Happy Anniversary Southampton Football Club
Thursday, 21st Nov 2019 11:57 It was on 21st November 1877 that Southampton FC played their first ever game of football, find out a little bit more about that momenous day that changed all our destiny's before we were even born.
In 1885 the Reverent Sole Chaired a meeting in a room in Grove Steet behind St Mary's Church in Southampton which lead to the formation of what is accepted as the modern day Southampton Football Club, although historians will point out that the origins of that formation go back to Deanery FC formed in 1880.
On 21st November 1885 the newly formed Southampton St Mary's would play it's firstmatch against Freemantle, perhaps the most prominent team in the then Town at that time and nicknamed the Magpies.
The Saints as they would be nicknamed turned out in white shirts with a diagonal red stripe, the earliest pictures os this kit show that the stripe went in different directions varying from shirt to shirt and was not consistent in one as was the 125 Anniversary 2010 kit.
The game was played on a patch of grass in Northlands Road only a couple of hundred metres from what would become the Dell, the site is now occupied by Hampshire Bowling Club.
Saints won 5-1 and would enjoy a health rivalry with Freemantle in the coming years, the Hampshire Chronicle commented that Saints "had the material to form a fairly strong club"
The players were varied in their occupations but seemed to have more than their fair share of Schoolteachers.
For the rest of the season Saints played Friendlies and ended the season playing five, winning four and drawing one to be unbeaten.
The Rev Sole was the club's first President, but did not last long in the role perhaps paying the price for failing to invest the collections from St Mary's Church in the transfer market and a concerted campaign on the then social media outlet at the time, the local pub toilet wall.
Or maybe he just got a promotion in the Church as he moved to Winchester with his place being taken a Dr Bencraft.
Happy Anniversary Saints, the last 134 years have been turbulent at times but enjoyable, where would we all be without the memories and the friends we have made through following Saints.
Photo: Action Images
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KohSamuiSaints added 12:33 - Nov 21
’m so depressed with the disappointment of my beloved Southampton FC
When I first took my son to his first Saints game he wanted to support Chelsea or Manchester Utd because they were always winning trophies and on the TV for cup finals every season ... one of proudest achievements as a farther was to teach my son it’s not about supporting a team that in your head is the best team it comes from you heart to support your local team through the good times and the bad ... now he’s 25 years old and living in Sydney Australia and our conversations always comes back to why did we have to have Southampton as our local club as I told him as a little boy the good times and the bad ... unfortunately he hasn’t experienced Saints do to much good ... mine was 1976 FA cup final 43 years ago ...
Although I did fly home for Saints v Arsenal at Cardiff and to Saints v Manchester Utd both games although were special we lost both of those games . But they are all my son and I have a special memories as Southampton FC fans ... but if I die soon the only regret I will take to my grave is that my son and I never experienced that one special day when it was actually us that won a big cup final or as Leicester fans never dreamt of winning the Premier League ... I would swap anything I owned just to have a team that I could sit down and watch my son experience one magical experience watching Southampton fc win something special ...
But I don’t think this will happen in my lifetime now ... that dream has passed for me now at my age and been a passionate Southampton supporter all of my life ...
I suggested by emailing the club to snap up Gary Cahill but no they didn’t ...
Ow I have planned for my funeral and asked for everyone to wear football shirts to the funeral and when being carried in to the crematorium to have ‘’Oh When the Saints go matching in ‘ being played in a already paid red and white striped coffin and for my family to scatter a handful of my ashes at St Mary’s ground .....so please please please someone at Southampton please try and give me just one wish before I go ... sign the right players so that we can avoid relegation from the best league in the world and let me pass with one little smile on my face please ...
PS some of my favourite players that I have seen play at Southampton obviously Matt Le God
Alan Shearer ... Dean Richards ... Mark Wright....Terry Hurlock...Mike Channon ... Kevin Keegan and Peter Shilton .... Good luck Ralph go a kick the boardrooms arse and get the right players in January so that we can be safe from relegation ... I wouldn’t want to take that to heaven with me .... |  | |
bstokesaint added 12:49 - Nov 21
I love reading stories about our foundations. Without meaning to sound pedantic I wonder how many of our board or owners were aware of any of this. I feel like we've really lost our way since Markus. | | |
SaintNick added 13:00 - Nov 21
I think you will find we are far from alone in having owners and executives that have no idea of the Saints past, Corstes even banned Le Tissier from even entering the stadium |  | |
dirk_doone added 14:18 - Nov 21
1877? Where did that date come from? |  | |
dirk_doone added 14:21 - Nov 21
The same place as 'Corstes' and 'momenous'?
It seems that everything is going wrong for SFC nowadays, even its history. | | |
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