Southampton F.C.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Full name | Southampton Football Club | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname(s) | Saints | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Founded | 1885, as St. Mary's YMA | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ground | St Mary's Stadium Southampton |
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| Capacity | 32,552 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chairman |  Michael Wilde |
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| Manager |  George Burley |
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| League | The Championship | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005-06 | Championship, 12th | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Southampton Football Club (originally St Mary's YMA) are an English football team, nicknamed The Saints. Based in the city of Southampton in Hampshire, the team was formed in November 1885. In 1898 the team moved into The Dell, the ground which was to be their home for over 100 years. However, as a result of a limited stadium capacity, the team moved to St Mary's Stadium in 2001. The current stadium is more than double the size of its predecessor, and has staged England internationals. The club's parent company is Southampton Leisure Holdings PLC.
Their finest hour was their FA Cup win in 1976, when they beat Manchester United 1-0. They also were the runners-up in 2003 against Arsenal and runners-up in the 1979 League Cup final against Nottingham Forest. Southampton also finished runners-up in the Football League Championship to Liverpool in 1983/84.
Following the departure of manager Harry Redknapp on December 7, 2005, George Burley was appointed to the position of Head Coach on December 22, 2005. They have since sold 17-year-old Theo Walcott, arguably their best home grown player since Matt Le Tissier, to Arsenal.
Southampton reached their first F.A Cup final in 1900, losing to Bury, but had to wait until 1976 to win the trophy - beating Manchester United 1-0 at Wembley. In 1984 they finished second in the league to claim their highest-ever league finish. They were founder members of the Premier League in 1992 and competed in its first 13 seasons before finally being relegated in 2005.
Significant former managers of the Saints include Gordon Strachan, Glenn Hoddle, Alan Ball, Graeme Souness, Lawrie McMenemy and Ted Bates. Significant former players include Terry Paine, Matthew Le Tissier, Kevin Keegan, Mick Channon, Alan Shearer, Steve Moran, Wayne Bridge, Peter Shilton and Antti Niemi.
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[edit] History
[edit] Early days
In 2001 the move from The Dell to the new Friends Provident St Mary's Stadium was something of a spiritual homecoming for Southampton FC.
The team that play in red and white today can trace their roots back to the club formed in 1885 by members of St. Mary’s Church Young Men’s Association who played their football on the banks of the River Itchen for 13 years before moving on.
Originally called Southampton St. Mary’s, the club joined the Southern League in 1894 and won the championship for 3 years running between 1897 and 1899 and again in 1901, 1903 and 1904.
That success spanned some major changes for the Saints as they moved to a newly built £10000 stadium called The Dell, to the North West of the city centre in 1898. Although they would spend the next 103 years there, the future was far from certain in those early days and the club had to rent the premises first before they could stump up the cash to buy the stadium in the early part of the 20th century.
Good omens were quick to arrive though and before the 19th century was out the South Coast was given a taste of things to come as they reached the first of their four FA Cup Finals in 1900. On that day they went down 4-0 to Bury and three years later they would suffer a similar fate at the hands of Sheffield United as they were beaten 2-1 in a replay, but it had given the club a thirst for the big occasion – albeit one that would not be truly satisfied for over 7 decades.
After the First World War, when many teams were broken up by the call of National Service, Saints joined the newly-formed Football League Division 3 in 1920 which split into South and North sections a year later. The 1920/21 season ended in triumph with promotion and marked the beginning of a 31-year stay in Division 2.
Saints were briefly forced to switch home matches to the ground of their local rivals Portsmouth F.C. at Fratton Park during the Second World War when a bomb landed on The Dell pitch, leaving an 18-foot crater which damaged an underground culvert and flooded the pitch.
Promotion was narrowly missed in 1949 by a margin of one point and then on goal average in 1950 as Charlie Wayman rattled in a total of 56 goals. The relegation in 1953 sent Saints sliding back into Division 3 (South).
It took until 1960 for Saints to regain Division 2 status with Derek Reeves plundering 39 of the champions’ 106 league goals. On 27 April 1963 a crowd of 68000 at Villa Park saw them lose 1-0 to Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-final.
The dream of Division 1 football at the Dell for the first time was finally realised in 1966 when Ted Bates’ team were promoted as runners-up. It was a never-to-be-forgotten achievement.
For the following campaign Ron Davies arrived to score 43 goals in his first season and Saints stayed among the elite for eight years. Twice they qualified for Europe before becoming the first victims of the new 3-down relegation system in 1974.
[edit] Cup glory
Although Southampton had made several appearances in the First Division of the English league, they never really grabbed the headlines until the 1975-76 season—when they were a Second Division side. A Southampton side managed by Lawrie McMenemy reached the FA Cup Final, playing Manchester United at Wembley Stadium, and surprised all observers by beating United 1-0 thanks to a goal from Bobby Stokes. Southampton continued to progress well under McMenemy's stewardship, finishing runners-up in the league in 1983-84. [1]
They finished fifth the following year, but as a result of the Heysel Disaster all English clubs were banned from European competition - had it not been for this, then Southampton would have qualified for the UEFA Cup once again.
[edit] After McMenemy
Lawrie McMenemy left at the end of the 1984-85 season to be succeeded by Chris Nicholl, who was sacked after six years in charge despite preserving the club's top flight status. He was replaced by former Southampton player Ian Branfoot, who until the end of the 1990-91 season had been assistant manager to Steve Coppell at Crystal Palace. By this stage a key player in the Southampton lineup was Guernsey-born striker Matthew Le Tissier, the best-loved player in Saints' recent history. He was voted PFA Young Player of the Year in 1990 and later made seven appearances for the England team—he finally retired in 2002 at the age of 33.
[edit] Southampton in the Premiership
Southampton were founding members of the Premiership in 1992-93, having played in the top flight of English football since 1978. In May 2005 they were relegated to the 2nd tier of English football for the first time in 27 years.
Ian Branfoot was sacked in January 1994 with Southampton battling relegation. He was replaced by Exeter manager Alan Ball, who like Branfoot was a former Southampton player. Ball secured the Saints' survival for the 1993-94 season and guided them to a respectable tenth-place finish in the Premiership in 1994-95, with inspirational performances from Matthew Le Tissier. But Ball was lured to Manchester City in the summer of 1995 and Southampton turned to long-serving coach David Merrington to take charge of the team in 1995-96. Southampton finished 17th with 38 league points, avoiding relegation on goal difference. Two important wins during the final weeks of the season did much to ensure that Saints and not Manchester City would achieve Premiership survival. First came a 3-1 home win over eventual double winners Manchester United, then came a 1-0 away win over relegated Bolton Wanderers. Merrington was dismissed a few days after the end of the season and replaced by former Liverpool and Rangers manager Graeme Souness.
Southampton fared little better in 1996-97 despite the arrival of Souness, whose track record included two Scottish league titles with Rangers and an FA Cup victory with Liverpool. He resigned after just one season in charge, which had seen Southampton finish 16th in the Premiership, and Southampton's directors turned to Dave Jones—one of the most respected managers outside the Premiership who had won promotion to Division One with Stockport County as well as reaching the League Cup semi finals.
With such an inexperienced manager, Southampton were tipped by many observers to be relegated from the Premiership in 1997-98. But thanks to the addition of young striker Kevin Davies, and the acquisition of a few others, Southampton achieved a respectable 11th place finish in the table. Their form dipped in 1998-99 but they avoided relegation on the last day of the season. In 1999 Southampton were given the go-ahead to build a new 32,000-seat stadium in the St Mary's area of the city, a welcome move after playing in the cramped Dell since 1898.
During the 1999-2000 season, Dave Jones quit as Southampton manager to concentrate on a court case after he was accused of abusing children at the children's home where he had worked during the 1980s. The accusations were later proved to be groundless but it was too late to save Jones's career as Southampton manager and he was succeeded by ex-England team manager Glenn Hoddle.
Glenn Hoddle helped keep Southampton well clear of the Premiership drop zone but having received an offer from a higher profile club, he moved to Tottenham Hotspur just before the end of the 2000-01 season. He was replaced by first-team coach Stuart Gray, who oversaw the relocation to the St Mary's Stadium for the 2001-02 season. At the end of the 2000-01 season, in the last ever competitive match at the Dell, talismanic Matthew Le Tissier came on late to strike the last ever goal in sublime fashion. Southampton finished the match 3-2 against Arsenal, providing a fairy-tale ending to the days at The Dell. But Gray was sacked after a disastrous start to the following season, and in came ex-Coventry manager Gordon Strachan as his replacement.
Gordon Strachan did much to revitalise Southampton during the 2001-02 season, and they finished in a secure 11th place in the final table. They did even better in 2002-03, finished eighth in the Premiership and coming runners-up in the FA Cup to Arsenal (after losing 1-0 at the Millennium Stadium). Strachan resigned the following March and was replaced by Paul Sturrock, who was in the process of guiding Plymouth Argyle to their second promotion in three seasons.
Paul Sturrock suddenly announced his resignation just after the start of the 2004-05 season (eventually becoming the manager at Sheffield Wednesday), and first-team coach Steve Wigley was put in charge of the first team. But a bad run of form saw Southampton once again battling near the foot of the Premiership table, and the club's directors felt that a more experienced manager was needed. So they turned to former Portsmouth, West Ham and Bournemouth manager Harry Redknapp.
On 15 May 2005, Southampton were relegated from the Premiership following a 2-1 home defeat to Manchester United, thus ending 27 successive seasons of top division football.
[edit] Saints' managerial merry-go-round: A recent history
The last three years have seen considerable managerial instability at a club once known for rarely changing its bosses. Following the departure of Gordon Strachan (who had led the Saints to their first FA Cup final since 1976), Plymouth manager Paul Sturrock was appointed to the job in March 2004. However, rumours of player dissatisfaction and personal problems dogged Sturrock, and he was replaced just five months later by reserve team coach Steve Wigley.
Wigley's tenure proved disastrous, with Southampton slipping further and further down the Premiership table. Frenchman Christian Damiano was brought in to assist, but after a run of only one win in 14 games, both men's contracts were terminated. Wigley's short, tumultuous term as manager had parallels with a previous internal promotion, Stuart Gray, a talented coach who was sacked as manager prior to Strachan's appointment in 2001.
The chairman overseeing this 'revolving-door' policy was Rupert Lowe, who risked further fan ire when he appointed Harry Redknapp manager on December 8, 2004. The news shocked much of the football world, as Redknapp had resigned as manager of Saints' arch-rivals Portsmouth just days previously. Lowe and Southampton continued to make headlines after former England Rugby World Cup-winning coach Sir Clive Woodward joined the club - eventually being appointed Technical Director.
Redknapp failed to rejuvenate the Saints, and the club were relegated to the second tier of English football for the first time in 27 years. Saints made a disappointing start to the season, with the emergence of young star Theo Walcott as a rare cause for optimism. Yet even more shocks were to await the fans.
On November 24, 2005, Portsmouth manager Alain Perrin, the man who himself replaced Harry Redknapp at Southampton's arch-rivals, was sacked by chairman Milan Mandaric. Rumours gradually grew apace that Mandaric and Redknapp had resolved the dispute that caused Redknapp to walk out in the first place, and that he was poised rejoin his former club.
With these rumours seemingly reaching breaking point in the media—not to mention the bookmakers—Redknapp walked out on Southampton on December 3, 2005. The two rival clubs found themselves at loggerheads over legal compensation, which threatened to leave Redknapp in limbo, but with the dispute eventually resolved, Redknapp rejoined Portsmouth on December 7, 2005. After three matches under caretaker manager Dave Bassett and assistant Dennis Wise, George Burley was unveiled as the club's new manager on December 22 to work alongside Clive Woodward, who was promoted from Performance Director to Director of Football.
In the wake of overwhelming calls for him to stand down, Lowe eventually resigned on June 30, 2006, a few days before an Extraordinary General Meeting that was predicted to see him removed from the club's board. He was replaced as Chairman by Jersey-based businessman Michael Wilde who had become the club's major shareholder.
[edit] The Saints Trust
The Saints Trust, a democratic, not-for-profit organisation, committed to strengthening the voice of supporters in the decision making processes at Southampton Football Club, was officially launched on 3 February 2006. The aims of the trust are to:
- Strengthen the bonds between the Club and the local community.
- Work for the football and financial success of the club.
- Encourage and promote supporter representation on the club's board acting as communication to the supporters.
- Acquire shares in the club, formally creating a supporters' stakeholding.
The trust currently now over 700 members and the proxy control of some 720,000 shares, approximately 3% of the club.
[edit] South Coast derby
[edit] Most league goals
- 185 Mick Channon 1966-1977 & 1979-1982
- 162 Matthew Le Tissier 1986-2002
- 160 Terry Paine 1956-1974
- 156 Bill Rawlings 1920-1927
- 154 George O’Brien 1959-1966
- 145 Derek Reeves 1954-1963
- 145 Eric Day 1945-1957
- 134 Ron Davies 1966-1973
- 97 Martin Chivers 1962-1968
- 90 Tommy Mulgrew 1954-1962
[edit] Sponsors
- Rank Xerox - 1980
- Air Florida - 1983
- Draper Tools - 1984
- Dimplex - 1993
- Sanderson Group PLC - 1995
- Friends Provident - 1999
- Flybe.com - 2006
[edit] Famous former Saints
For a more complete list see List of Southampton F.C. players
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[edit] Managers
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[edit] Club records
Biggest wins -
- 8-0 against Northampton Town F.C., 24 December 1921
- 9-3 against Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C., 18 September 1965
- 8-2 against Coventry City F.C., 28 April 1984
- 7-1 against Ipswich Town F.C., 7 January 1961 (FA Cup)
- 6-0 against Luton Town F.C., 8 February 1995 (FA Cup replay)
Biggest losses -
- 0-8 against Tottenham Hotspur F.C., 28 March 1936
- 0-8 against Everton F.C., 20 November 1971
Most appearances - Terry Paine - 809 : 1956-1974
Most goals - Mick Channon - 227 : 1966-1977, 1979-1982
Most goals in one season - Derek Reeves - 44 : 1959/60
Youngest player - Theo Walcott - 16 years 143 days. Against Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C., 6 August 2005
Most capped player while at Southampton - Peter Shilton - 49 (125 in total)
Record transfers -
- Spent: Rory Delap, £4,000,000 from Derby County F.C.
- Received: Dean Richards, £8,100,000 to Tottenham Hotspur F.C..
Record home attendance - 32,104 against Liverpool F.C., 18 January 2003 (1-0 to Liverpool)
[edit] Current playing squad
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[edit] Out on loan
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[edit] No squad numbers
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[edit] U18s
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[edit] Non-playing staff
President John Mortimore
Chairman Michael Wilde
Executive Directors Jim Hone (chief executive), Lee Hoos (operations director), David Jones (company secretary), Andy Oldknow (commercial director)
Non-executive Directors Leon Crouch, Mary Corbett, Lawrie McMenemy MBE
Football Manager George Burley
Coaches Glynn Snodin (first team), Simon Hunt (chief scout), Malcolm Webster (goalkeeping), Stewart Henderson (reserve team)
Sports Scientists Paul Balsom (head of sports science), Scott McLachlan (performance analysis), Andy Barr (head of sports medicine)
[edit] External links
- Southampton F.C. official website
- Official Picture Website
- Southampton FC Fixtures, Results, U18's, Reserves & General Information Website
- The Saints Trust - Supporters' Trust for Southampton Football Club
- ForeverSaints - Independent Southampton F.C. Fansite
[edit] References
- Duncan Holley & Gary Chalk (2003). In That Number - A post-war chronicle of Southampton FC. Hagiology. ISBN 0-9534474-3-X.
- Duncan Holley & Gary Chalk (1992). The Alphabet of the Saints. ACL & Polar Publishing. ISBN 0-9514862-3-3.
- Gary Chalk & Duncan Holley (1987). Saints - A complete record. Breedon Books. ISBN 0-907969-22-4.
- David Bull & Bob Brunskell (2000). Match of the Millennium. Hagiology. ISBN 0-9534474-1-3.
- Jeremy Wilson (2006). Southampton’s Cult Heroes. Know The Score Books. ISBN 1-905449-01-1.
| Southampton Football Club |
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| The Club | Players |
| St Mary's Stadium | The Dell |
| Hagiology Publishing | Southampton F.C. Academy |
| South Coast derby |
| Football League Championship, 2006-2007 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Barnsley | Birmingham City | Burnley | Cardiff City | Colchester United | Coventry City | Crystal Palace | Derby County | Hull City | Ipswich Town | Leeds United | Leicester City | Luton Town | Norwich City | Plymouth Argyle | Preston North End | Queens Park Rangers | Sheffield Wednesday | Southampton | Southend United | Stoke City | Sunderland | West Bromwich Albion | Wolverhampton Wanderers edit |
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