Autographs, the 'selfie' of the 20th century

[Noodles34]

After reading about Rory McIlroy's disparaging remarks on Roy Keane's refusal to sign an autograph for him (he did a similar thing to be, the bloke is A1 cvnt), I did remeber back to the days of The Dell car park and trtying to get players' autographs.

I remember Bruce Grobbelar in his Liverpool days being a complete **** too, barging past kids to get on the bus. But I also remember Kevin Keegan staying on for ages signing books.

As a kid, this was massive, waiting for god knows how long before the away team emerged form the small door in the corner and scrambling for the big name players of the time.

[mrfahaji]

Remember it well! Didn’t go very often, but just on the occasions we got the ground early. Best moment was when Liverpool arrived, and everyone scrambled for the likes of Owen and Fowler. A few of the less popular players walked in untroubled before I shouted “Rigobert!”, prompting Song to look and turn back to sign my programme.

[paulwantsapint]

Are there any former junior saints from 90s who didn’t feel 20ft tall after receiving a birthday card from Matt Le Tissier

[Danny R]

After reading about Rory McIlroy's disparaging remarks on Roy Keane's refusal to sign an autograph for him (he did a similar thing to be, the bloke is A1 cvnt), I did remeber back to the days of The Dell car park and trtying to get players' autographs.

I remember Bruce Grobbelar in his Liverpool days being a complete **** too, barging past kids to get on the bus. But I also remember Kevin Keegan staying on for ages signing books.

As a kid, this was massive, waiting for god knows how long before the away team emerged form the small door in the corner and scrambling for the big name players of the time.

 

I did this before every match before the game next to the entrance to the pitch from the changing rooms. I was waiting for Stuart Pearce but he walked up the stairs away from me, I shouted up to him "you didn't sign my book" and he turned around and came back down to sign. Always been fond of him since then.

 

I had my junior saints birthday card signed by Benali but when he was the boo boy of the team and he sent me an accompanying full page letter saying that I was the only who put him down as his favourite player.. legend.

[jasonb]

I did this before every match before the game next to the entrance to the pitch from the changing rooms. I was waiting for Stuart Pearce but he walked up the stairs away from me, I shouted up to him "you didn't sign my book" and he turned around and came back down to sign. Always been fond of him since then.

 

I had my junior saints birthday card signed by Benali but when he was the boo boy of the team and he sent me an accompanying full page letter saying that I was the only who put him down as his favourite player.. legend.

 

On a Pearce related note, I once called out Pyschco! to him. Evidently he wasn't too keen on his nickname judging from the glare he fixed me with afterwards.

[saintoaks]

Are there any former junior saints from 90s who didn’t feel 20ft tall after receiving a birthday card from Matt Le Tissier

 

I remember the early 80's Christmas parties in the old supporters club at the Dell, i was well and truly gob smacked and star struck when the likes of Keegan/Channon/Ball and my hero at the time Steve Williams walked in to sign autographs.

 

Times definitely change you tho as you get older !! Unfortunately, i do not feel star struck with these modern players, but moments back then is why i support this club through good, bad and ugly times, we didn't even talk about formations then !!!. Great memories.

[LGTL]

Junior Saints birthday cards were excellent, straight into school to show everyone my personalised signed card from Tiss. I can remember going into the Junior Saints club and playing the Playstation 1 before home games, or going on one of their bowling/cinema trips on a Sunday. Simpler, happy times, when the club genuinely gave a toss about other things other then getting your hard earned money.

 

I often wonder what happened to some of the characters I use to sit next to in the Junior Saints block at the Dell

[The Cat]

I think it's great that the players still sign before and after the games at St Mary's. Quite a few clubs don't allow it these days.

[Danny R]

I remember the early 80's Christmas parties in the old supporters club at the Dell, i was well and truly gob smacked and star struck when the likes of Keegan/Channon/Ball and my hero at the time Steve Williams walked in to sign autographs.

 

Times definitely change you tho as you get older !!

 

Unfortunately, i do not feel star struck with these modern players, but moments back then is why i support this club through good, bad and ugly times, we didn't even talk about formations then !!!. Great memories.

 

I remember going to the Pigeon Club in St Denys when I was about 10 and Leicester Le Tiss, Ruddock, Shearer and Richard Hall were in their singing karaoke... wouldn't happen these days.

[Gemmel]

My Dad once met Frank Stapleton in a hotel lift and asked him for an autograph for his son....... Stapleton said "come with me" and took him to the room where the whole team were having their evening meal. A napkin was passed round the table and signed by everyone.

 

Shortly after he met Peter Shilton on a train and asked the same question - He got told where to go

[Turkish]

I was about 7 years old and got danny Wallace's autograph in mikes chippy Midanbury on a Saturday evening.

[GGalpin]

I think it's great that the players still sign before and after the games at St Mary's. Quite a few clubs don't allow it these days.

 

Villa have the players car park all fenced off with them having to have stuff passed through bars for them to sign; no wonder there's a disconnect.

[percy windham]

I had a junior Saints birthday party once. Got to play five a side on the indoor pitch they had, then got a tour around The Dell, including all the physio rooms and the such. Jim Magilton and Neil Maddison (I think) were in there and we just hung around for ages as they chatted to a bunch of 8 year olds and my grandad for about 20 minutes.

 

I can't imagine they offer anything like this nowadays.

[Saint Jude]

Spent a day ths year at a celebrity golf event and the number of arrogant, agressive autograph hunters with pre-printed photos so that they could re-sell them on, who were also willing to push kids out of the way, was pretty shocking. I can understand why celebrities get fed up of signing stuff. At the time, it struck me how the selfie is more personal and much harder to sell it on...

 

Also struck how patient and decent most people were...

[Sidney Fudpucker the 3rd]

Met David Armstrong in the club shop before a night game against Luton Town in the 80's. He was just in there chatting to the staff. That'd never happen these days. Football was so much better back then.

[NorthamSteve]

I was behind the dugouts for most of my time at the dell so managed to get an array of great and good autographs. (Ade Akinbiyi, when he was a teenager on The Norwich bench for example)

We had Nicky Banger and Neil Maddison turn up to my football team’s end of season bash, for free, and give out the trophies.

 

 

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[John Boy Saint]

Bobby Charlton was walking along outside SMS with John Mortimore before one of the cup games a few years back v Man U, kids were running up and asking him to sign their programme and he just ignored them bluntly. There was a chap sat on the wall who spotted Charlton and walked up to him with a 1966 style red England shirt with signatures already on "Sir Bobby please can you sign my shirt" at which he did stop looked at the shirt and obliged asking about it and who was missing. Charltons parting comment was "I guess you will be selling that soon" to which the chap replied "no chance of that - its taken me too bloody long to get the signatures I have!!".

[saint1977]

My Dad once met Frank Stapleton in a hotel lift and asked him for an autograph for his son....... Stapleton said "come with me" and took him to the room where the whole team were having their evening meal. A napkin was passed round the table and signed by everyone.

 

Shortly after he met Peter Shilton on a train and asked the same question - He got told where to go

 

Well done to Frank - class. Heard similar stories about Shilton though from Saints, Forest and Stoke fans so it was far from just your Dad.

 

When Keegan played for us, my dad asked him to write a message for me as a young kid inside his new book. Class act again. My mum used to work at M&S and MLT always had loads of time for the fans when he was out and about. Wayne Bridge as well getting into the WGS years.

 

TBF to Saints, I think they try to ground players with community projects more than most PL clubs but with the money and hangers on, as we saw with VVD in the summer, it's become very difficult. There are still good examples - Mata, Defoe, Mings - but becoming rarer. The days of bumping into the likes of Ruddock, Shearer and MLT playing 18 holes of golf at Southampton Muni are long gone though.

[saint1977]

Bobby Charlton was walking along outside SMS with John Mortimore before one of the cup games a few years back v Man U, kids were running up and asking him to sign their programme and he just ignored them bluntly. There was a chap sat on the wall who spotted Charlton and walked up to him with a 1966 style red England shirt with signatures already on "Sir Bobby please can you sign my shirt" at which he did stop looked at the shirt and obliged asking about it and who was missing. Charltons parting comment was "I guess you will be selling that soon" to which the chap replied "no chance of that - its taken me too bloody long to get the signatures I have!!".

 

Sir Bobby Charlton was notorious for that. Jack on the other hand was different.

 

Of the players who became managers, Cloughie was usually good with supporters. Nicholl was always good with fans despite the stick he took in the 80s at times.

[ecuk268]

Used to take my nipper out to Staplewood in the Dave Jones / Glenn Hoddle era.

 

You could ambush the players as they left training to go the the car park. Can't remember any refusing. Paul Jones and Carlton Palmer were good, being quite happy to pose for photos. I think that he managed to get most of the squad to sign his shirt.

[Kenilworthy]

 

There is a certain element of karma in that five years ago my son took part in a weekend football tournament in Devon, and the star turn for the awards evening was Shilton, now having fallen on hard times. And to earn his fee he had to pose for photographs hour after hour and sign autographs for everyone.

[adrian lord]

Villa have the players car park all fenced off with them having to have stuff passed through bars for them to sign; no wonder there's a disconnect.

 

Getting like Formula One in the aloofness stakes. And Villa are in what division?

[Saint Claude Van Damme]

I remember watching Saints play Palace back in 96 or 97 in what must have been Neil Shipperleys first game back at the Dell after we sold him. He came over to all the kids just before kick off in full kit and happily signed all our programmes.

 

Also remember being handed out end of season trophies and awards for various youth teams either at local social clubs or the training ground by various saints of the time. Le Tiss, Monkou & Maddison spring to mind. Matt even came to my school one day and just about every kid there queued up for an autograph. I don't know if players still do this but it was great back then.

[GGalpin]

Getting like Formula One in the aloofness stakes. And Villa are in what division?

 

It's crazy. My better half is a Villan and when we went to Bristol City away this season, we got to Ashton Gate just as the City and Villa players were arriving. City players walked through the car park, taking time to have photos etc; Villa were straight off the coach with no player stopping (not surprising when Terry was booed mind); however, Steve Bruce waited for a good ten minutes for photos and autographs which was decent of him.

[whelk]

I remember Collin Bell passing my autograph book round the city coach and then giving it back to me.

Contrast with Steve Williams closing his door of his Fiat X19 on me. Lost me book though but was all part of the match day ritual as a lad.

[krissyboy31]

My personal hatred of Fat Sam stems from an autograph collection session. Saints v Bolton at the Dell late 70's, we had missed Peter Reid, who had recently been selected for England U21s (might have been 23s then). Peter Thompson, the ex Liverpool player invited us onto the team coach to get Reidy's autograph. Of course he was sat towards the back and before we got to him, Fat Sam had eyeball us and shouted in that loud familiar gruff voice, "You lot get off the fnck!ng bus!!" I've never forgotten nor forgiven him for that.

[Badger]

My personal hatred of Fat Sam stems from an autograph collection session. Saints v Bolton at the Dell late 70's, we had missed Peter Reid, who had recently been selected for England U21s (might have been 23s then). Peter Thompson, the ex Liverpool player invited us onto the team coach to get Reidy's autograph. Of course he was sat towards the back and before we got to him, Fat Sam had eyeball us and shouted in that loud familiar gruff voice, "You lot get off the fnck!ng bus!!" I've never forgotten nor forgiven him for that.

 

I remember that era and Bolton team. In Division 2 at the time, and they always seemed to sneak it 1-0 after we'd be out-muscled by Allardyce in particular.

 

I also recall Peter Thompson playing against us and giving a great display of old fashioned wing play turning our right back ( Bob McCarthy I think) a torrid time. I was fortunate enough to get Thompson's autograph in the Dell car park afterwards and above all remember how willing he was to talk football to us (I was probably about 13 at the time).

[Viking Saint]

Sir Bobby Charlton was notorious for that. Jack on the other hand was different.

 

Of the players who became managers, Cloughie was usually good with supporters. Nicholl was always good with fans despite the stick he took in the 80s at times.

 

I met Nicholl when he was a spectator at a WPGA tournament at Fleming Park. I was about 14 and radioing in scores to the leaderboard. He couldn't have been nicer, stopped for photos and chatted away for ages answering all my questions - seemed a really nice bloke