My dad's company had a table at the Executive Club at the Dell. Got taken to a game on Boxing Day 1988 - Saints fanatic for life after that. I would never choose to live or work in Southampton, given that it does not give me what I need in terms of lifestyle or career, however, I feel a deep emotional attachment to the city borne by my devotion to Saints.
My dad used to do the car parking at the Dell so we went to the game occasionally. Got into it after the FA Cup Final really.
As a young man I never really took a great deal of interest in football as spectator sport as I was either playing football or chasing young women. When my playing days were over and I had settled down work brought me to live in Southampton and on the spur of the moment I decided to go and see the double winning Arsenal team at the Dell in the spring of 1971. I was hooked and have been a supporter ever since. Saints are my first love but I do have a soft spot for a number of teams that I do like to see do well such as Reading (loyalty to the county of my birth and education), Swansea a team I have watched many times when visiting the area, Arsenal because I loved their old stadium and the football they play, Bristol City because I have had so many great times with my friends watching them (and some not so great), and I have always supported the Welsh National team ever since Big Ron played for them. I am a great believer in omens in that we always seem to do well when we have a Welshman in the team. For example Peter Rodrigues, Ron Davies, Barry Horne, and the guy we signed from the Swans whose name I can't remember. I have to say that I have an aversion to teams that play in blue shirts such as Millwall, Chelsea, Scotland, Everton and another team whose name I have forgotten probably because they don't matter anymore.
My dad took me to my first saints game against Ipswich in 2001 in the new stadium for my 8th birthday. It was a cracking game 3-3 and since then i have been coming to St Mary's more and more as the seasons go by. Not sure what i will do next season as i will be at uni somewhere where i won't be able to get to home games. I was born in southampton too and so it is my closest team as well
My family lived in the same village as where Mick Channon was born, so there was a lot of interest in Mick and in Southampton FC. Always supported Southampton, even though i moved up North in 1982. My mums side of the family are from Romsey, Eastleigh, Winchester, and quite a lot of the smaller villages. My six year old is a Saints fan, dad's influence i suppose
I've got a bit of a random one, may loose some respect because of it, but bare in mind I've been a die hard supporter ever since When i first went to university i only watched international football. I got into FIFA because it was the in thing in my flat. Exeter were my nearest side (coming from Exmouth originally) but were not in FIFA at the time. I started playing as Saints as they played in red and white (same as Exeter) and could put up a fight against the premiership teams my flatmates etc had picked. Saw a game or two while out and started recognising the player names from the game, so started following there result and hey presto. Hadn't even visited Southampton at the time, but fell in love with the team and the place after going to my first home game.
As a child I did what many do and liked Man United but when I went to secondary school that phase quite rightfully got kicked out of me and have been loving Southampton since then.............
Born in Havant, so if place of birth was a factor I'd be a Havant and Waterlooville fan...? Moved to Southampton when I was 18 months, went to my 1st Saints match in 74 and been hooked ever since. Expecting to see my 3rd Saints promotion on Saturday, and to be honest I don't recall being this nervous with any of the other promotions.
Supported saints my for all my 24 years on earth, my first ever game was the 1996 Fa Cup game against the Skates, not a bad start! Before that id had to watch my dad and brothers going, but being told i was still too young to go :-( Since then i havent looked back though, just you try stopping me going to games now! But a Saint due to my Dad, he was once the official team photographer, watch Little Bobby Stokes' goal in the Cup Final and you'll spot him behind the goal pump his fist into the air, before realising he should probably take some pictures
The typical story really. Dad supported them so they kinda became my team too as soon as I got into football. I used to pretend I supported Man United at school as most of my friends did too, but they soon figured out that my alligience was with Saints. Now, people ask me why I sitll support them but I could never support anyone else. The passion is just too strong.
I support Saints thanks to my Dad. (seems to be a recurring theme here, hurrah for Dads!) I grew up supporting Spurs but I'd never seen them live. Then when Dad and I got season tickets for Saints, I enjoyed watching them live so much that I've supported them ever since. My brother's been persuaded to support Saints too, he used to support Liverpool and then went to the dark side and started egg-chasing but we've been able to bring him back from the brink of despair!!
In 1947 I was born in the room where I am sitting now, in 1952 I was taken to my first game at The Dell, the rest, as they say is history.
Family originally lived in fareham before i was born but thankfully the ambulance driver took me and mum to southampton general . Also was bitten on the face by Mick Channons dog Clara when I was 5 or 6 and was so proud of the fact I followed saints ever since
Went to see Saints v Plymouth in Decemebr 64 with my parents and lo and behold a 5-0 victory. Godders and Bareteddy probably remember the match more than I do. When I was home from school (went to a boarding one) I saw Saints beat Wolves 9-3 and loved it. My father would drool about Jimmy Melia for years afterwards until he popped his clogs. My other team is Athletic Bilbao because they recruit players from the Basque region and develop their own superstars.
I was born and lived until 23 in Alton, Hampshire. Most people in Alton back then were either red or blue. Fortunately The Dell was about 1 mile nearer to home than Krap Nottarf (almost equal distance to each City). My Dad took me when I was about 5 in 1975 and it stuck. I was fortunate though as my mother was always a United fan and wanted me to be too..... no chance. My son was born in Wigan and then we moved to Northampton when he was 2. Somehow he became a Saint.
I support Saints because i'm from Southampton. Still have alot of family there and visit often. I've never understood people that support teams that they have no connection with the Cities or Towns which they are based. I live in Yeovil now and funnily enough i asked a few people at work the other day why they don't support Yeovil Town FC. The most common answer i got was because they are ****.
