I don’t normally read the Sun but a copy of the football section was lying around when I flew into Heathrow this morning. I was intrigued to see that they are referring to Southampton as ‘the South Coast club’.
I don’t normally read the Sun but a copy of the football section was lying around when I flew into Heathrow this morning. I was intrigued to see that they are referring to Southampton as ‘the South Coast club’.
This isn’t the kind of superstition that leads actors to refer to one of Shakespeare’s best known plays as ‘the Scottish play’. It refers to the exclusion of press photographers from St.Mary’s with all photos being provided by an agency with which the club has a deal. The Plymouth newspaper hit back by getting an artist to draw some brilliant ‘Roy of the Rovers’ cartoons when Argyle visited. The Swindon local paper has come up with an ingenious solution involving Subbeteo.
This idea isn’t going to win Southampton many friends – or make it much money. But are the Saints suffering from a bad lack curse like the gypsy curse that was once said to hang over the club? First, they suffered from years of Rupert Lowe. Then the club nearly disappeared and was rescued by Markus Liebherr who tragically died unexpectedly recently. Then there was the controversy over the sacking of Alan Pardew, followed by a home defeat to Rochdale. This article provides an overview of the challenges the club has faced.
There were rumours of training ground tensions involving Pardew, but probably the biggest factor that led to his departure was the heavy weight of expectations at St.Mary’s. Saints fans not unreasonably think they are punching below their weight in League 1, but it’s not an easy division to get out of.