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Episode 101: A look back at a rollercoaster year...
71 Plays8 days ago
Southampton –Happy New Year! We are back in 2025, and we are looking back at 2024, admittedly mostly looking back on the first half! We talk that magical Friday at St Mary's, and then that day at Wembley. We hope you all had a wonderful New Year and we look forward to bringing you so much more content in 2025!
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Transcript
Kickoff to 2024: Reflections and Speculations
00:00:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello and welcome to the Daily Southampton part of the Global Sports Podcast Network. It is Thursday but because it's New Year we are doing a wildcard episode due to availability. We thought as it is the 1st of January at time of recording and bringing in the new year, a happy new year to everyone, that we would have a little look back over 2024 maybe to some happier times rather than the tail end and And yeah, let's maybe speculate a bit on what 2025 might bring for saints.
New Year Celebrations and Humor
00:00:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
My name is Greg Elliott. As always, I'm joined by my wonderful co-host, Zach Ngo Finch. How you doing, Zach? You recovered from your festivities?
00:00:52
Zak
Yeah, right mate. for the For the sake of of this podcast and potential feature sponsors, yeah, I'm fine.
00:01:02
Zak
Unless those sponsors are Jamesons, in which case I had a fantastic evening yesterday. But i really, probably the first time in about a decade I've done anything for New Year's Eve. I don't know how, when my best mate was like, it was good fun.
00:01:16
Zak
I went for some food, had some drinks. Yeah, it stayed up far too late for a man in his 30s, be that way.
00:01:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
sounds perfect perfect
00:01:23
Zak
So yeah, kind of kind of recovered now. I've had an Apple feel a lot better. So yeah, looking forward to... I've realised football's creeping up this weekend because I have no idea what day it is.
00:01:35
Zak
I know that we're back to work for two random days from tomorrow, which is when you'll be hearing this. So bizarre.
00:01:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah that's it the back to work blues coming in i don't know if it's better or worse to start work on a thursday like it kind of i guess you don't have to start the year off with the negative of it monday but also it just feels weird right
00:02:00
Zak
Yeah, ah ah some it's just a bit strange, isn't it?
00:02:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
but
00:02:03
Zak
like it's thought that i By the time you start to get into the swing of things, you realise it's about 1pm on a Friday afternoon, it's a bit too late then, but I'm sure I'll...
00:02:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah yeah we move into this horrible period of our life where there's not football and darts every day to keep you occupied
00:02:18
Zak
No, and then like for for me personally, I think the next, I don't get any more annual leave until like April, so i looking forward to four months on the trip. It's going to be fun. Hey, Ho.
00:02:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
woo
Southampton's Season: From Promotion Dreams to Playoffs
00:02:30
Zak
It will fly by I'm sure.
00:02:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
right so let's get to it a year in review 2024 uh safe to say it was a bit of a roller coaster uh but we started off the year if you cast your mind back in some reasonably good form like we wrapped up 2023 with a five nil one boxing day
00:02:46
Zak
Yeah.
00:02:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then moved into New Year's Day and we drew with Norwich, not the best, but then have back to back four nil wins against Warsaw in the FA Cup and then Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship. And this was really when we started to think we might be challenging for that second automatic promotion spot.
00:03:09
Zak
Yeah, you missed a 2-1 win against Plymouth Argyle in the middle as well on the 29th.
00:03:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:03:14
Zak
So, yeah, it was all right. You're right. and then And then what I'm seeing, Greg, is a lot of red after that. Just thought about, because it was...
00:03:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah yeah it's really where the the year started to uh i guess follow its shape yeah we we were really really close to team we we obviously lost to Liverpool in the fa cup at the end of February and lost to Bristol City in the middle of February and you know kind of cruised past some of the games then we had that weird 5-3 with Huddersfield as well
00:03:39
Zak
Hmm. That was a strange game. I do remember that.
00:03:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah like and then yeah we thought we might might have a chance of getting into that automatic promotion but it really sort of became pretty apparently clear that our our fate was the playoffs and uh you know it was it was fine we we accepted that and i think a lot of us came to the acceptance and realization that
00:04:02
Zak
Hmm.
00:04:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
The playoffs were a fun way to go, and maybe it wouldn't be so bad if we stayed down in the championship, which in hindsight was the right way to feel, right? like
00:04:26
Zak
this is the problem what I trade it all for the day at Wembley and the the semi-final, the playoffs probably, but the amount of pain that is caused off the back of it, and what do we really have to show for it, other than a bunch of players that just look really sad a lot of the time.
00:04:44
Zak
I don't know, I saw Ramsdale and Brie out, I think, all at the darts, and they seem to be having a nice time. So, I don't know if you've seen those photos, also saw a bunch of Twitter backlash, and it was like, we should be on the training ground.
00:04:56
Zak
It's like, mate, it's Christmas.
00:04:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
and That's ridiculous. I saw that I didn't I saw Ramsdale with Luke Littler and I saw James Madison getting a load of stick for going to the darts like, Oh, you sing the full word.
00:04:58
Zak
Like, come on.
00:05:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
What are you doing at the darts? And it's like, well, because like I have a job and I do my job, but also I want to live a life and go and do things.
00:05:10
Zak
What do you expect? Like, people... that was Yeah, very, very, very strange to me how...
00:05:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
<unk>ar like oh we're losing games you can't be seen having fun is such a mad mentality like yeah oh
00:05:23
Zak
It's like, you know, you should just sit there and be miserable. like If I had to sit and be miserable every time something went wrong, I'll work. Like, my Lord, i I don't think I'd ever be happy.
00:05:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
do you know what breeds a success and a good winning mentality zach is uh suffering alone in misery when you're losing
00:05:43
Zak
you are You are not wrong mate, it's slightly harrowing isn't it really. But yeah, it was some it was a weird end to the season. long We had what, three losses just before we managed used to beat Leeds and then obviously the actual playoffs which were an extremely boring game.
00:05:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah well we' we're gonna get into the uh the playoffs in part two but yeah it was it was an up and down feeling and it really feels like it's been that all season that was the initial up and starting to cruise towards second and then accepting the fate that third was our our inevitable outcome and in fact fourth uh in the end uh
00:06:20
Zak
I think, for me, that kind of says it all in some of the losses we had towards the end of the season, in 5-0 to Leicester and
Transfer Talk: Ward-Prowse and Edwards
00:06:27
Zak
stuff. and And we kind of came back like, oh, it's was's fine.
00:06:30
Zak
and we We'll be fine in the Premier League. And we've clearly shown that we are not fine in the Premier League. And like even our former players who who left, I think I was talking to you about earlier, like James Ward-Prowse is now on loan from his parent club who he'd spent a year at.
00:06:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, yeah.
00:06:46
Zak
and has barely got game time because obviously they're now second in the table and they were talking about potentially terminating his loan and the outcome of the termination of that loan is oh no he's a really nice character to have about and i'm like he left supposedly to get english like to play for england right and and play for a bigger club and now he is like i don't know being all jolly in the patrangian room for a team that he can't get into and it's like oh man maybe maybe i'll play as one that good like That's one of our best players that we had, that we were really worried was going.
00:07:19
Zak
you know And then obviously now we've got to deal with what, our entire month of uncertainty of transfer speculation that has already begun and it's literally the first today.
00:07:29
Zak
Obviously, Ronnie Edwards went out on loan, which is good for him.
00:07:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:07:32
Zak
I think I've been advocating that we really shouldn't have just decided to bank a talent and not do anything with it. But yeah, so if that's sort of how the new year started, you look back on my last year as a whole,
00:07:44
Zak
It's very, very bizarre because it is extremely, extremely up and down.
00:07:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah yeah it's easy to
00:07:49
Zak
and you know
00:07:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
forget the rest of the angst coming into that period because it was definitely eclipsed by what happened next in the playoffs and some tremendous experiences. So let's loop back to that and talk about that more after a message from our partners at Sankaster.
00:08:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
So 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. If you're ready to tell your story, check out the link in the show description to learn more about Zencaster.
Playoff Buzz and Fan Atmosphere
00:08:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay, so we got through the tumultuous period at the end of the season and ended up finishing fourth. Then comes an away day to West Brom where we stick ourselves out and escape with an ill nil. I think it's safe to say a cagey game. I think that's how I would describe it.
00:08:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then the build up starts through the week, right? We we see the buzz on social media They're bringing the players in on a bus before the game.
00:08:56
Zak
Mmm.
00:09:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Let's try and give them a good welcome and it just builds and builds and builds and You You could feel the atmosphere locally, right?
00:09:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like I I'm a man who frequently wears a lot of my Sains shirts because it's what I'm most comfortable in and I'd walk down the street and easily and everyone would be like, are you going Friday? Are you ready? Are you excited? It was just a a buzz around the entire town and local area. it was It was hard not to get caught up in it and feel the excitement and the anticipation.
00:09:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it came to a crescendo. We see the famous clips of the bus driving in through the red smoke, the flares that are definitely not allowed near football stadiums but are used in all the video packages.
00:09:52
Zak
mmm interesting that in I remember you we did and I remember you you were driving up I don't know if you remember neither neither if people who live around Southampton you listen to this know what I'm talking about there's the cigarette building which is near
00:09:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
what What are your memories? Because obviously we went to the game together then before we had a podcast.
00:10:15
Zak
and but like sort of on the way into Southampton from Eastley. And there was some guys that drove past and then shouted out of the window. I think you were probably too busy driving, but me and me and your sister-in-law were laughing because it was just like shouting up the paggies! Like the top of their lungs were like, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And then sort of like, I just, I do remember being in the stadium and it was like, wow, they thought this was this was like absolutely yeah It was like was like a pulse of an event.
00:10:44
Zak
You could feel the pulse of like the weight of the event and it was crazy. because you're like
00:10:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
I remember walking around the stadium and through the concourse and it was just noise and positive vibes and noise and it was just feeling and atmosphere and excitement and anticipation. It was i was really like nothing I've ever experienced, let alone experiences of Mary's. It was just incredible.
00:11:12
Zak
I have no idea who I was stood next to that day other than you. i was so was It was Sister-in-law one side. I was stood next to this random guy from the other side. Me and that man that day shared a bond, shared a couple of hugs. No idea what his name was. Never going to meet him again. But I'll always remember because it's like just it shows you sort of I guess the ah ah good of football and the stuff where I struggle a lot Greg to explain to the people who are on the more nerdy side of the spectrum of my friendship group like how football can make you feel and they don't really understand there's nothing in sort of in my opinion like the nerdy culture when it comes to like going to a comic book convention or you know playing video games or like even even if you get like a really good there's nothing quite like
00:12:04
Zak
the sort of buzz that there is at a sporting event, like ah a big concert will come close. and like you know
00:12:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
just the big coming together of so many people with the same mindset and goal. Yeah, it's is special.
00:12:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
and And you know, my kids are young, ah ah ah eight work, nine now and six, and they were there at the game and they still to this day talk about how amazing that was. So that is a memory that's gonna live with them for the rest of their lives.
Wembley Reflections: Personal Stories and Atmosphere
00:12:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
and to lock them in as Saints fans for their, you know, for their fins. it's
00:12:42
Zak
Well, this is the thing, right? like And I think for that game as well, with it with it being at home and just the way that it was and the result and like the goals and the fact that, you know, it was 3-1 and I often forget it was 3-1 because there wasn't any noise when that last goal went in at the end.
00:12:58
Zak
And, you know, it was it wasn't even a consolation goal at that point.
00:13:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
no
00:13:01
Zak
And obviously, you know, there's like, you can talk about the pitch invasion, we can't, whatever, like, you know, people can make fun of it.
00:13:07
Zak
But like, I think if you understood the height of the emotions at the time, you'd understand why.
00:13:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
it was just the spilling over of that atmosphere and the emotion and it was it was inevitable
00:13:14
Zak
Yeah, 100%.
00:13:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
a bit off law and
00:13:17
Zak
Because the season before was miserable. Well, I still kind of feel like it's even more miserable than it was now, because like the Vittoral that we had off the back of Hassenhootle and Nathan Jones was nothing like what I'd seen even, you know, when it got towards the end of Martin's reign, like, yeah, people were getting annoyed, but it wasn't, it wasn't like, I think the unifying not hatred of Nathan Jones, for the unifying of like, please get this man away from our football team. And then just kind of the level of absolute deflation has set us won one game and then nothing. And it was just a slow decay. And I think like going up and coming back straight back down is not expected, but it's not as much of a come down as the previous time, right? Whereas obviously the previous time,
00:14:03
Zak
you know we we had experienced all of that and then on top of that went into a season where we started the championship horrifically and then fell into the groove and wasn't pretty and then obviously the end wasn't the best but like that that was a culmination of like finally feeling something positive for so after such a long, what felt like a long period of time, despite the fact that it was like a year or so. But on top of that, yeah I think a lot of people forget like when you had COVID ball and people weren't allowed to go to the stadium and all that kind of stuff like that would have had an effect and has an effect on the way that like people supported the football club. But yeah, I just don't, it's it's so hard to explain. I think I still almost prefer that game to the Wembley game, because I know, and I know you'll be like, hear me out, but there's a reason for this. And then, you know, you you you got tickets, I was very lucky to get a pair of tickets.
00:14:52
Zak
through our workplace and they're actually tickets that you won because you for somehow have like the I don't know like a 90% win percentage on every single ticket in event our workplace probably
00:15:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Now that's the secret at is that it's not a 90% win percentage. its that It is like a 9% win percentage, but I'd go in for a lot more than anyone else.
00:15:10
Zak
you go in for basically everything. But there meant I think the the thing with that was that I was sat quite a lot more corporately than I would have liked. So it wasn't exactly hospitality, but it was a lot of people who were kind of got tickets to the game but weren't really the level of fans. So it was just kind of me standing up screaming at the top of my lungs with like another fella, like two lines, you know, to two rows down.
00:15:33
Zak
And don't get me wrong, it was absolutely incredible. but there was And you know I think the build up to the day of Wembley and everything around it was fantastic. But like i yeah, there was something there was something where like my brain my brain, after this semi-final win, buzzed for so long.
00:15:49
Zak
like like like the like That aftermath of a high of like one of the best concerts ever, except it just carried on and on and on and on, until obviously we ended up actually going to Wembley.
00:15:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:15:59
Zak
And it's like, this is a bit mad, isn't it? We never kind of really expected it to end like that.
00:16:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah it was so surreal and we are now we're going to move on to section three and finish off with our our memories from that day out at Wembley after a message from our partners at the Global Sports Podcast Network.
00:16:16
Zak
The Global Sports Podcast Network is changing the face of football podcasting with dedicated daily content from every Premier League team, women's football, fantasy football and a daily Premier League wrap-up broadcasted in five different languages. This is your one-stop shop for your daily football fix. Find GSPN wherever you find your usual podcasts.
00:16:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
okay yeah so yeah we won we'll small bones scored and that might really be the last thing i actively remember uh other than just emotion from from that Friday night and then Wembley comes there's the initial uh nervousness of getting tickets and trying to get tickets for like the rest of my family who only managed to come to a few games with me and if I'm going to be able to obviously me and my kids are season ticket holders so we were pretty confident we were going to get decent teats
00:17:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
and then organising the trip up there and and everything but the buzz still continues to build and we which I drove up, I think you got the train up
Journey to Wembley: Fan Interactions and Excitement
00:17:20
Zak
I did.
00:17:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
but the the buzz was electric and we got there early, I think we got there for the minute the fan zone opened and it was just a whole day of festivity and merriment, it's the only way I can describe it.
00:17:34
Zak
It was. It really it really was it was. It was fascinating for me. So my wife came with me. has been to two football games in her life. The previous game that she had been to was a 2-0 loss against Burnley. It was Kyle Walker-Peters debut, actually. And we had to cross the Itchen Bridge in what I can describe as torrential rain.
00:17:52
Zak
she got in the car and like even moving her jeans at that point, everything just squelched. She was the most miserable. And I didn't think, I didn't think I'd ever convince her to go again. But obviously, uh, where we had the era's tour coming up, uh, it'd be a good excuse to scout out Wembley.
00:18:07
Zak
so she was happy to join me but I also think that was very aware of how much it meant to me and wanted to be there with me in that moment if it if it all did go well which luckily obviously it did but yeah it was fascinating obviously getting on the train and obviously just packed with Saints fans and my wife being like oh they didn't realize how busy it was gonna be and I'm like yeah I told you they put on extra trains and stuff and having a run down and eventually getting off at Waterloo and obviously this is the kind of bits that you missed which is just all of a sudden at the top of like everyone's voice everyone's singing red army
00:18:37
Zak
throughout the entirety of Waterloo. like My wife stared at me like, what have I gotten myself into? And I was like, you're going to be fine. just you know Just embrace it. Enjoy the moment. And this is where she's like, I don't understand football. I was like, but you might after today. And I think she did a little bit. Because obviously, we ended up meeting you, finally got into Wembley itself. I spent you know the afternoon in the fan zone sort of building up, sort of building up, are we actually going to make it? Well, we lead to do lots of bottle it in the playoffs.
00:19:05
Zak
oh yeah but come on like we you know well we did beat them the other week but yeah this is a different type of game they've got so much and obviously the the game itself and then like you know as i said my wife was absolutely thrilled she had a little flag to wave so
00:19:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah yeah it was perfect yeah so i parked uh i bought a parking space in a local housing estate because i'm too cheap to pay for official wendy parking uh i mean who isn't the extortionate process they tried to charge
00:19:19
Zak
yeah
00:19:31
Zak
You're not, well it means that you're not rich mate and I think that that's fine.
00:19:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
but But we walked up through this housing estate with lots of other fans, including some Leeds fans. It was just a like friendly on the way to the Leeds fans. There was no bitterness or vitriol. Everyone was in a great frame of mind.
00:19:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
it was just amazing yeah party atmosphere from the get-go and then working your way up to the seats just the busyness and the buzz around the place and obviously it was the friday night in the playoff final was like concentrated energy like in one localized zone whereas at Wembley it's that same energy but just spread out across such a bigger plane of existence it was
00:20:25
Zak
Yeah, it was so, it was so free. It was in the air. Like I, I'd laughing because I'd previously been to a couple of obviously gigs at Wembley. And I was aware this sort of see out because the fan zone for Southampton was outside like the O2 stadium arena, whatever you want to call it.
00:20:41
Zak
And I think the last one of the last times I've been there was to see like the Harlem Globetrotters or something really weird, which is a fact that I've only just remembered that I've seen the Harlem Globetrotters, but there we are.
00:20:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
amazing last time I was at Wembley Arena for anything that I met Hulk Hogan so there's you interesting
00:20:51
Zak
And so like, and obviously this little,
00:21:00
Zak
Oh, all right. Well, that's you should win there, mate. But yeah, it obviously, it's sort of building up and obviously waiting for hot dogs, but it was like seeing people I haven't seen for years because you you will just bump into people and and sort of getting text off on my family that I call you there today.
00:21:14
Zak
And I'm like, yeah.
00:21:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Quite like the entire South Coast headed up, regardless of whether they had a ticket or not. It was amazing.
00:21:19
Zak
yeah it was and then obviously like eventually it got to the point where obviously we were sat quite far away from each other in different areas and sort of you get into the stadium and then it's in its nerves and it it's sort of jumping about and then it's like having to point out say hey look look to Charlotte like all these people who are on Sky Sports News look they're all over there And like having those sort of jokes, but then obviously like the game unfolds and then all of a sudden just nerves take over Michelle is just watching me So it was like every emotion that I had was like tripled and so I say that it was it it felt different I guess it I guess it didn't it would have just been nice to have more people around me that felt the same level um And I think that by the time obviously at the end and we'd won the second time armor took a shot off and
00:22:06
Zak
when the whistle is actually blown.
00:22:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's one of my favourite clips of 2024, so good.
00:22:09
Zak
It's so funny. and then And then you turn to look at the other side of the stadium and all of the Leeds fans have gone. And I don't blame them even slightly for it. And then just like sort of partying in euphoria for another 20, 30 minutes of being able to sort of enjoy it and soak it in and watching the sort of medals be given.
00:22:26
Zak
And I think, yeah, you're right. Like it wasn't
00:22:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Wasn't just 20 30 minutes either like it it was the entire way home i Do you obviously got the train? So I'm sure there was a buzz but driving down the motorway There wasn't a single car that didn't have a red and white scarf flying Pumpkin a horn and cheering as they saw you and your saints shirts traveling down.
00:22:43
Zak
Bye.
00:22:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
It was unbelievable
00:22:49
Zak
very, very different. I think there's a couple of reasons why it's a very different vibe on the way home. um Obviously, the the tubes were absolutely packed and had and obviously everyone's kind of heading to the same place. So they were moving at like two miles per hour. And the thing is, is a lot of people who are on the tube because they were no longer able to drink, the the hangovers started kicking in really quickly. People get irritated and hot and sweaty and I had to kind of like Run with my wife to get the train got like the last two seats on a train then people were arguing all over the shop I was able to sort of like put my head down and sort of just soak it all in and get home and just be like, oh man We're actually well that she happened that was insane and then sort of you know Get the text off my family and people have watched it and bits of pieces like that But yeah, it was and I think that in in moments
00:23:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then there was frantic preparation, like getting a notification from the Saints app at 10 o'clock that night that they were going to do a party the next day and then
Post-Game Celebrations and Community Spirit
00:23:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
clicking on.
00:23:46
Zak
Yeah, because you went, didn't you? You went to like nine.
00:23:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:23:48
Zak
i I was, I think I was so tired. Like my, I was actually knackered because I was traveling about and stuff. I'm not used to doing that as much. And, and my wife certainly isn't used to like doing all that kind of stuff.
00:23:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
and
00:23:57
Zak
So I kind of like woke up in the morning, not, not too worse aware. I think I had quite a few beers throughout the day with you, but like, I wasn't, you know, in a state where I couldn't have done stuff, but obviously, yeah, I saw your message.
00:24:07
Zak
You're like, I'm already out. I'm already at the the fan zone. I'm like, sorry, what? And obviously then I got to see all the footage on the social media instead.
00:24:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah we got stupidly early Yeah we got up stupidly early refreshing the page to try and get these tickets that they released on the day and they were I think they were like £2 with the donation to the Saints Foundation which was fair enough. have We were sat refreshing the page being a persistent in law trying to get these tickets to go down and we headed down to the stadium and it was just a continuation like everyone was still in that party atmosphere there was just a non-stop vibe it was great there was music then the players came out and the players were as drunk as everybody else it was just it was magical and it was such a unifying moment that i'll just never forget
00:24:53
Zak
I think it's for for me it's one of those things as I was as was trying to allude to earlier like it's really hard to explain if you don't like sport or care about sport what sport can do to you as a person and like how it can make you feel and i find that sort of the fact that as much as it's bad we're at the situation we're in now and as awful as it feels we have not been in a situation you know it hasn't been as bad as it was the time before where we've dropped and then dropped again and then dropped again and dropped again and you we were able to kind of experience a moment of absolute euphoria and joy in the same year we've experienced what is at the moment looking to be the worst Premier League record ever. And it's it's kind of mad that you have to go through all of those levels of emotions in in less than a year. But I think it also shows you the magic of why you're so in you can be so invested into a game. So like when it's trying when I'm trying to explain these things to to my friends and
00:25:49
Zak
my wife and my my family, like my mum is not a sports person at all, she doesn't understand it. like she doesn't and it's like It's so hard to put it into words because I'm like, if you could have felt all of what everyone felt through that period of time and what people feel now and why they're rightly annoyed and upset at the ownership and and firing, you know but there wasn't any of those thought processes that went at the time. Everyone was purely sort of just off of vibes, whereas now everyone's trying to get a level head.
00:26:15
Zak
But all of it comes from, I think, a place of a love for the game and a love for sport. And like I don't think that you would end up having people with such a wide range of emotions. And it's absolutely mad that a couple of people on a way, whether it's a football pitch or you know an American football pitch or like the the way that F1 has seen a resurgence, is the that that sport is absolutely incredible at what it does. And it is so hard to explain to people that don't get it.
00:26:44
Zak
what it's like when you have it.
Football's Role in Building Community
00:26:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah the way it it does is it's the camaraderie it's the way it brings people together like uh three years ago when i finally got myself into a position to get a season ticket and me and my sister-in-law started going along to the games and then a year later when we decided to start taking the kids with us every week we just bought two seats to go and watch the football and now in our little area of our season ticket we've got a whole
00:26:47
Zak
Does that make any sense? yeah
00:27:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
community of people that we see every week and look forward to seeing and catching up with and are like-minded and together-minded and that that's all part of the process and all part of it it's the coming together of people with that like-minded aim that you don't really see anywhere else
00:27:32
Zak
Yeah. you don't and um ah I'll drag it back even further, mate. like we we We work together quite closely now, but we had a period of time where we still worked for the same business, we didn't work in the same team. and Occasionally, me and you would go for breakfast on sort of a Wednesday morning, was the time we were in office. Every like once a couple of months, we didn't really get to speak to each other as much. and Then we we we decided to meet up sort of post COVID after the world started to open up again.
00:27:59
Zak
went to go and see, I don't know if you remember, we went to go see an Eastern game and they they won 4-0, like it was the first time all season they'd scored or whatever.
00:28:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
I do remember, yeah. Yeah.
00:28:06
Zak
And then off the back of that, obviously we started talking a lot more. And then obviously once you started becoming a season ticket holder, you would like, oh you know, you the buzz of you wanting to talk would be like, well, who do I know that will actually talk to me?
00:28:16
Zak
Because again, we work with a lot of people that just don't don't get sport either. um think we're all insane and then all of a sudden like our friendship has grown off the back of it and it's obviously not the only part of our friendship but it is a solid foundation because hence why we do a podcast together but like and it it's yeah it's it's those kind of side of things that people
00:28:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:28:35
Zak
people don't see, you they just see, oh yeah, I don't understand how you can be so obsessed with like kicking a ball around a field. It's like, because it's so much more, but a lot of people don't have like the, I guess the words to explain it all, or the desire to sit and talk about it for 20 minutes, because it's just, I can't be bothered to explain it, and that's fair enough. and Yeah, I think it is incredibly important. I think it can be you can lose sight of it in horrible moments like now. and can't remember the I think I was talking to one of our followers on one of the social medias and we were talking about a YouTube video by a creator called Stuntpeg.
00:29:13
Zak
And she was looking into the protests that were taking place at Swindon Town, because Swindon Town are basically on course to drop out of the football league for the first time. And sort of they were a Premier League club at one point. and it's like the down And people don't understand the impact it has on the community, on the people. And it's because like those sort of things and those investments, it's so hard to when you know when they're pro when When people protest against owners because of what they've done to their club, it's not just the club, it's the community, it's the city, it's everything around it. and Again, it's just an absolute love and desire for sport. and i don't think but I don't think anyone who would be listening to us ramble on about it for 30 minutes and almost daily would would also do that if they did not feel the same. and I think it's you know it's crazy how
00:29:57
Zak
how impactful it is and that realistically being a Saints fan it has been the weirdest mixed year but I would say a net positive because you know maybe well
00:30:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah give and i've really enjoyed looking back on the positives in this episode and boy i'm fired up boy i'm fired up for us to take this positivity on instantly yeah
00:30:16
Zak
you would mate mr. mr. twelfth
00:30:24
Zak
Well, Brentford lost today mate, so well or yesterday from when you were listening. so
00:30:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, you never know. ah To wrap it all up, there's one quote that I think quite nicely personifies what we've been saying.
The Deeper Meaning of Football
00:30:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
It actually comes from Bill Shankly of Liverpool legend and fame, not from a saint's background, but it really I think nicely sums up and it is, people say football's a matter of life and death, but I say it's much more important than that.
00:30:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
say this
00:30:59
Zak
that yeah you're You're right. What what I achieved in 10 minutes, he achieved in a quote. That is who I am as a person. But yeah, no, it's crazy. crazy. And ah you're right. It has been a overly positive episode for the both of us.
00:31:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, it means no one's going to listen to it, mate.
00:31:15
Zak
you
00:31:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's the only problem.
00:31:17
Zak
ah's that Don't be silly. i don't I don't think that's necessarily the case.
00:31:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, for those of you who have stuck in there listening to this positivity and looking forward to a new year of what it might bring for Saints, I hope that the new year brings you owe all good health and prosperity and at least more points than Derby.
00:31:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's all we can hope for at this point, at at least to start us off.
00:31:40
Zak
yeah
00:31:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Europe can come later.
00:31:43
Zak
There it is.
00:31:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah and yeah we will be back tomorrow with our crossover episode with Brumford and we will be looking forward to the game this weekend which is apparently coming up in this limbo period of who knows what day it is but I'm sure we will work work that out as and when so thank you very much for listening as always Zach thank you very much for joining me and we will see you next time
00:32:01
Zak
Thank you mate.
00:32:17
Zak
Happy New Year!