One of the great things about football is the rivalry between local teams and all the stuff that comes with it. The banter, the atmosphere, the jokes and the oneupmanship that comes with having a hated rival. Unfortunately , and I say this with a heavy heart, it looks like we're going to be deprived of this very basic football right. Its obvious to everyone that the blue few are not going to be in any position to call themselves rivals of the super saints. The very best they can hope for is to hang around league 2 like a bad smell and taste derby day at Aldershot. Believe me , this pains me. As someone who lived through the total dominance of 1960-2005, it becomes boring with no rival. Of course in the modern game there have been a couple of seasons when we've been 2 leagues below, but with our fan base and facilities it was only ever going to be a blip. The massive gap now surely renders us rival less again. So, who is next. Who can become our rivals. Maybe Brighton, a progressive club with a bright future. Maybe reading , who have done fantastic the past decade. QPR? Further away , but with satchel head as manager, maybe we could hate them ( although they seem to have swallowed the Peter storrie manual). For those who will say " the blue few will always be our rivals", stop and think, its hardly rivalary, its like picking on the ginger kid. Do everton pick on tranmere, do wba pick on wallsall ( and there's only 2 leagues difference). I think Brighton fit the bill, so will be hoping they get promotion and reading go down. Great premiership derby saints v Brighton, great championship one boscombe v reading and great 4th division one skates v shots. What about it, who can we build a rivalry with to sustain us for the next 100 years?
Hard to raise enthusiasm really. I quite like Reading because they are a small club made good and have done it in the right way. I think I still regard Brighton in the same way...though I enjoyed our mini-rivalry in League 1.
Every club in the Premier is our rivals surely.........Apart from the top 6/7 all the rest are potential relegation candidates same as us. Why stick to a single team? For me Pompey will still be the team to look out for at the moment it is true it will only be cup draws. You cannot just wipe away our rivalry just because they are a couple of leagues below us. When, in our blip, we were down there we still felt that they were our rivals despite the league difference. There is too much history between us, no matter how hard you try, you cannot wipe that out over night. So no I cannot go along with you there Ducky........Pompey for me, at least, will always be our local rivals.
By definition there is a big difference between what we mean by our rivals and the team we love to dislike. For me that could never be Reading as they are my second team, I've always liked Arsenal and Swansea and once upon a time Wesdam had a reputation for good football. Who could dislike Fulham, West Brom or Villa? Everyone hates united and nobody gives a fig about Chelsea. The more I think about it the more I realise it can only be the team I dislike above all others and that Includes our neigbours: EVERTON What is there to like about such a horrid little club and they had Saints fans two most despised players in their side? Bailey and that little late semi-final goal scoring heart breaking squirt. Oh and they play in blue and who likes any team that plays in blue?
Any team in our way of the top 8/6/4/1 will be our rivals.. As that is the ambition of the football club!! There i said it!!
I dislike Reading, Brighton, West Ham, Liverpool and QPR. But that's just my feelings, doubt I carry enough weight to pick our next rivals
This is stupid. Rivalries develop organically over time, you can't just pick a team and say "they're our rivals now".
Agreed, we have a natural rivalry with the clubs that came up with us at the moment i feel. The longer we stay in one league (hopefully premier) with other teams that are sted fast in that league a natural long term rivalry will develop. Only thing standing against it is that we are such a likeable club historically so other clubs might not have the heart to hate us
Yep, Rivalry must be two way. Remember Bournemouth in league 1? Was more like a crush on their part, we just thought they were cute!! We need someone to hate us, then we can hate them back! I live in Nottingham. County fans hate Forest but Forest hardly notice they exist, its all about Derby for them.
The problem with that Beddy is that is becoming increasingly obvious that they aint going to be round much longer. The trust clearly haven't the money and even if they do cobble something together, they'll be in the conference within a season. Look at Plymouth. Sad as it is, we may have to look elsewhere.
Can understand where you are coming from but I have a bit more faith in the trust. I think they will hang on to their league status just!! I agree my faith may be misplaced I just have a feeling in my water is all.....
And they went on the pitch at Highbury after the squirt scored. That did give rise to a long running feud that lasted through the 80s, but it's over now. P*mpey, on the other hand, will always be the enemy, even if they cease to exist as a football club. I would happily contribute 50p from my own pocket to help them rise from the ashes, just to have a pantomime villain to go on hissing at.
In fairness, you have to admit that if we want a competitive rivalry then Portsmouth aren't the best candidates...
Good point well made. And this was the exact reason for the thread. Sure, we were 2 leagues below them for a couple of seasons, but it was clearly a blip. The previous 50 years showed that with our resources and fan base that would never going to last long. I have a feeling that this time it's different. Even when they were in division 4 and we were in the top flight, it seemed that they would regroup and come back. Granted it took 46 years, but they did manage it. Now with falling gates, 1940's stadium, not a pot to piss in, how on earth are they ever going to regroup. I hope I'm wrong, because I love and respect Skates, but their going to be battling it out with Aldershot (Boscombe are even outgunning them FFS) for ever and a day. Therefore, there's a vacancy. As I said earlier, at the moment it's like picking on the ginger kid.
It's not what he said but the way he said it. Let's face it, this thread could have been framed in a serious manner but from the opening post it's clear that it's just an excuse for another dig at Portsmouth. The fact that he spends so much time on the Portsmouth board talking rubbish and calling our fans plastics and jobworths is clearly is going to influence people's prior prejudices towards him. He's not much different to Singing Blue in that regard. Now, his post prior to this one, that is more of a reasonable post and less obviously a dig at Portsmouth. You could sure fool us! I should put that in my sig. And Duckhunter, your time in League 1 didn't last long because you were bankrolled.
