Welcome to "We are Southampton"

Well, here it is!


This is about the third time i've started a blog/website but I am confident that this one will actually last longer than a month!


The first game I ever went to was Saints against West Ham at the Dell when I was 5. I do remember asking to leave at half time as I was bored but Little did I know that this game would develop into a life long love affair.

But, last season I didn't get to many games. Have I fallen out of love?

No is the answer as I have been thinking about why this has happened. I now have a different job, a job that doesn’t allow me to be sat in front a computer on a Saturday afternoon and have access to BBC website. I am also being a bit more frugal with cash and am finding it hard to justify £25 to go and see a game as well as the other costs. Does all this mean I am less of a fan?

I have fond memories of the Dell and I feel they were my best supporting days as when I was a teenager I used to go to every home game. I was a resident of the Milton Road end and then the Archers road end as these were where the action was. Singing, banter and strangers who you got to know in and out of the terraces.

The move to St Mary’s seems an age ago but I do feel that a part of the club died when we left the hallowed Dell. Don’t get me wrong, we needed to move to bigger venue as back then we were a regular Premier League club. 

Back to my question about am I any less of a fan? 

Perhaps I am but it’s hard to stay loyal to something that keeps changing and frustrates the hell out of you. Different managers, different owners and different leagues have all taken it’s toll on the Saints fans and it has been a hard few years. The footballing world don’t realise how close we were  to not having a football club and only the intervention of Markus Liebherr saved us in our darkest hour (I will do a piece on him at a later date as he is a true legend).

At this point I would like to thank my dad for taking me to that first game as, even through all the heart ache, I am still in love with MY TEAM. I feel sad for kids who choose to support the big clubs as they won’t have the chance to see there heroes live every week like I used to when I was growing up.

Last season we got automatic promotion to the Championship which was very well deserved as we were the best footballing team (Brighton can do one!). Will we get promoted again? I don't think so as we need to consolidate then build. Nigel Adkins has his head screwed on as does our Chairman Nicola Cortese and we will not be throwing the cash around.

We have lost out on a few signings as Agents think we will spend ridiculous amounts on wages (Billy Sharp who?) but with the introduction of Financial Fair Play in the next few years we are spending within our means. With the likes of Leicester and West Ham spending big I do think it will be a challenge this year but I'm confident we can have a good go at it and I know we won't embarrass ourselves in the process.

Today I'm off to watch us play Werder Bremen and Bilbao in a Pre Season friendly (report later).

COYR!