Can't really add to this as all my favourite matches are there. One that hasn't been mentioned is the JPT semi vs MK Dons at St Mary's, the place was rocking as we knew we were going to Wembley. The Semi vs West Brom last year was incredible. The atmosphere was absolutely electric before and during the game. When Smallbone scored, I thought the roof would literally blow off. What a moment for a homegrown player that has supported us forever. The Semi vs Liverpool at Anfield I was at home watching it and was ill - I had bronchitis. When Shane Long scored I was in the other room from my other half and the moment went like this: Me: "yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeessssssssssss!!!! yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeessssssssssss!!!! yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeessssssssssss!!!! yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeessssssssssss!!!! yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeessssssssssss!!!!, cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough". thud, silence. Mrs No7: "TIOONO7 you ok?, you ok?". She came into the room and I had passed out from the coughing fit. Only for a few seconds as I came round to seeing Shane Long buried under a sea of black and that end of Anfield in pandemonium
Probably my favourite Saints match of all time is from back when I used to travel to every away game and wins at Anfield were rarer than rocking horse ****. The perfect 20th birthday present. https://www.11v11.com/matches/liverpool-v-southampton-28-november-1981-85956/
Think the only time I've seen Saints win away, was at Anfield at the end of the 90s. Two David Hirst goals in a 3-2 win.
April '96 - saints 3 - man utd 1. Utd in their prime found themselves 3-0 at half time at the dell. Utd changed their shirts at half time as couldn't cope. I was there. Could barely celebrate our third goal as was in a state of disbelief. 22nd March 1995 - saints 3 - Newcastle 1 Now this one I remember well. We were 1-0 down with about 3 minutes to go and then we scored 3 goals in last couple of minutes. The dell went mental. Was a mid week and I recall well as was a school night and had to get the train home. I stayed though and witnessed this amazing end and missed late train home but didn't care at all!
My picks have a nod to this season, see if you can spot the theme Arsenal 1-0 Saints, 2003 FA Cup final - My first major final I got to see and the clubs first one for 24 years. There certainly was a feeling of a party amongst the fans and just to enjoy the day. Arsenal in their pomp proved too much, but the build up and everything was great and have never been prouder as a saints fan during the trophy lift. Portsmouth 1-1 Saints 2011 Championship - My only experience of a derby day at Fratton Park. Travelling in the “bubble” was a surreal experience and will always remember the 70+ year old woman standing on her balcony on the Eastern road giving the two fingers to all the saints fans travelling past. The reaction to the Lambert goal was insane: Southampton 2-2 Arsenal 2014 EPL - Arsenal were top of the league, saints were peak Poch and it was a brilliant toe to toe match and one of the highest quality games I’ve seen at St Mary’s Inter Milan 1-0 Saints 2016 Europa League - Seeing Saints at the San Siro, taking over Milan. we should have won or got a point, but we didn’t. The rendition of oh when the saints sang that night is on record somewhere and was spine tingling. Manchester United 3-2 Saints 2017 EFL Cup Final - Already mentioned several times and for obvious reasons - Oooh Gabbiadini - we woz robbed
Sheff Utd 0-0 Saints 2008/09 We got battered and managed to nick a draw. Don’t think we even had a shot from memory, and it was ****ing freezing. Was in my first year at uni and took some mates as it was relatively local. They never forgave me. Saints 2 Crystal Palace 0 2013/14 Guly scored twice. That’s all I can remember from that game Those are the only 2 games out of probably 100 I’ve been to in the 21st century that we didn’t lose
I was at that Sheffield United game. Genuinely horrendous, my man of the match was our cross bar. We were wearing that minging grey kit as well
Realised I haven't been to many matches in the last 10 years or so, but these would be mine. 1) Saints 3 Arsenal 2 (2001) - last match at the Dell and what a send off for the old stadium. 2) Saints 2 Watford 1 FA Cup Semi-Final (2003) - the sheer joy of being in a final after so long. Felt the final itself was a bit flat after this. 3) Derby 2 Saints 2 (2006) - Gareth Bale's first goal for Saints, much like Theo before him he made these matches much more entertaining. 4) Man City 3 Saints 2 (2012) - plucky Saints and Lambert (can he make the jump to the Premier League?) show them we're not just here to make up the numbers. 5) Saints 3 Arsenal 2 (2002) - after having sat through a dire draw against Blackburn two weeks previous where the only entertainment was a completely pissed rando, it was great to see a win. And even rarer still was to see the one and only goal scored by Agustin Delgado!
9 years ago today. 9!!!!!! Another of my all time favourite matches, the noise when Mane scored that winner
1. Saints 4-0 Tottenham, FA Cup, Jan 2003. Only about 24,000 there as we'd played them in the league the week before. But what an atmosphere. 2. Liverpool 0-1 Saints, Anfield, Jan 27. The clock ticking down, Shane Long and Harrison Reed's little legs scampering up the field like two halves of a pantomime Jack Russell. And then, impossibly, unbelievably, Shane shot the net bulged! 3. Saints 3-2 Liverpool, nuff said really. Except the bloke behind me barked his shins quite badly on the back of my seat, claret everywhere, but he didn't care. Take that Klopp, you bespectacled toothy weirdo! That'll do for now.
1. First game that Mrs S came to It was fantastic Kept saying “It’s not always like this you know” I could only get her a ticket for FA Cup matches that season so she didn’t see us lose She got a season ticket following season
Surprised you're the first person to mention final match at the Dell. Suspect many people in their heads equate this century with St Marys. That Arsenal game is a great shout too. Niemi's triple save
Missed this post but that Norwich game is right up there for me. Easily in the top 5 atmospheres at St Marys imo.
The 5-3 against Huddersfield last year was a damn fun game. It reminded me of when I was living in Exeter in the 90s and saw both of the "tennis" games where Exeter lost 6-4 against Reading and then beat Fulham a month later 6-4. Their manager was Alan Ball. You may have heard of him... Johnson Paint Trophy was great too. Ironically I saw that match in a pub in Exeter too.
Yeah was about to mention this one. Revenge for the Ronnie Rosenthal game. Spurs had the entire Northam iirc and loads got chucked out for aggro and fighting among themselves. There was extra spice to the atmosphere because of them stealing Hoddle and Deano.
