So how many of you are really washing your hands of saints?

[Alien]

We the supporters are the club ,you guys who've written on this thread prove that. If that bunch of incompetents known as the board felt the same about it as we do, no way would this fiasco be occurring.

[andoru]

Saints? No. I'll always follow the Saints. But I'm done with the Premier League. Last season I bought a TV package that got me live coverage of every single game. I hardly missed a minute. I'm not renewing this year. I'm going to watch the Southampton matches and nothing else. I don't care what's going on in the rest of the league. I don't care what our results mean in the wider context – whether we go up, go down, stay where we are, etc. I'll take it one match at a time, and watch it purely for the entertainment. The league no longer exists to me. I'm not giving it any more of my money. It's a futile protest, but it'll free up a lot of time at the weekend, which will make my wife happy.

[tttdcs]

I find myself losing interest & not caring as much these days - not just with regards to Southampton, but football in general...

 

With the new FFP rules in place, the big teams will continue to improve at the expense of the so-called smaller teams, while the gap between 'them' & 'us' looks set to widen even further. I'm no glory fan either - I've supported us all my life & have paid for a season ticket for the last 15 years+ - but the mass exodus this summer has made me wonder if striving to improve & achieve in the game is worth it, given that the top teams can tear your team apart by luring your top talent away at the first signs of success/promise.

 

I'm as disillusioned as I'll ever be with the game & I wonder; is football really worth my time & money anymore?

 

Same feelings (40 years+)

[Saint in Paradise]

Well I first went to The Dell in 1954 and have been hooked ever since.Whilst I can never ever

stop following them I am far from as enthusiastic as in the past and will no longer buy Saints

stuff via the internet. Also as others have said I can no longer be bothered with the PL and so

called FFP joke rules.

 

A unhappy marriage can be got over by getting a divorce ( I know not always but in the majority

of cases ) but a marriage between a supporter and "their club" can never be dissolved so easily.

 

I also fear back to back relegations as I feel that RK and even more players won't hang around

much longer and TBF who would like to work in the situation that Saints now find themselves in ?

 

Being old fashioned I always felt that a company tried to look after its customers but for the past few

months the feeling that the Saints owner don't really give a stuff about anyone is getting stronger by

the day.

 

I would honestly love to be proved very wrong.

[david in sweden]

Clearly there are a lot of upset supporters at the moment, I get that, and I'm just as downcast about the situation as everyone else.

However I'm amazed at how many posters want to give up season tickets, think this the worst ever time to be a saints fan in 50 years, never want to set foot in SMS again etc etc.

So I'm wondering is this all just anger talking or has the current situation really become the last straw as far as supporting saints for people?

 

 

Me too, it's as though the entire fan base has been brainwashed by the media.

 

For the record .....I watched MY first Saints game 55 years ago....and I can assure everyone that Saints have been in far worse shape than they are now. For a start ...2009 wasn't our most glorious year.

We've never been near having £80 million in the bank.....also Premier League status is " comforting ", yet many seem to have us in the Championship next season... rather than the Champions League.

I don't expect qualification to CL this season, or even next....but O ye of short memory....is there no comfort in the seeing the queue of lads coming up from the Academy year after year.

 

Many people reading this were amongst the first to praise the emergence of Walcott, Bale and Oxled-Chamberlain, but first to complain when they became " too good" for a humble Saints ' side.

Now a few more have passed through the system...Lallana, Shaw and Chambers ...and so it's likely to be again in the future whilst we have the current FFP rules to play by..(outside our control).

 

with 3 weeks before season start, we have a manager with a proven record and his own legendary football career..... with money available to buy almost who he wants....and still people panic..(?)

 

For those " bed-wetters " who start panic threads every July 2nd, and demand that heads must roll because we haven't signed anyone ..have you never noticed that Saints (like many other clubs) do most of their business in the final week before the season starts.?

 

Agreed we need another 3-4 players coming in, but unlike many other clubs.. at least we have the wherewithal to buy them, and I predict we will see a lot of new faces arriving before Aug 17.

 

Finally, a fairly good case (not just financial) can be made for some of the recent sales ...(although I'm a little sad to see one or two of them disappear)....and we shouldn't convince ourselves into believing that the teams that were selected last season were the only 11 players on the Planet capable of playing well in a Saints' shirt ...(hooray for the Stripes).

 

..and let's not get carried away with the first few results either (good or bad). Something my 55 seasons as a Saints' fan has proven is that (aside from the obvious top 4 super teams) the first half dozen games are no real indicator of the end of season form. So sorry to all you Doomsday prophets...can't share all your negative attitudes......

Edited 29 July, 2014 by david in sweden

[Killers Knee]

I will never wash my hands of Saints BUT:

 

I will never allow anyone in my family a Barclays bank account (I don't live in the UK)

I will never allow anyone in my family to drink Carlsberg (no loss there)

I will never allow anyone in my family to pay for Sky (zona.ru)

I will never allow anyone in my family to pay for BT Sports (zona.ru)

I will never allow anyone in my family to buy Nike goods (Puma for my kids)

I will never allow anyone in my family to buy EA Sport (play with a ball, not a computer)

I will never allow anyone in my family to buy Topps cards (WTF is this?)

 

Basically, I'll boycott any Premier League sponsor.

[smackalec]

It's. Not the fact that it's a 'bad time to be a saints fan'. It's seeing something most of us love being systematically striped back to the root. I used to work for the weekend to go to football, scrape through the summer gagging for the season to start. Don't care what division we are in, just want a leader to rally behind. They could have fought to keep these players. They could have told some of them that we need another year, they could have got Cork and Fonte signed up, I can't wash my hands of them and I won't get rid of my ST but I'm not sure I'll be able to get motivated to go to the stadium. Football isn't a venue sport anymore, it's made for tv plastics.

[saintchris23]

The Name on the Front of the Shirt is more Important than the name on the Back

 

Muvi? Veho?

 

Football is being destroyed by money. I hope that even the real fans of the top clubs can understand that.

[Batman]

I am stunned people are arill saying it's all ok etc. it's not

 

Buying a new team 3 weeks before the season starts means will will

More than likely go down

 

If this was happening at any other club, no one would give them a prayer

[CB Fry]

I am stunned people are arill saying it's all ok etc. it's not

 

Buying a new team 3 weeks before the season starts means will will

More than likely go down

 

If this was happening at any other club, no one would give them a prayer

Correct. I said yesterday even if we buy eight £10m players in the next month I still think we will be lucky to stay up. Because that's just mental.

[Whitey Grandad]

Why should I? What's happening is not important in the long term. We are just seeing a short-term business reconstruction with a view to an improved long-term future.

[Killers Knee]

Correct. I said yesterday even if we buy eight £10m players in the next month I still think we will be lucky to stay up. Because that's just mental.

 

CB, you do realise that anyone we buy for £10m will have a real value of £5m and we'll have to pay top salaries to attract them. If I were Vlaar I wouldn't consider this gig for a penny less than £80k a week. Les better get a bulk order of lube.

[stthrobber]

I wouldn't wash my hands of Saints, but like Duncan, I wash my hands of football in general, and in particular, the Premier League.

 

I feared when Cortese was splashing out large sums of cash on players like Osvaldo, Lovren and Wanyama etc that we were turning into Pompey. It's quite clear that once he left, and KL looked at the books, that spending had reached unsustainable proportions. Unfortunately, that has a knock on effect, and failure to reach the Champions League (pipedream!) meant that we were probably getting deep into debt again.

 

Was it Hans Hofstetter that talked about sustainability being the future of the club?

 

The thing that bothers me is that last season they talked about team spirit etc and the players loved it at Southampton, and now they can't wait to leave.

 

Something is seriously wrong for this to happen. I expected a couple of players to go, nobody foresaw the number of players that have gone so far, with more to follow by the looks.

 

I don't necessarily think that players won't want to sign for us, after all, they are primarily motivated by greed, so we can pay more than many clubs can offer, but we do seem to be heading back to the days of struggle, as Koeman now has 2 weeks or so to mould a first team.

 

No player's ambition will be to remain at Saints when they can't achieve anything, so what has happened this year will keep happening as the top clubs realise that our academy players are ripe for cherry picking, and naturally, the players will be attracted by 70k crowds etc, Champions League football and higher wages.

 

We can't win, and that's why the PL is so unfair. I was much happier when we were in the Championship with all the other clubs of our size. Sadly, in terms of highlights and live football, it was a bit ****e, but at least we could compete

[Mallagroth]

Nah. What will be will be. If we end up back in the Championship I can live with that. Plenty of local away games for me at a personal level, and it's okay down there really.

 

This. Still the best year I've ever had supporting Saints, shortly followed by last year and league 1 promotion year. Was old enough to start going regularly mid nineties so do not know much of our glory teams of past.

[Kingsland Red]

In response to the OP, I don't think any 'supporter' would leave the club; after having experienced Lloyd James 'controlling' the midfield or Jake Thomson 'tearing it up' down the wing; due to this current close season blip.

Will probably flush out a few plastics though.

[Viking Warrior]

Doddiesalegend

 

I find this part of your post interesting

"However I'm amazed at how many posters want to give up season tickets, think this the worst ever time to be a saints fan in 50 years,"

 

Apart from the time we nearly went out of business 5 years ago , the issues by a group of fans opposed to branfoot and Lowe

Then I don't recall anything bad in the last 50 years

 

Yes we got relegated from the old league 1 and came back almost straight away

Football was great at the dell we won the FA cup got to the league cup final, lost 1-0 to arse in the cup final

Yes there have been some ups and downs that's saints for you

 

So what was so bad 50 years ago

Terry Paine was playing for England and soon to be a World Cup medal winner ?

[Viking Warrior]

I agree rich

 

The premier league is unfair . The league is designed for the top 6 and anyone outside that protected elite group don't matter

Can you imagine the furore that would have occured if there was a break away from the premier league for a new European league

 

And god forbid if the nutter dyke gets his way .

[CB Saint]

All this proves is the Futility of the EPL. There is no way on gods earth that any team outside the top six will allow anyone to breakthrough. We have done almost everything the right way (although there is a question mark over how sustainable it actually was). Invested in the academy, promoted the youth players, played great football and now this.

 

I am actually getting sympathy at work from Pompey fans - Football is fundamentally broken - the Champions League has seen to that and the FFP is just a way of maintaining the current status quo.

 

7th or 8th is the best we can ever hope for and if we ever acheive this again then we will be ripped apart by the big boys

[Professor]

Me too, it's as though the entire fan base has been brainwashed by the media.

 

For the record .....I watched MY first Saints game 55 years ago....and I can assure everyone that Saints have been in far worse shape than they are now......

 

Sorry David, but that's a rather arrogant thing to say. That in effect your own opinions are accurate but alternative views, however many of them there are, are invalid and can only be due to 'brainwashing'. And BTW, I was also supporting Saints in 1959 as they came out of the 3rd South, and in all those years, even the Branfoot era and the latter years of Lowe and Wilde, I do not recall any occasion when the playing staff have been decimated as they have been now. Selling one or two players if the club needs the money is one thing but selling almost a whole first team is beyond belief. If you are honest, and I'm sure you are, you will admit that you would not have believed this if it had been predicted to you on 11th May.

[Bloo71]

I buy my season ticket to go and SUPPORT my team, through thick and thin. Obviously I want us to have quality players but I will support whoever pulls on the red and white stripes. It will actually be a relief to get back to watching games rather than reading about one departure after another on here. I am still gutted about what is happening though.

 

They should give you a refund though.

[KelvinsRightGlove]

I just don't know what to think anymore. Like many, I'm becoming increasingly disillusioned with football. Just what is the point? I love saints, but can't stand the game at the minute. It's priorities are so out of whack. How can governing bodies justify bigger fines for Bendtner showing his Paddy Power boxers than it can for Racist abuse (yes, $$$ - obviously)?

 

I did enjoy last season, especially the start we made. I said at the time I'll enjoy it while it lasts, as I fully expected it to not last. But, I didn't see this summer coming. What grates, is that I just can't fathom out wtf is going on. It just doesn't make a great deal of sense. All scenarios reported make no sense or have glaring holes in them.

 

I do believe, rightly or wrongly, we were on the verge of having a really great squad that could have pushed on given a few additions. That has now been picked apart.

 

Similar to a post I made earlier this summer, I can't help but think - what is the point? The last few years have been great, I'm glad I enjoyed those whilst I could. I feel for those that p!ssed and moaned their entire way through it. I've tried my hardest to remain positive this summer, and similar to a post I saw by someone else the other day (apologies I forget who it was) I could understand pretty much any of the departures in isolation. But to this extent is just draining.

 

I guess it's just my turn to whinge and whine again. Previously I thought I'd probably get excited again once the season started and make myself look a total hypocrite. Now, I'm just really struggling to get excited about the season. Yeah, I know there have been worse times for Saints and other clubs. Frankly, I just feel 'meh' to all of it now. I'm done get frustrated with the outgoings, the Morgan and Jrod story just raised a little chuckle, 'of course'.

[Toon Saint]

I just don't know what to think anymore. Like many, I'm becoming increasingly disillusioned with football. Just what is the point? I love saints, but can't stand the game at the minute. It's priorities are so out of whack. How can governing bodies justify bigger fines for Bendtner showing his Paddy Power boxers than it can for Racist abuse (yes, $$$ - obviously)?

 

I did enjoy last season, especially the start we made. I said at the time I'll enjoy it while it lasts, as I fully expected it to not last. But, I didn't see this summer coming. What grates, is that I just can't fathom out wtf is going on. It just doesn't make a great deal of sense. All scenarios reported make no sense or have glaring holes in them.

 

I do believe, rightly or wrongly, we were on the verge of having a really great squad that could have pushed on given a few additions. That has now been picked apart.

 

Similar to a post I made earlier this summer, I can't help but think - what is the point? The last few years have been great, I'm glad I enjoyed those whilst I could. I feel for those that p!ssed and moaned their entire way through it. I've tried my hardest to remain positive this summer, and similar to a post I saw by someone else the other day (apologies I forget who it was) I could understand pretty much any of the departures in isolation. But to this extent is just draining.

 

I guess it's just my turn to whinge and whine again. Previously I thought I'd probably get excited again once the season started and make myself look a total hypocrite. Now, I'm just really struggling to get excited about the season. Yeah, I know there have been worse times for Saints and other clubs. Frankly, I just feel 'meh' to all of it now. I'm done get frustrated with the outgoings, the Morgan and Jrod story just raised a little chuckle, 'of course'.

[KelvinsRightGlove]

 

Haha. I'm unsure if you are mocking me or not.

 

Either way, that did make me laugh.

[Sour Mash]

I just don't know what to think anymore. Like many, I'm becoming increasingly disillusioned with football. Just what is the point? I love saints, but can't stand the game at the minute. It's priorities are so out of whack. How can governing bodies justify bigger fines for Bendtner showing his Paddy Power boxers than it can for Racist abuse (yes, $$$ - obviously)?

 

I did enjoy last season, especially the start we made. I said at the time I'll enjoy it while it lasts, as I fully expected it to not last. But, I didn't see this summer coming. What grates, is that I just can't fathom out wtf is going on. It just doesn't make a great deal of sense. All scenarios reported make no sense or have glaring holes in them.

 

I do believe, rightly or wrongly, we were on the verge of having a really great squad that could have pushed on given a few additions. That has now been picked apart.

 

Similar to a post I made earlier this summer, I can't help but think - what is the point? The last few years have been great, I'm glad I enjoyed those whilst I could. I feel for those that p!ssed and moaned their entire way through it. I've tried my hardest to remain positive this summer, and similar to a post I saw by someone else the other day (apologies I forget who it was) I could understand pretty much any of the departures in isolation. But to this extent is just draining.

 

I guess it's just my turn to whinge and whine again. Previously I thought I'd probably get excited again once the season started and make myself look a total hypocrite. Now, I'm just really struggling to get excited about the season. Yeah, I know there have been worse times for Saints and other clubs. Frankly, I just feel 'meh' to all of it now. I'm done get frustrated with the outgoings, the Morgan and Jrod story just raised a little chuckle, 'of course'.

What is the point? Same as its always been. Go along, have a few beers and a laugh with your mates, cheer on the team and hope for a win. Same as most fans/clubs.

[KelvinsRightGlove]

What is the point? Same as its always been. Go along, have a few beers and a laugh with your mates, cheer on the team and hope for a win. Same as most fans/clubs.

 

That's a very fair point, well made. Sadly, I like many fans am simply priced out of going regularly.

 

I go when I can. When Saints play in London I do my best to go. But with travel costs, tickets prices etc I can't go as much as I would like.

 

I'm also the only Saints fan I know. So it isn't quite the same social experience.

[Saint86]

Me too, it's as though the entire fan base has been brainwashed by the media.

 

For the record .....I watched MY first Saints game 55 years ago....and I can assure everyone that Saints have been in far worse shape than they are now. For a start ...2009 wasn't our most glorious year.

We've never been near having £80 million in the bank.....also Premier League status is " comforting ", yet many seem to have us in the Championship next season... rather than the Champions League.

I don't expect qualification to CL this season, or even next....but O ye of short memory....is there no comfort in the seeing the queue of lads coming up from the Academy year after year.

 

Many people reading this were amongst the first to praise the emergence of Walcott, Bale and Oxled-Chamberlain, but first to complain when they became " too good" for a humble Saints ' side.

Now a few more have passed through the system...Lallana, Shaw and Chambers ...and so it's likely to be again in the future whilst we have the current FFP rules to play by..(outside our control).

 

with 3 weeks before season start, we have a manager with a proven record and his own legendary football career..... with money available to buy almost who he wants....and still people panic..(?)

 

For those " bed-wetters " who start panic threads every July 2nd, and demand that heads must roll because we haven't signed anyone ..have you never noticed that Saints (like many other clubs) do most of their business in the final week before the season starts.?

 

Agreed we need another 3-4 players coming in, but unlike many other clubs.. at least we have the wherewithal to buy them, and I predict we will see a lot of new faces arriving before Aug 17.

 

Finally, a fairly good case (not just financial) can be made for some of the recent sales ...(although I'm a little sad to see one or two of them disappear)....and we shouldn't convince ourselves into believing that the teams that were selected last season were the only 11 players on the Planet capable of playing well in a Saints' shirt ...(hooray for the Stripes).

 

..and let's not get carried away with the first few results either (good or bad). Something my 55 seasons as a Saints' fan has proven is that (aside from the obvious top 4 super teams) the first half dozen games are no real indicator of the end of season form. So sorry to all you Doomsday prophets...can't share all your negative attitudes......

 

I'm not sure of a lot of things right now, even less so that the club have £80m in the bank, if she's selling then those monies are in her pocket not the clubs.

[simo]

No but I'm going to boo and hiss and moan like **** and if I could turn back the clock I wouldn't of blindly forked out for season tickets and would just cherry pick the games I have my boy!

[Toon Saint]

Haha. I'm unsure if you are mocking me or not.

 

Either way, that did make me laugh.

Not mocking at all. Completely share your thoughts.

[ant]

What is the point? Same as its always been. Go along, have a few beers and a laugh with your mates, cheer on the team and hope for a win. Same as most fans/clubs.

 

Exactly my philosophy. I generally try to be balanced and pragmatic but hold my hands up as having become too wrapped up in the minutiae of modern football. Sometimes you've got to step back and recall why we do this. What got us into football in the first place? Not the politics, that's for sure.

 

Sod giving up my season ticket (or the away games I can afford to go to); the chance to watch Saints - in whatever state - is too important to miss.

[Charlie Wayman]

It doesn't help our fortitude when the only communications coming out of SFC on the OS at this time of evidently mounting crises is yet another push to sell us something, today it is tickets for the Liverpool match.

 

Now a lot of people clearly do not want to stop supporting Saints and understandably so but supporters could show some solidarity in the face of the rape of our club by refusing to buy merchandise and tickets, which only passes more of our very hard earned income into the Black Hole that is SFC's bank vault.

 

Let's see some willingness on their part to spend some of it in the way that has been promised repeatedly they would but so far have failed to deliver on that pledge.

 

Purely the deep gut feeling of this very long standing fan but I doubt they really have any intension of spending any of it and it seems quite probable now that no more incoming activity will take place this transfer window. As many have pointed out on here, how come if one of out players expresses a wish to leave they are sold and the deal completed usually in about three days flat. Only a fool must be know still believe the insulting spiel-crap emanating from Reed.

[Webby]

It cracks me up when people say "look, we've got loads of money, a great manager, he can buy whoever he wants".

 

1) do we have loads of money? Or is it Kats?

 

2) you can't just buy whoever you want, it's more complicated than that. They have to want to come here, and at the moment, you'd have to question whether they would want to.

[KelvinsRightGlove]

Not mocking at all. Completely share your thoughts.

 

Ok, sorry. Hard to sense tone on here sometimes

[doddisalegend]

What is the point? Same as its always been. Go along, have a few beers and a laugh with your mates, cheer on the team and hope for a win. Same as most fans/clubs.

 

This

 

3.00 on a saturday at SMS best part of any week......................................................of course by 5.00 it can be the worst part of the week:)

[do i not like fizzy pop]

I'm disappointed with what's going on (and i've tried to stay rational and dry at night), but whatever happens I feel sorry for my five and six year old boys who have become Southampton mad over the last two seasons and absorb every bit of Saints info they can get their hands on, repeating it parrot fashion back to me at what seems every opportunity.

 

As a dad I was really pleased they chose Saints without the benefit of being taken to a match like I was to be hooked, especially as we live up north and they could quite easily have followed their mates with supporting United, City, Liverpool (and weirdly Chelsea). They so want a new shirt each this year having worn my old Rank Xerox Patrick shirts for last season and they love the stripes but I'll be damned if i'm forking out £80 of hard earned as tacit support for what's going on at the moment.

 

Me, i'm stuck with Saints, however low or high the experience but I'm really struggling with whether I should start leading them a) towards one of the big boys to support to save them from abject disappointment that always seem to come with Saints or b) toward the local team (York) and take them to those games and let them start that relationship.

 

Anyone else having similar thoughts?

[Saints Warrior]

I am not renewing season ticket after years and years on the basis that the cost is far too expensive. Its time for direct action, I don't care if other clubs in Prem are more or less expensive. Saints are just a Capitalist money making machine now and extract as much money from the fans as possible. bring back league 1 at least its affordable.

[DaveyR]

I'll always support Saints but will happily say farewell to our premier league status. Further up the football ladder the worse it gets. Corruption and money

[Saint_clark]

Saints? No. I'll always follow the Saints. But I'm done with the Premier League. Last season I bought a TV package that got me live coverage of every single game. I hardly missed a minute. I'm not renewing this year. I'm going to watch the Southampton matches and nothing else. I don't care what's going on in the rest of the league. I don't care what our results mean in the wider context – whether we go up, go down, stay where we are, etc. I'll take it one match at a time, and watch it purely for the entertainment. The league no longer exists to me. I'm not giving it any more of my money. It's a futile protest, but it'll free up a lot of time at the weekend, which will make my wife happy.

 

What TV package is that?

I feel exactly the same, I'll be trying to get a refund on my season ticket and if I can't i'll still go but this will probably be my last. If we go down I might start going again.

[suewhistle]

No one will be washing their hands of Saints, we've been through worse but people have the right to ask questions and be upset in the short term.

 

I sometimes think you post c**p, but am too polite to say so, but in this acse I entirely agree with you.

 

Mind you, I was earlier wondering about contacting Southampton Trading Standards, and whether you can have a refund for reasons of "not of merchantable quality" for the season ticket I've bought...