I think I realised Boro were where they belong when they beat Doncaster 4 – 1. Since their relegation last year, I feel like an old man who used to live in a lovely cottage in Tunbridge Wells, and then got violently shifted into an old person’s home, forced to eat beef stew for the rest of his life. In Scunthorpe.
Consider this a support group for the outcasts of (Premier League) society. How have you coped?
Any Leeds supporters wishing to kick off today’s session?
Not a Leeds supporter, but a Southampton supporter and after 27 years in the top flight – old division 1 / premierhsip we were relegated in 2005 to the championship. We had an awful 10 years to be honest, hanging on year in and year out, thank god for Matt Le God Tiss, he kept us up a few years when perhaps we pushed out luck a little too far. We had a horrid corrupt chairman, who much like the newer breed of today, liked to parade around the club/ground/tv studio a bit too much when he should have been looking after the intersts of my club. After 10 years of him and 9 managers in as many years, we got rid of him, the cost 3rd division football, no money, no players, and not much hope.
But then around the corner came Heir Leibherr a swiss national who supplies Southampton docks with cranes, a multi-billionaire who loved Southampton as a port then fell in love with our fans and club. Last season he saved my club, as a fan, believe me when I tell you we were 24 hours from no longer having a football club to us fans suddenly having hope.
This season we started off -10 (thanks to the old chairman) we took it, we got rid of it, we now sit 13th, game in hand and 15 pts of the play offs. Alan Pardew had made a few good signing, namely Rickie Lambert, Pappa Waigo, Jose Fontane, etc and the team is doing really well.
We have just beat MK dons to get to the JPT final at wembley on 28th March, we have the best game of the century this saturday against pompey in the 5th round of the FA Cup, possible play off position and even if we dont achieve that, its has been a brilliant season. In fact, right now, I have nearly forgotton the pain and hurt of relegation and administration, a year on and my fans now have pride and hope again. As I always say, you can divorce your husband/wife etc, but you cant lose your football team, thats blood, its where your from.
the premier league is unrecognisable- no leeds utd, bolton and portsmouth at the bottom…times have changed
no queens park rangers, chelsea on top…..times have changed
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When Blackburn were relegated they had a crap season but then with three good youth players (Duff, Dunn and Jansen) had a great season and got promoted.
In some ways after a dire time in the top league it can be exciting for fans to be cheering a wining, promotion chasing side.
Not keen on the mindset of some fans who say "there club is to big to go down" – well supported club does not equal good financial management as Leeds/Southampton fans will testify.
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As a Manchester City supporter, in my lifetime i’ve experienced relegation three times.
The first was in 1996, when a simple win against Liverpool would do. We drew 2-2 and that was even after the Liverpool players at the time admitting to backing off, feeling sorry for us and try and give us a chance, and yet there we were, holding the ball up in one of the corners!
That relegation wasn’t too bad, we were woeful that season so it was easier to accept we were dross. No, what REALLY hurt was a couple of seasons later, 1998, relegation to the Nationwide Division Two (Now League One) I had a bigger understanding of being a Blue and went to my first games in this period so i felt more involved. At the time City were a Division One side but money troubles and managerial revolving doors didn’t help.
The last relegation i ‘suffered’ was in 2001, losing to Ipswich on the penultimate game of the season, Goater trying his hardest to keep us up, but it wasn’t enough.
Thankfully i can say that when we have been relegated it was always by the narrowest of margins (goal difference in 1996, 1 point in 1998) 2001 we just didn’t have a Premier squad (we had back to back promotions so theoretically had a Div 2 team)
All in all since 1996 i’ve seen City go from;
Prem 1996 – Relegation
ND1 1997 – 14th
ND1 1998 – Relegation
ND2 1999 – Promotion (via playoffs)
ND1 2000 – Promotion (second place)
Prem 2001 – Relegation
ND1 2002 – Promotion (as Champions)
Prem – 2003 – Present (varying from 16th to 8th)
You just have to stick with your chosen club, through the good times and the bad, take the ridicule, turn it around and make it so you’re laughing at yourselves too. That way people know you don’t take it seriously. We Blues had a term that cropped up in those years ‘Typical City’ sort of akin to Murphy’s Law.
We were given the goose that laid the golden egg in Sheikh Mansour and his billions. I’m enjoying every minute and if it lasts forever, great, if it doesn’t then i’ll enjoy the ride for as long as it lasts.
References :
As a Birmingham City supporter, you learn to get used to it. They’re like a yoyo team! Gutted, but blindly optimistic. Loyalty never dented either.
References :
Not a Leeds supporter, but a Southampton supporter and after 27 years in the top flight – old division 1 / premierhsip we were relegated in 2005 to the championship. We had an awful 10 years to be honest, hanging on year in and year out, thank god for Matt Le God Tiss, he kept us up a few years when perhaps we pushed out luck a little too far. We had a horrid corrupt chairman, who much like the newer breed of today, liked to parade around the club/ground/tv studio a bit too much when he should have been looking after the intersts of my club. After 10 years of him and 9 managers in as many years, we got rid of him, the cost 3rd division football, no money, no players, and not much hope.
But then around the corner came Heir Leibherr a swiss national who supplies Southampton docks with cranes, a multi-billionaire who loved Southampton as a port then fell in love with our fans and club. Last season he saved my club, as a fan, believe me when I tell you we were 24 hours from no longer having a football club to us fans suddenly having hope.
This season we started off -10 (thanks to the old chairman) we took it, we got rid of it, we now sit 13th, game in hand and 15 pts of the play offs. Alan Pardew had made a few good signing, namely Rickie Lambert, Pappa Waigo, Jose Fontane, etc and the team is doing really well.
We have just beat MK dons to get to the JPT final at wembley on 28th March, we have the best game of the century this saturday against pompey in the 5th round of the FA Cup, possible play off position and even if we dont achieve that, its has been a brilliant season. In fact, right now, I have nearly forgotton the pain and hurt of relegation and administration, a year on and my fans now have pride and hope again. As I always say, you can divorce your husband/wife etc, but you cant lose your football team, thats blood, its where your from.
References :
i support coventry and we got relegated in 2001 and have been in the championship ever since, its a little frustrating but each season we look foward to maybe getting promoted’ but weve waited 9 years, the championship is a hard league to get out of
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I know I am not supposed to answer this because I support a good team, I mean, a team in the premier league, but I will anyway. I just need to get into character.
*puts on the dunce cap*
Alreeeet! *eats a pie* Ah hin Smoggyland, ah am just ganin doon tuh the local skip tuh twoc sum shoes fo’ me bairns *swigs lager and falls over*
You are a northerner
my favourite… (to take the pish outta, course)
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im a southampton fan, for me iv lost interest in the game alot since we went down, also my prime years as a youth was the Matt Le Tissier era, things havnt been the same for me since. Although this season we seem to have turned a corner. Going inot Admin didnt help, it’s a bit like bank charges, you find yourself broke and an empty bank account, then the bank stick a nice unplanned overdraft charge on yer just to rub salt in the wooned, or in Saints case a 10 point deduction, how can anyone get excited about the future when that happens to yer
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