Fitzhugh Fella

Think you and I need three hours in a pub with a decent pint of bitter to fully debate this one - I am up for it if you are. By way of a start I reckon if the IRA had not gone down the "violent" route to start with then they would not be in the power sharing position they now enjoy. But like I say lets make a date in a pub.

I know you are not Ron - but even Nelson Mandela once got his hands dirty! Just the fact you and I are arguing proves my point. The time for reasoning/sensible debate or sermons from the nicotene deprived Frank are gone. You are respected and deservedly so but give us your vision not platitudes and moralising. Go on - you have a few years left -

Ron (Weston Saint) is a great bloke and deservedly well respected but there are times when people like him have to enter the fray and get their hands dirty. We have now reached the lowest nadir in our history - fans have never fought each other before and yet some on here are arguing semantics. We either collectively "do " something or we implode but now is not the time for "after you Claude platitudes" or friggin sermons from Frank Cousins. I am sorry but I am angry. I can't get rid of Lowe more's the pity but the time for analysing every petty little point on a forum is now gone. Every true fan of SFC needs to look at themselves and say "what or how am I going to do something to save this club". If you can't be bothered then perhaps you will deserve what you will ultimately get, but it is time for those who up to now have chosen not to stick their heads above a parapet to perhaps stand up and be counted. Sorry Ron and FC and anyone else out there of a weak disposition but let's get real, lets get united and let's stop the "I am the voice of reason" posturing.

I strongly disagree - you had to be there to feel the real feeling. Instant conference, mobile phones and e mails have nothing to contribute to a relationship a fan has for his club. No offence Ron, but sometimes you come across as being more more concerned about forever being regarded as the voice of reason while the real story passes you by. It is about time some of the fence sitters made a stand.

A bit of a strange disclaimer I have to admit

After match protests are always better when spontaneous - which usually happens when the home side has lost - like yesterday. Knowing Saints they would probably beat Swansea thus diluting the effect of any organised demonstration. However that being said well done for trying to organise something. The worrying thing for me is that the Chairman of a PLC that is on the brink and faces a 6 pointer relegation battle can't be in attendance. For christ sake we have a free Saturday next week can't he arrange his salmon fishing (or whatever it is that has him in Scotland) so he actually gets to witness what is going on at our club. The same applies to Wilde who ducked out of the AGM because of holiday committments when it is the club (ie him) who choose the AGM date. These people have no respect for their positions and no respect for the future of our club and consequently certainly do not deserve our respect.

Think he would be Leon Crouch's choice.

Excellent letter but is Wilde man enough to a) answer it and b) actually do something. I fear not.

An eloquent and heart rendering post through which your pain is evident. Many share that pain. I would love this post to be read by Guy Askham.

Tim, no offence but you talk utter ****e. Holmes once had a role at Southampton working under Nicholl but he quit because he couldn't hack it. Your posts are not helping mate. Things are a lot more serious than you realise. Either move back to So'ton and endure the crap 100% or keep your happy clappy claptrack to yourself.

Just back myself and rather than wear my fingers out I agree 100% with these sentiments. Well said mate! I also think Lowe's absence is inexcusabe - both him and Wilde seem to cherry pick which games they attend -something we would all like to do, but there again we pay for our tickets. Today we went as Lowe as we have ever been.

Growing up in Archers Rd I spent my school holidays in the Dell car park playing football and collecting autographs. One ambitious project was to get a whole Saints squad photograph that featured in a Coventry v Saints programme autographed, but ambitiously, I decided to get the first team to sign in red and the reserve players in black. Why I did this I have no idea but it took a great deal of skill, dexterity in swopping biros and tact so the reserve players didn't cotton on about their status. All went brilliantly to plan and considering 23 players had signed it the programme was still in almost pristine condition which was very important, of course. One player had yet to sign - John McGrath or Big Jake as he was commonly known. Thighs like tree trunks and as fearsome a sight a centre-forward could see. Off the pitch he was a gentle giant and when he emerged from training one morning I made a beeline for him with of course my red biro, for swarthy John was the king pin of our defence and one of the original alehouse lads. I delicately handed the programme and biro to him and he took it and signed his name thus completing my task. He was about to hand my programme back to my eager grasp when a couple of other players, Jimmy Gabriel and Mick Channon emerged having a bit of a row because Mick had opened his car door onto Jimmy's blue Rover causing a bit of a dent. There was a bit of a commotion going on and Jake thought he'd join the throng of players/small boys watching the ongoing debate as to who's fault the damage to the car had been. Trouble is he took my programme with him and before I knew it had rolled it up and was slapping against his thigh and palm as he laughed heartedly at the fracas. By now he was surrounded and I had no chance of reclaiming my programme and I had to watch from afar as my pristine programme got more and more mangled whilst in John's sweaty hands. When all had quitened down and I eventually reclaimed my prized possesion it had a tear in the cover and was all bent and creased. I was gutted.

Pure class! Iain Dowie married a stewardess so through her all the local Southampton based BA crew arranged a night out at the Concorde Club. We had a great night and he was a top bloke. This was during the heady days of Thatcher and I remember him telling us the only two players who voted Labour at the club were himself and Micky Adams!

Nice story, Phil and one I have made a note of by way of updating his bio in ITN.

His name was Jimmy Welsh - a scouser and he was no friend of mine but it is a long story - the fact that Bruce was so matey with him put me off Bruce - judge a man by his friends and all that. Another story I've remembered. I went to the Ted Bates dinner at the Dell back in the early 1990s. I was actually on the same table as Guy Askham then our chairman but didn't realise until half was through who he was. I had got to know a lot of the old players since my book had come out and met up with a few before the meal at the Wessex Hotel bar for a drink. Charlie Wayman was there so I brought my Dad who was dying to meet his boyhood idol. Charlie was great to my Dad - it was the first time he had been back in Southampton for decades and there was much beer being drunk as all the old stories came back. After the meal I was entrusted to escort all the old footballers back to the Wessex where they were staying but most were absolutely rat-arsed. Some could hardly stand. I got them in a sort of line as we crossed Archers Rd but one (Eddy Brown) slipped as we got to the pavement and pulled others with him including Charlie and Frank Dudley and Jimmy Shields into the gutter. Just then a cop car turned up and pulled up alongside all these p*ssed old boys lying in the street. The policeman wound his window down and addressing me said - what the hell is going on here? I replied "that is the Southampton FC forward line circa 1950-51 officer and they are just discussing tactics" (I was more than a bit p*ssed myself). He smiled and drove on and somehow I managed to get them on the feet and home to the Wessex 100 yards up Northlands Avenue.

I think JB got a bad press from some. Every story I heard about him was that off the pitch he was a really decent bloke. Rob, that day they smuggled Bruce in I knew who was driving the car - a bloke who also worked for BA - do you know who I am talking about? He was a big mate of Bruce's.

I am pretty sure Kevin's family still live in Otterbourne but I am not even sure Kevin is well enough to live at home. I will try and find out more as I know one of his neighbours.

Hi Colin - I had a chat with L. Mac prior to the AGM recently. I must admit I have had a few spats with the big man over the years but you can't knock the passion he has for the club. In the 90s I had a part-time job working for the BBC as a liaison officer on "Match of the Day". Basically my job entailed being the commentators eyes and ears in the tunnel area, dressing rooms, dugouts etc. I had to get the players they wanted for interviews, find out the team changes, liase with the refs and during the match watch out for substitutions etc. Obviously it was pretty interesting watching what went on behind the scenes although it could be stressful as it was usually me that got the blame if things went wrong. Motty was the worst to work for as he was always panicking. The most laid back was Barry Davies. Once at Everton after a Merseyside derby I was despatched to the Liverpool dressing room to fetch Julian Dicks for a post match interview (he had made his debut that day). I messed up big time and grabbed Steve Nichol by mistake. You should have seen Davies's face when I turned up with the wrong player. All his prepared questions went for a ball of chalk but he ad libbed brilliantly. I covered a few Saints matches. The Cup-tie at Luton where I swear I heard punches being thrown in the half-time Saints dressing room. We certainly bucked our ideas up in the 2nd half. One particular Saints match I worked on I had cause to fall foul with L Mac though. 19th November 1994 - Saints v Arsenal. That was the week when the Grobbelaar revelations were published in the media and of course all the cameras (including MoTD) were at the Dell to see how Grobbelaar would react. I wasn't due to be working but the day before the BBC asked if I would help out so I gave my ticket for the Milton Rd to my wife. I told her to stay in her seat after the game and wait while we did the post match interviews so we could travel home together. What I didn't know was L Mac had issued strict instructions that the ground was to be cleared immediately after the game with only the BBC MoTD personel allowed to stay and do interviews. So I told the steward that Louise was with the BBC and she sat in on the interview with Alan Ball. L Mac suddenly saw her and started shouting and swearing "get that effin woman out of here" and went to grab her. I had to get in between and for a moment I thought he was going to whack me. Eventually Motson (I think it was) intervened and L Mac calmed down but he glared at me throughout the interview. I must admit I never cared for Grobbelaar. Earlier when he had been playing for Liverpool, at Chelsea, Motson had sent me down to the away dressing room with a question for the Zimbabwean. Immediately after the match he was due to catch a plane to Africa to appear in an international match but Motson - wanting to use this in commentary - did not know who Zimbabwe were playing. I never liked going into the dressing rooms mainly because I knew the managers did not like guests but the BBC were always given special privileges. I knocked on the Liverpool door and walked in to be met by 15 or so Liverpool players faces staring at my intrusion. I set my eyes on Grobbelaar and said "excuse me Bruce but John Motson wants to know who Zimbabwe are playing against". He said something like "Motson's an arse, get stuffed" and all the players laughed. I felt a bit foolish standing there but fortunately Graeme Souness, then Liverpool's manager, came to my rescue and gave me the correct info. The truth behind the Grobbelaar accusations never really emerged and I must admit at the time I thought there was a strong possibility some were near the truth despite his acquital.

Thanks for the report back. I must admit the signings of Forecast and Pulis were strange ones. I assume at one stage Davis was going to be sold hence Forecast's arrival but Pulis?

Didn't Chopper Harris once say that Cliff was the hardest player he had ever encountered? I see him (Cliff nor Chopper) every now and again when I am in the George at Fair Oak watching a Saints match on the television.

Great story! Some mate you had by the way!

Thanks for answering this Belgrave - I was not sure the exact state of play with Kevin and it sounds like his wife is pursuing the right avenues. I don't think many realise just how ill he had become.

Reading this tonight it is so obvious that the days of mortal fans mixing in mortal pubs/restaurants etc has now gone. Bloody hell following this thread Peter Shilton seems to have commanded more than his area... more like every watering hole east of the Itchen and west of the Test. Now to name drop some not so famous. In the Dell car park circa 1970, kicking the ball around waiting for autographs - one player who joined in - centre-half, Mick Earls, lovely lad, later got involved in Sholing. Tony Byrne was another while recovering from a broken leg would come into the car park and join in the kickabout. Can you see that happening at SMS? Gentleman Joe Kirkup walking up Hill Lane every morning for training with his umbrella and copy of the Times - he lived in London and commuted via BR. Now living in France. Bryn Elliott - from the 50s ran the best off-licensce in Freemantle and still looking great today despite being well in his 80s Paul Bennett - worked so hard to bring fans and players together - has overseen all our book launches and still doing good "charity" work inthe city. There are so many unsung players - and some of you must know them!

God how are the mighty fallen. Whenever I see Bob Charles walking around Chandlers Ford (usually eating a pie) I say to my son "he used to be Saints goalie" and I get a look like I've gone stark raving mad. I used to see Bob a lot in bedford Place in the early 70s - I think he used to be Mick Channon's runner to the bookies.

Norman - that reminds me of a story Bill Ellerington told me when the Saints toured Brazil in 1948. They sailed out on the "Andes" and with most of the ships crew Southampton lads Bill said they were fed like kings. Of course rationing was still around those days so to suddenly have a couple of weeks being fed steak and eggs all the players disembarked about 18lbs heavier. Bill Dodgin was not amused.