Article: What do you really want for Southampton FC....

..... and to what extent are your hopes ambitions and aspirations in accord with those of Nicola?

In answering that question I sometimes think I am more certain of what I don't want us to be such as:

patronisingly referred to as little old Southampton a nice friendly family club (whatever all that tosh means);

perennial strugglers;

losing our best talent to other clubs;

being satisfied with second best;

a club with an empty trophy cabinet.

We have achieved a number of great things recently:

the development of an elite academy;

a squad of good young players who seem to want to stay with us because unlike some of our fans they can see our potential and the exciting times ahead;

we have the best club chairman in the PL;

we have financial stability;

we have a great young manager;

we have plans to strengthen a team that successfully retained its PL status with good young players.

As for Nicola's video we are unique unless you know another club called Southampton FC, we are global in that we have players from 5 continents on our books, and we do things our way and wont be messed around by anyone media, other football clubs, agents or players.

We are on the threshold of a dream (sorry Moody Blues) a great dream and yet some of our fans moan.

To use an Adkinism "Are you sure you are really on the bus?" only it sounds to me as if some of our fans have jumped off it.

 

Well said, St.G.

By the way, that album is playing in the background as I write..!

Wonderful day for passing my way...

 

Good post Godders.

All I want is for the club to give it a real good go whilst we have the financial means to. Virtually the whole time I have supported Saints (last 4 years aside) we have sold our best players, struggled and refused to believe we have a chance at anything, my God is Cortese a breath of fresh air.

 

Good post Godders; great use of the semi colon too.

 

I support this club because I've always supported this club, as has my father and his father before him. My grandfather first watched Saints in 1910.

I always want the best for the club, but I still believe there is much much more to supporting a football club than "following a corporate vision". There is the tangible supporting of the team and the intangible feeling of being part of something that defines the social fabric of the city & surrounding area of Southampton.

The latter, for me, is hugely important and its also what I fear is being lost from Saints and football in general as they chase money, they lose soul.

What is ours, is not yours to take.

 

I think we are all on the bus but some of us aren't sure where it's going!

 

I am proud that I am a supporter of one of the two best run clubs in Europe. Borussia Dortmund being the other.

When I look around the Premier League, I cannot find another club that shares the same vision, realism and professionalism as Southampton FC.

 

I saw a quote the other day where someone had said "Football was created for fun not so that people can make money.".

 

maybe, but amazing what you find just by lightly scratching the surface of things. All that glitters isn't always gold.

 

One of my favourite bands. I bought all of their albums the moment they came out. I just Love Justin's voice.

 

I want Saints to be a success by playing exciting football and by being an example of how to run a football club. I'm proud of our academy and hope that we continue to produce great players that go into our own first team and into the first team of other clubs. I know that you can't do this without money, but I don't want money to be the only reason for our success. I want our team to be developed to a plan and not just purchased off the shelf.

 

I agree, for example; Cortese is notorious for being a bastard to work for. I'm sure the people that have been layed off, rejected and treated in a cut-throat and ruthless manner don't buy into the same vision than those that have not.

However, it must be noted that Cortese's cut-throat ruthlessness is only ever 'for the greater good' and this always wins out in the end.

 

In my experience it is usually the less than competent who say that about their boss.

 

No one is right all the time...Cortese has achieved more than we could have hoped for...just glad I don't work for him.

 

CBK, I agree with your sentiment, not about Saints specifically, but football in general. I have always supported Saints since my Dad took me when I was 5, though I am a Hampshire lad, I am not from Southampton itself.

However, football has changed and is continuing to change. I am not "wanting" saints to chase the money, but wanting them to give me some good times. I have supported them for nearly 40 years and there has been some good times and some very, very bad times. I am prepared to allow them to move with the times and I understand that in todays modern game (whether you like it or not) creating a "brand" (I prefer that to your use of the word corporate) this is all part of moving Saints forward with the times. Yes The Dell was special, but I couldn't get a ticket for love nor money. I gave up a season ticket in 1985 ish, because I started playing on a Saturday and that was my choice, so when they moved to a new shiny stadium I was delighted that I could get a ticket for a game, and then when I moved from having lived in the NW back further South, I was able to get a Season Ticket again. The only game in the last years at The Dell I could get was the last match v Brighton and that was just a memorial game.

I now want my team to try to be successful. I believe there is too much money in the game, but I am also aware that we need to be a part of that to have a little success. I am passing this love on to the next generation and am doing a good job. As a 5 year old, my son watched his team at the arse end of the Championship, nearly fold and then play in league 1. I held him off from all his mates supporting Chelsea and United or City and now I am wanting for him, me and the other fans to see this man drive us forward and re-shape our club.

Why are you so scared of the club re-shaping?
What will you be like IF we built a 60,000 stadium in 10 years time (hypothetical)? Will you not want to share it with the next generation?

Your final comment I disagree 100% with:

What is ours, is not yours to take. - It never was, never is and never will be yours in real terms. You and your family made a choice to undertake a hobby. An infectious hobby that gets right under your skin, but a hobby nonetheless. The hobby of watching your local football team.

The only place it can ever really be yours is in your heart. If it is in your heart truly, as it is mine, then you will embrace the new generation of Southampton Football Club and hold fond memories of the little old tin pot team from The Dell, that needed a map to get to Wembley once. Whether at the top or the bottom of the pyramid, I have and will follow them; I am just hoping this top end stuff stays for a while longer yet.

 

There are a few, but not many, who sit at the top of successful businesses that aren't notoriously hard.

 

When we talk about cortese being 'a bastard' to work for we are only hearing one side of the story- the sackee's. Good bosses/managers are rarely universally liked.

 

You can never know how much I disagree with what you've just put there... and thats partly my point.

I'm not entirely sure that some fans ever "get it" with regards to how supporting a club was ingrained into you during the era I was very lucky enough to experience. For younger fans, I can appreciate things may be different and I'm not saying one way is better than the other or trying to sound elitish.

However!!....

I do get the feeling that to use a relationship analogy, that some fans REALLY FANCY Southampton FC. However, there are other fans who LOVE Southampton FC. She may anger, infuriate, annoy, tease & generally mess you about and you may yell and swear at her and threaten to end it... but she is "the one" and that will never change through bad, terrible and hopefully good times.

That's not a commitment to a "vision" or "ambition"... its just a commitment, full stop.

 

Saints are central to my happiness. They make or break a weekend. I have followed them to league 1 and would have followed them lower if the worst had happened. I feel that the current buzz around the club is my reward for the suffering endured.

 

I'd like another FA Cup.