Time To Be The 12th Man Tuesday, 17th Feb 2015 11:11 On Sunday Saints take on Liverpool and if we want to play with the big boys then we as supporters have to create an atmosphere that spurs our team on to great things. There is much discussion at the moment as to whether football grounds in England have lost their edge when it comes to atmosphere, certainly anyone who has watched a game at one of the big European teams would tell you that English clubs have been overtaken by those in Germany, Italy & even Holland as well as a host of other team around the continent in the way that a team is supported. We used to sneer at the Europeans for their choreographed chanting and displays, but the reality is that it has now overtaken the English game in creating atmosphere. But having said that foreign grounds rarely have the overall atmosphere that those in the Premier league can have, over their the noise is very centralised in one area whereas over here at most clubs the entire ground creates atmosphere. This season that has been the case at St Mary's, of course the Northam End has been central to that, but they are not alone, the Kinglsland are also very vocal as well at the Itchen/Northam corner and even the Chapel get the odd song going every now and then. Overall that makes St Mary's one of the best grounds for atmosphere in the Premier League, we have a very large singing section in the Northam that put to shame most clubs in this division. However 40 years ago Lawrie McMenemy said something about Saints siupporters that still holds true today, back then he compared us to Newcastle and said that up at St James Park the crowd would give something to the team and then the team would respond, whereas down here it was different, the crowd was no less passionate but it needed the team to give it something first and then it would respond. That still holds some truth today, when the team on the pitch get going it get the crowd right behind it, but not so much when it struggles. On Sunday and with the visit of Liverpool we have away spporters who know how to get behind their team and we Saints fans have to make sure they are drowned out, this is a vital game, we need to win it and the team need every voice in the ground to get behind them and become as the old cliche goes "The 12th Man". Of course there are some supporters who go and prefer to say nothing in the way of encouragement, I respect their right to do that, however for 90% of the crowd that is not the case and we need to create a hell of a noise on Sunday. This game is not one for those that like to voice your discontent about the player you love to hate, earlier in the season we had too many of those, all of whom proved their doubters wrong, it is time to get voices raised only in a positive way. St Mary's when it is rocking is one of the best atmospheres in the country, lets get it rocking from the first whistle to the last, managers often tell players in big games to leave the field having no regrets about how they have played, lets leave the stadium on Sunday with no regrets about how we have supporters our team. The club slogan this year has been "We March On" so lets March On together and show the Spurs fans watching on TV that The Saints Go Marching In is our song and that they should find their own. Photo: Action Images Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.
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