Back on top

TENSION mounts this week as the full impact of a sinking ship will hit Southampton.

That’s right, Pompey are coming to town.

Our friends down the road are enjoying something of a minirevival on the pitch at the moment, winning against Hull and Birmingham.

From their point of view (and that of Hampshire’s blue line) that’s well timed as a few weeks ago the possibility of them being relegated at St. Mary’s was very real.

Who is laughing now, indeed?

No money, hardly any players and quite possibly no club in a few months makes for difficult reading if you’re from the PO post-code area.

Now, very few people would ever actively seek for a football club go out of business but I must confess to having very little sympathy with Pompey fans as very few seemed willing to question how they bankrolled the success they enjoyed four years ago.

Likewise, I’ve been a bit worried about Saints' cash future, but the news this week that the money loaned by the Liebherr’s has been turned into equity really does mean Saints fans can sleep easy, and, without wanting to tempt fate, if we go up, you’d like to think the Premier League money will mean the £11m annual shortfall will be plugged.

The question I always ask the handful of Pompey fans I know is: Was it worth it?

Would you forego the FA Cup in 2008 and the draw with AC Milan if it meant the last two years hadn’t been marred by two administrations and the prospect of not existing?

I’ve yet to meet a Saints fan who thinks the financial decisions behind our play-off bid in 2007 were worth the administration in 2009, but Pompey reached far higher - and look to be falling far harder.

Now, I try not to gloat – after all, we’ve been there and in football you’re never far from it all blowing up in your face – but it’s hard not to let a wry smile form when “Is this the way to Amarillo” is turned back on the Fratton faithful. All seven of them.

So, as Pompey loom on the horizon and their bubble gets ready to pootle up the M27, I can’t quite decide how to view the game.

Saints have nothing to prove and even a loss wouldn’t really mean much as the league table clearly shows who are top dogs in the south.

It’s not a case of not being bothered, it’s more fact we’ve got bigger fish to fry.

That’s how I approached football pre-2003, as prior to then Pompey were never really on my radar as a Saints fan - for fans around my age, we'd hardly ever played them so it was a bit of a surprise to find out someone really didn't like us.

So it’s nice to see that after years of the world being turned upside down for Saints supporters, things are finally back to how they should be – with us on top once again.

Comments(22)

bigfella777 says...
10:06am Mon 2 Apr 12

Blimey,tell it how it is. I like we've got bigger fish to fry.

St Retford says...
11:19am Mon 2 Apr 12

I love this. Nice work.

OSPREYSAINT says...
9:40pm Mon 2 Apr 12

Back on top? We have been there for a little while!

ghk230473 says...
9:41am Tue 3 Apr 12

This dan is a bit jimmy hill, talk about controversial!
I do like it but the comment about the fans not complaining when money being spent can be directed to a lot of other clubs too. We fans are just that and not financial experts, mind I'd like to think if our ground was 20,000 capacity and we were paying the wages they were a penny may have dropped! Yeah fack em! Coyr's

rob the saint in NZ says...
9:16pm Tue 3 Apr 12

Nice work Dan!

Can you get it onto The News Sh1te as well!

Keep it up.

COYR!

mack chinnon says...
7:34pm Wed 4 Apr 12

Lets not forget the Statue.

glastonburygirl says...
5:24pm Thu 5 Apr 12

Do you really think Pompey fans (or any other team's fans) have any influence on how the money is spent ? Comments like this only cause more animosity. Both sets of fans need to grow up. After all it IS only a game.

cliffwalker says...
9:19am Sat 7 Apr 12

glastonburygirl wrote:
Do you really think Pompey fans (or any other team's fans) have any influence on how the money is spent ? Comments like this only cause more animosity. Both sets of fans need to grow up. After all it IS only a game.
Hear, hear.

mack chinnon says...
6:42pm Sat 7 Apr 12

cliffwalker wrote:
glastonburygirl wrote: Do you really think Pompey fans (or any other team's fans) have any influence on how the money is spent ? Comments like this only cause more animosity. Both sets of fans need to grow up. After all it IS only a game.
Hear, hear.
Keep walking.

doos says...
10:25am Sun 8 Apr 12

Did you really just call us Poopee!! Is that your best comeback? Are we in infant school? Very amusing

You mention it was funny seeing us celebrate an equaliser. So if you scored a 94th minute equaliser with a 30 yard volley away at Fratton Park what would you do?? Actually you would have probably have left to beat the traffic or so you could ring 606 to call for you manager to be sacked.

I expect you will go up and we will probably go down but inside your'e gutted because you thought you would get revenge for your two 4-1 spankings and you didn't even come close.
The more angry posts that go up on message boards the more clear it is you are gutted!!!

So proud to be Pompey!!!!

Jesus_02 says...
12:16am Mon 9 Apr 12

Fair play to Pompey for playing their part in what was a cracking derby...Pity it will be the last for a long while.

Meadowlark pippin says...
2:05pm Mon 9 Apr 12

As an outsider this piece seems more about trying to wind up your rivals than supporting your own team. Surely if you have bigger fish to fry you should start frying them. I have to ask if you are a professional journo and if you are you should be ashamed of yourself. Or perhaps it was done tongue in cheek. The bitterness Southampton have for their neighbours really amazes me for pity sake grow up!

City Saint says...
11:44pm Mon 9 Apr 12

Meadowlark pippin wrote:
As an outsider this piece seems more about trying to wind up your rivals than supporting your own team. Surely if you have bigger fish to fry you should start frying them. I have to ask if you are a professional journo and if you are you should be ashamed of yourself. Or perhaps it was done tongue in cheek. The bitterness Southampton have for their neighbours really amazes me for pity sake grow up!
This reflects the debate in local football, as any fool knows. Don't like it? Don't blame the professionals who report on the industry. Go back outside and find another story.

Meadowlark pippin says...
12:59am Tue 10 Apr 12

I don't like it and Im entitled to air my views much like you or is that not allowed? It is a poor article that does no favours to the author. Much the same as your response!

shesaint says...
1:16pm Tue 10 Apr 12

City Saint wrote:
Meadowlark pippin wrote: As an outsider this piece seems more about trying to wind up your rivals than supporting your own team. Surely if you have bigger fish to fry you should start frying them. I have to ask if you are a professional journo and if you are you should be ashamed of yourself. Or perhaps it was done tongue in cheek. The bitterness Southampton have for their neighbours really amazes me for pity sake grow up!
This reflects the debate in local football, as any fool knows. Don't like it? Don't blame the professionals who report on the industry. Go back outside and find another story.
Do people actually read the articles before posting comments? Glastonbury girl, no where did Dan imply that fans had influence on how money is spent, only "was it worth it" and to balance the scales refers to our situation in 2007.

As for Meadowlark, we do have bigger fish to fry, such as winning the league and getting promoted. The Portsmouth game would have little impact either way. Also, you are entitled to your opinion, but you have stated it as if it was a fact "It is a poor article". Because it's your opinion it doesn't make it a fact. I think it is a well written, well balanced article which is born out by the mostly positive comments posted by people who appear to have actually read the article and not just skimmed it. Keep up the good work, Dan.

Norwegian Saint says...
1:52pm Tue 10 Apr 12

I support 2 teams, Saints and anyone that plays Poopey!
COME ON MILLWALL!

glastonburygirl says...
2:19pm Tue 10 Apr 12

shesaint wrote:
City Saint wrote:
Meadowlark pippin wrote: As an outsider this piece seems more about trying to wind up your rivals than supporting your own team. Surely if you have bigger fish to fry you should start frying them. I have to ask if you are a professional journo and if you are you should be ashamed of yourself. Or perhaps it was done tongue in cheek. The bitterness Southampton have for their neighbours really amazes me for pity sake grow up!
This reflects the debate in local football, as any fool knows. Don't like it? Don't blame the professionals who report on the industry. Go back outside and find another story.
Do people actually read the articles before posting comments? Glastonbury girl, no where did Dan imply that fans had influence on how money is spent, only "was it worth it" and to balance the scales refers to our situation in 2007.

As for Meadowlark, we do have bigger fish to fry, such as winning the league and getting promoted. The Portsmouth game would have little impact either way. Also, you are entitled to your opinion, but you have stated it as if it was a fact "It is a poor article". Because it's your opinion it doesn't make it a fact. I think it is a well written, well balanced article which is born out by the mostly positive comments posted by people who appear to have actually read the article and not just skimmed it. Keep up the good work, Dan.
I did read the article and it is hardly well balanced. With regard to "was it worth it" I doubt that most fans would have questioned how the money was spent bearing in mind that the both owners had been considered "fit and proper" by the FA.

Meadowlark pippin says...
2:55pm Tue 10 Apr 12

Shesaint. Quite right it is my opinion and everyone has one. Im at uni down here and I'm amazed at the level of animosity between these two teams. As an "outsider" we have rivals in the north as well but save maybe man utd Liverpool or man utd Leeds nothing quite like this. I just think this sort of article belongs more in a fanzine. To balance the books there is another article just as bad in the Portsmouth paper from their point of view.

shesaint says...
3:52pm Tue 10 Apr 12

glastonburygirl wrote:
shesaint wrote:
City Saint wrote:
Meadowlark pippin wrote: As an outsider this piece seems more about trying to wind up your rivals than supporting your own team. Surely if you have bigger fish to fry you should start frying them. I have to ask if you are a professional journo and if you are you should be ashamed of yourself. Or perhaps it was done tongue in cheek. The bitterness Southampton have for their neighbours really amazes me for pity sake grow up!
This reflects the debate in local football, as any fool knows. Don't like it? Don't blame the professionals who report on the industry. Go back outside and find another story.
Do people actually read the articles before posting comments? Glastonbury girl, no where did Dan imply that fans had influence on how money is spent, only "was it worth it" and to balance the scales refers to our situation in 2007. As for Meadowlark, we do have bigger fish to fry, such as winning the league and getting promoted. The Portsmouth game would have little impact either way. Also, you are entitled to your opinion, but you have stated it as if it was a fact "It is a poor article". Because it's your opinion it doesn't make it a fact. I think it is a well written, well balanced article which is born out by the mostly positive comments posted by people who appear to have actually read the article and not just skimmed it. Keep up the good work, Dan.
I did read the article and it is hardly well balanced. With regard to "was it worth it" I doubt that most fans would have questioned how the money was spent bearing in mind that the both owners had been considered "fit and proper" by the FA.
Glastonburygirl. "Do you really think Pompey fans (or any other team's fans) have any influence on how the money is spent" Where does it say in the article that fans had any influence on how money was spent? It just simply asks the question was it worth spending all that money on the FA Cup in Portsmouth's case, and the push for promotion in Southampton's case? Both incidents probably resulted in both clubs going into administration. How is that not well balanced? Incidently, Southampton Leisure Holdings was PLC and therefore owned by the people who bought shares and not privately owned.

shesaint says...
3:57pm Tue 10 Apr 12

Meadowlark pippin wrote:
Shesaint. Quite right it is my opinion and everyone has one. Im at uni down here and I'm amazed at the level of animosity between these two teams. As an "outsider" we have rivals in the north as well but save maybe man utd Liverpool or man utd Leeds nothing quite like this. I just think this sort of article belongs more in a fanzine. To balance the books there is another article just as bad in the Portsmouth paper from their point of view.
Meadowlark. The original article was printed in The Pink, which is a sports related paper for the south, but with specific emphasis on Southampton Football Club, so maybe if you had read it there you may have viewed it in context.

Meadowlark pippin says...
4:07pm Tue 10 Apr 12

I understand that but I see it the same as when the sun stirs up jingoistic fever during world cups. I don't think Dans article goes that far but it's more biased than I'd expect from a newspaper local or not. Maybe I'm just an old man in young man shoes.

Spiritof76 says...
2:17pm Sat 14 Apr 12

all very well but were not on top are we?

click2find

Get Adobe Flash player
About cookies

We want you to enjoy your visit to our website. That's why we use cookies to enhance your experience. By staying on our website you agree to our use of cookies. Find out more about the cookies we use.

I agree