x

Supoorters Must Never Give Up On The Game They Love

The recent European Super League is make no mistake about it still simmering and could rise up again, but if the Premier League didn't learn last year when it first reared it's ugly head then it has now.

This weekend showed that football fans do not forget easily and Manchester United fans showed that they still have plenty of supporters who have long felt alienated from their club and have watched in disgust as their owners have taken out a lot more than they have given.

The protests in Manchester on Sunday were needed, no one is condoning the fact that a very small minority used it as an excuse for violence, but the truth is the intensity of the protests was needed to show the World and indeed football club owners that they just can't come into a football club and strip it of it's heritage for nothing other than greed.

The World may have watched in horror, but the message was clear.

In fact the biggest irony for some is that the fight against greed has been led by the fans of the so called Big Six, their fan bases have been swelled over the years by those who are armchair fans, have no real prospect or intention of watching a game live due to geographical reasons and who welcome the likes of a European Super League as all they want to do is support a big club and watch it play big teams.

But although I have seen so many disparaging jokes about the protest being the last 1,000 United fans who live in Manchester, the truth is that it must be awful to support the likes of Manchester United or Liverpool knowing that the days of being able to go to every game if you want to are long gone as their global fanbases are given tickets even for Cup finals ahead of those who still go week in week out.

It was said a couple of weeks ago that all we have done so far is appeasement, that as fans we have won a battle not a war and just maintained the status quo, that is exactly right, the big clubs just took a step back and put things on the back burner, in the meantime nothing changes and aside from the big six who are still getting richer the rest of us are getting farther away from being competitive against them.

Take Aston Villa they spent £92 ,million in the summer , has it enabled them to get into the top six ? NO ! Has it enabled them to get into Europe ? highly unlikely given that 7th place is 6 points away with only 5 games left and there are two clubs standing between them and that position.

What their club will get for their big spending is an extra £14 million is prize money ? is that good business/ I would say no, what business spends £92 million to bring in £14 million, it is a recipe for disaster.

Those who call for their owner to spend money every summer have yet to realise that all we get is the crumbs from the table it makes you feel like a big club to spent around £100 million, but ultimately and the League tables over the years prove this, the status quo is usually maintained and no club outside the big six can afford to spend that amount year in year out with no real return.

I have said this before and apologies to the friends I have who support the Big Six clubs and who are genuine fans who hate what has happened to their clubs, but the only endgame I can see is one where the Big Six leave the Premier League and go into Europe, that will create a Premier League that is competitive.

In any war sacrifices have to be made and we should not be afraid of casting them adrift, although I truly feel for the true genuine supporters of the Big Six.

Do I go to St Mary's to see Mo Salah play for the opposition or any other World superstar who takes the big bucks ? no quite the opposite I am relieved when they don't play and are injured, I go to see Southampton play football and I want to see them win games of football.

All we have is the crumbs at the table, we said this season is different and to a degree it is, but ultimately the trophies will all be won by a Big Six club and the top ten still will contain all of them.

I get ridiculed on here that I live in the past the owners do not take any notice of supporters anymore, wel that has not been the case of late and the truth is we can all sit back and let others do the work, or we can all stand up and do our bit, even if that is just liking social media tweets, signing online petitions or better still joining the Football Supporters Association, it is completely free and you can find out more using the link below.

https://thefsa.org.uk/

So do you want a game that is for the common good, from the lowest tier on the pyramid system up to the top of the Premier League, that allows a degree of competitiveness even at the top and cares about the fans.

Make no mistake although a few battles have been won and a few unlikely allies have rallied to the supporters cause, there is still a long way to go.

Now is the time to stand up and be counted, supporters voices have been quiet for the last decade or so as the big owners have seduced fan bases with money, we cannot allow that to continue.

If you love football and your football club now is the time to show it, we must never give up on the club and the game that we love !

What to read next:

Southampton 0 - 1 Stoke City - Player Ratings and Reports
If you saw the match, please give us your player ratings and a mini match report.
Saints V Stoke City A Look Back In Pictures 2
In the second part of our pictorial look back at some of our games against Stoke City from the past, here we look back at more recent games, so most of you would have been at them.
Saints V Stoke City A Look Back In Pictures
We have looked through our photo archives for a look back as some games against Stoke City over the years, what are your memories of these games ?
Southampton V Stoke City The Preview
Saints go into the last two games of the season with their hopes of automatic promotion ended, even the hope of finishing 3rd is only a point away from being ended, but they do have something to play for and that is getting back the togetherness, character & fight Russell Martin has recently be moaned.
No Togetherness No Character No Fight
Not my words, but those of Southampton manager Russell Martin, who should ask himself the question why two months ago we had all those attributes and now we don't !
Southampton At Leicester The Debacle
The big question is how can a side that was so tight at the back, so clinical up front and who could pass the ball around almost with their eyes closed, become the disorganised rabble that they were at the Leicester City this evening.
Southampton Side Announced For Leicester Game
Russell Martin has revealed his side for the game against Leicester City, find out what surprises he has for Saints supporters this time out.
Southampton At Leicester City The Preview
Saints travel up to Leicester knowing that it is almost certain that they will just be in the play offs come the end of the season, however there is still the feint hope of 3rd place to play for, however the Foxes are playing for a bigger prize.
A Rough Guide To Leicester City FC
Saints head up to Leicester City this evening with their automatic promotion hopes just about over, so for the 3,000 fans who bought their tickets when there was hope here are the details.
Southampton At Cardiff City The Verdict
There can be no excuses for this defeat, a loss that effectively means that it will be a play off spot and not an automatic promotion place for Southampton, so where did it all go wrong.