Dear Southampton FC Class of 19/20,
You may dream of Champions League nights, playing at the pinnacle of the sport, amongst the elite. You may dream of multiple league titles, endless trophies, medals, records.
You probably don’t dream about a league one side, in the third round of the Carabao Cup, on a Tuesday night, in torrential rain.
But we do.
We are a humble club. One major trophy to our name means we clearly don’t support this club for the glory. We may flirt with Europe and reach the occasional cup final, but we could just as easily be dragged through a relegation scrap, surviving by the skin of our teeth. Southampton are not a club you choose to support, unless you were born into it. But that means that those of us that do, are devoted. Red and White is all we’ve known since the day we were born, we’ve grown up in the shadow of The Dell and St Mary’s, lived through the highs and lows that have all absorbed us.
From day one we’ve all been raised to love Southampton Football Club, and at the same time, we’ve been raised to despise Portsmouth Football Club.
I don’t remember ever being told why we loathe them, or in fact ever being told to in the first place. It’s innate. But the feeling runs deep. Don’t be put off by the fact this derby isn’t hyped by the media to the extent other, tamer, ones are. There’s a reason such a heavy police presence is to be deployed. There are videos on YouTube of the clashes from previous games. No one wants violence and I hope everyone stays safe and enjoys the game, but trouble is expected. And that is because two passionate fan bases are coming together for the one battle that matters to them. It has been seven long years since we blew the chance to claim our crown with their 94th minute equaliser in a 2-2 draw at St Mary’s. Go back fifteen years to the last time we put them in their place… Despite being only 19 miles a part, there have only been 70 previous competitive fixtures. The long waits only increase the importance of claiming the South Coast whenever we face each other. A win here and we could have bragging rights for the next decade and beyond…
We may be an established Premier League team, we may hold a few impressive records but the one thing we can claim to be Champions of is the South Coast. 34 wins (1 under 50%) to their 21. Let’s remind them why.
You are fortunate to have been drawn this cup tie. If there’s one fixture every player who dons red and white should wish to play during their time here, it’s this one. Many players have come through our doors in recent times and never had the opportunity. Okay, so maybe Mané and van Dijk won’t care, but their stint here wasn’t complete without it. You, however, have all been gifted the chance to write yourselves into Saints folklore. Has there ever been a time where the gulf in quality has been so vast, in our favour? Make no mistake, they will be up for it. It will be physical battle and we have to get stuck into them. Do that though, and we should win comfortably. No letting off however, no remorse, keep going for the ninety (minutes, not goals, though ninety goals would be welcomed).
We’ve been through a bumpy, at times precarious, period together, but a win here and everything is put behind us. You will all rightly be regarded as Saints legends, a team that is talked about for many generations to come. As much as we’d love cup success and a high finish in the Premier League, all we really need to be proud of our club is a victory over them lot down the road. This is what matters to us.
Go make us proud lads.
We’re all behind you.
Owen The Saints 