Midge on the rivalry between to two South Coast clubs and how any REAL fan would never want this lost, he also looks at the common link that ‘could’ unite both sets of fans.
From the final whistle on Tuesday night, till 12:30 Saturday, attention and tensions relax a bit as we all gear up and prepare for the first local Derby in a few years. And a long time coming too.
Its Strange as in the past this encounter would have had the opposite effect, instead of being a welcome relaxing disturbance, this would have been the tension match of the season. But maybe this reflects how frustrating and tense this past 5 months has become? And reading numerous articles I realise how similar we all may actually be. Southampton fans (Majority at least) admit, they look forward to giving us grief over our financial affairs and looming relegation. But most also remember the pain of administration, and say they would never wish that on ANY real football fan.
I for one, can confirm I felt the same for them when they went into Admin. I laughed and teased the same as most about their affairs and failures, but never wanted to see them dissolve…. And the memories of the Deacon Days, and the Gregory era failing and falling apart, all flooded back at that time, and reminded me that, that feeling of unknowing is actually worse than any local Hatred.
Plus without each others Local Rival, wouldn’t the fiercest derby in English Football also become a thing for the History books? No… I never wished that on them and understand them not wanting that of us either.
And who knows, History could be made Saturday, as one thing finally unites Southampton and Portsmouth for the first time in any Southampton Pompey encounter. Something that could actually have both sets of fans singing from one song sheet… The Hate/dislike of one Mr Harry Redknapp. One Southampton Fan states on another article I read, that half of his hate for Pompey went to Spurs the day Harry went there… So Harry can also add to his list of achievements, he may think he is the God that promoted and gave Pompey its best years (OK he did but at a price we are all regretting now), but he also managed to unite both sets of fans, if only for one Chorus of Harry Redknapp, is a W@#ker … As I am sure if Pompey sing it…. Scummers will too 🙂
Play up Pompey, now lets go win this game…
Written by Midge.
The views within this article are the views of the individual who wrote and submitted this piece, sometimes solely theirs. They are not necessarily shared by the Vital Pompey Site Journalists.
