OK, it doesn't quite have the ring to it that a Beatles opening line has, but it still makes impressive viewing when you look at what Saints were doing today, 5 years ago in League One: please log in to view this image It's been pretty much fond memories ever since. Best is yet to come.
It has been an incredible journey. The bus climbed the steepest of hills and we are now zooming on at even greater pace towards what is yet to come. Love being a Saints fan !
Ah, the bus...good memories Lost our driver, then were let down by the relief driver, but now safely on our way again.
Excellent. What we seem even more impressive would be the league table from September the following season, in the same league. 4 years on from second bottom in league 1 to second top in the premier league!!!
Wow - surely that's re-writing history a little isn't it? We sacked our driver and fell in love with his replacement very quickly - who did a very good job right? And yes we were spurned by said driver who moved to a "bigger" team, who we all desperately want to fail now We then found that our board who very few of us trusted, but moved very competently and quickly; replacing him with the best driver we could have ever hoped for, who has got our bus ahead of all the big-spending busses that our old players are in - and they are all without exception looking out of the windows forlornly, with only their MASSIVE wallets to comfort them... Life is good
Our relief driver kept taking his eye off the road, feel safer with Koeman who has both hands on the wheel at 10 to 2.
In no particular order..... THANK YOU... Gareth Rogers, Alan Pardew, Les Reed, Adam Lallana, SKD, Jose Fonte, Nicola Cortese, Jos Hooiveld, Rickie Lambert, Katharina Liebherr, St Markus Liebherr, Ralph Krueger, Nigel Adkins, Andy Crosby, Ronald and Erwin Koeman, Sammy Lee, Dean Wilkins, Dean Hammond, Guly, Radhi Jaidi, Lee Barnard, Billy Sharp, Jay Rodriguez, Artur Boruc, Fraser Richardson, David Connolly, Morgan Schneiderlin, Jack Cork, Steven Davis, Victor Wanyama, Nat Clyne, Luke Shaw, Graziano Pelle, Dusan Tadic, JWP, Sadio Mane, AOC, Jason Puncheon, Michail Antonio, Papa Waigo, Ryan Bertrand, Toby Alderweireld, Danny Fox, Dan Harding, Wally Downes, Jan Kluitenberg and all the other players and staff that played a role, however small, in the renaissance of our wonderful football club..... Here's to the next 5 years, who knows where we might be!!
All these mentions of drivers, i.e. Adkins and Pochypoos, and that table represents Pardew's first 14 games. His catch phrase was the winning mentality. The first time I'd ever heard it used in football, and now on every manager or coaches lips if he/she has a big turnaround job to do.
"And all the fat-skinny people, and all the tall-short people And all the nobody people, and all the somebody people I never thought I'd need so many people"
"Pushing through the turnstile queue, so many mothers sighing News had just come over, we had five years left to cry in News guy wept and told us, Saints were really dying Cried so much his face was wet, then I knew he was not lying" Etc., etc.
He was right. The most important thing Pardew did when he arrived was to raise players' spirits and instil the idea they could win. Those years of winning in League 1 and the Championship gave us the confidence that we are carrying on with now. It was helped by keeping a core of players that have been through the whole journey with us. (You don't know how much it cost me to the use the word 'journey'. I usually want to reach for a shotgun when people talk about their journey, but couldn't think of a more apt term ).
Going down that season, so many mothers sighing News had just come over, we had five years left to cry in News guy wept and told us, Saints were really dying Cried so much his face was wet, then I knew he was not lying I heard telephones, Come on you reds, and St. Mary's, I saw boys, toys, torn football shirts and T.V.'s My brain hurt like a warehouse, it had no room to spare I had to cram so many things to store everything in there And all the fat-skinny Ruperts, and all the tall-short Ruperts And all the nobody Ruperts, and all the somebody Ruperts I never needed so many Ruperts Markus Liebherr was rightly led, saved us with some millions If Cortese hadn't a-pulled him round, I think Lowe would have killed them A banker with a crazy plan, fixed his stare to the upper echelons, Parades knelt and kissed those feet of Lambert's, and a star Grew up at the sight of that I think I saw you in the Northam, drinking lagers cold and long Smiling and waving and looking so fine, don't think You knew you were in this song And it was cold and it rained so I felt like our own Victor And I thought of Markus and I wanted to get back there Your skills, your drills, the way that you play I watch you, you're beautiful, I want you to stay We've got five years, oh what a rise We've got five years, what a surprise We've got five years, my brain hurts a lot We've got five years, but is that all we got?
Excellent work, Spaced. Amazing how well that fits. Your next challenge is to get the Northam to sing it!
