derby next season (I hope)

 

[Pavilionaire]

At some point we as football fans have to stop laughing that "big" clubs are sinking and realise how seriously f***ed the game is in this country.

Whilst I admire the likes of Wigan and Bolton they contribute nothing to the Premier League and are only there because of the financial mismanagement of Leeds and Southampton.

 

[Questions]

The bit in the Times article about Saints merging with Pompey is brilliant, particularly the line about them all kicking each others' heads in

Pompey have that thing which tends to separate the top-flight teams from the rest – good players. They also have solid, loyal supporters, but that is about all they have. They don’t have a decent ground and are also short of dosh. Southampton, meanwhile, have an excellent ground but no good players. Given the geographical proximity, any other business would go for a merger immediately. Imagine the size and fervour of the crowd at a newly established Solent United, all of them kicking each other’s heads in.

Edits: what's even funnier is the total lack of ironic appreciation from Pompey and Saints fans underneath, who seem to think the author was being serious

I could see Southmouth being a huge club.

 

[Carrot Cruncher]

Another Scumhampton resident here. I'm with Hiney with my feelings on the Stains. Never have I met a bigger load of delusional tossers - they are lower league fodder like the rest of us. Just because they used to mostly fill a 32,000 ground whilst in the Premiershite does not make them a big club.

You can put glitter on a turd, but it's still a turd...

 

[Acker79]

Even if I accepted your argument (which I don't as I still maintain that it's overspending on the 1st team squad that's 99.99% responsible as opposed to the extras you mention) - so what? They've STILL tried to live beyond their means

Just to reiterate, I'm not arguing clubs in administration aren't living outside their means, just arguing a) How much of that is players, b) how much of an advantage they get on the playing side for their financial misdeeds.

and those extras have made themselves more attractive to potential players thus forcing other clubs to offer, I dunno, 1st class travel and free hookers and drugs in order to compete for signings. And so the problem expands as other clubs overspend to compete. Can you not see that?

I've been trying to find info on line regarding how much of a club's expenditure is on players Vs. other outlays. I haven't been able to find any info.

I would probably be more inclined to blame it all on over-spending on players if clubs like Southampton were stuffed full of big name players, and I might be more inclined to buy the unfair advantage argument if Southampton were higher up the table. Even without the ten point deduction, they are fighting relegation, how has over spending on players given them an advantage over their rivals?

I do see why you feel the way you do, I'm not saying you're wrong or that there's some fundamental flaw in your argument, I just don't agree with it (for the reasons given).


Isn't there also the case of many clubs only staying solvent because they have someone putting money in, there wasn't an unfair advantage in their overspending, the financial trouble came about after the incoming money stopped. (Not saying this is the case with Southampton, just just that it's another view on the topic).

 

[skipper734]

The overspending happened in the Prem, and trying to stay in it, then trying to get back. They have had years of Boardroom fights and changes.
You see the usual kids with Man U, Chelski shirts walking around but I don't see many Scummer shirts. My boy went to a football party in Hans Krays neck of the woods and apart from his Albion Stripes worn with pride, not one of the other kids had scummer stripes.