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Episode 200!!!!
59 Plays1 day ago
Southampton – Can you believe it's been 200 episodes? WE can't! We talk season tickets, transfers, stadium changes and much much more!
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Transcript
Introduction to Episode 200
00:00:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello and welcome back once again to episode 200 of the Daily Southampton, part of the Global Sports Podcast Network. My name is Greg Elliott and today joined by the full Southampton cohort, my good friends and wonderful co-hosts.
Reflecting on 200 Episodes of Southampton FC
00:00:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oscar, how you doing?
00:00:24
Oscar
Yeah, all good. Thank you.
00:00:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Zach, how doing, mate?
00:00:27
Zak
Yeah, man. 200 episodes. That's wild. Absolute. How have we talked about Southampton this much? it's So much of it's been the same.
00:00:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
we look We've had ah ah a wild ride through a what you might generously describe as a tumultuous season.
00:00:45
Zak
can't call it as tumultuous to disastrous. You had two of the worst wins that I can possibly remember. And we managed to get a draw that felt like a win yeah last weekend that felt like possibly the worst game of football i' ever watched. Yeah, so important. ah ha it Obviously, we just watched the player finals as well.
00:01:03
Zak
And, you know, you you think back to that day at St Mary's where we beat the Baggies and you compare it to this last season, Greg. ah I'm pretty sure the only reason I'm so locked into Southampton and not as disillusioned as the rest of them because we do this daily podcast. So I guess thank you for this daily podcast so I can continue to be tortured by the football club that I love.
Excitement Over Recent Matches
00:01:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, yeah i mean, that was a pretty crazy semi-final last night, right? Like last minute of extra time winner.
00:01:31
Zak
Yeah, it's probably one of the best games of football I've seen a long time. like I had this weird thing where like after I watched it, joined a a group of my like gaming friends on Discord and trying to explain and convey like the emotion. Like, how can you just not love football?
00:01:47
Zak
And trying to explain. I sound like a madman. They're just like, yeah, okay, buddy. It's just some people kicking a ball. i'm like, no. No, it's so much more. Like, just just watch it. You'll understand. They'll see. They're never kidding.
00:01:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:01:58
Zak
But yeah, it was i was I was crazy. Like, throw neutral as well. Like, just proper... heart-in-your-mouth stuff for most of the game for both sides. And then, yeah, it's that sort of... The fact that it was the last kick of the game, just madness.
00:02:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:02:12
Zak
Absolute madness.
00:02:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Something about playoff football that just brings out like the most exciting games. Just like that do or die mentality that comes from it effectively being a cup final.
00:02:24
Zak
but like I think the most important, though, is playoff football with a with a point, right? Because like the the m MLS do like the Super Bowl-styles thing where they have playoffs every year, but then they have playoffs in the North and the South.
00:02:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yes.
00:02:35
Zak
And they and like if if there's nothing meaningful behind it, I think that you know it can become a bit saturated. But I think where it is promotion to the Premier League, and as much as we complain about it, and we've hated being here pretty much all of this season, and we're now actually going to get to go to Coventry next season...
00:02:54
Zak
in the championship, which is wonderful. But the fact that, like... Regardless, you know we all know how important that moment was and how great that feeling was. and not over just that game.
00:03:05
Zak
You obviously had Wembley and the sort of fear and the and the wonder of getting back to what as some people call the best league in the world.
Ben Brereton-Diaz Injury Rumors
00:03:13
Zak
Other people refer to it as now essentially the Farmers League, considering PSG played every single English team.
00:03:20
Zak
so But way, I think with so much on the line, and obviously Sunderland had their... like documentary and all that jazz. So that all they've got to do is get past Sheffield United, where a
00:03:31
Oscar
It's now the battle for who's going to go up and challenge our Derby's points record.
00:03:36
Zak
Can't wait. It's going to be awesome. One of the one things I did note, which is Saints related, Ben Brereton-Diaz was not to be seen in the Sheffield United game at all. And apparently there's like rumours of him having like a long-term injury, which is why we wouldn't have just recalled his loan at that point unless he's actually still going to get bought by them. So don't know.
00:03:55
Zak
It's a bit of a weird one. still don't how. I think we both kind of all in agreement, right? That like we just kind of forgot he existed after he left.
00:04:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:04:02
Zak
It'd be weird if he comes back at this point.
00:04:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Just one of those strange, disastrous signings at the start of the season that just didn't work out at all.
00:04:09
Zak
yeah Alas.
00:04:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
Seems like a distant memory now. but
Ramsdale Transfer Speculations
00:04:13
Oscar
Amen.
00:04:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
But look, speaking of bad transfer news and Saints related, the rumour's already rife and speculation growing.
00:04:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
obvious target, Ramsdale, who I think it's safe to say we all assume is going to leave in the summer, linked with Newcastle and Man United now. So it's going to be one of them, right?
00:04:34
Zak
well
00:04:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like,
00:04:35
Zak
one One of them is out of the fire and into the frying pan. And the other one probably looks like a good move for him. But at the same time, depends if he stays number one forever.
00:04:46
Zak
Like, it's that weird thing that he's had a lot of his career, right? Where, like, he's had to kind of go to these other clubs because he's, like, too good for sort of the sort of mid-table teams, but not good enough...
00:05:01
Zak
for like the top teams so he ends up just getting loaned out to the bottom teams and then like i guess it would be nice for him to i guess actually find a home because i've i've considered the transfer the whole of this season to be like essentially a loan signing right like we knew if we weren't unless we were actually going to stay in the league which as we kind of got to like november knew that there was going to be extremely doubtful that was the case
00:05:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you.
00:05:15
Oscar
Amen.
00:05:25
Zak
Extremely doubtful that that was the case. That, you know, he was probably going to be gone. So, you know, fair play. But I do think that going to Manchester United at this point, like Manchester United aren't far off where we are.
00:05:37
Zak
but
00:05:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, it would be really funny for him to go to Manchester United and that be his, what, fifth relegation under his belt, right? Like, that would be a football heritage to the funniest group.
00:05:49
Zak
Yeah, I guess so.
00:05:51
Oscar
At this point, there aren't many clubs in the Premier League he hasn't been linked with, are there? Because I'm fairly sure he's been with Bournemouth, Chelsea, Man U, Newcastle, Brentford maybe at one point.
00:05:56
Zak
Not really.
00:05:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:06:03
Zak
It's basically, does somebody want a good goalkeeper? And the answer to that question is always yes.
00:06:06
Oscar
Yeah. and
00:06:09
Zak
So he's probably going to be linked to a lot of places. But again, it's like he wants to have first team football, but also subsequently probably doesn't want to drop down to a a lower level. Which you could arguably say that when he came to us that we were all really surprised, right? like that was That was a bit of a coup.
00:06:25
Zak
And it worked out as a coup, because if not, like our goal difference at this point would be significantly below Derby County's.
00:06:26
Oscar
Yeah.
00:06:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah Yeah, it would be horrendous. The amount of games that he's maybe not even quite kept us in, but kept the score down to not complete embarrassment levels is...
00:06:42
Zak
And on top of that, we keep being linked with goalkeepers as well, which shows you that they're already starting to you know go down that road and try and find somebody to replace him, which means that, yeah, there's probably already bits and pieces happening in the background.
00:06:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:06:56
Zak
We've still got two games to go before it is just going to be transfer speculation for most of the summer.
00:07:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, that's crazy as well. It feels like the season's done. of
00:07:07
Zak
It's because we beat the points record.
Season Ticket Controversies
00:07:08
Zak
That is our
00:07:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah
00:07:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
The other links I've seen this morning are Matty Fernandez linked with Nottingham Forest. Not one might I think any one of us wanted to see, but...
00:07:17
Zak
No, and and Newcastle as well, mate.
00:07:17
Oscar
more.
00:07:19
Zak
I think it's devastating, but is anyone really hugely surprised? He's been an absolute talent for us this year, so I'm not really shocked that he's been linked with a bigger move. We hoped he would fly under the radar, but as you pointed out in your analysis, Oscar, like when when you get ratings of over seven in our team consistently every game for the entirety of the season, it's...
00:07:41
Zak
you know yeah it's just We'll just have to wait and see. maybe maybe they'll be Maybe we'll put a ridiculous price tag on him, like £100 million. That'll do, apparently
00:07:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:07:52
Oscar
The thing is that we should be able to get good whack for him because he's on a fairly long contract as far as I know.
00:07:52
Zak
yeah
00:07:58
Oscar
you know Maybe they had a relegation clause in there, who knows? But we should get a good amount for him, I would have thought.
00:08:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, it'll be very sad to see him go. I still hope that we can keep on hold of him, to be honest. But but yeah, I mean, it's going to be a long summer regardless.
00:08:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
And to have these already starting to to come into the fold and be as as frequent as they are, is it's going to be a really long summer. All right, well, I've got some other stuff we want to talk about. But first, a message from our partners by Anik.
00:09:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay, and we are back. So I wanted to talk a bit. We talked earlier in the week about the season ticket drop and the reduction in the length of the payment plans available and affordability that might have. And that seemed to be the controversial part of that.
00:09:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I've seen some some speculation online that I wanted to talk about a bit and discuss. And that's the perhaps some of that is the misuse that they have blamed on has come about as part of the club's own doing.
00:09:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
it was noted, of course, when we were selling tickets for Wembley that season tickets for the 24-25 season were being counted as part of the eligibility criteria.
00:09:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
So some people were just purchasing tickets on the payment plan, making that like first payment of 70 quid or whatever it was. And then getting their Wembley tickets and immediately cancelling the plan, which is... It's It's hard to say how you wouldn't see that happening from a from a Saints perspective.
00:10:12
Zak
if you're trying to convince people, because obviously the the problem I have with that is like, they've tried to use that as a, well, if you get a season ticket, we'll let you go to Wembley. And then just apparently just did not think of the consequences of that action whatsoever.
00:10:26
Zak
And then have gone, well, it's everyone else's fault. I'm like, I feel like you should have maybe, you're right, Greg, thought about it just a little bit when it comes to setting up something like that. Like we've worked in industry for a long time, me and you, Greg, where like,
00:10:39
Zak
decisions like this happen and you know for a fact that the person who came up with it just didn't think about this it wasn't discussed in way it was a oh we can we can get everyone we can you know and you talked about how like we broke records for season tickets it's interesting it'll be interesting to see how many but in those season ticket sales numbers are people that have paid for the entirety of their season ticket over the season and not season tickets where they've signed up just to basically get Wembley.
00:11:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
and
00:11:06
Zak
But I think that also is an indictment of sort of how difficult it if it feels for people to get tickets for big games like that and how, you know,
00:11:14
Oscar
The thing is, it wasn't that difficult to get tickets. I got a ticket for Wembley and I'm not a season ticket holder and I go to games when I can, as often as I can. But I managed to get one. All right, it was, you know, it might as well have been the helicopter of how high it was.
00:11:29
Oscar
But, you know, it wasn't that difficult to get one to necessitate spending 70 quid on top of the ticket price. so I don't really understand, you know. But even so, for the club to use that, it's pretty poor, to be
00:11:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Yeah, I think it's a real poor show. I don't think we've seen anything from the club to suggest that they can of backtrack on that. They seem to have doubled down. I actually spoke to someone at the club tangentially because I'm having some trouble spending the retail vouchers that were benefits of last season's season ticket.
00:11:59
Oscar
right.
00:12:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's a different issue, but yeah, they said that there's There's basically no chance they're going to renege on it because of the amount of work it caused the ticket office. But it's sir it' is sad to see that a lot of fans are going to be priced out because of that decision. and And the fact that it was ah ah a sort of a decision that was worsened by their own earlier decisions as well. just Just poor show, really.
00:12:22
Zak
I think it's it's even more sad, mate, like when you say about like being priced out, it's like you yourself haven't even decided whether or not it's affordable for you next year. And I think that's devastating. We have been doing a daily podcast. We are on episode 200.
00:12:35
Zak
like You can't say that you aren't a dedicated Saints fan. And like you are at a point now where genuinely it's going to be unaffordable to you because you can't pay outright.
00:12:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:12:44
Zak
And there's an expectation to, like, I know we discussed how it's good. know you guys discussed in a brilliant episode about it the other day about how, you know, Not every club does this, but it's like it's like anything in life. like We worked at a place a long time ago, and we've talked about this before, Greg, where there was an attendance bonus.
00:13:02
Zak
And all the people that worked there would get that attendance bonus if they went to work five days a week. The idea behind it was it would stop people from leaving... you know, having sick days because then they wouldn't get their attendance bonus.
00:13:14
Zak
And then they took that away and everyone that joined after didn't know any difference. so it was just how it was and it wasn't a problem. obviously a lot of the people who, that was the, like, you know, a thing they relied on, a thing that they were used to, it was taken away from them and they felt really, really hard done by. And I think that this is an example of that, of just because other clubs don't do it, doesn't mean that the impact will not be felt and the impact will be felt probably by the poorest people that go to watch football.
00:13:39
Zak
And as it's just a damning indictment of, I think, the way that it's going.
00:13:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
you
00:13:44
Zak
But that's not just our club. That's football in general, isn't it?
00:13:47
Oscar
Yeah, I think it's starting to go towards, you know, they they would, rather I'm not saying they wouldn't rather have the local fans from Southampton, e etc, etc.
00:13:48
Zak
That is...
00:13:57
Oscar
But especially in the Premier League, it is, you know,
Global Audience vs. Local Fans
00:14:00
Oscar
certainly a more global audience they're trying to attract and quite happy to have people from, you know, all around the world come, which, you know, is is isn't a bad thing.
00:14:10
Oscar
but it shouldn't be at the expense of the ones that have, you know, been there and built it from the bottom. I thought it, don't know if you, if either of you went to Russell Martin's testimonial game, or not testimonial, the one they did with the Saints legends.
00:14:24
Zak
Very much, yeah.
00:14:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm.
00:14:24
Oscar
Yeah. And like, even in that, there was an opportunity and, you know, fair play. It was to, you know, it was money that went to Saints foundation. So it was, it was good, but you know, it was, they sold a place to, to a fan and, you know, who knows, who knows it might, but,
00:14:38
Oscar
they so selling places to people to play on the pitch with you know club legends and it just comes down to how much money you've got and it's you know yeah it's just strange to or not strange and not surprising but can be a bit frustrating to see it heading down that way
00:14:53
Zak
but it's also the difficulty and I think maybe it will probably, it might change a little bit in the championship, but like even Greg, you were talking about it at the City game where like half of the people behind you were people that you'd never seen before.
00:14:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:15:03
Zak
You spent most of the time on their phones and had a half and half flacks because they are tourist fans. And like, I can understand the that that is just going to be part of sport in general. And that is ultimately what I think a lot of these leagues want is they want people that are just going to come and inject money. But like, I think you summed it up the best Greg, where it was like, you go to football and watch the football.
00:15:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:15:23
Zak
Like, I know that the commercial opportunities are there. but and and and And that's the problem is that they can't actively say that.
00:15:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, well, that's the problem, right? i'm not I'm not the type of person they want to attract to the stadium because I'm interested in the football and not buying 20 beers and three hot dogs, like...
00:15:38
Zak
And they will put out things that pull on your heartstrings to make sure that, you know, the people who have been going continue to go. But, ah ah yeah, it is a bit of a... a weird one that is going to be something we see across the board and you are already starting to see it. Like even places like Manchester united right? i don't know if you've read about the season tickets, like where some people are having their seats being taken away because they're turning it into like newsstands and this is going to be corporate only seating and stuff like that.
00:16:05
Zak
People that have sat in a seat for like 70 years. at the expense of somebody that's going to come in and pay significantly more money. And it's because it's it's a business at the end of the day.
00:16:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:16:13
Zak
It's just that is there is sometimes a fundamental forgetting of the the core of it, which is that it is like football. And that, you know, if you're going to price out the working people and the local people, if you know, so if you if if if you say we all get priced out and then we drop down a league and we drop down a league again, who's going to those games?
00:16:32
Zak
like
00:16:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:16:33
Zak
That's the other thing about it is it's a fine balance, but... I just think that blaming it on things that they have caused because they didn't do a lot of due diligence beforehand, because it feels like it was very much like, oh, we've we've got into the player final.
00:16:49
Zak
We could give this as a benefit. And that was spun up in a meeting and immediately just rolled out.
00:16:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:16:54
Zak
And if if there is more than a thought that's been put behind it, fair play. But they still missed a out a crucial element, which is you could just sign up and then cancel. And also, i can't blame people for doing that if they're that desperate to go and watch their team at Wembley.
00:17:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:17:06
Zak
people have spent more money on stranger stuff. Do you remember that goes that guy who from ah West Ham fan that went all the way to Ghana before they signed Kudus to literally just go and watch Kudus play? like that's don't Don't ever underestimate the passion of football fans.
00:17:18
Zak
So although it might have been an easy ride for you, Oscar, there might be people that were worried and just wanted to make sure they got tickets for them.
00:17:22
Oscar
Yeah.
00:17:24
Zak
and they you know If you've got large families, you want to get a whole extended family, you sign up season tickets for all you and your kids and whatever, and then maybe you cancel your kids' ones, but you actually go every week. So it isn't as malicious as it it's sounds.
00:17:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:17:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:17:38
Zak
But then, you know, there's there's lots of circumstances with it.
00:17:41
Zak
It's just a bit gross. But then it's always a bit gross, isn't it?
00:17:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:17:46
Zak
That's unfortunately what you either do that or you end up running out of money. And that's the issue. Right. I've talked a lot. let One of you guys.
00:17:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, that's right.
00:17:53
Zak
so Sorry.
00:17:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, I've got more talking points, but first of all, I think we should take a little break and have a message from our partners at Zencaster.
00:17:53
Zak
Sorry.
00:18:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Here at the Global Sports Podcast Network, we spent a lot of time selecting our delivery platform, and Zencaster came out the clear winner. With 4K video recording from your phone and AI editing that automatically removes all those ums and ahs, it's super easy to start a podcast that sounds great and is delivered efficiently.
00:18:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
If you're ready to tell your story, Check out the link in the show description and learn more about Zencaster. Alright, one of the other things I wanted to touch on is is is almost related, I guess, to the tickets.
00:18:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
I've seen a few people in the discourse saying that they're not going to be renewing their tickets... next season because of the stadium changes and they just weren't happy with the way that sat for them this year and so i guess i wanted to have us open up slightly and have maybe a bit more of a discussion about do you think the changes worked obviously they're here to stay they're not going to be reverting at any point but do you think the pros of those outweigh the cons
00:18:57
Oscar
i I think it's difficult to judge this year, really, because no matter where the away fans were or home fans were, it wasn't exactly going to be the bubbliest environment.
00:19:09
Oscar
So I don't think you can really judge it on this season. I like the idea of it. It's a bit rogue and I don't know.
00:19:19
Oscar
you sit in the norm, don't you? go for For those that sit in the chapel, seeing the away fans giving it large to like,
00:19:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
do, yeah.
00:19:26
Oscar
the The kids and the family stand is a bit strange.
00:19:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:19:30
Oscar
But, you know, I think it's difficult to judge really based on this year. I think the idea is are sign a sound of principle and you it's always going to be a thing that some people don't like. They'd be moved from their seats, but it's a thing that a lot of people called for. I don't think they would have done it if it wasn't the vast majority that were doing it.
00:19:46
Oscar
So...
00:19:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, it's interesting. I think that... I mean, to be fair, i I've only seen a few people complaining of that. and I'm sure that the problem is you can't please all the people all the time, right? But but I'm sure that it has had an impact on some people. It's just...
00:20:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think on the whole, it's been a largely positive change. And obviously it's not just the sort of where they're seating people they've changed. They've made that adjustment so they can add in things like a pub and fan zones and all the other sort of stuff that comes with it.
00:20:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
But it was just an ah ah an interesting interesting sort of point, I guess,
00:20:22
Oscar
I think there were there were some discussions. I know there was a bit of a movement, even last season or a couple of seasons ago, the back of the chapel, where they tried to sort of add a bit more atmosphere in the chapel stand.
00:20:33
Oscar
And I think next season, I'm sure that I've seen somewhere that there's quite a large bulk of people that are looking either formally itching north or in the northern that potentially looking to move across to the chapel to try and generate a bit more of that atmosphere.
00:20:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
I
00:20:49
Oscar
So maybe that might be something that interesting.
00:20:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
think a lot of people miss the back I think it's a lot of people miss the back and forth which is what a lot of but of the sort of more vocal fans tend to go for don't know Zach you got any and thoughts on it?
00:21:03
Zak
I just remember, brought because i ah I asked asked you that question, if you remember rightly. can't remember, but you you were sat at the game, I think, at the time.
00:21:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:21:10
Zak
It's actually, do you genuinely think, like, the changes have been beneficial or not? And i I think that you summed up really well, Oscar, in the sense of it's really hard to judge this season and because we haven't had a lot to shout about, but I think Northern's still been...
00:21:23
Zak
noisy regardless. So I think that you you give them something to shout about. And I think that it's going to be incredibly beneficial both for performances and, you know, we're going to have a bunch of new players who are going to come in and they are not going to be aware of how the atmosphere at St Mary's has been.
00:21:38
Zak
They're not going to know about, you know, how it was flat and where once the away fans were, that' they're going to realistically see as an entire stand full of people, hopefully cheering them on.
00:21:48
Zak
And then in a corner of away fans, hopefully surrounded by, you know, again, I feel bad for sort of the families and things. I used to sit in chapel quite a lot. One of my friends season and tickets right at the front. So used to sit with her quite often.
00:21:59
Zak
And then obviously complete switch now that, cause whenever I go, I usually end up going with Greg.
Impact of Away Fans on Match Atmosphere
00:22:03
Zak
So now completely the other opposite end of the scale into the Northern and there will be people that will be massively disrupted. by the away fans being there and that kind of banter, because yeah, is it is weird.
00:22:13
Zak
The idea of like a family with like two kids sat down having to deal, you know, with, with jibes and swearing from a bunch of like, you know, people scream it over, but then that is, that is also part of football.
00:22:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think you have to caveat that though with it really depends on the children because I think that that's the atmosphere that my one's thriving. So...
00:22:31
Zak
To be clear, mate, you specifically took them to Northern to character build them. There are a lot of people that, you know, would just want to go to the football to watch the football and and like see their favourite players and stuff. And, you know, don't want to get made fun of if they have their little signs.
00:22:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
no I feel like I need to defend myself here. We tried taking them to the quieter stands and they were too noisy to handle that. So...
00:22:51
Zak
i That's true. And that's because, mate, your kids are like you and me, where i I become almost a different person at football.
00:22:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
you
00:22:59
Zak
That is just a thing that happens. But yeah, I think that it's been really, really hard to judge the season. But I think the next season we could actually see the benefits of it. wholeheartedly. it's It's just waiting. And you're right, there's never going to be a solution that pleases everybody, but it was a thing on the cards for a long, long time.
00:23:15
Zak
People constantly wanted it. Happened. Yeah, there were other changes that, you know, I don't know if we needed a pub. We got one. That doesn't really matter.
00:23:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:23:24
Zak
Like, so...
00:23:25
Oscar
and from a selfish perspective it used to really bug me that if i was wanting if i was going to walk back and uh i quite often park up near sort of shamrock keys and to walk back you'd have to cut across where the away fans were and they wouldn't let you It's like, mate, we've just drawn 2-2 with Everton. It's hardly going to kick off.
00:23:44
Oscar
Do not make me walk around the whole stadium to go 10 metres.
00:23:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:23:48
Oscar
So from that perspective, I'm quite happy, but I suppose it flips to the other side now.
00:23:51
Zak
Yeah, because that's where obviously where I used to go to chapel quite a lot.
00:23:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:23:53
Zak
that's why That was the way I used to walk in. So like half of Southampton that used to walk, the way I used to walk to the stadium, just the route I had planned in my head, is now had to change to deal with that.
00:23:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:24:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. You, you like can't go any of the like industrial estate way, right?
00:24:03
Zak
So... so
00:24:03
Oscar
Okay.
00:24:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
They don't even let you in that, but you have to go all the way down to the main road and round, which is, yeah. strange, I mean
00:24:14
Zak
But yeah, that's that's that's just going to be part parcel of it, right? like And especially next season, they're going to have to probably come up with a better idea considering Hampshire Constabulary have put £250,000 aside to deal with the policing of both of the Portsmouth and Southampton matches. So apparently they're hoping not to use it all.
00:24:32
Zak
I'm
00:24:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
mean... Such interesting one. It's...
00:24:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's such an interesting one for me because in a lot of ways, football has come a long way and you would like to think that sensible heads prevail, but it also has been so long since the last South Coast derby that there are there going to be the military.
00:24:53
Oscar
I right in thinking the last time a Portsmouth fan punched a horse?
00:24:56
Zak
Yes, but so went to prison for
00:24:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:24:57
Oscar
So...
00:24:58
Zak
was also, the first time I ever got a noise complaint from my neighbours. I had letter posted through my door. I went and apologised in person and that really threw them off because I think they were trying to do the passive aggressive thing where I didn't actually like, you know, make a big deal out of it.
00:25:11
Zak
Did feel really bad, was definitely swearing at the top of my lungs. So, you know, probably on me a little bit. But yes, it's the fact that it's been it's been that long. And like you said, Greg, you'd like to think that it's come a long way but also like how do you feel about taking both your kids you said your daughter's already trying to lay the groundwork to go my wife doesn't want me to go
00:25:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. ah ah the The vote is out. One of them is definitely not going. ah One of them.
00:25:40
Oscar
I do wonder what they'll do for that game because presumably they won't want Portsmouth fans next to the family stand for that.
00:25:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:25:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:25:48
Zak
this is this is This is some of the weird things, right? And maybe this is where they probably never planned for us to have to play Portsmouth unless it was a cup game in like 30 years' time. But unfortunately, as fate would have it, we will be in the next in the same division next season, which is, don't know, harrowing?
00:25:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:26:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
i mean yeah
00:26:03
Zak
Sad?
00:26:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't know.
00:26:04
Zak
Exciting? Yeah.
00:26:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
is yeah I think it is exciting, but it's just going to be one of those interesting stories that well sort of winds its way into the season and how it plays out.
00:26:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it'll be fascinating to see how that plays in. I mean, even down to whereabouts in the fixture list those fixtures come really could be like pivotal to the season either way. going to be, you know,
00:26:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
that is whatever happens. It's going to be a game that drives or turns momentum because it's going to be seen as such an important part of the season. So.
00:26:42
Zak
And that's the fascinating thing as well is like new players coming in because we're going to probably have quite a clean squad next year.
00:26:44
Oscar
Mm-hmm.
00:26:48
Zak
We're not going to have a lot of veterans apart from maybe Stevens and a few others. There's not going to be that many. like It's like trying to get that across to a bunch of people, like the level of the importance of the rivalry and how important it's going to be seen and why it can't be sort of taken as a joke.
00:26:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:27:05
Zak
But then, you know. it still yeah, fascinating from a footballing perspective, fascinating. If I'm a member of the police force, terrifying.
00:27:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:27:13
Zak
If I'm a random member of the public in Southampton, oh good, that's gonna be that's going to be a time to avoid town.
00:27:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:27:19
Zak
But, you know...
00:27:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah Or put yourself right in the mix and attend the game.
00:27:20
Oscar
You don't think we're going to be...
00:27:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Who do you think one of the kids' season tickets is going to, mate? like That's it.
00:27:28
Oscar
We're going to be bringing back for it then.
00:27:28
Zak
Again, but it's it's why am slowly trying to convince my wife that no, I am not to get killed because hopefully I would be that stupid. But there we are.
00:27:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right. Well, on that, exciting though. It's just about what we've got time for. We'll be back tomorrow with a match preview because there are still games to play.
00:27:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Believe it or not.
00:27:50
Zak
Somehow.
00:27:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
Look, it's a a fitting affair as we have the last Premier League game at Goodison Park.
00:27:53
Oscar
Thank you.
00:27:59
Zak
Not the last ever game now, though, because the stadium's staying.
00:28:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Which is something I'm sure we'll talk about tomorrow, but it's fascinating because they have definitely told fans that they can take their chairs with them. So...
00:28:14
Zak
o
00:28:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah like, you've seen people, I've seen the pictures of people there at the last game with, like, tape measures getting there, working out what tools they need to take with them. So it's going to be an interesting day, that's for sure. But we will cover that in much more detail tomorrow.
00:28:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Until then, thank you very much for joining us, Zach, Oscar. Thanks for for being here.
00:28:37
Zak
200, woo!
00:28:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yes, thank you for listening to 200 episodes of us talking about the most miserable season in Saints history. At least as we continue, hopefully there will be many more positives to take from.
00:28:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then, i mean, maybe you'll all stop listening because you're all sadistic. Who knows? But until then, thank you very much. We'll be see tomorrow. Bye.
00:29:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
but