Lawrie McMenemy first arrived at Southampton Football Club in the summer of 1973 and some Saints supporters have started to campaign for his name to be recognised by the City itself by renaming the Itchen Bridge in his honour.

It could be said that both Saints as a football club and Southampton as a City have always been slow to recognise both the glorious moments in their history and also the individuals that were involved in creating them.

Whilst other Cities have been quick to tap into their past, Southampton has been slow, despite having a rich heritage throughout it's history, starting with it's medieval past and Agincourt and through to the Titanic, both World Wars and in recent times the Falklands crisis of 1982.

Likewise the football club, that has never glorified its famous players or the 1st May 1976 when it won it's only major trophy to date.

You would think it would be quite simple to name a stand after a player or manager or two, The Matthew Le Tissier Northam End would go down well.

But hopefully that will be about to change.

Court Leet is an ancient system dating back to the 13th century and although it's powers were eroded as courts as we know them today as Judges and Magistrates etc took over, Southampton's Court Leet was one of a handful of Court Leet's in England that were not abolished and allowed to keep their powers in the Administration of Justice Act 1977.

That in itself is a piece of history that few know about.

Southampton's Court Leet takes place on the first Tuesday after Michaelmas, which to save you looking it up is tomorrow Tuesday 3rd October.

The Court Leet no longer deals with criminal matters, but it allows parties to make representations or what are formally called "Presentments" about matters of local concern that might not normally come before the City Council.

The Court is made up of a panel, including Honorary Aldermen, past Mayors, past Sheriffs and others considered by the Sheriff to be suitable and appropriate persons to serve on the Jury, the Steward of the Manor of Court Leet (Service Director, Legal and Governance) and the Foreman/Madam Foreman of the Jury (the Sheriff).

Before Court Leet is held a ceremony called ‘Beating the Bounds’ takes place.

Tomorrow I will make a Presentment to Court Leet requesting that the council consider changing the name of the Itchen Bridge to the Lawrie McMenemy Itchen Bridge, the Presentment will say the following.

"Lawrie McMenemy arrived in Southampton in 1973 to manage Southampton Football Club, since then he has not only put the football club on the map in World Soccer by winning the FA Cup in 1976, but also as a consequence of that, the City of Southampton itself.

"Both as manager of Southampton FC and also other roles within the club, but also with his work on television and the media, he was the face of Southampton and never missed an opportunity to champion not only the football club itself.

"In 2007 he was made a Freeman of The City, a great honour, but as he celebrates 50 years in Southampton, it is surely a sad thing that there is nothing in the City itself commemorating a man who has done so much for the area.

"Renaming The Itchen Bridge in his honour would make an apt tribute to his legacy, in that it not only overlooks Saints current home at St Mary’s, but it overlooks St Mary’s Church, the birthplace of the club in 1885.

"Hundreds of Southampton supporters travel across the bridge on foot or vehicles when attending matches at St Mary’s and indeed for work & leisure.

"With the 50th anniversary of Saints winning the FA Cup , coming in 2026. It would also be a perfect way to celebrate this famous victory and show that Southampton FC is an important part of the community in the city and indeed brings in much valued trade and income into the City on a matchday..

"This City in my opinion has long failed to champion itself and it’s achievements and has fallen behind other comparative Cities in the country who have been quick to honour their sons, daughters and indeed adopted sons & daughters in the sport and entertainment industries, who have helped put them on the map.

"Honouring Lawrie McMenemy in this way would be a popular decision, not only with supporters of Southampton FC, but also those with little interest in the sport, but who are proud of their City and all of those who have helped make it the great place it is to live & work.

"Please support this presentation and take a step forward in reminding us of the pride that we should have in our city and it’s achievements in all walks of life.

Hopefully this will lead to the Council debating the Presentment and also actioning it and that is where all Saints supporters can play a part by making the Council aware of the support in the City for this to happen.

I would also hope that this could herald the dawn of a new era when both the City itself and indeed the Football Club honour more of those who have helped put them both on the map.

Photo: Action Images

SanMarco added 12:03 - Oct 2 What other examples are there of buildings/infrastructure etc outside of football grounds being named after footballing people (apart from roads which I am sure are ten-a-penny)? Inside the ground there are only four stands and we surely have at least five club legends!!
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Dell1964 added 12:09 - Oct 2 Sorry but the guy's committment to Southampton was somewhat short-lived. He eventually "took the money" and ran..... northwards; did he not. A certain Mr. Edward Bates achieved more and stayed the course!!!!
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Bowlercow added 13:11 - Oct 2 We were loyal to him when we got relegated That would not happen in today's game We allowed him to build his reputation He then turned his back on us for greener pastures He was a better PR man than he was a coach and if you look at our best times Mortimer was here and it was his coaching that produced results
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EvertonSaint added 13:27 - Oct 2 Not keen on this idea. The Itchen has been there for centuries and not a few years of a Saints Manager. Being raised by the Itchen at Bishopstoke I am against a name change to the Itchen estuary.
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ItchenNorth added 13:38 - Oct 2 Sticking his name on a bridge, come on. We can do better than that.
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SaintNick added 14:04 - Oct 2 I think a lot of the comments are harsh, McMenemy did take the money and run, but only after spending 12 years at the club and he has returned since then and has always lived in the area, If we look at so called club legends there are few who have came and never left, Mick Channon, Rickie Lambert, Adam Lallana, Steve Williams, Alan Ball, Mark Wright, Peter Shilton, Alan Shearer are all featured in the picture in the middle of the article, all of them left for greener pastures (Ok perhaps not Ballie as a player but he did as a manager) If we talk of club legends only as those who ended their careers at the club we are literally down to Matt le Tissier & Francis Benali

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ssxsaint added 14:24 - Oct 2 Ridiculous. Don’t forget he walked out on Saints to go to a bigger club over the summer without even saying goodbye to his team.
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underweststand added 14:34 - Oct 2 You are correct (Nick) in stating that the City is slow to recognise its legendary sons, and perhaps none more so than theologian and Hymnwriter Isaac Watts (1674 -1748). Back in the Day ..our school hymnbooks was liberally scattered with his compositions. It took almost 100 years for "the City Fathers" to recognise Watts' contribution to culture and Christianity in Britain. In 1840 they named a park in the City centre after him, and some years later erected a statue in the area, and many older Sotonians still recognise the familar melody of " Our God, Our Help in Ages past " as it chimes on the Civic Centre clock three times daily. At least Saints' weren't so slow before erecting a statue of Ted Bates outside St. Mary's. Although some clubs (including Saints) have named parts of the ground with famous names and Saints have followed with parts of the hospitality areas after past players. Despite those sad memories of Lawrie's brief sojourn at Sunderland, his later service to the game and Hampshire in particular deserve some recognition - so why not ?

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SaintNick added 15:43 - Oct 2 Underweststand: You make some good reasoned points, whether you think Lawrie ran out on the club or not, he still built on Ted Bates legacy and turned it from a club who had only spent 8 years in total in the top flight into one that won a trophy and for 9 years under him after was a force in English football and competed in Europe. Perhaps he did leave without saying goodbye to his players, but after 12 years service he had paid his dues and done his job, he deserved a big money move. He put the city on the map both footballing wise and also by having a high profile on TV, perhaps he was about PR, but he did the job for Saints and that is what matters. To deny him his due success is truly uncharitable

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SaintPaulVW added 16:43 - Oct 2 The Lawrie Bridge could be quite a fun name for a road bridge.
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SaintNick added 17:22 - Oct 2 The Wayne Bridge has a ring about it
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bartley41 added 17:50 - Oct 2 Sorry , but NOT in favour of this idea at all. He did walk out of the Club TWICE and when we went broke I recall it was a Mr Trant of Lymington who put his hand in his pocket. From Mr Mac I don't recall any contribution at all. The real Heroes have been Ted Bates, Matt Le T and Francrs Benali.
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SanMarco added 10:29 - Oct 3 The debate about Lawrie Mac created by the article's suggestion rather eloquently shows up the problem with selecting 'legends' and honouring them. Everyone is flawed and even if you achieve virtually impossible football purity you may not have been quite good enough (Franny?), successful enough (Ted Bates?) or may alienate quite a few in non-football ways (MLT? and certainly Lambert for me lately). So maybe bridges are best left with the names we've known all our lives. I remember being fascinated with the old barges at the end of Northam Bridge when I was very young in the 60s. I still think of the Itchen as a new bridge, although I suppose it is half a century or so now, but has any club 'legend' earned the immortality of being named for it??

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