He does that a lot. Change his views accordingly rather than saying what he actually does think. On another note: "It's soul-destroying to see them in this predicament. Chainrai must think it's the worst investment he's made." - Harry Redknapp
In the event that they do fold and form a Phoenix Club (not an outcome I would wish on them, I might stress to add), I hope that they are allowed to keep their history. I believe AFC Wimbledon were allowed to keep their history when Milton Keynes stole their team from them. (See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AFC_Wimbledon#Club_honours )
I don't want Pompey to go bust, but I still feel that all in all the hatred has always been more from their side than ours. A friend of mine went to Portsmouth Uni and he said a girl he knows from Southampton was kicked out of a taxi just for being from Southampton. He had no reason to lie about this, he isn't even a football fan, but when we have hooligans beating eachother up for the team they support it doesn't seem like such an unlikely story. Don't get me wrong I have a friend who is a Pompey fan i'm not so naive that I think they are all like that, but nevertheless when I saw the Saints v Pompey game at Fratton Park I couldn't help but think that their hatred went a little beyond banter. This is nothing new, my Dad has been a Saints fan all his life and for as long as football rivalries became more the norm (I think the 70's was when the south coast derby became more than just a friendly rivalry) he said that the hatred in his experience has come out of the Pompey side much more than the Saints side. I'm not trying to turn this into a blame game, I remember an elderly pompey fan stating that he wanted the animosity to stop on a BBC vid last season, and I know our fans are just as capable as being hateful as theirs, but when you hear about comments such as the one from a few days ago (which I shall not repeat) regarding Markus Liebherr and Ted Bates you can't help but feel that they have always despised us more than we have hated them. I don't know where that originates from, I hear the whole dock workers fiasco may just be an urban myth. I can only guess it might have something to do with the Saints top division success (or relegation avoidence) during the 80's and 90's. Obviously the rivalry itself is just something to do with Pompey being the next big dock along the south coast. I'm not trying to start an argument here or make out that we have the high morale ground, I'm just wondering if other Saints fans have had the same experience.
I really am not bothered how the hatred started anymore. I don't care which side instigated it. There used to be time when I was interested in the myth and legend, but now all I am interested in is for the hatred to stop. I have always been of the opinion that the actual bad rivalry started when Saints began to fair better in the Elite Division, whereas Pompey started a huge slide to the then Fourth Division. Before that, the most it amounted to was banter, and largely good natured banter too. So these stories of strike breakers, and other rubbish, are just excuses, because the real bad feelings didn't even start to happen until the mid-70's, but grew and grew until the utter stupidity of the last decade. My opinion of fans who indulge in anything more than good natured banter can't really be shared with this forum other than to say that they are all f***wits, every single one of them, from either side. They hide their violence under the banner of football club support. Well I'm not fooled for a second, and I would ban every last one of them so fast, and for life, it would make their scarves spin.
I've been guilty of 'hating' Pompey myself in the past but then I thought 'What the **** for?'. We all take football pretty seriously but, banter aside, really hating people because of their club of choice is ****ing stupid. There's a lot of hatred in the world and to drag it into a sport is mindless tribalism. No, I don't like Pompey but I don't hate them. For what it's worth, I hope Pompey is not liquidated but if they are, then I wish the phoenix club every success in trying to get on their feet.
You do feel that football rivalries are a little more chilled in this country where the opposition are from the same city or play each other on a regular basis. Portsmouth & Southampton have seldom met and also Portsmouth were very much a part of the hooligan era of the 70s & 80s. The sub text during that period of wanting to be the hardest fans still blights our all seater stadia. Films about that culture have added a certain kind of glamour to it and although thankfully the most violence in the stands are hand gestures and bad language. There is still an overly aggressive culture. Football has done a lot to curb violence from the stands, but there is a long road ahead which may never be repaired.
I used to be a regular at Pompey dog track during the late nineties,and early noughties,and early on it became known that i was a "fackin scummer". Never had any trouble from anyone down there,plenty of banter both ways,and some of these were apparently ex 657 hoolies. Always get a friendly welcome from any of them if i bump into them at any time. But any of them i dont know,are dirty skate bastards.
It's a real shame that the Target road stadium has been bulldozed flat. You could have a fun night out there. 50p reverses, I won £20 once doing that, Chicken in a basket served by ladies, in white coats and hats and red and white striped aprons! (with blue striped ribald language to match) Brilliant place, sadly missed.
Take a look: http://www.facebook.com/groups/329262597163257/ Some of the comments on there a ****ing pathetic and typical of many fans
I don't have face book, but I take your word for it, if the views expressed about what happens on face book, on the Jeremeh Kyle show are anything to go by.
They make me embarrased to be a Saints fan Just a small selection of the delights on offer over on Facebook
