I remember queuing outside the Milton Road end as a youngster, I think it was 2/6 to get in. Used to get right down the front and hang my scarf over the wall. One of my most vivid memories was seeing Ron Davies jump to head a ball from a standing start in the six yard box. I swear that his shoulders were level with the crossbar, I can picture it now, that memory has never left me. I seem to remember reading somewhere that Ted Bates used to make him train by jumping over hurdles wearing big, heavy army boots. Other memories that stick in the mind is the smell of liniment as the players ran onto the pitch to the original Match of the Day theme tune (entitled drum majorette). After a few minutes warming up, Eric Martin would throw the practice balls from the goal-mouth into a net bag held by the kit man by the corner flag, he never missed. Eric was a real character, during one game when Saints were on the attack he sat down cross-legged by the penalty spot and started building sand castles!
Big Ron was also a very keen sea angler and had his own fishing boat that he used to take out onto The Solent and round The Needles. Angling Times once did a big feature on him. He also used his boat for occasional trips over to The Island, he once turned up in Yarmouth with the “Alehouse Gang” on board, after a few hours in the King’s Head he presumably managed to navigate back to Southampton safely. Happy days.