Love Letter to Southampton Football Club

[Guided Missile]

One of the very few benefits of being old, is the ability to have some perspective on events and to be reminded, in my case, of why I support Saints. What happened was when going through my dear departed mother's papers yesterday, I came across a handwritten poem I wrote when I was 10 years of age. (Mum's keep this type of thing)  

So, apologies for the quality of the prose, but the poem referred to the following game:1

Quote

 

Southampton 5-0 Nottingham Forest (Replay)
An epic tie that takes three games in ten days to finally resolve in Saints’ favour. The original fixture, played at the City Ground, looks to have been decided ten minutes from time by a header from Forest centre-half Bob McKinlay, but proves just the start of the drama. Saints equalise through Terry Paine’s perfect lob, only to find themselves 3-0 down in the replay at The Dell. Once again, Saints are on the brink, but back they come. George Kirby responds with only 16 minutes to play, but Saints have momentum, and soon goalkeeper Peter Grummitt pushes the ball into his own net to reduce the deficit further. In the 89th minute, with the home fans in a frenzy, David Burnside’s low shot finds the net and both sides have to start over. Again. The second replay would take place on neutral territory, at White Hart Lane, with an estimated 25,000 Saints fans in attendance. For 40 minutes, the tie remains in the balance, until Burnside and Ken Wimshurst strike twice in quick succession before the break. Further goals from Burnside and a brace from George O’Brien complete the rout, and Saints are marching on to a first semi-final since 1927.

 

 

Go easy on me guys, but maybe you'll see why I'm renewing my ST next season. To lifelong fans, this season is just a bump in the road.

[John B]

1 minute ago, Guided Missile said:

One of the very few benefits of being old, is the ability to have some perspective on events and to be reminded, in my case, of why I support Saints. What happened was when going through my dear departed mother's papers yesterday, I came across a handwritten poem I wrote when I was 10 years of age. (Mum's keep this type of thing)  

So, apologies for the quality of the prose, but the poem referred to the following game:1

 

Go easy on me guys, but maybe you'll see why I'm renewing my ST next season. To lifelong fans, this season is just a bump in the road.

 

[John B]

Yes two great games which I went to played with  the 11 same players

Reynolds 

Williams Knapp Huxford Traynor

Wimshust Burnside

Paine O'Brien Kirby and Sydenham

[Turkish]

The 2nd reply was at White Hart Lane wasn't it? My dad always used to talk about that, Southampton emptied for the day, loads of buses going up form the city, companies, factories and so on putting on coaches for their staff. White Hart Lane was about 80% saints fans. How different from todays nonsense.

[Fitzhugh Fella]

Only Terry and John still alive from that team

[alehouseboys]

I was still in nappies so couldn’t make it…but know a few who did. 25,000 Saints may be a bit of an underestimate, many didn’t arrive until halftime and others probably didn’t make it at all.

It was the 70s before I started going regularly but I still got to see Painey!.

[John B]

3 minutes ago, Fitzhugh Fella said:

Only Terry and John still alive from that team

Be interested to know how many of the Saints Fans are still alive it is over sixty years ago

It was the first time I had seen a game away from the Dell and the atmosphere was terrific and the view of the game was so much better than being cramped under the East Stand in Southampton.

In the first replay it was the only time I ever watched a game under the East Stand as there were so many people milling around that it was impossible to get to the Milton Road End that we went into the nearest turnstile on our route from Stag Gates. I still can see Burnside's left foot equalizer going in at the Milton Road End

[gordonToo]

Didn't get to the replay as it was a schoolday but can still remember the feeling of wonder and disbelief when the final score came over the radio. Also inscribed in the memory is of Kirby bundling Grummit holding the ball  into the net and the goal being allowed which led to the replay. Happy days.

Edited 17 May, 2023 by gordonToo

[Convict Colony]

Disclaimer i got chatgpt to write this and i've not read it cos its too long but asked it to do a horror story fitting for this season.

"Deep in the heart of Southampton, nestled between the shadows of towering buildings and whispering streets, lay St. Mary's Stadium. The home of Southampton Football Club was not just a place for jubilant cheers and victorious celebrations—it held a haunting secret that few knew about.

Legend had it that a cursed specter, known as the Ghost of Saints, roamed the halls of the stadium when the moon was full. It was said to be the tormented spirit of a forgotten player, a talented athlete whose promising career had been cut short in a tragic accident many years ago.

On a gloomy autumn night, as a dense fog draped the city, a group of friends ventured into St. Mary's Stadium. Convict colony, a fearless soccer enthusiast, led the way, eager to uncover the truth behind the ghostly tales.

The moment they stepped through the gates, an eerie chill descended upon them. The air grew thick with an unsettling presence, causing their breaths to catch in their throats. They pushed forward, drawn deeper into the stadium's mysterious darkness.

As they entered the deserted player's tunnel, a faint whisper echoed through the concrete walls. The sound of distant footsteps reverberated, growing louder with each passing moment. Panic crept into their hearts, but their curiosity kept them moving forward.

Suddenly, the tunnel's lights flickered, casting eerie shadows that danced and twisted along the walls. Their eyes darted around, searching for the source of the flickering lights, only to find themselves face to face with a pale, translucent figure—a figure clad in the uniform of Southampton FC.

It was the Ghost of Saints, Moi Elyounoussi

The ghostly player floated silently, his eyes filled with sorrow and longing. The friends froze in terror, unable to tear their gaze away from the haunting specter. As if pulled by an unseen force, they followed the ghost as it drifted down a narrow corridor.

They emerged onto the pitch, their footsteps muffled by the damp grass. The stadium's stands loomed like silent sentinels, creating an eerie amphitheater for their encounter with the supernatural.

The ghostly player led them to the center circle, where he revealed his tragic tale. He had been a rising star for Southampton FC, brimming with talent and dreams of a glittering career. However, fate had intervened on a fateful night, when an unforeseen accident had taken his life prematurely.

His spirit remained trapped within the stadium, forever seeking solace and redemption for the dreams left unfulfilled. The friends listened with a mix of awe and sympathy, feeling the weight of the ghost's anguish pressing upon them.

Before vanishing into the night, Moi pleaded for their help. He begged them to spread his story, to ensure that his memory would not fade away into obscurity with a move to the turkish liga. With solemn promises on their lips, they watched as the ghostly figure dissolved into mist and drifted away.

The friends left the stadium, forever changed by their encounter. They carried the tale of the Moi Ghost of Saints with them, sharing it with anyone who would listen. And as the legend grew, so did the recognition of the forgotten player, forever etched into the fabric of Southampton FC's history.

To this day, when the moon is full and the winds whisper through St. Mary's Stadium, the spirits of soccer fans claim they can still hear the echoes of Moi Elyounoussi telling people to get into position, reminding them of the fragility of dreams and the power of remembrance."

[JRM]

7 hours ago, Turkish said:

The 2nd reply was at White Hart Lane wasn't it? My dad always used to talk about that, Southampton emptied for the day, loads of buses going up form the city, companies, factories and so on putting on coaches for their staff. White Hart Lane was about 80% saints fans. How different from todays nonsense.

A friend of my Dad's has mentioned this game a few times and I'm sure said they put on football special trains to take some of the thousands travelling, white Hart Lane a pain to get to at the best of times so top effort in that era , magic of the cup, we'll never see days like those again, scrap the replays too much of an inconvenience for Pep and Jurgen. 

[Tom & Gerry]

As a 13 year old I went to the first replay and heard " when the Saints go marching in" for the first time. In those days such expressions of support were reserved for very special occasions indeed. I went with my grandfather,  father, and 2 school friends to White Hart  Lane, surely one of our greatest nights ever. I also went to the semi final and was absolutely heartbroken. I thought we'd never get the chance again. It took us 13 years but it made the revenge even sweeter. Oh the roller coaster of being a Saints fan.

[spyinthesky]

My paper round paid for the train ticket to the first game but I put it on a ledge in front of the fire and it fell onto the coals and was burnt.

I was pretty upset but my Mum and Dad paid for a replacement and a gang of us school boys took the train up to Nottingham (I think it was a 'Special') and I distinctly remember the noise from all our fans echoing round the station when we arrived..

The re-play at The Dell was only going one way until we scored, what seemed to be, a solitary consolation goal.

However big George Kirby had been causing problems to Forest's young 'keeper Peter Grummit all game with some challenges that would not be tolerated nowadays.

The atmosphere ramped up to something I had never experienced before at The Dell and the ground erupted when Dave Burnside scored the equaliser just before the end of normal time.

No score in extra time and we all started preparations for the 2nd replay at White Hart Lane.

We went straight from school on the train and secured a good spot behind the goal.

However as the game progressed more and more Saints fans arrived and our view, as small teenagers, reduced.

Bearing in mind that Saints were mid table Div 2 and Forest were a decent Div 1 side, we totally outplayed them with Ken Wilmshurst outstanding and we won 5-0.

There were over 40,000 at the game and allowing for the fact that there were probably a few neutrals at the game and the Forest supporters didnt seem to show in any appreciable numbers, I reckon that more than 30,000 Saints fans were in the ground.

The 3 games gave me one of the highlights of my early Saints career.

Unfortunately the semi final at Villa Park was an anti climax but we were not disgraced in a 1-0 defeat.

Our group actually had tickets in the Man Utd end but in those days it wasnt a problem.

The memories of the Forest tie will always be with me.

[Fitzhugh Fella]

John Arlott wrote a great report of the comeback at the Dell. 

[Andrew Watson]

The great JA would be turning in his grave,if he had to right reports on the last 6 years of purgatory at St Marys.

[Charlie Wayman]

On 17/05/2023 at 10:25, Fitzhugh Fella said:

Only Terry and John still alive from that team

A somewhat gloomy observation especially bearing in mind how many of us on this forum attended those matches as well. You must have been a fan of "One Foot in the Grave"

Edited 18 May, 2023 by Charlie Wayman

[saint michael]

On 17/05/2023 at 10:38, John B said:

Be interested to know how many of the Saints Fans are still alive it is over sixty years ago

It was the first time I had seen a game away from the Dell and the atmosphere was terrific and the view of the game was so much better than being cramped under the East Stand in Southampton.

In the first replay it was the only time I ever watched a game under the East Stand as there were so many people milling around that it was impossible to get to the Milton Road End that we went into the nearest turnstile on our route from Stag Gates. I still can see Burnside's left foot equalizer going in at the Milton Road End

I was a little younger but loved watching Paine and Sydenham. 67 was my first game