Tony Funnell

[Nordic Saint]

All those of us who were around during Saints promotion run in 1978 will have great memories of Tony Funnell's goals. This video shows what a wonderful character he still is. It's the best interview with a footballer I've seen for a long time: 

(42) Flashback Part 6: How Much Did Ex-Cherry Tony Funnell Earn In The Top Division In The 1970's? - YouTube

 

 

[alehouseboys]

Yep, great memories - he only really broke into the side in the last couple of months of that season....but what a couple of months!

Once he got his chance he started scoring for fun. Remember dicking promotion rivals Blackburn 5-0 at the Dell where he continued his scoring spree, the following Friday night we took 10,000 up to Fulham and he did it again. A few weeks later he was knocking in the goal that all but sealed promotion midweek up in the East End to the delight of 3/4s of the 19,000 attendance that night! 10,000 made the trip up to Luton in between those games, happy days.

[cloggy saint]

Has he got a fountain of youth in his garden??

[Nordic Saint]

1 hour ago, alehouseboys said:

Yep, great memories - he only really broke into the side in the last couple of months of that season....but what a couple of months!

Once he got his chance he started scoring for fun. Remember dicking promotion rivals Blackburn 5-0 at the Dell where he continued his scoring spree, the following Friday night we took 10,000 up to Fulham and he did it again. A few weeks later he was knocking in the goal that all but sealed promotion midweek up in the East End to the delight of 3/4s of the 19,000 attendance that night! 10,000 made the trip up to Luton in between those games, happy days.

Yes, I was at all of those games and our away support was tremendous then although there were even more of us at Orient in '66 than there were in '78. I'd say, the late 60s and late 70s were the peaks of our away support. I remember being one of the 10,000 Saints fans filling the whole of the Park Lane End at White Hart Lane for our league game in 1966 and in the 13,000 packed in at the City Ground for the cup match in 1977. !977 was the year our home support was at its loudest and most passionate. All 4 sides of the ground used to sing and visiting sides were clearly intimidated.

Gong back to Tony Funnell, as you say, he only really had those 2 months as a Saints first team player and I was disapppointed to see his career here falter after that but the goals he scored in those months were some of the most important in Saints history and I'll always remember them as some of the Saints goals that got the loudest cheers ever.

[Yorkshire Saint]

Thank you for sharing that.

[Nordic Saint]

25 minutes ago, Nordic Saint said:

Yes, I was at all of those games and our away support was tremendous then although there were even more of us at Orient in '66 than there were in '78. I'd say, the late 60s and late 70s were the peaks of our away support. I remember being one of the 10,000 Saints fans filling the whole of the Park Lane End at White Hart Lane for our league game in 1966 and in the 13,000 packed in at the City Ground for the cup match in 1977. !977 was the year our home support was at its loudest and most passionate. All 4 sides of the ground used to sing and visiting sides were clearly intimidated. As Tony Funnell says in that video, the atmosphere at the Dell in the late 70s was brilliant.

As you say, Tony Funnell only really had those 2 months as a Saints first team player and I was disapppointed to see his career here falter after that but the goals he scored in those months were some of the most important in Saints history and I'll always remember them as some of the Saints goals that got the loudest cheers ever.

 

Edited 19 February, 2021 by Nordic Saint

[Fitzhugh Fella]

https://www.saintsplayers.co.uk/player/tony-funnell/

[Lord Duckhunter]

I know Tony a bit. 3 of my sons went to his soccer school & played for Poole Borough youth. Used to see him 2 or 3 times a season on the train home from St Mary’s. He always speaks and asks how the boys are ( even though for 2 of them it was 20 years ago). Decent bloke who does a lot for the nippers in Poole. He’s just done some charity stuff with Twitchy, but apart from that, he’s a top bloke. 

Edited 19 February, 2021 by Lord Duckhunter

[Badger]

Thanks for posting the link above.

This lead to the next installment - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_j6Dl-6GHAhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_j6Dl-6GHA

Always felt sorry that he didn't get a run once we'd got promoted, perhaps like Billy Sharpe he was probably thought of as not having the pace for the top flight. 

Nice of Cherries fans to make something for us!

 

 

 

 

[alehouseboys]

9 minutes ago, Badger said:

Nice of Cherries fans to make something for us!

 

 

 

 

Only just had chance to watch Nordic’s first video link, good watch. I just assumed Funnell must have come from the Bournemouth area, sounded like it, surprised to see he was an Eastbourne lad on Fitzhugh’s post.

Took me back to bouncing around the on the Putney End when he popped it in right in front of us. And then a great view of him nodding it in at Orient - we’d clambered up into the roof at the back as that side terrace was rammed to breaking point, the noise and scenes were manic.

[Badger]

1 hour ago, alehouseboys said:

Only just had chance to watch Nordic’s first video link, good watch. I just assumed Funnell must have come from the Bournemouth area, sounded like it, surprised to see he was an Eastbourne lad on Fitzhugh’s post.

Took me back to bouncing around the on the Putney End when he popped it in right in front of us. And then a great view of him nodding it in at Orient - we’d clambered up into the roof at the back as that side terrace was rammed to breaking point, the noise and scenes were manic.

I was at both those matches, great support and atmosphere. Memorable nights.

At Orient I was on the side terrace you mention, yes it was rammed full, and no surprise when the wall at the front collapsed as we all tried to celebrate on the pitch after.

Always regret not being able to go to Luton away in that run-in towards the end of the season where I believe Saints had three sides of the ground.

 

Edited 19 February, 2021 by Badger

[alehouseboys]

This made me a bit nostalgic, thought I'd take a look and see if there was any footage out there from 1978. Couldn't find anything but stumbled across a couple of interesting bits.

Some photos, including Saints fans celebrating on the pitch at Orient in '66 on gettyimages (I was a bit too young to be there for that one, another five years before I started going)

https://www.gettyimages.ie/photos/orient-southampton-1966?family=editorial&phrase=orient southampton 1966&sort=best#

And an old thread from 2009 - with mention of Tony Funnell's iffy miss v spurs in that last game

 

[ItchenRob]

19 hours ago, Nordic Saint said:

All those of us who were around during Saints promotion run in 1978 will have great memories of Tony Funnell's goals. This video shows what a wonderful character he still is. It's the best interview with a footballer I've seen for a long time: 

(42) Flashback Part 6: How Much Did Ex-Cherry Tony Funnell Earn In The Top Division In The 1970's? - YouTube

 

 

Very enjoyable - what a nice bloke - thanks for  sharing.

[Fitzhugh Fella]

Does anyone know how I can get in touch with Tony or the guy who made this?

[Lord Duckhunter]

4 hours ago, Fitzhugh Fella said:

Does anyone know how I can get in touch with Tony or the guy who made this?

I’ve tried to send you a message, but you’re not set up to receive. 

[Badger]

Interesting that he talks about leaving the club as we wanted to raise funds to buy Charlie George, and the club had Steve Moran coming through.

Rumour at the time was that Funnell had a bust up with Lawrie’s son who was also a junior at the club. 

[Fan The Flames]

So the Mickey Evans of his day.

[sadoldgit]

On 19/02/2021 at 21:09, Badger said:

I was at both those matches, great support and atmosphere. Memorable nights.

At Orient I was on the side terrace you mention, yes it was rammed full, and no surprise when the wall at the front collapsed as we all tried to celebrate on the pitch after.

Always regret not being able to go to Luton away in that run-in towards the end of the season where I believe Saints had three sides of the ground.

 

I was pressed up against the wall and popped out like a piece of soap landing right in front of a WPC. She tried to get me back into the crowd but I said there is no way I’m going back in there just as the wall collapsed. It is a miracle that no one was seriously hurt. The whistle then blew and I walked off the pitch with the players and left from the opposite side of the ground. 

[Red]

19 hours ago, sadoldgit said:

I was pressed up against the wall and popped out like a piece of soap landing right in front of a WPC. She tried to get me back into the crowd but I said there is no way I’m going back in there just as the wall collapsed. It is a miracle that no one was seriously hurt. The whistle then blew and I walked off the pitch with the players and left from the opposite side of the ground. 

I was probably two rows behind you - narrowly avoided getting pushed onto the pitch. So glad the wall collapsed as I thought I was going to pass out if it hadn't! Still a great night though!

[sadoldgit]

32 minutes ago, Red said:

I was probably two rows behind you - narrowly avoided getting pushed onto the pitch. So glad the wall collapsed as I thought I was going to pass out if it hadn't! Still a great night though!

It was a very scary experience. Just before the wall collapsed there was one of several surges by the crowd and a kid next to me lost his balance. He grabbed hold of my coat to stop from falling over and rippled the lapel right off! As I walked off the pitch on the other side of a ground I heard someone calling my name. There in the crowd was a guy I worked with who turned out to be an Orient supporter and though it hilarious to see a work chum walking off the pitch with the players! It was certainly an interesting evening!