Some of you might be checking your glasses and rubbing your eyes but it is true a Southampton side has scored 18 goals in a game, read on for the details of this unbelievable scoreline

Southampton FC Women (SFCW) is the team affiliated and bankrolled by Southampton FC, it has no connection with the similarly titled Southampton Women's FC (SWFC) , this club were the all conquering side in the Woman's game in the 1970's & 80's and won the FA cup on 8 occasions, only bettered by Arsenal Ladies, who in the modern era have now amassed 14 titles.

Yes I know it is getting a little like the Peoples Front of Judea & Judean Peoples front here.

So there is some bad feeling with SWFC feeling they are the top club in the City and that SFCW are the young pretenders, like Manchester City bankrolled way beyond the means of the old established club.

SWFC are currently in the FA Women's National League Division One South West the 4th tier in the game, whilst SFCW have been thwarted in their progress due to Covid 19 but have recently gained promotion to the National League Southern Premier and are now higher in the pyramid than their older more illustrious neighbours.

So when it was announced that the two clubs would be meeting in a pre season friendly at AFC Totton, it looked like a bit of a grudge match, but strangely it was announced that the SWFC team was going to be their reserve side, a little strange that the lesser side in terms of the pyramid system was only sending it's second team.

The game played on Tuesday evening was a rout, the side backed by the Premier League club scored 18 times with only one in reply, at half time it was 11-1, by the 67th minute the 15th went in before SFCW eased up in the final part of the game.

Strangely though 4 of the 5 Saints subs were made on 25 minutes by which then the game was all but over as a conquest with the only sub in the second half being the goalkeeper.

It was very much a mismatch which beggars the question why did SWFC send a reserve side, they must have known that with far greater resources that the SFCW would be a difficult enough task in the first instance, were SWFC making a point here, that the woman's game is going the same way as the men's, the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer and there is something being lost along the way in terms of the games development.

Southampton Women's FC have spent years building up their club, they were in at the very start of the fledgling women's game 50 years ago, they are providing football for girls and women of all ages at local level, if you want to play football as a youngster they are offering that opportunity to be able to do so.

Whereas Southampton FC Women have aspirations to be an elite club, they are signing professionals with experience and train at Staplewood, they are now in tier 3 and want to be in the top flight and have the money to do it.

In simple terms SFCW V SWFC Reserves in men's football would be Manchester City hosting Barrow Reserves in pre season.

So although as a Saints supporter It pleases me to see a headline that sees one of our teams winning 18-1, there is a part of me that feels a little sad and also a little inquisitive as to why SWFC sent out a reserve side, was it to make a point and if so what about the lambs they sent to the slaughter , was that fair on their reserve team players.

Likewise did SFCW want to make a point also, that being that they are now the top dogs and the balance of power has changed, of that i'm not sure, many of the SFCW squad are not local, they have perhaps not even heard of SFCW !

Photo: Action Images

DellBoyWally added 18:25 - Jul 22 Now if some of the "big6" PL teams were to do the same against us we might see us score, I don't know, 2? 3? goals? Still probably concede more than we score!! Not a true reflection of my expectations for 21/22. I anticipate a comfortable top half finish and some decent cup runs based upon 62 years (gulp) of watching Saints
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