It is the metaphorical two-fingered salute Southampton fans have dreamed of seeing their club serve up to Liverpool for the past three summers.
As news began to emerge on Monday that captain Virgil van Dijk had told Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp he wants to move to Merseyside, supporters on the south coast experienced that all-too-familiar sinking feeling. After all, the five-time European champions have taken pretty much everything that isn't nailed down at St Mary's, barring the tea lady that is.
However, by Tuesday morning, Southampton took the initiative as reports emerged they had asked the Premier League to investigate an alleged illegal approach to Van Dijk. A fee of £60 million has been touted for the Dutch defender, 25, who joined Southampton from Celtic for around £13m in 2015.
Getting the name of your favourite player emblazoned on the back of your replica shirt has been a risky business for Saints followers. From goal machine Rickie Lambert, to Adam Lallana and Dejan Lovren (all sold to Liverpool in 2014) then Nathaniel Clyne (2015) and talisman Sadio Mane (2016), whenever Liverpool have come knocking at Southampton's door, the end result has been the inevitable departure of another terrace hero.
There's long been an anger among Southampton fans regarding Liverpool's pursuit of their star players. So many players have jumped ship from Saints to Anfield in recent transfer windows, supporters have joked in gallows humour they should build a new high-speed railway line between the two cities.
Eyebrows were raised when Lovren threatened to go on strike and claimed his "head was elsewhere" after Southampton rejected Liverpool's overtures for him in 2014. That summer, Lallana was also accused of claiming he would not play for the club he had served with such distinction since his teenage years unless they accepted an offer from Anfield -- an allegation he flatly refutes. He has been booed by some sections of the Saints support in subsequent matches between the teams following his £24 million transfer.
In 2015, director of football Les Reed infamously claimed Clyne was close to signing a new contract, weeks before the England right-back completed that well-trodden journey from Hampshire to the North West.
In all of these instances there has been a similar timeline of events, where multiple reports emerge claiming a player wants to move to Liverpool -- as was the case as the Van Dijk stories broke early on Monday evening
That is why fed-up Southampton supporters were resigned to the transfer being completed and why many took to social media to vent their spleen at a board they perceived had once again deceived them.
After all, it was only a couple of weeks ago that chairman Ralph Krueger promised Southampton were no longer a selling club; under no financial promises to sell the likes of Van Dijk and sought-after England left-back Ryan Bertrand. Words that appeared hollow given the strength of the Van Dijk to Liverpool reports.
Southampton are bound to feel aggrieved another player has reportedly had their head turned but this is not about whether or not the Premier League will punish Liverpool in the way Chelsea were fined over their pursuit of Ashley Cole from Arsenal in 2005. It runs much deeper. Southampton are sick of feeling bullied by the Premier League elite into selling their top stars summer after summer, window after window.
They are taking a stand not only for themselves but for every club outside English football's "super six" of Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham, the two Manchester clubs and their nemesis from Liverpool.
That is why they are determined that whatever the outcome of any potential Premier League investigation, they will not do business with Liverpool under any circumstances.
There is no doubt this is the first blow in what could develop into a bitter battle between the two clubs, with Van Dijk and his desire to play Champions League football stuck in the middle.
It's time Southampton came out on top in this duel with a familiar foe.