It was fairly inevitable that I would follow Southampton as both my father and his father supported "The Saints". Their greatest moment came in 1976, when they won the FA Cup by beating Manchester United 1-0. The 2002-2003 season saw the club reach their first FA Cup Final appearance in 27 years, losing 1-0 to Arsenal. Relegation at the end of the 2004-2005 season saw the end of a run of 27 successive seasons in the top division, having been there since 1978. After four seasons in the Championship, Southampton were relegated at the end of the 2008-9 season to the third tier of English football for the first time in almost fifty years. Their first season in League One saw a ten point deduction as the club went into administration but were saved by the late Marcus Liebherr and won the Johnston's Paint Trophy Final. The following two seasons they achieved back to back promotions as they returned to the Premier League after a seven year absence.
Southampton FC Web Site links
Marseille is the home town of my wife's family, and they have supported Olympique de Marseille (or OM, as they are known) for many years. Subsequently, we follow their progress closely. They have been French league champions on eight occasions, including four consecutive years between 1989 and 1992. Their greatest moment came when they won the European Cup in 1993, beating AC Milan 1-0. However, they were subsequently relegated to the second division following allegations of match-fixing, where they remained for two seasons until their promotion back to Division 1 at the end of the 1995-1996 season. Since then they have been French league champions on just one occasion (2019-2010).
Olympique de Marseille Web Site links
Istres is the town in the South of France where my wife was born and is just a few miles from her family's home town of Fos Sur Mer. In 2004-2005 they played in the French First Division for the first time in their history, although they were immediately relegated. They currently play in the National 3 (Corse Mediterranee), a fifth division league. Their home ground is the Stade Parsemain in Fos.
Istres Web Site links
GENERAL FOOTBALL LINKS
