The pre-season thread - 2023/24

Now that we've got a game announced, starting to pull together all training camp/fixtures content/match reactions in one place...

 

12th July we are playing Benfica behind closed doors at St. George's Park.

 

In future summers we could always play the Sports Republic Cup where all their stable of teams play each other either home and away or chose one of their clubs venues to play them all

 

It makes sense for pre season.

Social media is fun, Goztepe fans on Twitter being very hospitable and saying ‘let’s go for a beer’, Saints fans on Facebook being condescending pricks ‘Who?’ ‘This is how far we’ve fallen’.

Embarrassing.

 

So many braindead morons on social media...

I forgot that we only play Read Madrid and Bayern Munich in pre-season and never play lower league teams from this country and abroad.

 

Maybe the Goztepe fans can show our moron fans their trophy cabinet...

 

I'm thinking of going. Flights around the 300 mark which fairly reasonable.

 

I know nothing of Turkey, but it looks a decent location. A short drive to the Marmara sea(which has an actual Sandy beach, unlike what we can offer in return) and as it’s in “greater” Istanbul, not far to the main city.

if it wasn’t such short notice, I think I could of convinced the other half.

 

Thats why I'm single haha

I didn't think it was that close to Istanbul though? Google says ~500km?

My only problem will be getting the time off as short notice and only recently started a new job. Ideally would go Friday-Monday.

 

I often get sucked into going to a pre-season game at St. Marys. Just because it's been a while since the last game, theres optimism ahead of the new season and the excitement of seeing new signings for the first time, plus it's fairly cheap. However they're just not for me, no atmosphere, played with half the intensity and effort of a proper game, and regularly minimal quality on show. No way I'd travel specifically for a friendly, but each to their own.

 

Yeah I always used to go to the last one before the season but sacked it off for reasons you state.

Any excuse for a trip away though and be nice to tick off a new country (and continent too I think).

 

I did directions and it said it was a 50 minute drive,

 

I have worked in Istanbul, very expensive city.

 

Crickey this season just gone it must have been Walking Football.

 

Think Goztepe is a common place name in Turkey as the club are based in the city of Izmir (which also has an area called Goztepe).

Think this is their stadium as they recently moved from a roofless bowl like one:

 

I was reading your message, and with the placement of the pin and label, thought there was a picture of a chicken there for a moment (you have to be reading the top part, not looking at the picture). Quite possibly just me though

 

And the name Istanbul is derived from the Turkish meaning “into the city”

Oh and happy Bday Richie!

 

Lol I see it now.

 

thanks for the correction, apparently Goztepe translates as Eye Hill in English and is a place for ancient watch towers
Izmir doesn’t have the beaches, but does have the ancient history and bustling Bazaars.
Like Southampton it looks like a natural port and plenty of the ancient civilizations have settled there.

 

Am starting to feel interested and optimistic for new season.
You’d think I would have learnt by now