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Time To Pump Up The Volume And Get Our Revenge On Tottenham Hotspur
Wednesday, 16th Dec 2015 11:35

Normally I am not one for stirring up talk of revenge on our ex managers and players, but I think it's time to make an exception !

Over the past 15 years Tottenham Hotspur have become the club that Saints fans most love to hate after Portsmouth, it started with the way they poached Glenn Hoddle and then Dean Richards and culminated with the departure of Mauricio Pochettino from St Mary's to White Hart Lane and the subsequent attempts to prise away Victor Wanyama and others from our squad using tactics that the Chairman of West Bromwich Albion was very upset by when similar ones were used by Spurs towards his club.

So when Spurs darken our doors again on Saturday rather than ask Saints supporters to forget about the past, concentrate on the future and not let abuse for a former manager get in the way of winning a game of football, I think it is time for the exact opposite and let the hate filled air generate an atmosphere that will get behind the home side to such a level that will make it one of those days we remember for a long time.

Those that remember Glenn Hoddle's return to Southampton will recall that the St Mary's crowd on Boxing Day 2001 did just that and were rewarded with a 1-0 win courtesy of a James Beattie goal, but it was the following season that truly saw the stakes raised and the hate towards Hoddle and indeed Dean Richards stir the Saints side up to 110% effort as the old cliche goes.

Firstly on New Years Day 2003 James Beattie again did the trick to record a second successive 1-0 win over the North London Yobboes, then 3 days later in the FA Cup 3rd round came our most decisive victory in the last 30 years, a 4-0 drubbing that saw goals by Michael Svensson, Jo Tessem, Anders Svensson and finally that man Beattie again give us a victory that was so sweet.

Since that day almost 14 years ago victories over Tottenham have been less frequent, but in many respects it did not matter as we truly put the situation to rest in September 2003 when we went to North London & beat the Yobboes 3-1 in what was the final game for Glenn Hoddle with this defeat for Spurs resulting in his sacking shortly after the game.

But since beating Spurs in March 2005 at St Mary's we have not managed to beat them in the 6 games played since, indeed the sequence of 5 straight defeats after our return to the Premier League in 2012 were broken last April by a 2-2 draw and now is the time to go one better.

So from this point of view with a rumbling crowd after our recent run, we need something to focus our attentions on and turn St Mary's into a cauldron and that focus can be Mauricio Pochettino and to a lesser extent Toby Alderweireld.

But that does not mean endless abusive songs about either, it means taking the vitriol that will be aimed at them and turning it in to positive energy to get behind our own team, just as we did in those 3 aforementioned games at St Mary's almost a decade and a half ago.

Crank up the noise and crank up the passion and in doing so create an atmosphere that will make it hard for Spurs o play in, as we did before, harass their players into mistakes and stir our own players into playing out of their skin, something we have lacked in recent weeks.

Football supporters are there to support their team and in times of problem that is what is needed sometimes, the supporters to chip in and do their bit.

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Whiteknight added 11:53 - Dec 16
Looking forward to Saturday. As at many other Premiership grounds, the noise levels are frankly pathetic. If we can't turn it up for this game when can we? However, it is not helped by stewards who insist on people not standing or by the club's lack of understanding of how they can help generate atmosphere (even if it is forced) - everyone needs to work together to create "Fortress SMS".

A few years ago, when Thieves Hotspur played Hajduk Split in Croatia someone strangled a live cockerel on the pitch before the game - now that's cranking it up! Do we have any farmers willing to donate? :)

Interesting that on another thread there are memories of the 0-0 with Thieves Hotspur when we conspired to rob Brighton of promotion. Even as a teenager it was obvious what was going on! Can't see that happening again though - thank God!
1

Number_58 added 12:39 - Dec 16
Yep, abusing Lallana and Lovren in the recent cup tie worked wonders didn't it.
Rather than asking fans to abuse our former players, how about encouraging fans to support our current ones a bit more? The atmosphere at St Mary's has been awful recently; somebody needs to take a lead and sort it out - it could be you Nick!
2

saintmark1976 added 15:20 - Dec 16
White knight I was also at the 0-0 draw all those years ago. From memory it was the first time that fencing was erected at the Dell with a view to keeping the Spurs fans on the Archers Road terraces in should we have won.

We could have saved the cost of the fencing as it was obvious from about the firsts 10 minutes what the result was going to be.

One of our players (I can not remember his name) had the temerity to hit a post.The game ended in the required result,we were both promoted and the culprit finished his career at Poole Town via Bournemouth if memory serves me again.

Question,what was his name?

0

dirk_doone added 15:34 - Dec 16
Wouldn't it be great if the Chapel Kop outsang the away fans? It's not going to happen though, is it? We'll start off with the usual songs about Pompey from the Northam corner, who because of their low-profile location will barely be noticed. Then there will be a bit of goading of the away fans from the Itchen corner. Then, everybody will sit in silence listening to the Spurs fans singing for most of the game. If we play well, 3 or 4 choruses of OWTS will spread halfway round the ground for a few seconds, and that will be that.
1

dirk_doone added 15:37 - Dec 16
I nearly forgot. When we play Spurs, there is an extra bit. When the Spurs fans sing OWTS, we join in.
0

IWOZTHERE added 16:04 - Dec 16
Against all the odds I've a sneaky feeling it's our turn! Madness, but a little wager on a high scoring win!
2

Whiteknight added 16:32 - Dec 16
Had to cheat but apparently it was Tony Funnell.
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Consigliere added 18:30 - Dec 16
Don't worry too much about the noise levels. Revenge is a dish best eaten cold.
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SanMarco added 18:49 - Dec 16
Outside of the obvious cup final and promotion matches and the famous 84 Moran winner at Fratton that 4-0 vs Hoddle's Tottenham is just about my favourite Saints match. I remember us toying with them - someone (Marsden or Anders Svensson??) chipping the ball over one of their players and ambling round him to collect it. I would settle for an ugly 1-0 on Saturday though...
1

DPeps added 19:16 - Dec 16
SanMarco - that 4-0 was a beautiful game. You don't get loads as a Saints fan but when they come they're sweet!
1

BarnetSaint added 22:15 - Dec 16
If we go a goal down we need to crank up the volume and get behind the team.
They have to be overwelming favourites .
On the pitch, we need our midfield to step up and add to their modest goal tally.
COYS
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IWOZTHERE added 22:33 - Dec 16
I don't want to ditch OWTS but It is a bit funereal. Used to be better when it started slow and built up the tempo to a lively pace for the last couple of 'verses'. Either that or we need someone imaginative to come up with something else.
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schatfield added 10:25 - Dec 17
Sorry to say, but in the 15 years or so we have been at St Marys, it had always been a non-atmospheric ground. I admit I don't get to many home games these days, but when I do go you will get the usual chants for the first 10-15 mins, then complete silence for the rest of the game unless we score. Shame really.
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