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Statues/Memorials at SMS


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Instead of a statue to any of our various legends, how about a bronze sculptured relief frieze on a front wall of St Mary's Stadium featuring some (say half a dozen?) of them - including some of the earlier ones?

 

LTS, Channon, Paine, Allen Ball, Charlie Wayman, CB FRY would be my suggestion.

 

Edit: make it seven. We can't leave Big Ron out.

Edited by eelpie
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Might as well do it properly and take a leaf out of the Vatican's book. The surround of St Peters Square has 140 lifesize "Saints", why not start something the same at SMS.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Peter%27s_Square

 

Maybe we could get a modern Michelangelo to paint the boardroom ceiling with a Saints related theme.

 

Using this as a brief,also from Wikipedia :

 

Michelangelo was originally commissioned to paint the 12 Apostles [perhaps our greatest 11,plus Ted] against a starry sky, but lobbied for a different and more complex scheme, representing creation,[1885], the Downfall of Man [ Askham and cronies ,Plc etc ]and the Promise of Salvation[Wilde, Paul Allen,Fulthorpe through to Barry the Briefcase ]through the prophets and Genealogy .... The work is part of a larger scheme of decoration which represents much of the doctrine of [the Saints]

 

The composition eventually contained over 300 figures and .....

 

.."Nah,b0ll0cks to that", said Rupert,"draw me a steam engine instead".

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Written by josh , 19.04.2005

Brazil is the most fashionable country on the planet. Brazilian clothes, shoes, music, food, football.... from Gilberto Gil to Ronaldinho, havaianas to caipirinhas, Brazil is everywhere. But no one remembers the debt that Brazil owes to Britain – and to one British man, Charles Miller.

cid:image001.jpg@01C97585.4148CCC0In the 19th century, the British funded the Brazilian economy, built Brazil’s infrastructure - and taught Brazil how to play football.

 

Brazil was never part of the British Empire. However, a small but very influential group of Britons lived and worked in Brazil. British values, institutions, expertise and money permeated the country.

 

Even São Paulo, a provincial little town, plopped in the middle of uninteresting farmland - even that distant, dusty town had a stalwart British community which led a determinedly colonial existence.

 

In 1874, the chaplain of St Paul’s, the British church in São Paulo, registered the birth of a boy. The father was Scottish; the mother was English; the boy’s name was Charles William Miller.

 

Like many sons of British expatriates, Charles Miller went “back home” for his education. At the frail age of nine, he was put on a ship at Santos and sent to boarding-school in Southampton.

 

At that time, São Paulo was a small town with a few shambolic streets, whereas Southampton was one of the greatest ports on the planet. Travelling from one to the other meant moving from a sleepy hamlet to a thriving metropolis.

 

Charles Miller went to a small boarding school on the outskirts of Southampton. From his education, he had learnt only one lesson that really mattered to him: the rules of football. He was a fast, skilful player. He played for the Corinthians (the greatest amateur team of all time) and St Mary’s (now better known as Southampton Football Club).

 

In 1894, Charles Miller sailed back to Brazil. In his luggage, he carried a book of rules and a deflated football.

 

When Charles Miller arrived in Brazil, he discovered to his horror that no-one knew how to play the beautiful game. The expatriate community had retained many British customs - cricket on Saturdays, afternoon tea at four, visiting-cards on silver trays - but not football.

 

Charles had found his mission. He pumped up the football, summoned his friends and colleagues to a patch of wasteland near the railway station, divided them into two teams and explained the rules.

 

He wasn’t prepared for the amazing success of his game. Within months, people were playing football all over São Paulo. Within a few years, the game had conquered the entire country.

 

Fifty years after his death, Charles Miller has been forgotten.

 

In Brazil, people know his name and a few inaccurate myths about his life, but nothing more. In Britain, hardly anyone even knows his name.

 

The British influence in Brazil has dwindled to a few language schools and a dribble of investment. And when British footballers are confronted by Brazilian opponents, they pray that the score doesn’t reach double figures.

 

The story of Charles Miller’s life isn’t just a tale of one man’s fascinating life. Nor is it merely an intriguing episode in the history of football. The spread of football from Britain to Brazil is a neat riposte to anyone who is fearful of cultural imperialism.

 

The English may have invented the rules of football, and the British may have carried the balls and the rulebooks in their imperial baggage, but Brazilians quickly made the game again in their own image.

 

A hundred years later, talents and skills are flowing back the other way. In Britain, just as all over Europe, home-grown players display the skills and techniques which they have learnt from their Brazilian colleagues.

 

Charles Miller’s gift is being repaid

gets my vote

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I like the idea of not just using statues to represent our past such as plaques murals, mosaics, or something like the gates at Anfield to remeber Shankly.

 

I'm sure I heard that we were the first English team to field a black player in the 50's? Something like that deserves a plaque and would help the 'Racism just ain't Saintly' campaign.

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I like the idea of not just using statues to represent our past such as plaques murals, mosaics, or something like the gates at Anfield to remeber Shankly.

 

I'm sure I heard that we were the first English team to field a black player in the 50's? Something like that deserves a plaque and would help the 'Racism just ain't Saintly' campaign.

 

Think it was easrlier than that.1920's.

 

Alf Charles from memory.Will have to consult one of the history books when I get home.

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Instead of a statue to any of our various legends, how about a bronze sculptured relief frieze on a front wall of St Mary's Stadium featuring some (say half a dozen?) of them - including some of the earlier ones?

 

LTS, Channon, Paine, Allen Ball, Charlie Wayman, CB FRY would be my suggestion.

 

Edit: make it seven. We can't leave Big Ron out.

 

 

 

God bless you. As the man who launched the first sweepstake on this forum's predecessor, and introduced HCDAJFU, I feel I have made a lasting contribution to the entertainment of the digital fan in the post millennium era.

 

Even I, though, doubt that my contribution warrants a statue, but if that is what my public want, who am I to stop it?

 

Let me know when Ian Brennan is ready to start the preliminary sketches.

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I think it would be good to create a wall of legends. along the back of the kingsland where the fence is to the railway line. would like to see a wall built with a mural depicting our legends. could be voted on by the fans and added to along the length of the wall over time

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I like the idea of not just using statues to represent our past such as plaques murals, mosaics, or something like the gates at Anfield to remeber Shankly.

 

I'm sure I heard that we were the first English team to field a black player in the 50's? Something like that deserves a plaque and would help the 'Racism just ain't Saintly' campaign.

 

Arthur Wharton/Andrew Watson

 

Britain's first black footballer

 

 

Arthur Wharton was born in Ghana in 1865; his father was half Grenadian and half Scottish, and his mother was from Ghanaian royalty. In 1882 Arthur moved to England to train as a missionary, but quickly became bored with the academic and religious life and left school to pursue a sporting career.

 

A talented athlete, he set a new world record for the 100 yard dash (10 seconds) at Stamford Bridge in 1886. This success gave him the opportunity to compete in professional athletics tournaments, where he was able to make a living from appearance fees. His abilities also brought him to the attention of various professional football clubs

 

He was first signed as a semi professional player with Preston North End in 1886, as goalkeeper. His highpoint with Preston was to make it to the FA Cup semi finals in 1887 where they lost 3-1 to West Bromwich Albion. There was speculation at the time that Arthur was good enough to play for England, but he was never considered for the position by the FA, due in part to the racial prejudice of the time.

 

He turned fully professional in 1889, when he signed for Rotherham United, and in 1894, Sheffield United poached him. Unfortunately, the move was not a success; he was getting older, and was competing with United's new and younger goalkeeper, Bill "Fatty" Foulke.

 

Arthur's career then drifted as he moved from club to club to try and make a living. At the same time, he started drinking heavily, and eventually retired from football in 1902. His life after retirement was not happy, and Arthur Wharton died in 1930, a penniless alcoholic who had spent the last 15 years of his life as a colliery haulage hand.

 

His story was uncovered in 1997 by the Sheffield United based project, "Football Unites Racism Divides". His unmarked grave in Edlington has been given a headstone, and his picture was included in an exhibition of British Sporting Heroes at the National Portrait Gallery.

 

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

Andrew Watson

 

First black International football player

 

 

Born in 1857 in British Guiana, Andrew Watson came to Glasgow University to acquire a bachelor of arts degree. By the time Watson came to University, aged 19, in November 1875, he had already played football for Scotland's leading team, Queens Park.

 

Andrew Watson was capped three times for Scotland between 1881 and 1882, and is now believed to have been the first black football (soccer) player to represent his country. He began playing in 1874 and subsequently played for Queens Park. Until this discovery, it had always been maintained that the first black footballer was Arthur Wharton, who played for the English team of Preston North End. But Watson pre-dates him by 11 years. Up until the time of Pele, Andrew Watson was perhaps the most important black player in the world, capable of playing on either side of defence or in midfield. He also went on to become the world's first black footballing administrator.

 

Looks like lying just ain't Saintly?

 

Who was the first black Saints player?

 

I can't go back further than the Wallaces/Agboola/Chicken George ... did we have a black player in the 60's - 70's ... I can't think of one.

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Who was the first black Saints player?

 

I can't go back further than the Wallaces/Agboola/Chicken George ... did we have a black player in the 60's - 70's ... I can't think of one.

 

A great friend of mine was Tony Sealy I think he was the first black player to play for the first team though I stand to be corrected.

 

Think I've already answered this for you further up the thread.(post 17)

 

Have checked,it was Alf Charles 1936/7 although he only played one match.

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Though I missed most of his career through being here, it would have to be MLT. Quite simply the most important thing to ever happen to Southampton Football. A beloved, loyal superstar that brightened everyone's lives, lit up stadia everywhere and is probably still (through his excellent character) one of the most welcomed and liked British sportsmen anywhere, can't imagine hardly anywhere in the football world where Matt is not welcomed with open arms.

 

What a guy!!

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Though I missed most of his career through being here, it would have to be MLT. Quite simply the most important thing to ever happen to Southampton Football. A beloved, loyal superstar that brightened everyone's lives, lit up stadia everywhere and is probably still (through his excellent character) one of the most welcomed and liked British sportsmen anywhere, can't imagine hardly anywhere in the football world where Matt is not welcomed with open arms.

 

What a guy!!

 

I think that sums it up very well TT

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I think this is a great idea, I have believed for some time, that a MLT statue should be commisioned, but agree with the many others suggested here. I like the wall idea (Hands up if you have a brick or a slab with your name on it!!). With all this in mind, I would like to see a commitee selected, to raise moneys for this great adventure. Buisnesses could be lobbied, and collections made at every home match..........this could take off chaps/chappesses.

 

Get behind 'SASM'.......Duncan as Chairman;););););)

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