The thread about Half & Half scarves got me thinking.......and after a moment I thought; 'what if actual clubs (local rivals) had to merge? Here is a blank canvass for you. Name the two sides; eg Arsenal & Spurs, Liverpool & Everton, (dare I say it) Pompey & Saints. (I've also posted this on the Pompey board) Give the team a new name and suggest home and away kits....... .....lights blue touch paper and retreats to a safe distance
****ing hell, how's that for a first post here for years Was wondering when you'd turn up mate, need Woops as well now n that's almost the complete set
Easy. Southampton FC Red and white stripes, black shorts and white n red socks. Feck you lot off into oblivion
Okay, so we'll bring the stadium, the Premier League status, the playing squad and the manager. You lot bring...
I actually forgot his other two examples: Arsewipe Hotsh1ts - they can play in brown at the toilet seat stadium Everscousehampton wannabes - of course they’ll play in whatever was our red and white striped version from the season before. They can play in Stanley Park with shell suits for goal posts.
Amalgamations are impossible to comprehend for most footie fans, but it may be the way forward for struggling clubs in the same town or reasonably near each other. That suggestion would go down like a lead balloon with most, but better that than a city or town ending up with no team at all.
I feel for Bury Fans....I really do............If it meant merging rather than lose either historical club I would rather do that. I seem to remember a possible merger years ago Way before our earlier problems and even Portsmouth's.
Bury’s new owner buys out both Sheikh Mansour and the Glazers and forms one club named Greater Bury City United.
I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that Nicola Cortese entertained the idea of a Solent City FC, which was an amalgamation of Saints and Pompey. He worked on the idea that the small urban megalopolis, which will undoubtedly stretch from Southampton to Portsmouth one day, would sustain a super club that could be as dominant as any big team in the UK and be very competitive in Europe and worldwide. It would also create jobs and wealth in the area, because it would attract major investment, further building the urban environment. It was just an idea he floated. Myself, I am not against mergers, even sporting ones, provided they are relevent and beneficial. But I am somewhat against too much urban spawl, because we still don't do it correctly.
Don't think that Saints fans would remember him with quite so much fondness if he had pulled that idea off, but it does back up my personal view that he was never interested in the history and identity of the club or cared much about what the fans thought (remember the all red kit?) it was just one big ego trip for him. I'm still very grateful for 4 and a half wonderful years though and the aftermath.
I suppose he wasn't that interested in the history of the club. And for that I thank him. No point in looking back. He certainly wanted to create one though. I don't think it was an ego trip at all. He wanted to get things done and not fanny about. As for kits, I've often been fed up to the back teeth with stripes, so the all-red was a change. It wasn't set in stone. He steered us out of Lge One and into the PL by making the right decisions, and these days I often feel his huge contribution gets air-brushed away. I don't forget that if he hadn't spotted the prospect of a good challenge for Markus Liebherr's money, Saints might no longer exist or be a lower league club.
Would you have honestly supported a Solent City FC? because I know that I wouldn't!. I was a bit annoyed that fans took his side and painted genuine heroes who actually care about the city like Matty and Franny as villains for a while. Spike Armstrong said on the radio that he was refused admission in one of the suites on match day once and that is a disgrace IMO. So glad that they are all back into the fold now though.