Winning Back Respect

30 June 2013 19:29
Something other than promotion to aim for next season.

As Pompey's fortunes took a nosedive from 2010 onwards, so did the general opinion of our football club from those not connected to Southampton.

Fans of other clubs have labelled Portsmouth as a bunch of cheaters not to be respected or admired during the farce of the last few years. Pompey even finished 9th in a "top 10 most hated English football clubs" list last year in a survey run by those football fountains of knowledge at TalkSPORT.

Whilst we will say we have been victims to a saga of questionable monetary transactions and ran by morally ambigous individuals, you are likely to find that there won't be too much sympathy for us from the majority of supporters of League Two clubs.

Most of the clubs in League Two are there because they've also fallen on hard times or because they live by their means on a shoestring budget. Whilst they may be financially sound and living off their income they don't have any trophies or tangible success to show for it.

Guy Whittingham has alluded to it previously but this season isn't just about winning promotion but also about rebuilding our club's reputation.

Having been labelled as "the biggest fan-owned club in the country" there is a pressure to show the rest of English football that a fan-owned model can be successful.

Success generated under this model can only gain respect from other clubs whether they be a minnow in League Two or a Premier League giant.

Pompey fans have their part to play, too. Whilst a club of Portsmouth's stature belongs in a higher division it doesn't do anyone associated with the club any favours.

Thankfully, there doesn't seem to be a perceived arrogance amongst our fans but there are still some who are all too happy to let everyone else know how "massive" Pompey are too big for League Two and will trample the opposition in this division (or moan like a little girl when we lose).

Southampton fans gained a little reputation for being arrogant during their tenure in the lower divisions. Let's not follow suit and give our opponents the respect they deserve.

That would be a step to Portsmouth Football Club regaining the respect it once had.

Source: Fratton Faithful

Source: FOOTYMAD