Best footballer born in Southampton

[Ex Lion Tamer]

Saw this on Twitter. Looking at the replies, can it really be true that Chivers, Bridge and Benali are the only options? You'd think the city would have produced a lot more

 

[Dimond Geezer]

Off the top of my head, I  can think of Darren Anderton, Graham Roberts,  Nick Holmes, Ted Drake, a few goalies; the Flahavan brothers, Keith Granger and Wayne Shaw 😁, and I  think David Puckett is a Sotonian.

Slim pickings though.

[revolution saint]

It’s not a great list but can also add Darren Anderton, Graham Roberts, Levi Colwill, Nick Holmes, John Sydenham. Still nowhere near as impressive as the players that have come through the youth system though 

[TheAlehouseBrawlers]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Footballers_from_Southampton

...and nearby Winchester

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Sportspeople_from_Winchester

[Sarisbury Saint]

What about Steve Moran ?

[woksaintly]

Steve Moran from Fareham

[LGTL]

Not exactly a hotbed of stars is it 😂

Colwill has a decent chance of cementing top spot if his career keeps progressing the way it is. 

Edited 16 October, 2023 by LGTL

[david in sweden]

Really need to define the meaning of  " Best " ?

if we mean Most appearances then its  Nick Holmes 535 games, (1974-1987) 

John Sydenham (was apparently) born in Eastleigh.. and played 401 games  (1957-1969)

and later Francis Benali  (1988-2001) played 389 times.

Most goals ?  then its Martin Chivers   106 goals  (in 190 games) . before his move to Spurs 1967 and eventual England games. 

Highest fee? ..its Martin Chivers once again, 125,000 to Spurs in 1967 . that was an English club record fee at the time , (not sure what it would be in " today's money"). 

 

IF  you want to throw in Winchester....?

...then Terry Paine played over 815 times ., and scored 187 goals, (both club records at the time) and would also qualify with most England caps ( 19 with Saints) .

[Miltonaggro]

Got to be Chivers, before my time but great for Saints and Spurs and a terrific strike rate for England.

My Dad was in the same schoolboy team as John Sydenham and thought that he was a terrific player who didn't get the recognition he deserved (particularly in terms of full England caps).

I lived near and played football with Darren Anderton, starting when he was about 8 (I was several years older) and it was clear he was a prodigy even then, very slight skinny kid but full of tricks and brave, would ask to join blokes having a pre-match kick around and then run rings round them.  Despite the sicknote label, close to 500 league appearances and 30 England caps.  Criminal Saints missed him as a youngster. 

I also played against Benali for the school team, recall him as a striker (Bellemoor?) and me as a centre half - never a squeak and had him in the pocket every time, so staggered that he ended up at Saints with a hard man rep 

Nick Holmes also mentioned from the St Marys College SFC hotbed.  What a club man, 400 plus league games as a 'utility player' and I honestly can't remember seeing him complain, have a bad game or give less than 100% - we could do with a few like him now. 

Always thought of Bridgey as a Winchester lad, but born in Southampton, and a very good player for us - a metronome and fit as a fiddle, unlucky he had Cole ahead of him in that England team or would have had 50 plus caps.  Gutted when he left us but can't begrudge him a great career given his commitment whilst playing for SFC.  

Nostalgia aside, has to be Martin Chivers (if SFC partisan) or Darren Anderton (despite the M27 sojourn).   

    

 

 

Edited 16 October, 2023 by Miltonaggro

[Wurzel]

Graham Roberts definitely and I think his sister Kathy(?) also became a top ladies player in her day, must have been some good footballing genes passed down in that family. Surpised to see he only had 6 England caps, I thought he was more regular at International level than that. Another one that we didn't think would make the grade but I guess every club does gets it wrong  sometimes.

[Turkish]

this reminded me of this glorious thread from years ago on the ugly inside where our then resident skate complied a list of hampshires best footballers. it was an attempt to prove that that Portsmouth produces better players than Southampton. What he failed to take into account was several factors like just playing for Portsmouth doesn't mean you were born in Hampshire, to be one of hampshires best players you have to be from Hampshire, not London, Surrey or Sussex. He also ended up looking rather silly with his made up Greater Portsmouth region, which appeared to cover everything from Fareham to Kent up to North London, yet wouldn't include Botley, Netley or Winchester as part of greater Southampton despite it having an SO postcode. it was rather amusing at the time in the days when the TUI was a good site

Forum | Hampshire's greatest footballers by 130yrs_and_one_Cup | The Ugly Inside (fansnetwork.co.uk)

 

 

[Yorkshire Saint]

I think it would have to be me but I was born in Macclesfield. Does that count ?

[Yorkshire Saint]

7 minutes ago, Turkish said:

this reminded me of this glorious thread from years ago on the ugly inside where our then resident skate complied a list of hampshires best footballers. it was an attempt to prove that that Portsmouth produces better players than Southampton. What he failed to take into account was several factors like just playing for Portsmouth doesn't mean you were born in Hampshire, to be one of hampshires best players you have to be from Hampshire, not London, Surrey or Sussex. He also ended up looking rather silly with his made up Greater Portsmouth region, which appeared to cover everything from Fareham to Kent up to North London, yet wouldn't include Botley, Netley or Winchester as part of greater Southampton despite it having an SO postcode. it was rather amusing at the time in the days when the TUI was a good site

Forum | Hampshire's greatest footballers by 130yrs_and_one_Cup | The Ugly Inside (fansnetwork.co.uk)

 

 

I think it would have to be me but I was born in Macclesfield. Does that count ?

[Turkish]

9 minutes ago, Yorkshire Saint said:

I think it would have to be me but I was born in Macclesfield. Does that count ?

Part of Greater Portsmouth so yes.

[The Cat]

Was Danny Ings not born in Southampton?

A lot of people grew up and lived in Southampton could be born outside of the city. When my partner was pregnant they told us we could go to Southampton or Portsmouth for the birth because we live to the East of the city and it's a pain to get to Southampton hospital from there.

Likewise people who live Chandlers Ford way would have the option of going to Winchester.

[Yorkshire Saint]

1 hour ago, The Cat said:

Was Danny Ings not born in Southampton?

A lot of people grew up and lived in Southampton could be born outside of the city. When my partner was pregnant they told us we could go to Southampton or Portsmouth for the birth because we live to the East of the city and it's a pain to get to Southampton hospital from there.

Likewise people who live Chandlers Ford way would have the option of going to Winchester.

We trust you made the correct decision!!

 

[The Cat]

54 minutes ago, Yorkshire Saint said:

We trust you made the correct decision!!

 

Of course!

[Gloucester Saint]

3 hours ago, The Cat said:

Was Danny Ings not born in Southampton?

A lot of people grew up and lived in Southampton could be born outside of the city. When my partner was pregnant they told us we could go to Southampton or Portsmouth for the birth because we live to the East of the city and it's a pain to get to Southampton hospital from there.

Likewise people who live Chandlers Ford way would have the option of going to Winchester.

Born Winchester but grew up in Netley, close enough.

Never something that would bother me either but you’d be amazed having worked at both ends of the M27 how many people were aghast at their offspring being born in a PO/SO postcode. Many of them not even football fans.

Not as extreme as the cricket when Yorkshire had their rule until the early 1990s that you could only play for the county if you were born there. Quite a few tales of hospital dashes to get back into Yorkshire in time!

The most successful footballers actually born in the city must be Weston Park Boys defender Graham Roberts, Nick Holmes (don’t know which school) followed by Bitterne Park’s Darren Anderton in terms of trophies and international caps. 

Wayne Bridge doesn’t count as Winchester and grew up there, wasn’t Paine from there too? Steve Moran one of my favourite all time Saints but Fareham. Channon from south Wilts. 

 

Edited 16 October, 2023 by Gloucester Saint

[saintquin]

Alan Ball said the best player he ever played with was Nick Holmes (or words to that effect) so, that will do for me!

[Sarisbury Saint]

23 hours ago, woksaintly said:

Steve Moran from Fareham

He lived in Warsash as a youngster.

Played for Sarisbury Sparks.

Not sure of his birth place, but has grown up in an SO postcode.

[CB Fry]

6 hours ago, Turkish said:

this reminded me of this glorious thread from years ago on the ugly inside where our then resident skate complied a list of hampshires best footballers. it was an attempt to prove that that Portsmouth produces better players than Southampton. What he failed to take into account was several factors like just playing for Portsmouth doesn't mean you were born in Hampshire, to be one of hampshires best players you have to be from Hampshire, not London, Surrey or Sussex. He also ended up looking rather silly with his made up Greater Portsmouth region, which appeared to cover everything from Fareham to Kent up to North London, yet wouldn't include Botley, Netley or Winchester as part of greater Southampton despite it having an SO postcode. it was rather amusing at the time in the days when the TUI was a good site

Forum | Hampshire's greatest footballers by 130yrs_and_one_Cup | The Ugly Inside (fansnetwork.co.uk)

 

 

😂 absolutely love that 😂

[Turkish]

30 minutes ago, CB Fry said:

😂 absolutely love that 😂

He was mental. had a few other cracking threads as well. One of them whilst trying to justify Portsmouths sub 10k attendances during the 80s & 90s he claimed a lot of people from Portsmouth were watching Solent stars basketball team at that time 🤣

[Tommy Mulgrew]

I was at secondary school with Martin Chivers.  He was as thick as two planks (or so we thought at the time) and stayed on at school essentially just to play footie.  He used to be out on the hockey field while the rest of us were at lessons and he used to practice shooting from the halfway line into the (small) hockey goals; impressive stuff.  We had an excellent 1st football team.  He was in it at CF, as you might expect, but when playing 6-a-side competitions he was in the  second six, not the first.  Others were better than him at the time, especially a young lad called Weaver - I think his first name was Brian.  But Martin went on to train with SFC whereas others did not.  Certainly the best Old Tauntonian if not the best Sotonian.  Chivers was a typical big lump of a CF, not afraid to rough up opposition defenders, and was lethal with head and feet.  Weaver was a skilled IF (no. 10) and created lots of chances for others as well as himself; most of his goals were well placed in the corners of the goal.  He was small and stocky with a low centre of gravity and difficult to get off the ball.  I have no idea what BW did after he left school.  I was gutted when Chivers left us for Spuds but we did pretty well for CFs both before him and after him.

TWTDs

[Turkish]

11 hours ago, Tommy Mulgrew said:

I was at secondary school with Martin Chivers.  He was as thick as two planks (or so we thought at the time) and stayed on at school essentially just to play footie.  He used to be out on the hockey field while the rest of us were at lessons and he used to practice shooting from the halfway line into the (small) hockey goals; impressive stuff.  We had an excellent 1st football team.  He was in it at CF, as you might expect, but when playing 6-a-side competitions he was in the  second six, not the first.  Others were better than him at the time, especially a young lad called Weaver - I think his first name was Brian.  But Martin went on to train with SFC whereas others did not.  Certainly the best Old Tauntonian if not the best Sotonian.  Chivers was a typical big lump of a CF, not afraid to rough up opposition defenders, and was lethal with head and feet.  Weaver was a skilled IF (no. 10) and created lots of chances for others as well as himself; most of his goals were well placed in the corners of the goal.  He was small and stocky with a low centre of gravity and difficult to get off the ball.  I have no idea what BW did after he left school.  I was gutted when Chivers left us for Spuds but we did pretty well for CFs both before him and after him.

TWTDs

Love stories like this. Thanks

i used to be mates with a lad who was captain of England U16s and on saints books in the 90s. He was tipped to be a future star. Due to a a management change at saints he was released at the end of his first pro contact, ended up at Fulham before they had big money, got released by them when Keegan came in the ended up dropping down the leagues went to aldershot ending up playing for AFC Wimbledon in the very early days before quitting football going into a career in Technology. 

when I was a kid there were some quality players at our age group, our school team went 3 years unbeaten winning everything and had players on saints and Pompey books. None of them made it past 16 before being released while there were other kids from the area who went onto play pro football in what is now leagues one and two that would have struggled to get into our school team if they’d been at our school. 
 

Having played at a decent level as a kid knew quite a lot about players and clubs at the time and some of it is luck, face fitting and being in the right place at the right time but a lot of it is how much you want it. Doing the things that others won’t, living a complete sportsman life rather than being the one who is not disciplined off the pitch as they look at that as much as what talent you’ve got on it

 

completely different level but we try and drill that into the kids I coach now not just for their football but their life. You train how you play. If you turn up for training not listening, not being arsed because it’s too cold or wet, want to get home and go on your Xbox that’s how you’ll play when the going gets tough and that’s what you’ll end up doing in life. 

Edited 17 October, 2023 by Turkish

[Miltonaggro]

23 hours ago, Turkish said:

this reminded me of this glorious thread from years ago on the ugly inside where our then resident skate complied a list of hampshires best footballers. it was an attempt to prove that that Portsmouth produces better players than Southampton. What he failed to take into account was several factors like just playing for Portsmouth doesn't mean you were born in Hampshire, to be one of hampshires best players you have to be from Hampshire, not London, Surrey or Sussex. He also ended up looking rather silly with his made up Greater Portsmouth region, which appeared to cover everything from Fareham to Kent up to North London, yet wouldn't include Botley, Netley or Winchester as part of greater Southampton despite it having an SO postcode. it was rather amusing at the time in the days when the TUI was a good site

Forum | Hampshire's greatest footballers by 130yrs_and_one_Cup | The Ugly Inside (fansnetwork.co.uk)

 

 

Fucking hell, this one of the many reasons why there has never been a Mastermind champion from Portsmouth.

[david in sweden]

On 16/10/2023 at 21:22, saintquin said:

Alan Ball said the best player he ever played with was Nick Holmes (or words to that effect) so, that will do for me!

I always loved the story that before signing for Saints, the young Steve Williams (who grew up in London) used to

go to Highbury and watch his boyhood hero Alan Ball,  who was playing in midfield for Arsenal at the time. 

 

Several years later ... Williams was picked to play alongside Bally in a regular Saints starting line-up.   Great stuff. 

Edited 18 October, 2023 by david in sweden

[VectisSaint]

8 hours ago, david in sweden said:

I always loved the story that before signing for Saints, the young Steve Williams (who grew up in London) used to

go to Highbury and watch his boyhood hero Alan Ball,  who was playing in midfield for Arsenal at the time. 

 

Several years later ... Williams was picked to play alongside Bally in a regular Saints starting line-up.   Great stuff. 

At the time one of the best (if not the best) midfield pairings around. As a pair they brought so much more to the game than as individuals, Stevie was effectively Bally's legs. Shame it didn't last too long, Williams was never half as good when he went to Arsenal.

[Saint86]

I suspect Levi Colwill is going to be a contender by the time he retires.

[derry]

On 15/10/2023 at 21:29, woksaintly said:

Steve Moran from Fareham

Warsash ???

[derry]

Surprised Graham Baker hasn't been named. I gave Martin Chivers a hard time against Tauntons and nearly had a punch up with Bernie Thomason over it. Some years later I went into Greentrees in London Road for a burger Martin was sitting near the window and recognised me straight away. We sat and chatted for quite a while. No hard feelings but he paid me complement of saying he'd never forget the going over.

Brian Weaver was a cracking batsman and played for a number of Southampton clubs.

Edited 18 October, 2023 by derry

[david in sweden]

20 hours ago, derry said:

Surprised Graham Baker hasn't been named. I gave Martin Chivers a hard time against Tauntons and nearly had a punch up with Bernie Thomason over it. Some years later I went into Greentrees in London Road for a burger Martin was sitting near the window and recognised me straight away. We sat and chatted for quite a while. No hard feelings but he paid me complement of saying he'd never forget the going over.

Brian Weaver was a cracking batsman and played for a number of Southampton clubs.

Agree that Graham Baker deserves a mention , a So'ton born lad who was an industrious and skillful midfielder, although it would be 

tough to put him an a category as " best " - which was hard as there were many in competition for a starting place at the time, with 

Alan Ball,  Steve Williams and Nick Holmes outstanding in an era when Lawrie McMenemy's squad could boast 5  former England captains. 

 

However, Graham made a great start on his debut at the Dell when he scored inside the first minute of a league game v. Blackpool (?).   

It was a  rare occasion when live TV was at The Dell, and the commentator had barely named the teams,  and those fans who

hadn't taken their seats missed a great goal.  Graham's record was good for a midfielder and he even won U21 honours for England  

before he moved to Man City in 1982, where he could boast a similar apps / strike rate compared to his time with Saints.. 

He returned to Saints some 5 years later, but when nearing 30 his star was on the wane, and he finally left Saints in 1990 aged 32.  

 

Although no-one ever used the word " Academy " in those days,  Graham was one of the Youth / Reserve lads who came

through the ranks and had a good career in that period, and numerically were as many as those that we have seen since. 

 

[Nordic Saint]

It would have to be the great Ted Drake, with Chivers second.

[Nordic Saint]

On 16/10/2023 at 12:44, david in sweden said:

Really need to define the meaning of  " Best " ?

if we mean Most appearances then its  Nick Holmes 535 games, (1974-1987) 

John Sydenham (was apparently) born in Eastleigh.. and played 401 games  (1957-1969)

and later Francis Benali  (1988-2001) played 389 times.

Most goals ?  then its Martin Chivers   106 goals  (in 190 games) . before his move to Spurs 1967 and eventual England games. 

Highest fee? ..its Martin Chivers once again, 125,000 to Spurs in 1967 . that was an English club record fee at the time , (not sure what it would be in " today's money"). 

 

IF  you want to throw in Winchester....?

...then Terry Paine played over 815 times ., and scored 187 goals, (both club records at the time) and would also qualify with most England caps ( 19 with Saints) .

Most goals in his career? Ted Drake. Most major trophies? Ted Drake. 

 

Edited 19 October, 2023 by Nordic Saint

[Give it to Ron]

23 hours ago, derry said:

Surprised Graham Baker hasn't been named. I gave Martin Chivers a hard time against Tauntons and nearly had a punch up with Bernie Thomason over it. Some years later I went into Greentrees in London Road for a burger Martin was sitting near the window and recognised me straight away. We sat and chatted for quite a while. No hard feelings but he paid me complement of saying he'd never forget the going over.

Brian Weaver was a cracking batsman and played for a number of Southampton clubs.

I played against Graham at school he was different level. We had a good team at Redbridge but they beat us 3-0 we couldn’t get near Graham just ran the game.

Also played against Graham Roberts who I think played for Weston Park for Alec Perkins I still have the bruises he was so tough even then

[Miltonaggro]

10 hours ago, Give it to Ron said:

I played against Graham at school he was different level. We had a good team at Redbridge but they beat us 3-0 we couldn’t get near Graham just ran the game.

Also played against Graham Roberts who I think played for Weston Park for Alec Perkins I still have the bruises he was so tough even then

Heard that about Graham Roberts, from some genuine hard players locally, lots rare respect. He would certainly have provided another dimension to our early 1980s sides. 

[Thereisonlyonemickychannon]

Manny Andruzewski

[Turkish]

If we work of the Skate on TUIs metrics then we have a player from Southampton who could go on to be the best of them all. Jamal Musiala seems to be ripping it up in Gemany, finished in the top 5 young players in the world in the Golden Boy award. We can have him in the raised in Southampton category which makes him one of ours as his parents moved here for a while, he was at Saints academy for a bit and player for City Central in the Tyro league. He's one of our own Jamal Musiala, he's one of our own.

[Tom & Gerry]

Tom Parker, Ludlow Rd boy, captain of the mighty Arsenal, the fee paid for a stand at the Dell. As manager brought Ted Bates to the club, later a scout.

[Yorkshire Saint]

17 hours ago, Turkish said:

If we work of the Skate on TUIs metrics then we have a player from Southampton who could go on to be the best of them all. Jamal Musiala seems to be ripping it up in Gemany, finished in the top 5 young players in the world in the Golden Boy award. We can have him in the raised in Southampton category which makes him one of ours as his parents moved here for a while, he was at Saints academy for a bit and player for City Central in the Tyro league. He's one of our own Jamal Musiala, he's one of our own.

Tenuous at best 😉 keep drinking the Jennings and try again...