I have supported Southampton Football Club for over twenty years. My family come from the area and both my father and my grandfather 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's highest ever Premiership finish and their first FA Cup Final appearance in 27 years. 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 two seasons in the Championship, Southampton were relegated in 2007 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. In their second season in League One, Saints are currently well placed to return to the Championship.
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 several seasons until their promotion back to Division 1. Since then they have been league and UEFA Cup runners-up although they are still looking for their first league title since their return to the top flight.
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 play at the Stade Parsemain in Fos.
