Now that the window is closed and we've no game to look forward to, just thought I'd put this thought out there. A few weeks back I returned to my car to find that the car next to me was emblazoned in Saints stickers. I was chatting to my grandson about this oddity when the owner returned sporting a replica shirt. Turned out that the guy had absolutely no link to Southampton as a City at all, but had been a kid in 1976 and followed them ever since. So there we are. My first encounter with a glory hunting Saints fan, poor sod! So it got me thinking about the whole issue. We descended the stairs at Wembley in February singing that we support our local team. Crap, of course. If I, and many other Saints, supported our "local team" we'd not be supporting this lot. But there is a link. The family on my mum's side lived in and around Southampton for as far back as I can trace. I grew up in Hampshire and Southampton was the big town (and it was still a town then!). Even then, there were plenty who "supported" United (Munich boosted their appeal) or other big northern names, like Blackpool and Bolton. FLT recently wrote a jokey piece about being in Liverpool and encountering lots of blue noses. Well, that's my experience of living in or visiting the City. Everton are the team in Liverpool while a lot of Reds speak with Essex accents. We all know the Man City view of their rivals. Yet travelling to Wembley last February I chatted to two life time United fans who had been born and bought up in Gtr Manchester. We were chatting about the whole global malarkey and one of them made the point that getting tickets for Wembley, for example, had been difficult because of this global appeal. They were embittered by this and suggested that I be careful what I wish for when I suggested that Saints needed to broaden their fan base. I'm interested in views of other fans on this one. How would we feel about being a global brand, but then be denied the opportunity to see our team in big games as a consequence. There are those who sleight "plastics". I recall with some embarassment being on the Northam when we played Coventry and Season Ticket holders waving their tickets chanting "Where were you when we were ****e?" to those who had taken advantage of extra tickets that had been made available. So do we want to continue to find "glory hunters" a rare breed, or is our obsession with the club capable of seeing them become less and less linked with the City which provides the name?
I should be a Newcastle supporter as I was born in Blyth. My brother is a Newcastle supporter. I grew up in Cowes IOW and didn't support any team until I went to college in Newcastle in 1968. I chose Southampton as the team I wanted to support even though I had no history with the club. In 1976 I found out that my grandfather, who I never knew, was connected with the IOW supporters club. With regard to the plastics, I was put out with not getting a ticket for Huddersfield last week, considering I could easily get one when we were in League one. Ticketing history should go back to them days. Blue writing.
You are making a good point as did the MU supporter. The teams like Man U, Arsenal, Chelsea, Man City now,( Don't forget it was not so long ago that they were lounging in the lower divisions for quite a while) to name a few, all have waiting lists for season tickets. As a consequence some of their more genuine supporters that perhaps cannot afford season tickets even if they were available, find it difficult sometimes to get a ticket for some of the bigger games. So yes being big and famous does have its drawbacks. Going back as far as I can remember Saints have always had a good following, including one game where we had something close to 33/34 thousand at the old dell usually about a couple of times a season. Mind you you had to queue for the tickets in those days and had to be at the dell around midday queuing to be sure you got in for a 3 o'clock kick off on these special occasions. Even now games have been sold out. Have tried on a couple of occasions to get tickets when my son has come over from the states at the last minute. Another Saints supporter in the US oF A. So can understand how difficult it must be for those teams that have so many plastic supporters. At least we have an excuse in that our ground is comparatively small. I guess though that is another debate.........
Fans want us to achieve things, then moan when we do. Every fan has their first day of watching Saints...has to start somewhere. We should be inclusive. And you never know their story....may have been fans from afar for years and suddenly get a chance to see a match. Look at Helen...watching with love from Wales and finally making the journey to see a match (p.s. she's a bit of a jinx ). A taxi driver recently told me that his family were going to their first match because Saints had put a flyer through his door offering cheap tickets for locals. Good for them I thought. A Saints fan is a Saints fan whether a season ticket holder, a casual ticket buyer, or someone who finally makes it for a once in a lifetime treat.
I’m a Saints fan because I love disappointment, pain, heart ache and snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Wouldn’t have it any other way though.
Imagine the truth dawning on youngsters who joined us in the Championship season before promotion. The truth probably began to dawn as the team tried hard to drop out of automatic promotion. Gird your loins, lads and ladesses....this is how it's going to be.
When I first found out about football I was a Man U fan, this was because I was 5 and didn't know any other teams. After about 2 weeks my dad asked why I didn't support my local team Southampton, and I have been a Saint ever since. Normally watching from home as can't justify spending that money on a ticket. Went to lots in league one and championship though as the price was good. Had a friend (he didn't follow football) who was out in Singapore when saints went into admin. He messaged me asking what was going on with southampton, as he had stumbled across a local crying when he was out one night. When he asked why he was in tears he told him that he supported Southampton and they were days away from folding.
Hey! There's only been one loss (which shouldn't have been)! I think there's a difference between "plastics" who support a team just because they're successful and fans who are supporters from afar. As I've said before, I was 7 or 8 when I first started supporting Saints which is quite a few years ago now and although last season was the first time I've seen them play live it doesn't make me any less a supporter than someone who was born and bred in Southampton. If I'd been a plastic back in the late 60s, early 70s I'd have been a Liverpool supporter
Nobody who supports or follows Saints is a plastic. How can they be? Historically we are not a very successful club. One major cup and two league titles in their entire history would say if you are looking to jump up and down and laugh at other teams it's the wrong club (I'm not counting the JPT as major). I'm 55 and my family is all long-lived, so with some luck, I'll be going on a few more years, so saying I consider myself to be very, very, lucky and dare I say privileged to have seen Saints win the FA Cup at Wembley. You can never say for sure but I have a feeling, with the way football is heading, we that did might be the only ones that ever will.
Moved to Southampton when I was 8 . Been a fan / supporter on and off for years , by that I mean I have always taken an interest , and have had ST's . Now though , it's just a casual interest . That may well change again in the future , i'm not like the other posters
Strewth can you remember back that far.............I would have thought you were an 8o's person me self.............
I think both Vin and I have sons who think supporting Saints is a glorious thing of great achievements! Me, I am a Hampshire lad and forever grateful that my Dad's car turned West not East as it reached the bottom of the A32 back in the 70's. I am also grateful that my late mother did not pass on to me her love of all things Manchester United .... boy that would have been a burden of true doom and gloom. My view on other fans of Southampton is simple: the more the merrier. I don't care if you've had a season ticket for 100 years, go once a season or have never been before. If you decide to support my glorious club then you're alright by me. The only thing I ever ask, is that you back the team through good and bad. As for it affecting me with tickets, then that's life. You win some you lose some.* *caveat that if we get to the bloody FA Cup Final this year then I reserve the right to moan at not getting a ticket as I'm not going in a ST this season. #bloodyplastics
I'm going to write the as small as you did so you won't hold me to it : If we get to the cup final this year, text me as it always falls around my anniversary and the other half is already saying "let's go away again over mid to end of May for our anniversary"
Two of the teams I loved during my youth were Inter-Milan winning the European Cup in the mid 60s, and of course AC Milan beating Manchester United in 1969 in the same competition. I would try and find photos of their players and put them up on my bedroom wall and door. Now of course my bedroom is adorned with photos of .....,sorry to disappoint you FLT not Spurs, but those of the great Real Madrid. I am a true glory hunter, because next season it could be those of VfB Stuggart!! Having said that, I still love the Hampshire teams.
