Autographs

[rockyuk83]

Been many a year since I've come on a forum like this - think the last one was saintsforever!

Having suitably indoctrinated my twin sons (9yo) to support the ups and downs of this football team, they now want to stand outside at the Villa game to get some autographs/pictures with the players. I haven't done this since I was 9 at the Dell!

Could anyone give me any advice on what time would be best to be there? Do players still sign autographs and take photos? Do players park in the car park behind the Chapel? 

Many thanks in advance for any advice!

[ulstersaint1980]

Yeah same set up. I haven’t tried this season with my kids but did last season. I think we were there about 1115 for a 3 kick off. And they started arriving in dribs and drabs from then IIRC

[rockyuk83]

Cheers!

 

[John Boy Saint]

17 minutes ago, rockyuk83 said:

Cheers!

 

Then you’ll have to print the photos and come back another game to get them signed to the boys.

 

[64saint]

Any of the players not in the squad, injured or whatever I noticed seem to turn up about 1.30  in the Chapel carpark. 

[OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint]

You can also wait for them to come out after the game. I remember seven/eight years ago waiting with my son for the players to come out post match and he got a lot of photos with the players in the squad. Many of the more willing were the those on the edges of the first team, but looking back, it's good to see photos with the like of McCarthy before he became first choice keeper. 

[skintsaint]

7 hours ago, OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint said:

it's good to see photos with the like of McCarthy before he became first choice keeper. 

Did he drop the pen?

[SotonianWill]

2 hours ago, skintsaint said:

Did he drop the pen?

someone shouted near post as he dropped the pen so mccarthy couldn’t save it 

[John Boy Saint]

This is just making me think of going down early at the request of my eldest Daughter when we were league one. A well used Green Jeep something pulled into the car park and minutes later a newly signed Rickie Lambert appeared and autographed the line of kids.  His life certainly changed with us!

Another was a newly signed Peter Crouch - not playing yet, he was one of the later arrivals for an evening game. My 9 year old daughter spots him and runs after him in the Chapel car park "Peter! - Peter!" she shouts bold as brass, he stops turns around, they are a little bit away from us, she has obviously asked to have her shirt signed. And in one of those visually surreal moments where you wished you had a camera, this giant of a man bends at the waist to sign, my small for her age, daughters shirt.  At least its in the  photo album in my head.

[Turkish]

I remember when i was a kid must have been about 8 or 9 and i was with my dad queuing for fish and chips at Mikes chippy at the Castle. When in walked one Danny Wallace, my dad said to me that it was Danny Wallace, i didn't believe him and it was only when we got to the counter that the lady serving us confirmed it was indeed Danny Wallace and gave me a pen and a bit of chip paper to get his autograph. I still have it in a scrap book somewhere along with a load of other autographs and signed pictures from that era, Mark Wright, Kevin Moore, Steve Moran, David Armstrong, Rod Wallace, Matt Le Tiss, Chris Nicholl, Kerry Dixon and Alan Smith from when they both played at the Dell, Mark Nicholas, Robin and Chris Smith, Paul Terry from Hampshire cricket plus quite a few more. Quite a walk down memory lane. 

Edited 20 January, 2023 by Turkish

[John Boy Saint]

5 minutes ago, Turkish said:

I remember when i was a kid must have been about 8 or 9 and i was with my dad queuing for fish and chips at Mikes chippy at the Castle. When in walked one Danny Wallace, my dad said to me that it was Danny Wallace, i didn't believe him and it was only when we got to the counter that the lady serving us confirmed it was indeed Danny Wallace and gave me a pen and a bit of chip paper to get his autograph. I still have it in a scrap book somewhere along with a load of other autographs and signed pictures from that era, Mark Wright, Kevin Moore, Steve Moran, David Armstrong, Rod Wallace, Matt Le Tiss, Chris Nicholl, Kerry Dixon and Alan Smith from when they both played at the Dell, Mark Nicholas, Robin and Chris Smith, Paul Terry from Hampshire cricket plus quite a few more. Quite a walk down memory lane. 

The other day putting Christmas Decs away in the loft I found an artists tube full of posters including 2 team line up posters from 78/79 and 79/80 seasons, just about fully signed by the players leaving training at The Dell on a Friday lunchtime in the summer school holidays. 

Memory lane indeed

[Miltonaggro]

11 minutes ago, Turkish said:

I remember when i was a kid must have been about 8 or 9 and i was with my dad queuing for fish and chips at Mikes chippy at the Castle. When in walked one Danny Wallace, my dad said to me that it was Danny Wallace, i didn't believe him and it was only when we got to the counter that the lady serving us confirmed it was indeed Danny Wallace and gave me a pen and a bit of chip paper to get his autograph. I still have it in a scrap book somewhere along with a load of other autographs and signed pictures from that era, Mark Wright, Kevin Moore, Steve Moran, David Armstrong, Rod Wallace, Matt Le Tiss, Chris Nicholl, Kerry Dixon and Alan Smith from when they both played at the Dell, Mark Nicholas, Robin and Chris Smith, Paul Terry from Hampshire cricket plus quite a few more. Quite a walk down memory lane. 

Great stuff.  I remember the three Wallace brothers living in a three bed semi in Wakefield Road, Midanbury and regulars at Mike's Chippy and Sperrings, but not at the Ark in Townhill to my knowledge.  My nan lived opposite the Wallaces and I often used to see them emerging for a run as a trio in grey Rocky style tracksuits.  There's a signifier of how top flight football has changed in under 40 years! 

[100%Red&White]

I had a load of 60s/70s Saints' programmes when I was a kid, unfortunately I lived out my fantasy of being a professional footballer when I was older by regularly faking ‘autographs’ over the photos of the featured players each home game. That fooked them up!

Having taken all my Saints stuff with me when I left home 40-odd years ago and stuck it up in the loft it rarely saw the light of day again until I later moved house. Unfortunately, that wasn’t long after relegation in 2005 and I was still mightily pissed at the shitshow down the road and a bit fed up with it all and promptly dumped most of it to save taking it with us to clutter up our new gaff. What a twat.

[derry]

In the early eighties I flew the Saints party to Amsterdam for a match. Lawrie had Peter East's History of Southampton signed by the whole party including Kevin Keegan. I've still got it along with a load of other Southampton FC books through the years.

[64saint]

6 hours ago, 100%Red&White said:

I had a load of 60s/70s Saints' programmes when I was a kid, unfortunately I lived out my fantasy of being a professional footballer when I was older by regularly faking ‘autographs’ over the photos of the featured players each home game. That fooked them up!

Having taken all my Saints stuff with me when I left home 40-odd years ago and stuck it up in the loft it rarely saw the light of day again until I later moved house. Unfortunately, that wasn’t long after relegation in 2005 and I was still mightily pissed at the shitshow down the road and a bit fed up with it all and promptly dumped most of it to save taking it with us to clutter up our new gaff. What a twat.

I also had a load of programmes many autographed from the 60 and 70s but sold them when I got married including the 76 cup final, like you a decision I later regretted ( selling the programmes that is not getting married !! 🙄 🤣😂🤣)  Many years later they had a programmes fair at the church hall in Archers Road by the Dell, they had complete seasons going back to the 50s and a few beyond ( I think it was an annual event) and managed to buy a load of them back. Ok, they weren't my originals but better than nothing. 

Edited 20 January, 2023 by 64saint