a humble acknowledgment

[david in sweden]

This is a humbling thank you to all those people who  " liked " my brief posting yesterday - prior to the start of the Stoke match.

I haven't been able to travel to the UK as often as I would have liked in recent years in part due to family health issues, but my two sons

have been indoctrinated by me over the last 40 years, and we have all been to SMS at various times ever since then.

My eldest son, and his two lads travelled over to watch the game, as well as meeting up with a few family members, and whilst writing 

about them, I realised that my grandsons were now 4th generation Saints fans. (hence the long list of likes) . 

 

My thanks to everyone who acknowledged that , but the real tribute should go to my late Father who was a teenage fan in the 1930's 

and often spoke of Saints hero Ted Drake (another Saints success who ended up going to Arsenal and played for England pre-War). 

After his war service my father continued his support through the three traumatic seasons when Saints (somehow missed promotion

- at the death) and failed to get to Division One that success had to wait until 1966.  My debut as a fan must have been in January 1959

when Dad took me to The Dell to watch a top-tier Blackpool side that still fielded  the 46 year old Stanley Matthews in an FA Cup match.

 

Lots more in between promotions, and a relegation or two along the way. The 1976 Cup win, and Lawrie Mc Menemy's teams featuring

those 5  England captains some great days.  My move to Sweden is a story too long to publish here, but thanks to " modern technology"  

I rarely miss game , even if it's no longer so often at St. Mary's.  I enjoy the threads you all post - even I might not agree with everyone.

The secret to being a Saints fan is learning to be pragmatic.  We might never win the Premier League, but there's always the hope of

another Cup win...sometime, but I could no more desert Saints than I could change my blood type.  COYR.

Those people who feel otherwise.. should go and support one of the " big clubs" -  if it makes you feel better. 

Thanks to everyone who liked " my little tribute " to the family.

 

 

[benjii]

This is what football is really about. Up the Saints!

[Ex Ringwood Saint]

Love this post. I often get angry with football and the saints much to my wifes annoyance , but every now and then I realise why I have saints in my blood. My dad took me and my brother into the Milton end in the late 70's and we were hooked. He started in the late 60's early 70's as he had started working at Hants and Dorset Shirley depot and got dragged along to matches as a social thing with what turned out to be long lasting friends. Stories of seeing the players running up hill lane on fitness trials and offering them lifts in the buses he was test driving as they were too lazy to completely their training awkward made me laugh...🤣.. Any way my son is 18 now and 3rd gen saints and now at uni is still coming to games with me and blaming me for dumping saints on him .. Can't escape... And despite the moaning and annoyance at recent results I always will be saints...