Why Did You Start Supporting Saints?

[lotois-saint]

My mother started watching Saints in 1923 because she liked Arthur Dominy's legs!!!

 

I never did get to see his legs, other than in trousers that is.

[farawaysaint]

My Dad converted me from a glory fan supporting ManU as he has been a Saintsfan forever. To be fair, 90% of the people I knew were ManU fans because living in Malawi at the time local football wasn't exactly brilliant and TV gives them loads more coverage than anyone else.

[Window Cleaner]

because I was a small boy in Southampton and small boys went to football of a Saturday with their dads to support their local team.Didn't need a ST or a replica shirt to be a supporter in those days,supporters went to games on Saturday or played local football.

Edited 16 July, 2011 by Window Cleaner

[RedArmy]

Season ticket waiting list at Man Yoo was too long so I had to settle for Saints.

Surely ours is longer? People have been queuing for hours at St Mary's, they're like gold-dust!

[shane d]

Born and bred. Played for Southampton schools of excellence, school boys and under 18's. Got asked to sign for Poppy same time as Darren Anderton, at the time i was probably the better player. Said no as I'm red and white through and through. Never wanted to play for anyone else, saints were my dream! Glad i never but maybe i wouldn't be a docky now?

[RedAndWhite91]

Some cracking stories on here! Here's my boring one:

 

Born in Southampton, lived in Netley. Dad was West Ham but despite his best efforts I chose Saints as it was my local team.

 

In school in Netley there was more Saints fans than ignorant glory hunters, but I moved to Alresford when I was 10 and got a lot of stick for supporting a "sh!t" club and I was in a minority.

 

Glad I got to go to a few games at the Dell but never went regularly as we couldn't really afford it, same with the first few seasons at St. Mary's. Had a season ticket 3 seasons now though. Glad I stuck by my local team.

[Guest Dark Sotonic Mills]

My father was born in West Hartlepool and lied about his age to join the Army for WW2. Afterwards, he was stationed in Southampton until he was demobbed and joined the Police in Shirley. He met my mother who worked for the Co-op in St Mary's and stayed south. He was a useful footballer and got a trial for Saints and signed for them as an amateur. As an amateur, he wasn't allowed to be paid, but after every match it appeared that someone had 'accidentally' left several pounds in one of his shoes. He played right back at the same time as Alf Ramsey and so never played in the first team. He went to Wembley with Alf to see his England début but, unfortunately, the erstwhile Mr Ramsey had left his boots in Southampton so he played his first England game in my father's boots! He was also on the books of Hampshire Cricket during the summers but again, never played in the first team. His father moved down to live here too and started working as a master carpenter on the Cunard ships. They took me to my first match aged 6 to watch Saints away to Leyton Orient in 1960-61 season and the rest, they say, is history. We moved to Kent when I was five but I always supported the Saints and got my first season ticket at the age of thirteen. I used to travel down for every home match by train from Kent and started going to away matches as well as soon as I could afford it.

[rpb]

I was surrounded by Saints in my formative years, my sister was a secretary at the Dell, my brother-in-law was friendly with Johnny Walker and I used to play with Jimmy Gallagher's son. My parents had season tickets in the West Stand and I was allowed over the turn style to squeeze in between them - it was when Paine and Sydenham came on the scene that I became really hooked though.

[moonraker]

Although born and bred in a small north Wiltshire village, my dad is from Southampton and as nipper in the 60's one of the most exciting things for me and my siblings was visiting our grandparents in the big city, well Woolston. My dad played for Southampton Schoolboys before WWII and took me to the dell for the first time in the mid 60's. My schoolmates supported a real range of teams but Spurs and Utd were popular due to their double and European cups respectively. Two local teams Swindon and Bristol Rovers (Bristol City were not represented) had a few fans, one particular Rovers fans dad had a mini bus and would fill it with kids to go to Rovers so for my teenage years I saw far more of Rovers than Saints, but Rovers were only ever 2nd to Saints and still are. The Rovers fan is now their Fans Director and has hardly missed Rovers game in 30 years. All my of my children support Saints, sadly my stepson is a Liverpool fan (he actually goes to Anfield regularly) but Saints are his 2nd team and comes with me and my youngest son 3 or 4 times a season. I now have a battle to ensure my step grandson makes the right choice.

[Joensuu]

My great-grandfather played for St Mary's back in the 19th century. He was also a dab hand at the old boxing apparently. I was about 8 when I first went to the Dell, to watch us loose to Wimbledon(?) - seem to remember our keeper slipping up, and gifting the ball to their stiker.

[johnners]

i was an aldershot fan as a boy when my son at the age of six came home from school talking about manure felt i had to act .took him to the dell that was it .we have only missed 4 games in sixteen years at home ,and we have been all over the country watching the saints together it,s now a love affair .

[jawillwill]

There's a sick part of me that kind of likes losing and being the underdog, and Saints were relitively close geographically. It's as simple as that, so I got on the bus.

[Deano6]

I agree I also like losing and being the underdog, so Southampton fit the bill. I'm primarily a Man U fan though.

[krissyboy31]

because I was a small boy in Southampton and small boys went to football of a Saturday with their dads to support their local team.Didn't need a ST or a replica shirt to be a supporter in those days,supporters went to games on Saturday or played local football.

 

Games were played on a Saturday??? Next you'll be telling us that kick-off's were 3.00pm.

Edited 16 July, 2011 by krissyboy31

[mikee]

spent most of my childhood abroad as dad was in the army so never really had a team, although my grandad was a big spurs fan and bought me my first kit. We were living in Germany in 1976 and the FA Cup was a big match on the barracks but everyone seemed to be supporting Man U. Just to be different I decided to back Southampton and they became my adopted team by allowing me to gloat at all the plastic MU fans. I still remember running around the back garden screaming my head off for about 10 minutes after Bobby scored!

 

In October 1976 by a sheer quirk of fate, my dad got posted to Marchwood and we moved to Calshot. At that moment I knew that I was meant to be a Saints fan and I haven't regretted it since.....honest.

[sfc4prem]

Born in Southampton. Dad was born in Southampton. His Dad lived in Southampton most of his life. Hooked since my first match at the Dell back in 94.

 

Simple as that.

[CHAPEL END CHARLIE]

There's something within me that always sides with the underdog - and lets face it that is exactly what we were for all those years back in the 1st Div/Premiership. Of course Bobby Stokes winning the FA Cup for this grand old football club (against all the odds) back when I was at a impressionable age didn't hurt either. Whenever someone says that cup competitions don't matter .. well they kind of do really.

 

Growing up in Poole where the only real choices are the Saints or AFC Bmth a boy has to pick his club rather than have it thrust upon him - I've never regretted my decision.

[OnTheCross]

I have Man Utd to thank. I'm too young for the cup final. But not so young that the snooty comments from commentators and school mates about Man Utd losing it, every time we played them after promotion, didn't make me support the underdog team.

[Handyman]

Southampton born and bread its that simple for me.

 

Ditto

[Fan The Flames]

Born in West End, moved to NZ when 2, back to West End at 5 and left for Sussex at the age of 9. When we came back to West End it was 1975, so I am a child of the FA cup, saw the parade and like a lot of little boys became Southampton mad after that. My Dad was a Plymouth nut and took me all over the country to watch them but all I wanted to do was rush back to the car to hear the Saints score.

 

In Sussex it was great being the only Saints fan at school, especially as we were always better than Brighton. Never lived in Southampton and now in Kent, was a season ticket holder for a few years and now my daughter is the only Saints fan in her school.

 

My son is also a Saints fan only he's too young to know it yet, I have a list of clubs my son can follow, Gillingham & Charlton (local teams), Plymouth and Arsenal (Granddads), the Saints (me), there'll be no Man U or Chelsea shirts in this house.

Edited 16 July, 2011 by Fan The Flames

[Dr Who?]

Born in Southampton and grew up in Southampton, moved away at the age of 21 through work, and moved back at the age of 26. Moved away again at the age of 31, and doubt I will ever come back to live there now. Never ever lose my love for the club though!

[Dr Who?]

Oh and Mum and sister and many friends still live there and support the mighty Southampton!!

[OttawaSaint]

My Dad was in the Army and we were posted to Barton Stacey near Andover. He took me to see Saints when I was about 8 years old and I have supported them ever since. We had a longish stint in the North East so we would go to see Saints when they were nearby, saw them at Sunderland (Roker and SoL), Middlesbro (Ayresome and Riverside), Newcastle, York, Scarboro, Leeds. Had a scary moment in Ayresome park when Neil Ruddock scored and we were in the home end and went ballistic, ended up getting showered in abuse as well as pies, sandwiches, burgers etc. Saints blew a 2 goal lead though, 3-3 final, same old Saints...

[bowers-sfc]

9 years old, playing for my local team when I ended up in goal because the keeper got injured.

Suddenly it became my position.

 

Looking through my sticker book, looking at keepers... I saw anti niemis birthday.

31st of may.... same as mine.

 

since that day, loved saints

[scott_saints]

9 years old, playing for my local team when I ended up in goal because the keeper got injured.

Suddenly it became my position.

 

Looking through my sticker book, looking at keepers... I saw anti niemis birthday.

31st of may.... same as mine.

 

since that day, loved saints

What a s**t reason.

[theyin]

Southampton born & bred. Simple as that.

Could never understand other kids in class supporting other places clubs. The one that got to me the most was a couple of lads converting to Spurs when Ossie came along and they had that early 80's cup success. One friended me on fb a few years back and I reminded him of the desertion and how it riled his classmates. Never heard from him again.

What's been really great since the move to Melbourne is when asked if I support the usual suspects and I correct the perpetrators, loads of them immediately mention MLT. Nice to know the red & white extends 12k away.

Most disappointingly though is a recent old pals addition to fb. Someone I might add whose house was adorned with Saints mirrors when we were growing up. Looking through his photos I was shocked to find pictures of him and his son in ....Chelski shirts. His excuse was he couldn't bear the losing any more. Freakin tragic IMO. Hopefully in time to come he'll see the error of his ways.

[ericofarabia]

Started going to games at about the age of 8, but would avidly follow every bit of Saints news via The Echo each evening and would be in The Saints team in the play time football match V The Plastic Man Uers at school each day for a few years by then.

 

I used to go with my Uncle, Aunty and Grandad, although my 1st game was a glory hunting 1st ever Top Flight game at The Dell v Man City in 66 with my dad.

 

We used to roll up at The Dell at about 12.30 to be near the front of the queue so that we could get a place down on the front wall towards the right midway between goal and corner flag. ..... armed with a homemade wooden fold away red and white striped stall so that I could see over the wall!! (LOL at how many of those things were in The Milton End in the bad old violent days, but never used as weapons!!) How times have changed - I have taken my son to games at SMS and arrived at 2.59 and still got a seat with a view!!!

 

Unfortunately my Grandad is no longer with us, but my Uncle and Auntie still go with my sister and her 2 boys - the 4th generation from our family to go.

 

I moved out of The Soton area in 79 but still used to get to as many games as possible till I moved overseas - even now I try and arrange my leave back to UK to accomodate a few games where ever possible each year.

 

Otherwise, matchdays (work permitting) are spent listening to Whispering Dave Merrington, supping copious amounts of Old Speckled Hen, looking at pics of Nuns, Muffins and Camel Toes and posting bollix on here till the site crashes with 20 mins to go

 

You can take the boy out of Southampton - but you can't take Southampton out of the boy!!!!

[sidthesquid]

The 1970 Cup final epic between Chelsea & Leeds got me interested in football. I have no recollection of it before then & my parents weren't interested either, but that match, where I started cheering on Chelsea & my brother Leeds gave me the bug. Then in September my father & I went with his friend & his son to the Dell to see the game v Derby (4-0 Channon 2, Davies 2) and it truly was love at first sight. Our friends never went again, but my father and I were hooked and hardly missed a game since.

[ottery st mary]

I started supporting Saints because my Dad said they were the best team in the world.

 

He also said if I didn't...... Father Christmas would not ever come to our house again.

 

I am still not sure if Santa Claus exists........

 

 

WIFM

[Trevor in Vancouver]

Dad was born and bred in Totton and hardly missed a Saints match. His father lifted him over the turnstiles, where they would always find their way into the west stand at the Dell. He emigrated to Vancouver in 1967, married my Mum, and I came along shortly after. But Dad got homesick and, in 1974, moved the family (Mum had 2 kids from a previous marriage) back to England and found a place on Mill road, Millbrook. My first Saints memory is of course 1 May, 1976, and I was hooked for life on that day.

 

However our stay in England was a short one. Mum hated it there, and threatened to leave my Dad if we didn't come back to Canada. Before we left though, Dad bought us kids all sorts of Saints memorabilia - to this day I still have my 2 inch-high plastic F.A. cup sitting on top of my TV!

 

Of course following English football was not an easy thing back then, but I did my best, always checking the scores on Sunday morning in the local paper. Though I do vaguely remember seeing a match sometime in the very early '80's when Saints played Liverpool, and we had a Yugoslavian goalkeeper (Katilinic?) who played an absolute blinder and we stole the game 1-0.

 

My parents split up and Dad returned to England and remarried, now living in semi-retirement in Portchester. I get over ever couple of years and Dad and I always get out to see Saints. The first Saints game I ever attended though was a good one. Late February 1990 vs. Norwich, where our #7 score 3 times that afternoon, 2 of which were of a quality of which I doubt I will ever see again. I remember coming back to Vancouver and swearing to my friends that God was a footballer and he played for Southampton!

 

I'm a bit of a weirdo here, wearing my Saints jerseys, while everyone is of course wearing Man U., Chelsea, Real Madrid, etc. But I'm immensely proud of my heritage, and would never ever dream of "going glory".

[LGTL]

Dad, Uncle, Great Uncle and Grandad were/are all season ticket holders. Born in Southampton General Hospital, lived in Southampton all my life. Love the city. It was a no brainer.

[welshsaint92]

Well i was actually born and bred in Cardiff. My Grandad, who was born in andover is a massive saints fan. He moved to Cardiff for work where he met my Nan and settled down. He took me to my first game in 1999 which we lost 1-0 to arsenal, it was Thierry Henry's first goal for arsenal. From that moment on i fell in love with the club. We now manage to get to between 7-12 games a season including a couple of away games.

[Hamilton Saint]

I grew up in Hythe in the 60s. Went to The Dell for the first time in 1964. Bought the Echo's pink edition every Saturday during the season to get the detailed description of that day's game. Been a fan for almost 50 years.

[Petersfield Saint]

Parents are originally from Wembley and neither were the slightest bit interested in football despite both growing up in the shadow of the stadium - in fact my Dad used to go there to watch speedway rather than football! Petersfield was (still is!) a footballing wilderness when I was growing up in the seventies so I preferred just to follow England rather than any club. But like a lot of replies so far, Kevin Keegan was my childhood hero plus we'd always pass through Southampton on our way to visit my relatives in Cowes - so when he came to Saints it was a no-brainer for me. However, I never went to any games (too far to travel alone and parents not interested as above!) and I eventually lost interest in football in my teens. I'll own up to the fact that it was entirely Matty that got me back into Saints - that and the Branfoot protests on telly almost every night! And I've been going on and off ever since. I'm glad my folks were never into football or I might have ended up a gooner or a spud!

[ant]

Happy to help Ant!! I began supporting Saints when, at the age of 8, I won a colouring competition which was run by the football team I was playing for (Alton United). My manager was a Saints fan and the prize was for him to take the winner to a Saints game. Supported them ever since and although I live in Cornwall now, I try and get up to St Mary's as often as I can.

 

Well that's a novel way to discover that a family member posts on here

 

Have thoroughly enjoyed reading through this thread, surely a candidate for a Golden Post? Just nice to hear about so many different people from different backgrounds and eras with one major thing in common.

[Colinjb]

I was born in Ashford, Kent and stayed there until I was 10 years old. My Dad moved jobs and that mean the family moved on to Colden Common, as a result of spending my teenage years in Hampshire I started following Saints but I wouldn't say I was a fan yet. While I was in Hampshire I mainly supported non-league Margate as I saw them play quite a lot through my Dad's friendship with their club secretary. As time went on though I gained more independance as I grew up, through my friends I started following Saints more and more, even going to the occasional game when I could afford it.

 

When I went to Uni in Coventry back in 2002 it became impossible to follow Margate in any serious way and my support for Saints completely took over. Match of the Day and the internet forums of the time became a lifeline. Also that we made the FA Cup final in my first year away from home and the interest that drew meant that a lot of people would talk to me about Saints as an ice breaker, by this point my support for the club had been absolutely cemented.

 

I continue to live in Coventry with work but I remain a Saints fan, the pain of being ineligible for a ticket to the 2003 Cup Final has driven me to hold a season ticket whenever I can now afford to, I don't want to miss out on anything like that ever again.

[The9]

the pain of being ineligible for a ticket to the 2003 Cup Final has driven me to hold a season ticket whenever I can now afford to, I don't want to miss out on anything like that ever again.

 

God bless my work colleague Julia Buckle, and her husband who worked for the Gloucestershire FA, who were about to send their allocation of two 2003 Cup Final tickets back to the FA when fate intervened...

[charlie saint]

I never lived in Hampshire, but my Mum's family did. My Uncle used to get me Saints merchandise for xmas (starting in '76 - Super Saints boot bag, long since broken and thrown away). No-one else in the family was interested in football, so when the time came to 'pick a team' to support, there was only one choice for me.

 

We lived in Cambridgeshire, so all the other kids supported Liverpool, Forest, Man Utd, Arsenal, Spurs (in that order).

[hasper57saint]

You've probably read this at least ten times now but I still feel quite proud to be a 'Saint'. I was a Matelot at HMS.Diligence in Hythe.Just back from the far East and posted to Hythe. With an oppo from Hedge End we left the base and had a pint in the Murrays. the Nelson then the Drummond (all on the Hythe side). Caught the Hythe/Soton Ferry and got off to have one at the Post Office at the bottom of Below bar. We then proceeded up High Street and Bedford Place for another then into the Hulse Road Social Club where we had another couple. Bought our tickets on the gate in the Milton and watched the match. Afterwards back to the Hulse Road SC and an evening of 'pleasure'. This was in January 1957. I haven't stopped supporting Saints since. They are,and always will be my Club.My nipper,daughters,grandkids and friends are all Saints.(We don't associate with that lot from down the road) Do I get a Medal?