Who remembers the last time?

[HK_Phoey]

My first Saints game was a 1-1 draw against Oldham Athletic at the Dell, in the season we last got promoted. I was seven at the time and it was about 4 or 5 games to go. Not sure a really understood how important the games was

[chrisobee]

Yes, I remember 78 - I went to Orient when the wall fell down. Was sitting opposite where it happened with my uncle who was an Orient fan and he starting moaning about us being vandals! Also saw the dreadful Spurs game which was just played out in the middle - if we had won Spurs may not have got promoted and the worry was that trouble would start (it was the 70's after all!). As it was both sets of fans were happy and the police and stewards were relieved. Fixed? Certainly appeared that way!

 

That was essentially it I believe though even getting promoted did not stop the Spuds yobs tearing down fences at the Archers Road end. My feeling being at the game was it was more that Saints did not want to win purely in light of possible, nay inevitable violence. The fact is though that over the course of the season Saints drew every game v Bolton, Spurs and Brighton, a win for Brighton in one game v us would have course put a different perspective on things, they didn't manage it.

Rather bizarre about the Orient game and the wall collapsing, could have been nasty and was simply a result of their shabby ground not being able to cope !

I do also remember the 1965/66 promotion season albeit I was not allowed to go to any away games, I did see all the home games and clearly remember my very happy Dad returning home in the small hours after the draw at Orient which again essentially clinched promotion !! ( think we needed to avoid losing 6-0 at Man City, it was 0-0.) Happy Days:D

[chrisobee]

I've seen us relegated twice, but never promoted. Not a good record...

 

That is about to change

[chrisobee]

I remember the last promotion well. Got hit on the head by a blow up doll at Luton and got hit in the key by a lump of sugar on the coach home. We won 2-1 I think. We also stopped at some traffic lights and I said to my mate that the old lady outside the window looked just like my nan. As he looked around somebody gobbed a big greeny out of the window over her. Lovely days on Princess Summerbee coaches!

 

Then it was up to Orient to the 1-1 draw and we were up. Great night and a collapsed wall I think. Shame we couldn't beat Spurs at home to win the title.

 

Yep, we won 2-1 at Luton with a very late Bally penalty, think Peach was injured/suspended. Now a late 2-1 away win, has that not happened recently !!

[chrisobee]

It seems similar to this year to me we had 4 clubs going for 3 places & it was so tight on the run in. The sheer volume of Saints away support in that last fortnight was Fabulous Fulham was great & Luton on the penultimate Saturday was the real turning point if I remember, looked like we were going to have to settle for a draw, but Bally won us pen 2-mins from the end & Peach smacked in the winner, which I believe with other results that day put us top & just needing that point at Orient for almost certain promotion. could just be the same on the penultimate weekend, if results go our way. Here's hoping.

 

Ah, my memory playing tricks ! Could have sworn Bally actually took the pen but you are right, at least Bally did win the penalty so there was some reason why, as above, I remembered him being involved !

[Hamilton Saint]

I remember the promotion from Division Two to the First Division in the mid-sixties. I was in my teens at boarding school. Football was a huge part of the culture then. Kids came to school there from all over England - there were supporters of Everton, Liverpool, Leeds. Spurs, Manchester United, etc. And a small band of ardent Southampton supporters. I remember a master teasing me about the result of that final key game that saw us finish second in the division. He pretended for a bit that we had failed dramatically at the final hurdle, but then admitted the glorious news.

 

We played football pretty much every day then at school. About an hour and a half every day. I was never fitter!