Hagiology Publishing

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Hagiology Publishing, formed in 1998, is a collective of fans of Southampton F.C.^[1] committed to the collection and dissemination of accurate information on the history of the club.^[2] They produce books both for entertainment and reference purposes on various aspects of the club's history. The name is a pun on the term hagiology describing the study of saints, since the club is nicknamed The Saints.

Two of the team, Gary Chalk and Duncan Holley, also serve as the official historian and statistician to the club.^[1] Along with the other two members, David Bull and Dave Juson, they carry out the bulk of the research and writing for the books published under the Hagiology name. Other writers have contributed to some publications, to varying degrees.

[edit] Publications

Its first publication, issued in 1998 was Dell Diamond, the story of Ted Bates' first 60 seasons with the Saints. This was listed as number six in a list of the top ten football books by The Independent.^[3]

In 2000, they published Match of the Millennium, a selection of memorable games involving the Saints, followed by Full Time at The Dell (from Watty to Matty 1898-2001) (2001), the history of the club's former home, spanning 103 years at the ground,^[4] before the move the St Mary's Stadium.

In 2003, they published In That Number, A post war chronicle of Southampton FC, covering the full history of the club from 1946 to 2003, including a report of every first team game (over 2500 in all), a biography of every first team player and manager, and much more. The book took the equivalent 20-years worth of effort by the men behind it to ensure it was accurate and comprehensive.^[2] It has received many plaudits for the depth and accuracy displayed in it, with The Times, The Guardian and the BBC among some of the organisation hailing the men who collaborated and produced it.^[5]

Saints v Pompey, A history of unrelenting rivalry was published in 2004 and uses match reports from both the Southern Daily Echo and The News,^[6] documenting all matches between the two clubs. Tie a Yellow Ribbon: How the Saints Won the Cup, written by Tim Manns (a temporary addition to the collective) and edited by David Bull, was published in April 2006, documenting the campaign behind the only major trophy the club has won.

Forthcoming publications include the companion to In That Number, covering the pre-war era and a biography of Southampton player, Terry Paine. The latter book is due to be published in 2007, and has the provisional title "Constant Paine".