Bournemouth vs Saint’s – a long awaited revenge

The idea of Bournemouth and Southampton having a rivalry is looked at very differently; Bournemouth fans have a true dislike for us Saints fans whilst the majority of our own support continually wonders why. But Bournemouth have just as much reason to dislike us as Portsmouth do.

Why then do they have any resentment towards us? After all what have we ever done to them? The answer is a lot.

Perhaps the first reason for them to detest us is because of what we are, and what we represent. What do we represent you may ask? We represent the one thing that clubs from the lower divisions loathe the most, the premier league. Sure we aren`t in the Premiership, but in the eyes of the lower league clubs we represent the money spindling corporate merry go round of the top division.

The Premiership is perhaps the greatest enemy to grass roots football, big clubs poaching young talent, getting all the television coverage and sponsorship money, and stealing fans away from they`re local clubs to support the areas biggest side.

Let`s not forget that Southampton F.C. is the ‘big side` in this county, and its our club that has drawn away talent from Bournemouth, stole potential supporters as well as used the club as a place to give our reserves a run out.

The idea of watching Manchester United and Liverpool was a more exciting prospect to any young fan than Macclesfield and Lincoln, and therefore local support has been pulled away over the years.

So then, to have a concept where a premiership club that once raided and pillaged lower league sides to be in the same division? It would be like an Oxford graduate banker ending up working part time at LIDL, a sense of coming down to earth with one hell of a reality check.

Perhaps what`s worse is that the majority of Saint`s fans still don`t understand just why Bournemouth despise us so much.

Patronising comments like ‘we gave you money when you needed it`, ‘we did this and that`, it`s like almost telling them its ok that we pushed them aside and reaped the rewards whilst they languished in the lower leagues struggling to survive.

I`m sure that we did help them financially in some way, but when you look at what we have taken from them by just being here, you can see why they see our donations and demand of appreciation for it as little more than a fraction of the damage we have done to grass roots football. It`s like destroying a rainforest then planting a rosebush in your back garden, and then not only feeling better about it but demanding some sort of respect for it.



outhampton and Bournemouth then, is a rivalry that should not be underestimated, for them it is a chance to claim revenge for years of patronising and having us purging they`re talent and local support. Years of envy and dislike has been built up and finally the long awaited day has come.

The Middle class banker then, has lost his penthouse apartment and is down the coal mines, and the miners are finally face to face with the class ‘enemy’.