One of the great things about football is the rivalry between local teams and all the stuff that comes with it. The banter, the atmosphere, the jokes and the oneupmanship that comes with having a hated rival.
Unfortunately , and I say this with a heavy heart, it looks like we're going to be deprived of this very basic football right. Its obvious to everyone that the blue few are not going to be in any position to call themselves rivals of the super saints. The very best they can hope for is to hang around league 2 like a bad smell and taste derby day at Aldershot. Believe me , this pains me. As someone who lived through the total dominance of 1960-2005, it becomes boring with no rival.
Of course in the modern game there have been a couple of seasons when we've been 2 leagues below, but with our fan base and facilities it was only ever going to be a blip. The massive gap now surely renders us rival less again.
So, who is next. Who can become our rivals. Maybe Brighton, a progressive club with a bright future. Maybe reading , who have done fantastic the past decade. QPR? Further away , but with satchel head as manager, maybe we could hate them ( although they seem to have swallowed the Peter storrie manual). For those who will say " the blue few will always be our rivals", stop and think, its hardly rivalary, its like picking on the ginger kid. Do everton pick on tranmere, do wba pick on wallsall ( and there's only 2 leagues difference).
I think Brighton fit the bill, so will be hoping they get promotion and reading go down. Great premiership derby saints v Brighton, great championship one boscombe v reading and great 4th division one skates v shots.
What about it, who can we build a rivalry with to sustain us for the next 100 years?
Unfortunately , and I say this with a heavy heart, it looks like we're going to be deprived of this very basic football right. Its obvious to everyone that the blue few are not going to be in any position to call themselves rivals of the super saints. The very best they can hope for is to hang around league 2 like a bad smell and taste derby day at Aldershot. Believe me , this pains me. As someone who lived through the total dominance of 1960-2005, it becomes boring with no rival.
Of course in the modern game there have been a couple of seasons when we've been 2 leagues below, but with our fan base and facilities it was only ever going to be a blip. The massive gap now surely renders us rival less again.
So, who is next. Who can become our rivals. Maybe Brighton, a progressive club with a bright future. Maybe reading , who have done fantastic the past decade. QPR? Further away , but with satchel head as manager, maybe we could hate them ( although they seem to have swallowed the Peter storrie manual). For those who will say " the blue few will always be our rivals", stop and think, its hardly rivalary, its like picking on the ginger kid. Do everton pick on tranmere, do wba pick on wallsall ( and there's only 2 leagues difference).
I think Brighton fit the bill, so will be hoping they get promotion and reading go down. Great premiership derby saints v Brighton, great championship one boscombe v reading and great 4th division one skates v shots.
What about it, who can we build a rivalry with to sustain us for the next 100 years?
