Growing up my parents were not that well off and most of my earlier Saints memories were of reserve games at The Dell but you saw the likes of Peter Wells, Graham Baker ,Dave Puckett play. One game that sticks in my mind was a reserve game v Arsenal and the Arsenal keeper was Pat Jennings. A load of us kids were on the pitch getting his autograph . The Ref said we had to get off the pitch to start the game Pat said we will start the game when I've finished signing the autographs. Legend. Another memory was my Mum taking us to the Dell on a match day to meet the players.My mum spotted Lawrie Mac and asked for his autograph for us. Lawrie said yes once you've put that cigarette out. Happy days. What are your earliest Saints memories?
I went to Springhill RC, right opposite the Dell. The first time I went in the place was when we were coming out of school; it was left unlocked and being kids we discovered that fact, and just walked in and onto the Milton Road terrace. It seemed a magical place, like a film set waiting for the action to start; like you could shut your eyes and suddenly it was alive. It was a couple of years before I got inside to witness a game, but I never lost that sense of wonder. Was more years after that before I began to realise that it was really a tiny little shed of a place. But magic. The only time St Mary’s evokes similar feelings, is when I drive into Southampton past Six Dials, and can just see the cantilevers in the roof, from the junction by Northam Road. No idea why that view of the ground is so evocative, but it is.
I agree about that view Archers... me and my lad love it. My early memory is my first game and that magical moment when you get to the terrace and see the shining green pitch, glowing under the floodlights. We were at home to Hereford who had a fairly famous player playing for them who got the biggest round of applause!
I agree the strongest memories of my early years as a Saints fan are from evening games. The games in the early part of the season were all in daylight, and were huge occasions for a young lad, but that first floodlight game! Without wishing to sound like an old codger, football on TV was in black and white in those days, and until you actually went to a floodlit game and saw the incredible colours in real life you had no idea how vibrant and exciting the whole thing was, and still is. Then of course having to rush down Wilton Avenue to the coach station and dissecting the game with your mates on the way home. Wonderful times.
I remember that we had a FA Cup game against Everton in the early 80s (NOT THAT ONE) in January time. Before went on general sale there was some sort of voucher system that you could get one ticket per voucher. I remember I was about 11 or 12 and I went with my dad to the ticket office at the Dell - it was in the main carpark from memory and no one was around as it was a random time of day. We went to the window and my dad said that he was really sorry, but could they do anything as we had two vouchers and we needed 3 tickets for him, me and my brother to go. The woman was not looking hopeful, but then a booming voice from behind us said "Go on give it to him!". We turned round and it was Laurie Mac. He then came over and chatted for about 5 mins and was so nice. I didn't have my autograph book on me, so he signed a Southampton headed bit of paper and was so friendly. Top bloke. The fact that I can still remember it nearly 40 years later shows that be nice to the kids and you'll give them something to remember for ever.
My Dad took my brother to the Dell and George Lawrence was in the car park before the game. He was eating some sort of filled roll when my brother approached him for an autograph. He asked my brother if he would hold his roll for him and said you can have a bite if you want.
David Armstrong taking me on to the team coach to meet all the players, I think it was around 1982 and I remember it was at the dell but it seems strange as I presume they all drove to the ground then?
One of my earliest memories was being allowed to bunk off school and que all night for tickets for an important game. Can't remember the exact game, I think it was an F.A cup quarter final, I was about 9 or 10 and about 8.30am after a long night a photographer from the Echo office turned up to snap the winding que from the Dell box office. I remember my Dad telling me to look away to avoid someone at school spotting me, but the thought of my 15 minutes of fame was to much for me to resist, so just as the photographer lined up his shot, I leapt out and thrust a thumbs up to the camera. When the photo appeared on the back page of the following days Echo all my classmates were duly impressed, unfortunately the headmistress was nowhere near as impressed. Just shows how even then I was suffering for being a Saints fan?
Yeah I think my first game was when the floodlights were first installed and we played an All Star XI,including the great Stan Matthews, think it was c1953 it was dark and drab around The Dell no supporters wore bright clothing. My Dad and I got through the turnstiles and I saw the emerald green pitch shimmering under the lights and I fell in love with Saints. A cruel mistress, hope my nostalgia isn't playing tricks on me and not offended to be corrected....it's how I'm going to remember it anyway!
My first game was versus Blackburn in 1975. Not long after, I played for Southampton Colleges in the Wednesday league - I was right back, John Sydenham was left wing. He was 40-odd, I was 17. My team mates told me he was still quick, and a former England U-23 international - I scoffed at the thought of an old English codger ripping me a new one, and I planned to give him a whack in our first challenge. Needless to say he made a right tit out of me, and the only time I got near him was when I shook his hand at full time.
My first game and only trip to the Dell was in 2001 for an FA cup tie with Tranmere. The game finished 0-0 but I don’t remember anything about it because I didn’t follow football or really know anything about it. I got into football a few years later thanks to my Dads partner who is a big football fan and went to my first game at St.Marys in 2003...another 0-0 vs Birmingham. Thankfully I’ve seen a few goals since!
Woah..... you can’t jsut say that! You shouldn’t even mention the game. We drew 0-0, had three goals disallowed. In the replay we were 3-0 up at half time.... I was living up North and messaged all my Liverpool supporting mates to invite them to mine for a bbq for the quarter final that coming weekend against Liverpool...... we won’t mention the rest.
Haha I do have some vague recollection of all the disallowed goals, but I had no idea what was going on so don’t really remember. Only other thing I can recall is standing on the seat and falling into the person behind as the seat inevitably folded up
In 1988 my 14 year brother entered a competition a Saints related word search I think anyway he won a first prize a Subbuteo set with a Saints team. The prize was presented by Saints new signings Paul Rideout and Russell Osman. All the kids were given raffle tickets for some prizes on offer the jammy bugger had the first winning ticket so had first dibs on the prizes so Russell smiling said not you again then asked him what he would like. My Brother chose a full Saints kit. Russell said I thought you might.
Mine was a cup 0-0 too. League cup second leg against Fulham in 1998 (not that I had any idea it was a two-legged match, and that we'd lost the first leg 1-0). Beattie made his home debut, and Carlton Palmer got sent off by Paul Alcock (RIP). The young, naïve me was happy when Di Canio duly punished Alcock by pushing him over a few weeks later.
