Is Tadanari Lee an easter egg in the game then? Win 15-0 and he becomes available to play in your reserve side in friendlies? But you must not speak of him publically.
I stand corrected, it's clearly ALL down to our marketing department. I say we give them a ruddy big cheer at the first home game for this. HOORAH FOR MARKETING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! With the extra money earned from this deal & exposure the club will be able to reduce ticket prices and be able to attract Brazilian internationals now. FOR SURE.
I thought it was also part of the deal that the stadium will be put into the game. Take barcelona in fifa 13, they couldn't agree the partnership so camp nou wasn't in the game. However this year it is, as they have the partnership again. Also white hart lane was added when spurs signed the partnership last year.
Indeed the full official partnership includes full 3D scans of all the players, usually a stadium in the game and generally EA loves up to their clubs more than others. Ours just includes us giving them the rights to use Maya on the cover, and a bit of advertising and whatnot around the stadium and probably a few little Fifa 14 events at the club or on matchdays. Think you can possibly get a Fifa 14 cover with three Saints players on it too?
Your last point is correct. We may have prepackaged copies of FIFA14 in the megastore with the Saints cover on it, as well. Friend of mine made me a fifa 13 cover with Boruc on it, but I appear to have lost it.
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/now-southampton-fc-strikes-gaming-deal-with-ea-sports/0119922? This article is great.
CBK - are you able to be happy about any sign of progress within the club? You may not like the way football is going, but these incremental steps are exactly what will take us from being seen as a small provincial club with ambitions beyond our perceived station, to a club that actually has a rightful, successful place within the elite of English football. Of course a club becomes what is perceived as 'big' mainly through success, but you can see how we've struggled to land the players with a bigger reputation as we're not recognised really outside of the country. Baby steps like this, along with the increased social media presence, etc etc, are all aspects which are critical if you want to be successful within the modern age. Therefore things like this should be applauded by anybody who wants to see the club we love progress. I don't get your standpoint? Would you rather we were languishing in the lower reaches with a team populated by old journeymen with a spit & sawdust stadium that you're allowed to stand up in etc etc? Or are you interested in Southampton Football Club travelling in an upward trajectory?
He likes the club to progress because it gives him more opportunities to tell everyone how pointless it all is.
Perhaps I was fortunate to have been around when Saints were far from a "provincial club", winning the cup, getting to finals, getting into Europe, signing the best player in Europe etc etc. But even when we were at our "peak" then, was never worried about it ending, because I knew I would always support the club. I don't support the club because of its "status" in other people's eyes. I couldn't give a toss if someone sees us as "provincial" or "world class" or whatever. Players only go to clubs for money. Don't kid yourself otherwise. Wanyama came here for the money as no one else bid for him. Makes me laugh when a player doesn't sign its because he's greedy. If he does sign, it's because he "buys into the project". I don't care what league we are in, be it champions league or non league. I support Southampton FC, always have, always will. There will come a time soon if things in professional football (not just Saints) continue as they are when I will probably stop going to games because I won't be able to afford it, plus I simply may not enjoy the "matchday experience" as much. Won't stop me supporting Saints in my blood, even if I'm not handing over money for the priviledge. I expect many on here won't understand a lot of what I've written above. It maybe as alien to you as it is to me that some fans seemingly think its unthinkable to ever question any decision the club makes and if you do question it, you are being disloyal.
I absolutely understand what your point is there and I think that the majority would agree - certainly in my personal case there's no question as to what team I support - it always has been and always will be Southampton, regardless of status, division, all of the above. However I also understand that to keep competitive, solvent, and to move forwards, we as a club need to 'play the game' and my preference would always be that the club I support is doing the best that it can under any given circumstance. However, what other people think of us is, as you say, irrelevant, unless of course it's players we're looking to sign.....then it causes an issue. I actually enjoy your posts in the main, and you're clearly a bright bloke, but what I was questioning was the 'doing-down' of any sign of us trying to progress - I don't get it. I'd like us to push on and try and be that club that can again win the FA Cup, sign the best player in Europe. But I'm realistic enough to realise that if we want the likes of Ever Banega strutting their stuff in the non-stripes, we need to maximise what we do......hence why I'm confused when a supporter of the club seems to barrack against doing that?
Most of its tongue in cheek mate. I can't get angry or bitter about a partnership between Saints and EA as much as I can get excited or pleased about it. It's just something the club is doing. Feels as relevant to me as me holding a tesco clubcard and them deciding to branch out into selling Tractors. Doesn't stop me being amused when I see others thinking its a massive coup.
CBK I appreciate your serious post, however no-one has said players don't care about money, no-one has accused you of not sincerely supporting the saints, and your account of following the club when it was at its peak doesn't explain your position now, so as good a read as it was I'm a bit perplexed by it all. As far as I can tell you haven't actually answered the question of whether you want the club to progress and improve its status or if you'd prefer it to go backwards, nor have you explained why you are so negative the rest of the time. Maybe you don't care either way, that's absolutely fine, but why resent others for wanting more?
I could never understand why CBK was so cynical about everything, but I do understand where he is coming from now. The only thing is that being cynical about everything is just as off kilter as being happy-clappy about everything. I recognise myself as being more the happy end...not that everything is sunny side up, but I try to ignore the bits that aren't. The thing is, CBK, if you are on a see-saw, both ends have to give some time.
In fairness to CBK, as he says in his second post it's mainly tongue-in-cheek and it's not a deliberate doing-down of the club....
Also, I think it's essential to have a few people going against the grain....would be desperately boring and limiting in discussion were that not the case. Just not berks like Barry and Duckhunter. CBK doesn't fit into that category! Certainly don't want this to be perceived as having a pop at CBK, was more a question and clarification.
