It is rare these days that a player completes 10 years at a club but that is just what Kelvin Davis will have done by the end of the coming season.

The era of players remaining loyal to one club throughout their career is long gone and it is very rare that a player with a club in the top two divisions manages to complete a decade at one club, it is even rarer that a player who has done that hasn't been at the club from a youngster but has been signed relatively late in his career.

So perhaps it is right that Southampton Football Club recognise the efforts put in by Kelvin Davis for them over what will be by the time his contract runs out in the summer of 2016, 10 full seasons.

I have to admit I have not always been the biggest admirer of Kelvin, his first two seasons were not the best, but he stayed focused and made his third season a good one followed by several more that saw us rise from the depths of League One and back to the Premier.

Indeed he could have left the club in the summer of 2008 at its darkest hour, West Ham United were offering him good money to be their reserve keeper and with Saints in administration and at that point a serious buyer not in sight it must have been tempting, but he stayed loyal and enjoyed three good seasons including an appearance at Wembley.

Since being back in the Premier his games have been less and less and he has found himself playing second fiddle to Arturo Boric, Fraser Forster and even Paulo Gazzaniga at times, but he hasn't complained he has got on with things and you have the feeling that his presence in the dressing room and around Stapleford is vital.

Now he enters the last season of his contract and turning 39 in September it will surely be his last for Saints.

That being the case Saints now need to do two things, firstly they need to award him a testimonial game for the end of season 2015/16 and secondly they need to offer him a role within the club when he hangs up his gloves.

In the Cortése years our club legends were not only airbrushed from history but in the case of at least two they were treated disgracefully. That all seems to be changing under the new regime so awarding Kelvin a testimonial would be a great way of showing the fans that we are building something here on great foundations.

So come on Saints honour Kelvin he has been a great servant to Southampton Football Club, he not only deserves this game, but deserves his place in the club history book.

Photo: Action Images

halftimeorange added 11:24 - Jul 5 Kelvin deserves a testimonial based purely on his performance at Elland Road a few seasons back when Saints undeservedly won 1-0. I have never seen the then Leeds manager, Neil Warnock (not everyone's cup of tea), so exasperated after Kelvin had pulled off a string of world-class saves. On a more serious note, he came to us on a low from Sunderland after a very poor season and, despite being hectored by some Saints fans for his occasional lapses when dithering in the box, he did turn himself back into the half-decent GK he always was, a good shot-stopper and fast off his line. Since he became club captain he's always been focused and eloquent in comments he's made regarding the health and welfare of our club. I completely agree with the sentiment expressed in your article.

1

SanMarco added 11:32 - Jul 5 Totally agree - as long as the money goes to charity of course.
0

IWOZTHERE added 12:00 - Jul 5 halftimeorange's comments left me with a bitter taste in my mouth! Bit unnecessary to say he was a 'half decent goalkeeper' He had his moments but he was better than that and an excellent club man through and through. Wash your mouth out at once!
1

schatfield added 12:20 - Jul 5 a joke? only reason he has stayed so long is because no club, the West Ham moment aside, would ever be daft enough to come in for him
-1

bstokesaint added 14:50 - Jul 5 Kelvin totally deserves a testimonial. He has been an outstanding servant to the club and the ultimate professional as far as I am concerned. I've always felt more confident with him in goal than some of the other keepers we've had prior to Fraser in the modern era. It can't have been easy stepping into Niemi's boots. I think that's what everyone expected him to do and that was never going to happen.

1

saintmark1976 added 21:04 - Jul 5 Not with you on this one Nick. Kelvin has been a pro for over twenty years.Whilst I have no idea as to his wages during that period I would suggest that compared to the man in the street he has been very well rewarded for his efforts.He has also had three not insubstantial transfers and I would expect a cut of the fees. Testimonials were fine in the old days when players earned not a lot more than the average wage thus it was their only big pay day.Times have changed, unless of course as pointed out by SanMarco the money were to go to charity.

0

saintmark1976 added 21:04 - Jul 5 Not with you on this one Nick. Kelvin has been a pro for over twenty years.Whilst I have no idea as to his wages during that period I would suggest that compared to the man in the street he has been very well rewarded for his efforts.He has also had three not insubstantial transfers and I would expect a cut of the fees. Testimonials were fine in the old days when players earned not a lot more than the average wage thus it was their only big pay day.Times have changed, unless of course as pointed out by SanMarco the money were to go to charity.

0

SaintBrock added 10:16 - Jul 6 Is this a nice way of suggesting he should be paid off and kicked out. Nick? Testimonials are so very much patronising old world economics, all these blokes are stinking rich squillionaires and have ground enough out of the system already. Loyalty is fine but don't become overly much sentimental about blokes who drive top-of-the-range Mercs in there spare time trips to fancy resorts. It's the rest of us who need a bleeding' testimonial for our long suffering tolerance and most;y heart rending despair of being a Saintsaholic!

0

TreeHugger added 07:10 - Jul 7 i think kelvin has been a lot more instrumental than people think. Behind the scenes, everyone mentions his name as the go to man. When people talk about characters they mention his name and i think he has taken the club to his heart. He is clearly moving into a more coaching type role as each manager continues to use him in some capacity. He has been an amazing professional for us and i think a testimonial would be good way of recognizing this.

0

Blogs 31 bloggers

Oxford United Polls