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Stuart Williams 1930-2013 RIP


Fitzhugh Fella
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Stuart Williams who played full-back for Saints 1962-66 and was Ted Bates's assistant between 1971 and 1973 has passed away. Previously with West Brom and capped over 40 times for Wales.

I have sent the club a fuller profile which will be on their website shortly.

A very nice man indeed, I would like to offer my condolences to all his family.

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I remember Williams arriving at the Dell, and watched most of his home games for Saints. He brought an immediate touch of class to the defence, and was one those players who always seemed to have time, a sign of a good footballer. Great going forward too, an unusual thing for full backs in those days. Thanks for the memories, Stuart.

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remember it well when he arrived and quickly put aside the idea that Ted Bates had bought " an old soldier " (Stuart was 32 by then) and really showed his class- right upto his last season (aged 36).

 

Playing at right back, he had great vision, calm and a good passer of the ball, he helped the young Terry Paine become the great player he was.

 

Remember the 1963 derby game v. Pompey at The Dell, when he went off with an injury and returning with a bandaged head (no subs.in those days) to play on the left wing...then going up for an attack and scoring a goal right on HT.

 

A real professional and a great role model for younger players at that time. RIP

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RIP

A member of the first Saints team I saw.

 

Reynolds

Williams

Traynor

Wimshurst

Knapp

Huxford

Paine

O'Brien

Kirby

Burnside

Sydenham

 

Saturday 26th October 1963. Crikey just realised I've racked up a half-century of saints supporting.

That team of 63 just rolls off the tongue doesn't it.

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RIP

A member of the first Saints team I saw.

 

Reynolds

Williams

Traynor

Wimshurst

Knapp

Huxford

Paine

O'Brien

Kirby

Burnside

Sydenham

 

Saturday 26th October 1963. Crikey just realised I've racked up a half-century of saints supporting.

 

 

Sadly not a game to remember fondly.....losing 1-4 at home to the eventual champions LEEDS UTD.

 

Although just in that game there were a few changes to those you mentioned. Ron Reynolds had played his last game in September (having been injured in the game at Fratton Park) and Tony Godfrey was in goal, and Ian White played instead of Wimshurst , and in John Sydenham's absence it was the last ever game for Harry Penk on the Left wing

 

BUT I'm another one who could recite that line-up off by heart. During the second part of season 1962-63 that line-up was almost unchanged for 20 or more matches.

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Sadly not a game to remember fondly.....losing 1-4 at home to the eventual champions LEEDS UTD.

 

Although just in that game there were a few changes to those you mentioned. Ron Reynolds had played his last game in September (having been injured in the game at Fratton Park) and Tony Godfrey was in goal, and Ian White played instead of Wimshurst , and in John Sydenham's absence it was the last ever game for Harry Penk on the Left wing

 

BUT I'm another one who could recite that line-up off by heart. During the second part of season 1962-63 that line-up was almost unchanged for 20 or more matches.

 

I've got a feeling that was the team rote taught to me by my dad when I was very slightly younger, probably the previous winter when there was sod all football going on. Vaguely remember Harry Penk and being disappointed that John Sydenham wasn't playing. The Leeds side was the embryonic Don Revie team which got promoted with Sunderland and reached the Cup Final the following year. i think John Giles had signed from Man U and the midfield included Billy Bremner and Bobby Collins who'd signed from Everton. That was some midfield. I hadn't reached my sixth birthday by the time I watched the game on my Dads shoulders on the Archers terrace.

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I've got a feeling that was the team rote taught to me by my dad when I was very slightly younger, probably the previous winter when there was sod all football going on. Vaguely remember Harry Penk and being disappointed that John Sydenham wasn't playing. The Leeds side was the embryonic Don Revie team which got promoted with Sunderland and reached the Cup Final the following year. i think John Giles had signed from Man U and the midfield included Billy Bremner and Bobby Collins who'd signed from Everton. That was some midfield. I hadn't reached my sixth birthday by the time I watched the game on my Dads shoulders on the Archers terrace.

 

 

Yes you got that bit OK "winner ". One of the few occasions that I can recall that we'd had a " settled " side, although there have been a few odd seasons since then.

 

I don't know if we were bored, or satisfied that we had the same team week in and week out, and they weren't world beaters either as there were a few bad results in that 62-63 season, but the team remained the same (except for the odd injury or case of flu') ....and soon everyone could pick the team even before it was announced.

 

However, as we've seen this season, a settled side can produce some great results and the 1962-63 cup run (made it to Semi Final) is still one that remains fixed in my memory-even 50 years later.

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