Godders i was referring to the way we play and coach football nationally, as I think Matt was too, not the kit!
Don't be so ageist. I have a sensible balance between the technology in my life and values that I hold dear. I am no Luddite but I don't jettison easily the things that are important to me. What people seem to be saying is forget 1976, 27 years of top flight football, consecutive promotions, the JP Trophy, Lawrie Mac, Ted Bates, Matt le Tiss, Ron Davies, Mike Channon etc. because now we have got a nice new red kit which will revolutionise football and none of the history matters anymore. Well it bloody well does and I don't want my team dressed up as if they we bloody Liverpool.
I might be wrong, but I think for a tradition to evolve, it has to be an act carried out over a sustained period of time. Ergo, the sash was not worn long enough to become 'tradition'.
Godders, some of us aren't saying that. No-one mentioned revolutionising football, you mis-interpreted a comment there; I was referring to coaching, not kits. I have never stated that the history doesn't matter, I have said there is no problem having a new kit, which let's face it, will probably be temporary, and particularly when we've done it a few times in the past. Our history is very important to me.
Pompey have a history, they may not have a future, that's more important than the colour of their shirt isn't it?
As a 20 year old luddite, I pine for the Nokia 3310, cathode ray tube TVs, and black and white gameboys. Nowadays though, most people would prefer an iphone, a 50 inch plasma screen and Xbox live. Of those events and people, I only remember post 2003. Some good and bad moments in that time and I'm jolly pleased to be where we are now. A Liverpool-esque kit doesn't bother me. We are Southampton - always have been and hopefully always will be.
I don't see why people are being so militant about this shirt being a good thing, and tradition being bad. This shirt wont change the fact that we are, most likely, going to be battling relegation next season and will NEVER (in the current format/climate of English football) be more than a mid table first division side. What worries me about this is that this kit is being described as the start of a new era. Now what does that mean? Does it mean that an all red shirt is now going to be our de facto kit? Or does it just mean that it is the start of our latest run in the top division? Personally, I think the only reason for a change is that Nicola wanted something completely different to what we've been wearing for the last 20 years to really capitalise on the 'renewed interest' (also read, fairweather fans) in Southampton FC recently. Personally, I wont be buying the kit (at least not before it drops down to £20 max), but I wouldn't have bought a red and white striped one either.
The climate of English football has begun to change already. I believe soon enough the Premier League title will be fairer game than it's ever been. There are several factors which seem to be leveling the playing field. Either the top teams are getting worse or the rest are getting better, but either way it's far less predictable than it used to be. Tottenham were considered serious title challengers for more than half the season, Newcastle were unlucky not to finish in the top 4 and meanwhile Liverpool were lucky to finish in the top half. Tell me, what did Newcastle have two seasons ago that we don't have now?
50'000 supporters through the door every week Plus, if Southampton ever finish top four I will eat the new shirt or bear John Westwoods children. You can decide at the time. Granted The top four are slightly different to four years ago, and there is a new contender at the top, but I still don't see a club like Southampton ever putting in a consistent challenge at the top end unless the fundamentals of English football radically change. That's not to say we wont have good seasons in the future and finish 8th or even 7th occasionally, but they will be one offs and a far more realistic goal is survival, with anything else being a huge bonus.
The problem with "smaller" or less fashionable clubs getting into a position to challenge for a spot in the top four, as Newcastle will find out this year, is the big boys will simply buy all their best players. Teams like Newcastle, Saints etc cannot afford to pay £80k+ like all the regular top five clubs which hinders clubs consistently challenging for Champions League places
Agree with the above, but getting back to the spirit of the OP .... "Tradition" for me as a fan with a long memory is about how a club is perceived by the rest of the "football world". A United fan said to me once that he loved the visits of Southampton as they were a team who always had a go, rather than park the bus. As a result we took some tonkings, it was true, but there were some memorable games, from Ron Davies scoring 4 against them to Marian Pahars nutmegging the big dutchman. I have generally found that fans of other clubs respect Saints, and that is important. The time we were a complete laughing stock during the final Lowe days was the one time when I felt disillusioned and slightly ashamed of my club loyalty. We are coming back on the crest of a wave, and yes we'll have to get used to being murdered on occasions, but if we stick to the principles of playing football, of bringing through young players and of being a club with good support (good in the sense of loyal and very vocal, but also good humoured) then we'll be building on the "tradition" that Cortese, Pardew and Adkins have returned to us. If we become known as a well run club, known to play the game with some style and giving the big boys a hard game I'll be happy whichever shirt we wear.
Cortese has more inflated ideas of Saints future than even the most avid fan. He sees us as a big club but built on financial probity not debt. Let's hope he drags us kicking and screaming along with him.
No, because i'm not going to be buying a season ticket until tomorrow (unless the website crashes). I've heard its very affecting.
Well argued thread first post. How football club history is perceived and respected is as individual as any other form of history. I occasionally point out that Huddersfield Town were once the dominant team in the English League, and yet for many, many years they have been lower league residents. It is one thing to say that one can only relate to teams and players in one's own supporting lifetime, but there is the benefit of extensive reading. For example, I never saw Charlie Wayman play, but I have read a lot about him, and how much of an influence he was while a Southampton player. I wish I'd seen Derek Reeves play, but I can see his stats, which shows he was as sharp as Rickie Lambert in his day. So I can relate to that - it's not difficult to imagine. As to tradition, we don't need constant reminders to Saints history. It is in our hearts and minds, and personally I like to see a change occasionally. I realise some don't like that, and that's ok, and the club realises that also, because there is nothing more certain than an eventual return to traditional regulation red & white stripes. But let's not get too wrapped up in the Club's history. For those who would like to have memories of great successes, to be honest, it isn't that illustrious, until the recent change to the fast lane, and frankly, with the enormous prospects of the best future Southampton FC is arguably looking forward to, debating the shape and colour of the strip the players will be wearing for a season or two, seems carping to me. Seriously, I defend anyone's to do it, but really we're a very lucky bunch when that's all we've got to whine about, as supporters.
