Two decades ago this week, Saints supporters from Hythe and the New Forest passionately campaigned, signing a petition in a bid to save their vital ferry link to St Mary's Stadium.

Today, that ferry service is suspended, with little sign of resumption, making those past efforts seem like a poignant, ultimately unsuccessful, fight against the inevitable.

Back then, as fans headed to matches against teams like Premiership leaders Chelsea, the fear was closure due to a threatened, crippling 740% business rate hike for operator White Horse Ferries. 

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Hundreds relied on the service, seeing it, as fan Pete Jordan from East Boldre stated at the time, as "by far the easiest way of getting to Southampton" and cheaper than driving and parking. 

Katie Bidmead from Hythe highlighted its necessity, noting, "Buses are not really available."

The core argument then was that losing the ferry would force fans into cars, worsening Southampton's already strained match-day traffic and parking situation.

Now, twenty years later, the ferry isn't running. 

While the specific threat of that particular rate hike may have passed, the ferry faces potentially terminal challenges. 

The concerns raised by fans two decades ago about the inconvenience and increased car dependency are no longer hypothetical fears but reflect the current reality, as the historic Hythe Ferry link remains broken, its future looking increasingly bleak.