Happy 130th Birthday Southampton FC - Saturday 21st November

Southampton Football Club
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What is known as Southampton Football Club, first kicked a ball in earnest on 21st November 1885 (130 years ago).

Back in the beginning there were lengthy debate over whether they should play football of rugby. The reverend A B Sole gathered together the young men of his parish to form a sports club, but was not sure which past time they should pursue. After long discussion football won the day - a decision which was never regretted as the fledgling club went on to reach the FA Cup final twice on the first 15 years of it existence. St Mary’s YMCA began life on 21st November 1885 by facing rivals Freemantle who were then the dominant force in the area.

Full time score St Mary’s YMCA 5-1 Freemantle.

HAPPY 130th BIRTHDAY SOUTHAMPTON FC.

What have been you top 6 best Southampton moments of your lifetime.

  1. FA Cup winner 1976 (must have been a fantastic day)

  2. seeing then life a trophy in 2010 (what a day)

  3. promotion back to the premier league v Coventry (what a day)

  4. promotion back to the championship v Walsall (what a day)

  5. Wimbledon away in the great escape (what a day)

  6. winning the FA cup semi final 2003. (What a day)

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  1. 1976

  2. 2003 final

  3. 2010 JPT final

  4. 1992 ZDS final

  5. Norwich 4 Saints 5 1994. Injury time was the only time we led. Unbelievable

  6. Oldham 0 Saints 6 2011. Only 500 there, luckily I was one of them. See below.

Obviously promotions were brilliant but in terms of life long memorable days / days out, the above for me.

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I was slow to adopt football, slower even still to adopt Saints. I was vaguely aware of the 1982 World Cup, but I think the 1986 World Cup might have been my first real football awakening. I had a 14" colour TV and watched us lose to Portugal.

unionhotel took me to a couple of Saints games, I ventured along on my own, and the rest, as they say, is history. Apparently I celebrated the 1976 victory in yellow and blue dungarees down town, but I’m fucked if I can remember it.

Top Saints moments.
I remember lording it over all the glory hunters at school when we beat Liverpool 4-1. Amazing result considering who they were at the time.

Loved the victories over Manchester United, the general excitement and despair of our Dell-based relegation seasons, especially cool when we pulled it out of the bag.

Had the pleasure of seeing MLT perform as a Saint for his entire career; fitting that he concluded matters at Fortress Dell. Definitely not his best goal, but another all time fave Saints moment. I wish I could have been there, although I’d never want the relegation form back or the general sense of treading water.

Getting bought out by the Liebherrs after so much speculation about oblivion, and the near miss of chancers like SISU that would have run us into the ground.

Jonno Quick’s two goals in the season saving Milton Keynes game.

The 4-0 against Coventry on the final day of the season. I had tears in my eyes when the third went in and I knew that we’d done it.

The low points

The FA Cup final loss to Arsenal. Fair play to the team for making a go of it, especially after getting thrashed by the same team not long before, but to me that was more disappointing than relegation. You see relegation coming, and that year in particular, it was coming. The Cup Final is something that you look forward to for weeks, and have your heart broken by in 90 minutes.

Tranmere Rovers 4-3 Southampton. (file under who the fuck is laughing now, non-leaguers).

Blackpool 0-3 Southampton. No Rickie. Sharp was blunt, the stands were shit, we were openly mocked by the people of Blackpool on our way back to the station. It took fucking ages to get home.

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Of the games that I have actually attended (not necessarily in order of bestness):

  1. beating United on pens at OT (unadulterated pandemonium on the terraces)

  2. Newcastle at home with MLT’s 2 goals on my 21st birthday (as good as the best sex)

  3. Vitesse away - 1st European adventure with Saints

  4. Barry Horne’s stunner against Bolton (more terrace pandemonium and pitch invasion)

  5. Fulham away when Niemi hit the bar before a last minute equaliser in Cup Final season (pandemonium)

  6. Forest away with Mickey ‘sideburns’ Evans (more of it)

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Top moment for me was the Cup Final in 1976 although I had to keep a lid on my exitement due to the fact that I was sat in the United end. This would be followed by the career of a certain Mr Matthew Le Tissier. Third would be the Charity Shield game when we lost 1-0 to Liverpool but played better than we did the the Cup Final. Best game for me, cant remember the year but it was at The Dell. Saints 4 v Stoke 3. We were 3-0 up at half time and playing blinding football but Stoke upped their game second half and pulled back 3 goals, including a 30 yards screamer from Dave Watson who had signed to Stoke from us. We scrambled in a winner late on and the place went crazy. I seem to remember ex Skate Alan Biley running us ragged second half. Must have been in the 80s sometime.

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God I am sure we could all do a top 50.

Mine where based on moments of importance but separate games.

4-1 liverpool

6-3 Man U

ruddock penalty against Newcastle

loads of Matty moments

winning 0-2 at Everton on a Sunday evening

Beating Leicester 0-4 at Filbert Street

the come back against the MK Dons

late winner against Norwich in the JPS

Late winner against Oldham to make it 4-3 when there were loads of skates in the Oldham end.

being 0-1 down to Newcastle and the Archers being told to sit down with 5 minutes left only for us to irrupt into song and to come back and win 3-1

winning in the FA cup in 1991 at Spurs!

The late comeback at Milleall

Tim Flowers penalty shoot out save and running the whole length of the OT pitch to reach the Saints fans.

Winning at Spurs and getting Hoddle sacked.

There are so many more great memories the club have given me, but also a lot of very bad times which make the good times even better!

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Originally posted by @Sadoldgit

Top moment for me was the Cup Final in 1976 although I had to keep a lid on my exitement due to the fact that I was sat in the United end. This would be followed by the career of a certain Mr Matthew Le Tissier. Third would be the Charity Shield game when we lost 1-0 to Liverpool but played better than we did the the Cup Final. Best game for me, cant remember the year but it was at The Dell. Saints 4 v Stoke 3. We were 3-0 up at half time and playing blinding football but Stoke upped their game second half and pulled back 3 goals, including a 30 yards screamer from Dave Watson who had signed to Stoke from us. We scrambled in a winner late on and the place went crazy. I seem to remember ex Skate Alan Biley running us ragged second half. Must have been in the 80s sometime.

27th March 1982. Mark Whitlock (reserve centre-half for the benefit of “nippers” like Bob x 3) scored the late winner.

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Another great memory was the night we drew 1-1 at Orient in our promotion year and the wall collapsed. I was squidged up against it and the pressure became so great I popped out of the crowd like a bar of soap. Lucky for me I had a police woman in front of me rather than a man and when she tried to get me back into the crowd I said no way am I going back in there. The next moment the wall gave way. Amazingly I dont think there were any serious injuries. The whistle went soon after and I walked off the pitch with the players and got out the other side of the ground. As I was making my way off the pitch a guy I work with and who was an Os fan saw me and gave me a shout and a wave. Happy days.

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