Oh Godders! Firstly, I dismissed some of our fans feelings during our time in the Prem as 'that load of old tosh' Try to understand why I said that. Secondly, you are the one being more than a little selective with the respective clubs historys don't you think? Thirdly, don't you think you may be getting a little ahead of yourself here. OK, you got promotion- not by winning the league (as most of you seemed to think was nailed on last August) but by coming second. We easily avoided the double drop a certain team suffered a couple of seasons back and we'll be OK again if the new owners are in place soon, so don't get too carried away quite yet. Unbelievable.
Pompey will always be our rivals - no question! Living in Pompey makes me believe that Pompey don't honestly see it any other way either and that's fine by me Wouldn't it be great if we were both in the same league for enough time to really sort this one out like Liverpool v Man Utd and Arsenal v Tottenham? Most surveys would probably rate the Pompey v Saints rivalry among the top 5 I would think.....
Really? Liverpool vs Everton, Man Utd vs Man City, Villa vs Birmingham, Newcastle vs Sunderland, Arsenal vs Spurs, Sheffield Utd vs Sheffield Weds, Man Utd vs Liverpool. I think most people outside of Hampshire would consider them all bigger. But certainly, I think our's is on a par (or better, in many cases) than the likes of Chelsea vs Fulham, Wolves vs West Brom, Leeds vs Bradford, Burnley vs Blackburn, Blackpool vs Preston etc.
I think I should remind you that by definition it is not rivalry it is to do with that most basic of instincts hatred. I reiterate that Portsmouth FC are no longer our rivals as they are not in competition with us.
Have a read.... http://www.footballpools.com/football-fever/Rivalries_Report_2008.pdf By the way, I don't see your point, sorry, about how they are not in competition with us - are we not playing them twice next season in the same league?
I know the title says you're being deadly serious, but you're not...are you? I love hating Portsmouth. Don't tell me I can't hate them any more.
Portsmouth are our biggest rivals. If you don't understand that you haven't been a Saints fan long enough or don't get to enough matches. In fact, you're probably not even a football fan, as trying to define football rivalries in cold business terms shows you do not understand football. Its not a science, its based on emotion, and you cannot try to mathematically define what a group of people's emotional reaction should be.
One thing he is not doing, is telling you, to not dislike Pompey. Hate is too strong a word for me. He is advocating to dismiss Pompey as rivals. As in his eyes he does not think they have the capability of competing with us at our level. This to me personally is total arrogance and will not endear us to any other teams including our neighbors. He has lodged this thread to get a reaction from our fans and Pompey's. Who am I to criticise he is after all getting you to talk about it including our neighbors down the road!!!
Ahh so you accede to my way of thinking that everyone in the league is a rival? Do you also think they can compete financially with us.........or with a good fans base the same as us are they not on a level with Pompey? Although Pompey do have their financial problems at the moment it is true. In truth we are rivals of all including Pompey.!!
Very enjoyable article St Godders, a controversial post but backed up with convincing viewpoints. PFC (or as I now see them, The Co-op FC) have been in terminal decline for quite a while now and cannot be considered a worthy opponent. You only have to look at the number of posts from the great unwashed down the road regarding anything SFC to see they have come to the same conclusion. It must be traumatic for them but they are going to have to get used to it. Their future is all about struggling for survival while for us, thanks to our visionary owners, the sky's the limit . We may be in the same league this season but that is in name only, in reality we are light years apart.
You'll be OK? The same way you OK when your new super rich Arab owners took over a couple of years ago? And you haven't avoided the double drop yet.
there have been long periods of history where the two clubs haven't been in the same league and the rivalry has always been as strong as ever. We're not Man U and Chelsea or Real and Barca, we're two provincial clubs with a long and deep set local rivalry. I don't expect we have any intention of emulating what Man City are trying to do, so I'm pretty happy hating the skates.
1. Rivalry is not about hatred. Rivalry is about always looking out for the other team's results and, as frattonfunkdaddy says above, feeling smug if they've lost, or shrugging your shoulders and carrying on if they've done well. On the occasions you actually get to play the rival team, a large amount of extra spice is added to the banter and name-calling, but please, if you're a true football fan and not a mindless thug, NOT hatred. 2. You can't pick names out of a hat and decide who your rival team is. It's all about history, shared history. 3. Anyway. Southampton FC are unrivalled.
TBH i am baffled! In my opinion pompey WILL always be our rivals no matter the divisions, class or outcomes However, i do see your point slightly in the sense that they seem a little resigned to us overtaking them in the near future...... BUT!!!! Thats the future. It hasnt happened yet and nothing is stopping them reaching the prem sometime soon and returning to the club they were 2/3 seasons ago rememeber I HATE pompey with a passion, but credit has to be given where due and the history is a faiirly equaly one. We edge head to head, the edge trophies. Yes we have a nicer stadium, bigger fanbase, more money..... BUT!!!!! Right now we should let the talking happen on the pitch and then discuss who our 'rivals' are once we have reached our aim. COYRs!!!
It's a shame that this will be Godders last article about Pompey, as he no longer considers us rivals anymore. Most of his previous efforts (on BBC606, under various names) have been well written, with good use of irony, if a little similar in theme. Of course, were he to write another, similar critique of Portsmouth's situation and standing, it would completely invalidate the argument he has presented here. Never mind, I expect that, quite a few of us will be watching the Reading and Brighton boards to see what happens over the next few days.
Meowth..........In truth just another topic of conversation from him. Now you know as do I that if he didn't have something to say about Pompey he would hardly post at all. Unfortunately he has allowed some of the dislike of Saints by some Pompey fans during our very dark days to get to him. He seems to have tarnished you all with the same brush, although he says not. In years to come youngsters will be asking the same questions as we are asking now. Who actually started this dislike although these days they call it "hate". Oh and don't go down the old road of, "you started it over a dock strike!", together, we have already proved that to be a myth. It is almost as if people have to have a team to totally dislike (or hate) they feel there is no alternative, with out that dislike (or hate) they wouldn't know what to do, other than possibly find some one else to verbally abuse. Most grow out of that just a few do not............
Hi Beddy. Damn, I was trying to copy his style and you saw right through it! How could that have happened I wonder?
