Now as a Saints fan, I would never think of playing professionally for Pompey. Honestly. I would rather go play for Accrington Stanley. But Brian Howard, who is apparently a Saints fan: http://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/f...094123_howard_play_me_or_ill_leave_reading_fc would like to play for them. Is it just me???
I had to watch my boy play in a Pompey shirt, when he was involved with their youth set up. My mate also played for Saints youth, despite his Dad playing for the Skates and him being a mad keen fish fancier. When we first had dealings with the Pompey people, my son said to one of them "I'm not playing for Pompey", to which the guy replied "you're a long way from that son". Seeing as he was 9 at the time, the bloke was right. In the end he was not good enough, but I had no problem with him playing for them. In fact, the people we dealt with were top class and really genuine. It's sad to think that most proberely lost their jobs during their problems. When it comes to it, if you're a professional footballer, then you play wherever you can. If Mick Channon could play for them, why not Brian Howard?
My son was on the verge of signing for Pompey too while he was playing for Hedge end Rangers under 18's. He did his cruciate ligament which finished his possible career in football. We will never know whether he would have made the grade. Although both ardent Saints fans that wouldn't have stopped him playing for Pompey should the chance have arisen. Nor should it stop others, Pros cannot afford the luxury of the kind of dislike for other football teams players/fans, that fans have despite the obvious rivalry. They have a job to do rivalry of that sort is something for the fans only.........
I'm a huge fan of Coca-Cola but I would work for Pepsi if they could guarantee a better job/wage. And that's all it is for professional players; a job.
I understand your reasoning but you can't compare the 2,while you're drinking coca cola do you hope that pepsi fails? and do you want coca cola to finish higher in the financial table than pepsi? No you probably don't but do you want saints to finish above pompey and pompey to fail? yes i imagine you do,may sound like a load of jibberish but u understand my point? There is no way that i could ever play for pompey if had the talent to be a footballer,there is just something in me that would stop me as a saints fan,i wouldn't want to do well for them and help them finish above the club i love,and can you imagine playing for pompey against saints in the derby,omg that would be a nightmare.I know where you're coming from by saying it's a wage but i'm sure pompey is not his only option so if he does go to them then i'd be extremely surprised and a bit disappointed.
Does he actually support Saints though? He used to play for us and lives/socialises in Winchester I believe but I'm not 100% sure he actually does support us.
Yes he is,i remember reading it somewhere,i also think he went to alderman quilly school in eastleigh so he must of lived somewhere round there at some point as well.
Playing against Saints in a pompey shirt would surely be a dream. How many own goals can I hammer in before I get subbed?
I am also taking into consideration pompeys current plight.........not sure I would be risking the last few years of my career on a pompey contract though
Unfortunately I played for that lot many years ago! In mitigation, Bally was first team manager and Ossie was youth coach. I also think that they were peed off when my mates from home turned up at Krap Nottarf with my saints scarves for a youth cup game, shouting "scummer" at me! I always wore a t shirt under that crappy blue one.
Yeah, I get your point but footballers don't look at teams the way fans do, it's more than just supporting your team and hoping your rivals do worse than you, it's just a job to them, we saw that when Surman left. I know he didn't leave to go to Pompey but the fact is that it's just a job and there's a lot more to think about than rivalry. I like your point about playing in a derby match against the team you follow, I wonder how many players have ever done that, not just Saints/Pompey but any derby.
If we had been financially secure, Surman probably wouldn't have left. We needed the money at the time...the great players we have parted with makes us all weep. Under the new regime we have kept Lallana and, probably, Chamberlain. Most of our players are not strictly Saints fans, but I suspect few would go directly to Pompey.
Just remember who scored your winning goal in !976- to lift your one AND ONLY major trophy and where he came from...
I know it is boring at the moment FFD........but do we really have to trawl through old gags and banter?
