1897–98 Southampton F.C. season
Encyclopedia
The 1897–98 season was the 13th since the foundation of Southampton F.C.
and their fourth in league football, as members of the Southern League
.
The club improved on their performance in the previous successful season, retaining the Southern League title and reaching the Semi-final of the FA Cup
for the first time, where they went out in controversial circumstances. They started the season as tenants of Hampshire County Cricket Club
, but by the end of the season, the club had found a new permanent home, where they were to remain for over 100 years.
By the end of a "phenomenally successful", Southampton were lifted out of relative obscurity into national prominence. In their report to the shareholders for the Annual General Meeting held on 30 June 1898, the directors commented: "The team's performance in the English Cup and their retention of the Southern League Championship entitled the club to rank among the best in the country".
Despite this, the press and club supporters continued to refer to the club as "the Saints", as they have done ever since.
Once again, the board recruited several players from Football League clubs, most prominent of whom was Arthur Chadwick
who was to remain with the club as a player for three years, returning in 1925 as manager.
The season started badly, with a defeat at Tottenham Hotspur
, but Southampton won the next three matches, all away from home. The first home match of the season came on 23 October, when Southampton gained their revenge against the Spurs, with a 4–1 victory. The next five matches were also victories before a poor defeat at Bristol City
on 22 January. After a draw at Chatham
, a run of eight victories gave the Saints the title, despite a home defeat to Chatham Town on the last day of the season; this was Southampton's first home league defeat for three years.
In the draw at Chatham on 5 February, a small piece of history was made as the former Ireland
and England
international, Jack Reynolds
made his first appearance for Southampton, thus becoming the first international player to appear for the side. He only made one further appearance before dropping down to lower league football.
Despite the success on the pitch, there was considerable disharmony in the dressing room, especially regarding the behaviour of Jack Farrell
; he had been ordered out of a board meeting and suspended for two matches early in the season having used "abusive language" during a discussion of his grievances. Other players in trouble included new signings Tom Nicol
, who was obliged to apologise to the board for his behaviour, and Bob Petrie
, who was reprimanded over his drinking. In November, Watty Keay
asked to be relieved of the captaincy, which was being rotated among the players on a monthly basis; he advised the board that he "was not comfortable in that position, there being so much dissension amongst the players."
Played = Matches played; Won = Matches won; Drawn = Matches drawn; Lost = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GA = Goal average; Points = Points scored
1 Teams tied on points were separated by use of goal average.
2 The points system: 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for a defeat.
. Robert Buchanan
scored after only ten seconds from when the Saints were in complete control with Yates adding a second goal to complete a 2–0 victory. The next match, at Swindon
, was won by half-time while Eastville Rovers were comprehensively defeated 8–1 in the final qualifying round, with Yates
, Buchanan
, Keay
and Turner
each scoring twice.
In the First Round proper, Southampton entertained Leicester Fosse, then lying seventh in the Football League Second Division
. In preparation for the match, the entire team were sent to Shawford for a week for additional training under the supervision of Bill Dawson. Saints achieved a "fine win" with Meston
and Buchanan
scoring in a 2–1 victory; this was the first time that a Southern League club had ever defeated opposition from the Football League
.
The reward was another home tie against another team from the Second Division, Newcastle United
. As a result of a dispute with the landlady of the Shawford lodgings, the directors decided to take the players out each evening to sample the entertainments on offer in Southampton, which included an evening at the Philharmonic Hall and visits to the Empire Music Hall and the Prince of Wales theatre. These evenings helped maintain the team's morale resulting in a 1–0 victory over their league opponents.
By this time, the local press were speculating that Southampton could reach at least the semi-final
stage of the competition, with one commentator expressing the opinion: "if the present rate of progress is maintained we shall yet see our champions in the final at the Palace." The draw for Round Three was against Bolton Wanderers
of the Football League First Division
, away. The national press predicted an easy home victory, with Bolton expected to put paid to "the parrot cries concerning the great improvement in the game south of the Thames." In preparation for the match, the board sent the players together with Dawson to Matlock Bath
to stay at the Chesterfield House Hydro for a week of special training. Each player was on an £8 bonus for a win and £5 for a draw.
At Burnden Park
, they were greeted by at least 300 Southampton supporters who had arrived in a special train run by the Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway
Company. The journey took eight hours each way, with the round trip lasting 28 hours, at a cost of 10s
. The supporters were rewarded with a goalless draw, described by The Daily Telegraph
as "the biggest surprise of the day".
The replay took place at the County Ground
on the following Wednesday afternoon in front of a crowd estimated at between 12,000 and 15,000, netting gate receipts of £532. To the surprise of the national press, Southampton put on "an outstanding display" to win 4–0. At one stage in the match, the hugely partisan crowd spilled onto the pitch, with the match having to be halted temporarily. The Daily Mail
was duly impressed:
This victory set up a semi-final tie with another First Division club, Nottingham Forest
, which would turn out to be one of the most controversial in the history of the FA Cup.
decided that the Derby County
vs. Everton
tie should be at Villa Park
while Southampton and Forest would go to Sheffield United
's Bramall Lane
. This prompted the Southampton board to formally request that the FA switch the venues, to reduce the travelling for supporters of all four clubs. The FA's response was minuted in the Southampton board meeting held on 11 March: "Letter from F.J. Wall (secretary of the FA) saying Association could not see their way to change the grounds in the English Cup semi-finals".
Once again, the players were sent to Matlock Bath for a week of special training. In the match at Bramall Lane, Forest took the lead after only five minutes with a goal from Len Benbow
. Following a collision with the Forest goalkeeper, Southampton's centre-forward Jack Farrell
was reduced to a passenger for the remainder of the match; despite this, Southampton equalised through Harry Haynes
to earn a replay at Crystal Palace
.
The replay on 23 March was played in a blizzard. After a scoreless first half (in which Joe Turner
missed a penalty for Southampton), in the second half Saints were on top when, with ten minutes left to play, referee John Lewis
stopped the match for a time and the players left the pitch. When the match re-started, according to one report: "hardly had the players taken up their positions again when the snow recommenced with redoubled fury, and the Forest, assisted by the blizzard, put on a couple of goals in the last minutes". Another account claimed that the Saints' goalkeeper, George Clawley
had his eyes "choked with snow" when he conceded the two goals. All reports of the match confirm that the storm was worse when the two goals were scored than when the players were taken from the pitch. Forest's goals came from Tom McInnes
and Charlie Richards
, as Forest went on to defeat Derby County
in the final
.
Some spectators objected to Southampton's protests, including one who wrote to the Morning Leader :
, and there were numerous letters of complaint to both the national and local press. Despite the protests, the F.A. decided that the result should stand – this was perhaps not surprising as Lewis was an eminent member of the F.A. board.
at the County Ground
, having vacated the Antelope Ground
in the summer of 1896. The rent payable to the cricket club (£200 p.a.) was putting a strain on the football club's finances and, in an attempt to reduce this burden, the club had considered a merger with the Freemantle club
and a move to their ground in Shirley
. The merger proposals had fallen down, but at the Extraordinary general meeting
in June 1897, the members were informed that "the committee had a ground in view".
At a shareholders' meeting on 11 November 1897, the chairman stated:
The site on which the ground was built was described in Philip Brannon's Picture of Southampton, published in 1850, as "a lovely dell with a gurgling stream and lofty aspens"; the stream is the Rollsbrook which flows out of Southampton Common
, running parallel to Hill Lane before now disappearing under Commercial Road and the Central Station, from where it is conduited under Southampton Docks into Southampton Water
. The land had been purchased in the 1880s by the Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway
to enable them to continue the line from Shawford via Otterbourne
and Bassett
into Shirley (where a station was to be situated in what is now St. James' Park, opposite St. James' Church). From here the line would have travelled south across Hill Lane to run through the dell and then on an embankment and viaduct over Commercial Road and the London and South Western
line before terminating on the Western Esplanade at the foot of Arundel Tower. The dell was stripped of vegetation and the stream channelled into a conduit
with work started on the embankment and viaduct, before the project was abandoned and the D.N.S.R. obtained running rights over the L.S.W.R. from Winchester
into Southampton.
, Thomas had incurred expenditure of between £7,500 and £9,000 on acquiring and clearing the site, and erecting the new stands and had agreed an initial three year lease to the football club at a rental of £250 p.a. The dell had been drained with 13,000 ft of pipe being laid, all draining into the central culvert
formed from the Rollsbrook stream. The playing field had to be levelled and the ground made up and turfed ready for the opening of the new season. On completion, the stadium was described in the Southampton Observer:
At this stage, the new ground did not have an official name, with various names suggested including "the Fitzhugh Dell", "The Archer's Ground" and "Milton Park" but gradually the ground became known by default as "The Dell".
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
and their fourth in league football, as members of the Southern League
Southern Football League
The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
.
The club improved on their performance in the previous successful season, retaining the Southern League title and reaching the Semi-final of the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
for the first time, where they went out in controversial circumstances. They started the season as tenants of Hampshire County Cricket Club
Hampshire County Cricket Club
Hampshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Hampshire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1863 as a successor to the Hampshire county cricket teams and has played at the Antelope Ground from then until 1885, before moving to the County Ground where it...
, but by the end of the season, the club had found a new permanent home, where they were to remain for over 100 years.
By the end of a "phenomenally successful", Southampton were lifted out of relative obscurity into national prominence. In their report to the shareholders for the Annual General Meeting held on 30 June 1898, the directors commented: "The team's performance in the English Cup and their retention of the Southern League Championship entitled the club to rank among the best in the country".
Pre-season
Following the incorporation of the limited company in July 1897, the club had dropped "St. Mary's" from their name and henceforth would be known simply as "Southampton Football Club". One local reporter lamented:No longer will football enthusiasts be able to call out "Buck up Saints!" No longer will reporters with a flowery style be able to write of the "Saintly ones". For the Football Association has acceded to the request of the powers, and the club will in future be known as Southampton Football Club.
The Saints are dead. Long live Southampton!
Despite this, the press and club supporters continued to refer to the club as "the Saints", as they have done ever since.
Once again, the board recruited several players from Football League clubs, most prominent of whom was Arthur Chadwick
Arthur Chadwick
Arthur Chadwick was a professional footballer whose playing career included spells at Portsmouth and Southampton, before going on to be manager at Exeter City, Reading and Southampton...
who was to remain with the club as a player for three years, returning in 1925 as manager.
League season
The 1897–98 season was the Saints' fourth in the Southern League, having finished as champions in the previous season.The season started badly, with a defeat at Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
, but Southampton won the next three matches, all away from home. The first home match of the season came on 23 October, when Southampton gained their revenge against the Spurs, with a 4–1 victory. The next five matches were also victories before a poor defeat at Bristol City
Bristol City F.C.
Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...
on 22 January. After a draw at Chatham
Chatham Town F.C.
Chatham Town are an English Association Football club based in Chatham, Kent. They currently play in Division One North of the Isthmian League and are nicknamed "The Chats"....
, a run of eight victories gave the Saints the title, despite a home defeat to Chatham Town on the last day of the season; this was Southampton's first home league defeat for three years.
In the draw at Chatham on 5 February, a small piece of history was made as the former Ireland
Ireland national football team (IFA)
The Ireland national football team represented Ireland at association football, it was organised by the Irish FA , and is the fourth oldest international team in the world. It mainly played in the British Home Championship against England, Scotland and Wales...
and England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
international, Jack Reynolds
Jack Reynolds (footballer born 1869)
John "Jack" Reynolds was a footballer who played for, among others, West Bromwich Albion, Aston Villa and Celtic. As an international he played five times for Ireland before it emerged that he was actually English and he subsequently played eight times for England...
made his first appearance for Southampton, thus becoming the first international player to appear for the side. He only made one further appearance before dropping down to lower league football.
Despite the success on the pitch, there was considerable disharmony in the dressing room, especially regarding the behaviour of Jack Farrell
Jack Farrell (footballer)
John "Jack" Farrell was an English professional footballer who played as a forward. Farrell played in the Football League for Stoke and New Brighton Tower and played a major part in Southern league club Southampton's major cup runs at the turn of the 20th Century.-Early career:Farrell was born in...
; he had been ordered out of a board meeting and suspended for two matches early in the season having used "abusive language" during a discussion of his grievances. Other players in trouble included new signings Tom Nicol
Tom Nicol
Thomas H. "Tom" Nicol was a Scottish footballer who played for Burnley first as a centre forward and then as a full back in the 1890s, before later becoming a bowls champion in Southampton.-Burnley:...
, who was obliged to apologise to the board for his behaviour, and Bob Petrie
Bob Petrie
Robert "Bob" Petrie was a professional footballer who won the FA Cup with Sheffield Wednesday in 1896 and was on the losing side in the 1900 FA Cup final with Southampton.-Playing career:...
, who was reprimanded over his drinking. In November, Watty Keay
Watty Keay
Walter "Watty" Keay was a Scottish professional footballer who played as an inside forward for various clubs, including Partick Thistle in Scotland and Derby County and Southampton in England...
asked to be relieved of the captaincy, which was being rotated among the players on a monthly basis; he advised the board that he "was not comfortable in that position, there being so much dissension amongst the players."
League results
| Date | Opponents | H / A | Result F – A |
Scorers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 September 1897 | Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur F.C. Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane.... |
A | 0 – 2 | |
| 2 October 1897 | Sheppey United Sheppey United F.C. Sheppey United F.C. is an English football club based on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent. The club are currently members of Division One of the Kent County League and play at the Sheppey Sports Ground.-History:... |
A | 1 – 0 | Keay Watty Keay Walter "Watty" Keay was a Scottish professional footballer who played as an inside forward for various clubs, including Partick Thistle in Scotland and Derby County and Southampton in England... |
| 9 October 1897 | Millwall Athletic | A | 3 – 2 | Buchanan Robert Buchanan (footballer) Robert John Buchanan was a Scottish international footballer who played as a forward in the 1890s.-Early career:Born in Johnstone, he started his career as a youth player with Johnstone before joining Abercorn in 1887... (2), Yates Jimmy Yates Jimmy Yates was an English professional footballer who played as a right winger in the 1900 FA Cup Final for Southampton.-Playing career:... |
| 16 October 1897 | Reading Reading F.C. Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship... |
A | 2 – 0 | Naughton Willie Naughton William A. "Willie" Naughton was a Scottish professional footballer, who played as an outside-forward for various clubs in Scotland and England in the 1880s and 1890s, including Celtic, Stoke and Southampton... , Turner Joe Turner (footballer) Joseph Turner was a professional footballer who played in the 1902 FA Cup final for Southampton. Southampton were a Southern League club at the time, and their feat was all the more remarkable in that they had already been losing finalists two years earlier... |
| 23 October 1897 | Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur F.C. Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane.... |
H | 4 – 1 | Yates Jimmy Yates Jimmy Yates was an English professional footballer who played as a right winger in the 1900 FA Cup Final for Southampton.-Playing career:... (2), Farrell Jack Farrell (footballer) John "Jack" Farrell was an English professional footballer who played as a forward. Farrell played in the Football League for Stoke and New Brighton Tower and played a major part in Southern league club Southampton's major cup runs at the turn of the 20th Century.-Early career:Farrell was born in... , Turner Joe Turner (footballer) Joseph Turner was a professional footballer who played in the 1902 FA Cup final for Southampton. Southampton were a Southern League club at the time, and their feat was all the more remarkable in that they had already been losing finalists two years earlier... |
| 6 November 1897 | Swindon Town Swindon Town F.C. Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011... |
H | 4 – 1 | Buchanan Robert Buchanan (footballer) Robert John Buchanan was a Scottish international footballer who played as a forward in the 1890s.-Early career:Born in Johnstone, he started his career as a youth player with Johnstone before joining Abercorn in 1887... (3), Keay Watty Keay Walter "Watty" Keay was a Scottish professional footballer who played as an inside forward for various clubs, including Partick Thistle in Scotland and Derby County and Southampton in England... |
| 13 November 1897 | New Brompton Gillingham F.C. Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium... |
A | 1 – 0 | Farrell Jack Farrell (footballer) John "Jack" Farrell was an English professional footballer who played as a forward. Farrell played in the Football League for Stoke and New Brighton Tower and played a major part in Southern league club Southampton's major cup runs at the turn of the 20th Century.-Early career:Farrell was born in... |
| 27 November 1897 | Wolverton L & NWR Wolverton A.F.C. Wolverton Association Football Club, often known simply as Wolverton, was an English football team representing the town of Wolverton . The club's motto was "In Omnia Paratus" . The club was wound up in 1992... |
A | 2 – 0 | Petrie Bob Petrie Robert "Bob" Petrie was a professional footballer who won the FA Cup with Sheffield Wednesday in 1896 and was on the losing side in the 1900 FA Cup final with Southampton.-Playing career:... , Yates Jimmy Yates Jimmy Yates was an English professional footballer who played as a right winger in the 1900 FA Cup Final for Southampton.-Playing career:... |
| 1 January 1898 | Bristol City Bristol City F.C. Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City... |
H | 4 – 0 | Keay Watty Keay Walter "Watty" Keay was a Scottish professional footballer who played as an inside forward for various clubs, including Partick Thistle in Scotland and Derby County and Southampton in England... (2), Chadwick Arthur Chadwick Arthur Chadwick was a professional footballer whose playing career included spells at Portsmouth and Southampton, before going on to be manager at Exeter City, Reading and Southampton... , Petrie Bob Petrie Robert "Bob" Petrie was a professional footballer who won the FA Cup with Sheffield Wednesday in 1896 and was on the losing side in the 1900 FA Cup final with Southampton.-Playing career:... |
| 8 January 1898 | Sheppey United Sheppey United F.C. Sheppey United F.C. is an English football club based on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent. The club are currently members of Division One of the Kent County League and play at the Sheppey Sports Ground.-History:... |
A | 4 – 0 | Buchanan Robert Buchanan (footballer) Robert John Buchanan was a Scottish international footballer who played as a forward in the 1890s.-Early career:Born in Johnstone, he started his career as a youth player with Johnstone before joining Abercorn in 1887... (2), Farrell Jack Farrell (footballer) John "Jack" Farrell was an English professional footballer who played as a forward. Farrell played in the Football League for Stoke and New Brighton Tower and played a major part in Southern league club Southampton's major cup runs at the turn of the 20th Century.-Early career:Farrell was born in... , Meston Samuel Meston Samuel Meston was a Scottish professional footballer who played as a half-back for Stoke and Southampton. Whilst with Southampton, he appeared in two FA Cup Finals and won six Southern League championship medals and was the only player ever to do so.-Playing career:Meston was born in Arbroath and... |
| 15 January 1898 | Bristol City Bristol City F.C. Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City... |
A | 2 – 5 | Farrell Jack Farrell (footballer) John "Jack" Farrell was an English professional footballer who played as a forward. Farrell played in the Football League for Stoke and New Brighton Tower and played a major part in Southern league club Southampton's major cup runs at the turn of the 20th Century.-Early career:Farrell was born in... , Yates Jimmy Yates Jimmy Yates was an English professional footballer who played as a right winger in the 1900 FA Cup Final for Southampton.-Playing career:... |
| 22 January 1898 | New Brompton | H | 4 – 1 | Turner Joe Turner (footballer) Joseph Turner was a professional footballer who played in the 1902 FA Cup final for Southampton. Southampton were a Southern League club at the time, and their feat was all the more remarkable in that they had already been losing finalists two years earlier... (3), Buchanan Robert Buchanan (footballer) Robert John Buchanan was a Scottish international footballer who played as a forward in the 1890s.-Early career:Born in Johnstone, he started his career as a youth player with Johnstone before joining Abercorn in 1887... |
| 5 February 1898 | Chatham Town Chatham Town F.C. Chatham Town are an English Association Football club based in Chatham, Kent. They currently play in Division One North of the Isthmian League and are nicknamed "The Chats".... |
A | 1 – 1 | Buchanan Robert Buchanan (footballer) Robert John Buchanan was a Scottish international footballer who played as a forward in the 1890s.-Early career:Born in Johnstone, he started his career as a youth player with Johnstone before joining Abercorn in 1887... |
| 19 February 1898 | Reading Reading F.C. Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship... |
H | 2 – 1 | Chadwick Arthur Chadwick Arthur Chadwick was a professional footballer whose playing career included spells at Portsmouth and Southampton, before going on to be manager at Exeter City, Reading and Southampton... , Keay Watty Keay Walter "Watty" Keay was a Scottish professional footballer who played as an inside forward for various clubs, including Partick Thistle in Scotland and Derby County and Southampton in England... |
| 5 March 1898 | Swindon Town Swindon Town F.C. Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011... |
A | 2 – 0 | Petrie Bob Petrie Robert "Bob" Petrie was a professional footballer who won the FA Cup with Sheffield Wednesday in 1896 and was on the losing side in the 1900 FA Cup final with Southampton.-Playing career:... , Yates Jimmy Yates Jimmy Yates was an English professional footballer who played as a right winger in the 1900 FA Cup Final for Southampton.-Playing career:... |
| 12 March 1898 | Wolverton L & NWR Wolverton A.F.C. Wolverton Association Football Club, often known simply as Wolverton, was an English football team representing the town of Wolverton . The club's motto was "In Omnia Paratus" . The club was wound up in 1992... |
H | 3 – 0 | Turner Joe Turner (footballer) Joseph Turner was a professional footballer who played in the 1902 FA Cup final for Southampton. Southampton were a Southern League club at the time, and their feat was all the more remarkable in that they had already been losing finalists two years earlier... (3), Farrell Jack Farrell (footballer) John "Jack" Farrell was an English professional footballer who played as a forward. Farrell played in the Football League for Stoke and New Brighton Tower and played a major part in Southern league club Southampton's major cup runs at the turn of the 20th Century.-Early career:Farrell was born in... |
| 26 March 1898 | Gravesend United Gravesend United F.C. Gravesend United Football Club was a football club based in Gravesend, Kent.They were founder members of the Kent League in 1894-95 before moving to join the Southern League in 1896-97... |
A | 3 – 1 | Petrie Bob Petrie Robert "Bob" Petrie was a professional footballer who won the FA Cup with Sheffield Wednesday in 1896 and was on the losing side in the 1900 FA Cup final with Southampton.-Playing career:... , Steven David Steven David Steven was a Scottish professional footballer who played as an inside-forward around the turn of the 20th century, spending most of his career with his hometown club, Dundee, before he died from a heart attack aged only 25.... , Turner Joe Turner (footballer) Joseph Turner was a professional footballer who played in the 1902 FA Cup final for Southampton. Southampton were a Southern League club at the time, and their feat was all the more remarkable in that they had already been losing finalists two years earlier... |
| 4 April 1898 | Gravesend United Gravesend United F.C. Gravesend United Football Club was a football club based in Gravesend, Kent.They were founder members of the Kent League in 1894-95 before moving to join the Southern League in 1896-97... |
H | 5 – 1 | Steven David Steven David Steven was a Scottish professional footballer who played as an inside-forward around the turn of the 20th century, spending most of his career with his hometown club, Dundee, before he died from a heart attack aged only 25.... (2), Brown Bob Brown (Victorian footballer) Robert "Bob" Brown was an English professional footballer who played as an outside-forward for various clubs at the end of the 19th century, including three years in the Football League with Burton Wanderers and a year at Southampton in 1897–98, where he helped win the Southern League... , Buchanan Robert Buchanan (footballer) Robert John Buchanan was a Scottish international footballer who played as a forward in the 1890s.-Early career:Born in Johnstone, he started his career as a youth player with Johnstone before joining Abercorn in 1887... , Turner Joe Turner (footballer) Joseph Turner was a professional footballer who played in the 1902 FA Cup final for Southampton. Southampton were a Southern League club at the time, and their feat was all the more remarkable in that they had already been losing finalists two years earlier... |
| 11 April 1898 | Northfleet | H | 3 – 1 | McMillan John McMillan (footballer born 1865) John McMillan was a Scottish professional footballer who played at half-back for Heart of Midlothian and Southampton in the 1890s.-Football career:... , Brown Bob Brown (Victorian footballer) Robert "Bob" Brown was an English professional footballer who played as an outside-forward for various clubs at the end of the 19th century, including three years in the Football League with Burton Wanderers and a year at Southampton in 1897–98, where he helped win the Southern League... |
| 16 April 1898 | Northfleet | A | 2 – 0 | Meston Samuel Meston Samuel Meston was a Scottish professional footballer who played as a half-back for Stoke and Southampton. Whilst with Southampton, he appeared in two FA Cup Finals and won six Southern League championship medals and was the only player ever to do so.-Playing career:Meston was born in Arbroath and... , Steven David Steven David Steven was a Scottish professional footballer who played as an inside-forward around the turn of the 20th century, spending most of his career with his hometown club, Dundee, before he died from a heart attack aged only 25.... |
| 20 April 1898 | Millwall Athletic Millwall F.C. Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the... |
H | 1 – 0 | Turner Joe Turner (footballer) Joseph Turner was a professional footballer who played in the 1902 FA Cup final for Southampton. Southampton were a Southern League club at the time, and their feat was all the more remarkable in that they had already been losing finalists two years earlier... |
| 1 May 1898 | Chatham Town Chatham Town F.C. Chatham Town are an English Association Football club based in Chatham, Kent. They currently play in Division One North of the Isthmian League and are nicknamed "The Chats".... |
H | 0 – 1 |
Legend
| Win | Draw | Loss |
Top of league table
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | For | Against | GA1 | Points 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southampton | 22 | 18 | 1 | 3 | 53 | 18 | 2.94 | 37 |
| 2 | Bristol City | 22 | 13 | 7 | 2 | 67 | 33 | 2.03 | 33 |
| 3 | Tottenham Hotspur | 22 | 12 | 4 | 6 | 52 | 31 | 1.68 | 28 |
Played = Matches played; Won = Matches won; Drawn = Matches drawn; Lost = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GA = Goal average; Points = Points scored
1 Teams tied on points were separated by use of goal average.
2 The points system: 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for a defeat.
FA Cup
Southampton entered the 1897–98 FA Cup tournament at the Third Qualifying Round, where they met their Southern League rivals, Bristol CityBristol City F.C.
Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...
. Robert Buchanan
Robert Buchanan (footballer)
Robert John Buchanan was a Scottish international footballer who played as a forward in the 1890s.-Early career:Born in Johnstone, he started his career as a youth player with Johnstone before joining Abercorn in 1887...
scored after only ten seconds from when the Saints were in complete control with Yates adding a second goal to complete a 2–0 victory. The next match, at Swindon
Swindon Town F.C.
Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...
, was won by half-time while Eastville Rovers were comprehensively defeated 8–1 in the final qualifying round, with Yates
Jimmy Yates
Jimmy Yates was an English professional footballer who played as a right winger in the 1900 FA Cup Final for Southampton.-Playing career:...
, Buchanan
Robert Buchanan (footballer)
Robert John Buchanan was a Scottish international footballer who played as a forward in the 1890s.-Early career:Born in Johnstone, he started his career as a youth player with Johnstone before joining Abercorn in 1887...
, Keay
Watty Keay
Walter "Watty" Keay was a Scottish professional footballer who played as an inside forward for various clubs, including Partick Thistle in Scotland and Derby County and Southampton in England...
and Turner
Joe Turner (footballer)
Joseph Turner was a professional footballer who played in the 1902 FA Cup final for Southampton. Southampton were a Southern League club at the time, and their feat was all the more remarkable in that they had already been losing finalists two years earlier...
each scoring twice.
In the First Round proper, Southampton entertained Leicester Fosse, then lying seventh in the Football League Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
. In preparation for the match, the entire team were sent to Shawford for a week for additional training under the supervision of Bill Dawson. Saints achieved a "fine win" with Meston
Samuel Meston
Samuel Meston was a Scottish professional footballer who played as a half-back for Stoke and Southampton. Whilst with Southampton, he appeared in two FA Cup Finals and won six Southern League championship medals and was the only player ever to do so.-Playing career:Meston was born in Arbroath and...
and Buchanan
Robert Buchanan (footballer)
Robert John Buchanan was a Scottish international footballer who played as a forward in the 1890s.-Early career:Born in Johnstone, he started his career as a youth player with Johnstone before joining Abercorn in 1887...
scoring in a 2–1 victory; this was the first time that a Southern League club had ever defeated opposition from the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
.
The reward was another home tie against another team from the Second Division, Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
. As a result of a dispute with the landlady of the Shawford lodgings, the directors decided to take the players out each evening to sample the entertainments on offer in Southampton, which included an evening at the Philharmonic Hall and visits to the Empire Music Hall and the Prince of Wales theatre. These evenings helped maintain the team's morale resulting in a 1–0 victory over their league opponents.
By this time, the local press were speculating that Southampton could reach at least the semi-final
FA Cup Semi-finals
The FA Cup Semi-finals are played to determine which teams will contest the FA Cup Final. They are the penultimate phase of the FA Cup, the oldest football tournament in the world.- Location :...
stage of the competition, with one commentator expressing the opinion: "if the present rate of progress is maintained we shall yet see our champions in the final at the Palace." The draw for Round Three was against Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
of the Football League First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
, away. The national press predicted an easy home victory, with Bolton expected to put paid to "the parrot cries concerning the great improvement in the game south of the Thames." In preparation for the match, the board sent the players together with Dawson to Matlock Bath
Matlock Bath
Matlock Bath is a village south of Matlock in Derbyshire, England. Built along the River Derwent, it developed, in the 19th century, as a spa town and still thrives on tourism.-History:In 1698 warm springs were discovered and a Bath House was built...
to stay at the Chesterfield House Hydro for a week of special training. Each player was on an £8 bonus for a win and £5 for a draw.
At Burnden Park
Burnden Park
Burnden Park was the home of English FA Premier League football club Bolton Wanderers who played home games here between 1895 and 1997. As well as hosting an FA Cup Final replay it was the scene of one of the greatest disasters in English football and the subject of an L. S...
, they were greeted by at least 300 Southampton supporters who had arrived in a special train run by the Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway
Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway
The Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway was a cross-country railway running north-south between Didcot, Newbury and Southampton although it actually reached the latter by running over the London and South Western Railway tracks from Shawford Junction, south of Winchester...
Company. The journey took eight hours each way, with the round trip lasting 28 hours, at a cost of 10s
Shilling
The shilling is a unit of currency used in some current and former British Commonwealth countries. The word shilling comes from scilling, an accounting term that dates back to Anglo-Saxon times where it was deemed to be the value of a cow in Kent or a sheep elsewhere. The word is thought to derive...
. The supporters were rewarded with a goalless draw, described by The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
as "the biggest surprise of the day".
The replay took place at the County Ground
County Ground, Southampton
The County Ground in Southampton, England was a former cricket and football ground. It was the home of Hampshire County Cricket Club from the 1885 English cricket season until the 2000 English cricket season...
on the following Wednesday afternoon in front of a crowd estimated at between 12,000 and 15,000, netting gate receipts of £532. To the surprise of the national press, Southampton put on "an outstanding display" to win 4–0. At one stage in the match, the hugely partisan crowd spilled onto the pitch, with the match having to be halted temporarily. The Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
was duly impressed:
Southampton's success against Bolton Wanderers marks the dawning of a new era for professional football in the South, and it is now becoming more and more evident that absolutely first-class football is not to be for ever monopolised by the Northern organisations. While lamenting methods by which this condition of things has been brought about – that is to say, the hiring of aliens – one cannot escape a feeling of gratification that the South is at last holding its own once more.
This victory set up a semi-final tie with another First Division club, Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
, which would turn out to be one of the most controversial in the history of the FA Cup.
The semi-final
When the draw for the semi-finals was made, The Football AssociationThe Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
decided that the Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
vs. Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
tie should be at Villa Park
Villa Park
Villa Park may mean:United Kingdom* Villa Park, an association football stadium in Birmingham, EnglandUnited States* Villa Park, California, a small city in Orange County* Villa Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago in DuPage County...
while Southampton and Forest would go to Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
's Bramall Lane
Bramall Lane
-Cricket at the Lane:Bramall Lane opened as a cricket ground in 1855, having been leased by Michael Ellison from the Duke of Norfolk at an annual rent of £70. The site was then away from the town's industrial area, and relatively free from smoke. It was built to host the matches of local cricket...
. This prompted the Southampton board to formally request that the FA switch the venues, to reduce the travelling for supporters of all four clubs. The FA's response was minuted in the Southampton board meeting held on 11 March: "Letter from F.J. Wall (secretary of the FA) saying Association could not see their way to change the grounds in the English Cup semi-finals".
Once again, the players were sent to Matlock Bath for a week of special training. In the match at Bramall Lane, Forest took the lead after only five minutes with a goal from Len Benbow
Len Benbow
Leonard Benbow was a former footballer, who played in the Football League for Stoke where he made twenty one appearances. He also played for Nottingham Forest with whom he won the FA Cup in 1898....
. Following a collision with the Forest goalkeeper, Southampton's centre-forward Jack Farrell
Jack Farrell (footballer)
John "Jack" Farrell was an English professional footballer who played as a forward. Farrell played in the Football League for Stoke and New Brighton Tower and played a major part in Southern league club Southampton's major cup runs at the turn of the 20th Century.-Early career:Farrell was born in...
was reduced to a passenger for the remainder of the match; despite this, Southampton equalised through Harry Haynes
Harry Haynes
Harry Haynes was an English footballer who played as a full back for Wolverhampton Wanderers, Small Heath and Southampton in the 1890s.-Midlands:...
to earn a replay at Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace National Sports Centre
The National Sports Centre at Crystal Palace in south London, England is a large sports centre and athletics stadium. It was opened in 1964 in Crystal Palace Park, close to the site of the former Crystal Palace, in the former parkland and also usurping part of the former grand prix circuit.It was...
.
The replay on 23 March was played in a blizzard. After a scoreless first half (in which Joe Turner
Joe Turner (footballer)
Joseph Turner was a professional footballer who played in the 1902 FA Cup final for Southampton. Southampton were a Southern League club at the time, and their feat was all the more remarkable in that they had already been losing finalists two years earlier...
missed a penalty for Southampton), in the second half Saints were on top when, with ten minutes left to play, referee John Lewis
John Lewis (referee)
John Lewis was an English football player, administrator and referee. He was born at Market Drayton, Shropshire, but lived most of his life in Lancashire and was primarily associated with Blackburn Rovers F.C...
stopped the match for a time and the players left the pitch. When the match re-started, according to one report: "hardly had the players taken up their positions again when the snow recommenced with redoubled fury, and the Forest, assisted by the blizzard, put on a couple of goals in the last minutes". Another account claimed that the Saints' goalkeeper, George Clawley
George Clawley
George Clawley was an English professional goalkeeper who played for Stoke, Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries...
had his eyes "choked with snow" when he conceded the two goals. All reports of the match confirm that the storm was worse when the two goals were scored than when the players were taken from the pitch. Forest's goals came from Tom McInnes
Tom McInnes (footballer born August 1870)
Thomas "Tom" McInnes was a Scottish professional footballer who scored 65 goals from 246 appearances in the Football League playing as an forward for Nottingham Forest and Lincoln City...
and Charlie Richards
Charlie Richards
Charles Henry "Charlie" Richards was a professional footballer most notable for playing almost 100 matches for Grimsby Town....
, as Forest went on to defeat Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
in the final
1898 FA Cup Final
The 1898 FA Cup Final was contested by Nottingham Forest and Derby County at Crystal Palace. Forest won 3–1, with goals from Arthur Capes and John McPherson. Steve Bloomer scored Derby's effort.-Summary:...
.
Some spectators objected to Southampton's protests, including one who wrote to the Morning Leader :
The demoralising effect of an imported team of mercenaries was evident in the behaviour of the southern partisans at the Crystal Place on Thursday. Anything more unsportsmanlike it would be difficult to conceive.The Southampton board immediately lodged a protest with the Football Association
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
, and there were numerous letters of complaint to both the national and local press. Despite the protests, the F.A. decided that the result should stand – this was perhaps not surprising as Lewis was an eminent member of the F.A. board.
FA Cup results
| Date | Round | Opponents | H / A | Result F – A |
Scorers | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 October 1897 | 3rd Qualifying Round | Bristol City Bristol City F.C. Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City... |
H County Ground, Southampton The County Ground in Southampton, England was a former cricket and football ground. It was the home of Hampshire County Cricket Club from the 1885 English cricket season until the 2000 English cricket season... |
2 – 0 | Buchanan Robert Buchanan (footballer) Robert John Buchanan was a Scottish international footballer who played as a forward in the 1890s.-Early career:Born in Johnstone, he started his career as a youth player with Johnstone before joining Abercorn in 1887... , Yates Jimmy Yates Jimmy Yates was an English professional footballer who played as a right winger in the 1900 FA Cup Final for Southampton.-Playing career:... |
11,000 |
| 20 November 1897 | 4th Qualifying Round | Swindon Town Swindon Town F.C. Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011... |
A | 3 – 0 | Farrell Jack Farrell (footballer) John "Jack" Farrell was an English professional footballer who played as a forward. Farrell played in the Football League for Stoke and New Brighton Tower and played a major part in Southern league club Southampton's major cup runs at the turn of the 20th Century.-Early career:Farrell was born in... (2), Buchanan Robert Buchanan (footballer) Robert John Buchanan was a Scottish international footballer who played as a forward in the 1890s.-Early career:Born in Johnstone, he started his career as a youth player with Johnstone before joining Abercorn in 1887... |
5,000 |
| 11 December 1897 | 5th Qualifying Round | Eastville Rovers | H County Ground, Southampton The County Ground in Southampton, England was a former cricket and football ground. It was the home of Hampshire County Cricket Club from the 1885 English cricket season until the 2000 English cricket season... |
8 – 1 | Yates Jimmy Yates Jimmy Yates was an English professional footballer who played as a right winger in the 1900 FA Cup Final for Southampton.-Playing career:... (2), Buchanan Robert Buchanan (footballer) Robert John Buchanan was a Scottish international footballer who played as a forward in the 1890s.-Early career:Born in Johnstone, he started his career as a youth player with Johnstone before joining Abercorn in 1887... (2), Keay Watty Keay Walter "Watty" Keay was a Scottish professional footballer who played as an inside forward for various clubs, including Partick Thistle in Scotland and Derby County and Southampton in England... (2), Turner Joe Turner (footballer) Joseph Turner was a professional footballer who played in the 1902 FA Cup final for Southampton. Southampton were a Southern League club at the time, and their feat was all the more remarkable in that they had already been losing finalists two years earlier... (2) |
8,000 |
| 29 January 1898 | Round 1 Proper | Leicester Fosse | H County Ground, Southampton The County Ground in Southampton, England was a former cricket and football ground. It was the home of Hampshire County Cricket Club from the 1885 English cricket season until the 2000 English cricket season... |
2 – 1 | Meston Samuel Meston Samuel Meston was a Scottish professional footballer who played as a half-back for Stoke and Southampton. Whilst with Southampton, he appeared in two FA Cup Finals and won six Southern League championship medals and was the only player ever to do so.-Playing career:Meston was born in Arbroath and... , Buchanan Robert Buchanan (footballer) Robert John Buchanan was a Scottish international footballer who played as a forward in the 1890s.-Early career:Born in Johnstone, he started his career as a youth player with Johnstone before joining Abercorn in 1887... |
10,000 |
| 12 February 1898 | Round 2 Proper | Newcastle United Newcastle United F.C. Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger... |
H County Ground, Southampton The County Ground in Southampton, England was a former cricket and football ground. It was the home of Hampshire County Cricket Club from the 1885 English cricket season until the 2000 English cricket season... |
1 – 0 | Buchanan Robert Buchanan (footballer) Robert John Buchanan was a Scottish international footballer who played as a forward in the 1890s.-Early career:Born in Johnstone, he started his career as a youth player with Johnstone before joining Abercorn in 1887... |
12,000 |
| 26 February 1898 | Round 3 Proper | Bolton Wanderers Bolton Wanderers F.C. Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001.... |
A | 0 – 0 | 15,000 | |
| 2 March 1898 | Round 3 Proper Replay | Bolton Wanderers Bolton Wanderers F.C. Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001.... |
H County Ground, Southampton The County Ground in Southampton, England was a former cricket and football ground. It was the home of Hampshire County Cricket Club from the 1885 English cricket season until the 2000 English cricket season... |
4 – 0 | Turner Joe Turner (footballer) Joseph Turner was a professional footballer who played in the 1902 FA Cup final for Southampton. Southampton were a Southern League club at the time, and their feat was all the more remarkable in that they had already been losing finalists two years earlier... (2), Yates Jimmy Yates Jimmy Yates was an English professional footballer who played as a right winger in the 1900 FA Cup Final for Southampton.-Playing career:... , Farrell Jack Farrell (footballer) John "Jack" Farrell was an English professional footballer who played as a forward. Farrell played in the Football League for Stoke and New Brighton Tower and played a major part in Southern league club Southampton's major cup runs at the turn of the 20th Century.-Early career:Farrell was born in... |
15,000 |
| 19 March 1898 | Semi-final | Nottingham Forest Nottingham Forest F.C. Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship... |
Bramall Lane Bramall Lane -Cricket at the Lane:Bramall Lane opened as a cricket ground in 1855, having been leased by Michael Ellison from the Duke of Norfolk at an annual rent of £70. The site was then away from the town's industrial area, and relatively free from smoke. It was built to host the matches of local cricket... |
1 – 1 | Haynes Harry Haynes Harry Haynes was an English footballer who played as a full back for Wolverhampton Wanderers, Small Heath and Southampton in the 1890s.-Midlands:... |
20,000 |
| 23 March 1898 | Semi-final Replay | Nottingham Forest Nottingham Forest F.C. Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship... |
Crystal Palace Crystal Palace National Sports Centre The National Sports Centre at Crystal Palace in south London, England is a large sports centre and athletics stadium. It was opened in 1964 in Crystal Palace Park, close to the site of the former Crystal Palace, in the former parkland and also usurping part of the former grand prix circuit.It was... |
0 – 2 | 12,000 |
New stadium
Since 1896, Southampton had been tenants of Hampshire County Cricket ClubHampshire County Cricket Club
Hampshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Hampshire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1863 as a successor to the Hampshire county cricket teams and has played at the Antelope Ground from then until 1885, before moving to the County Ground where it...
at the County Ground
County Ground, Southampton
The County Ground in Southampton, England was a former cricket and football ground. It was the home of Hampshire County Cricket Club from the 1885 English cricket season until the 2000 English cricket season...
, having vacated the Antelope Ground
Antelope Ground
The Antelope Ground, Southampton was a sports ground that was the first home of both Hampshire County Cricket Club, who played there prior to 1884, and of Southampton Football Club, who played there from 1887 to 1896 as "Southampton St...
in the summer of 1896. The rent payable to the cricket club (£200 p.a.) was putting a strain on the football club's finances and, in an attempt to reduce this burden, the club had considered a merger with the Freemantle club
Freemantle F.C.
Freemantle Football Club were a football club based in the Freemantle area of Southampton who were active at the end of the nineteenth century. During their brief heyday, they were rivals to Southampton Football Club...
and a move to their ground in Shirley
Shirley, Southampton
Shirley is a district on the Western side of Southampton, England. Shirley's main roles are retailing and residential. It is the most important suburban shopping area in the west of the city. Housing is a mixture of council houses in the centre of the district surrounded by private housing, with...
. The merger proposals had fallen down, but at the Extraordinary general meeting
Extraordinary General Meeting
An extraordinary general meeting, commonly abbreviated as EGM, is a meeting of members of an organisation, shareholders of a company, or employees of an official body, which occurs at an irregular time. The term is usually used where the group would ordinarily hold an annual general meeting , but...
in June 1897, the members were informed that "the committee had a ground in view".
At a shareholders' meeting on 11 November 1897, the chairman stated:
. . . that all being well, by next season the company would be in possession of its own ground which was at the present time in the hands of George Thomas Esq. who was devoting his time to its early completion.Although the minutes do not record the location of the new ground, it was common knowledge within the town that the new ground was situated
. . . in the dell that is not far from the County Ground, and nearer West StationSouthampton Central railway stationSouthampton Central railway station is a main line railway station serving the city of Southampton in Hampshire, southern England. It is on the Wessex Main Line, the South Western Main Line and the West Coastway Line...
and the town, and at the present time it is a narrow valley with a stone culvert running along the bottom. It will not be a large ground, but the natural banks on all sides will be a great help in arranging for the convenience of the spectators.
The site on which the ground was built was described in Philip Brannon's Picture of Southampton, published in 1850, as "a lovely dell with a gurgling stream and lofty aspens"; the stream is the Rollsbrook which flows out of Southampton Common
Southampton Common
Southampton Common is a large open space to the north of the city centre of Southampton, England. It is bounded by the districts of Shirley, Bassett, Highfield and Portswood. The area supports a large variety of wildlife, including the largest recorded population of the internationally rare great...
, running parallel to Hill Lane before now disappearing under Commercial Road and the Central Station, from where it is conduited under Southampton Docks into Southampton Water
Southampton Water
Southampton Water is a tidal estuary north of the Solent and the Isle of Wight in England. The city of Southampton lies at its most northerly point. Along its salt marsh-fringed western shores lie the New Forest villages of Hythe and "the waterside", Dibden Bay, and the Esso oil refinery at Fawley...
. The land had been purchased in the 1880s by the Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway
Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway
The Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway was a cross-country railway running north-south between Didcot, Newbury and Southampton although it actually reached the latter by running over the London and South Western Railway tracks from Shawford Junction, south of Winchester...
to enable them to continue the line from Shawford via Otterbourne
Otterbourne
Otterbourne is a village in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately four miles south of Winchester and eight miles north of Southampton. In October 2002, its population was approximately 1,520, and there were 602 dwellings....
and Bassett
Bassett
- Academia :* John Spencer Bassett , American professor at Trinity College * Joshua Bassett , English academic at Cambridge- Arts and entertainment :* Angela Bassett , American actress...
into Shirley (where a station was to be situated in what is now St. James' Park, opposite St. James' Church). From here the line would have travelled south across Hill Lane to run through the dell and then on an embankment and viaduct over Commercial Road and the London and South Western
London and South Western Railway
The London and South Western Railway was a railway company in England from 1838 to 1922. Its network extended from London to Plymouth via Salisbury and Exeter, with branches to Ilfracombe and Padstow and via Southampton to Bournemouth and Weymouth. It also had many routes connecting towns in...
line before terminating on the Western Esplanade at the foot of Arundel Tower. The dell was stripped of vegetation and the stream channelled into a conduit
Waterway
A waterway is any navigable body of water. Waterways can include rivers, lakes, seas, oceans, and canals. In order for a waterway to be navigable, it must meet several criteria:...
with work started on the embankment and viaduct, before the project was abandoned and the D.N.S.R. obtained running rights over the L.S.W.R. from Winchester
Winchester
Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
into Southampton.
Construction
George Thomas, a fish merchant who had been appointed as a director of the limited company when it was formed in the summer of 1896, who lived in Shirley, saw the potential of the cleared site and purchased the land from the D.N.S.R. By the beginning of the 1898–99 season1898–99 Southampton F.C. season
The 1898–99 season was the 14th since the foundation of Southampton F.C. and their fifth in league football, as members of the Southern League.They ended the season as champions of the Southern League for the third consecutive season and reached the Third Round of the FA Cup where they were...
, Thomas had incurred expenditure of between £7,500 and £9,000 on acquiring and clearing the site, and erecting the new stands and had agreed an initial three year lease to the football club at a rental of £250 p.a. The dell had been drained with 13,000 ft of pipe being laid, all draining into the central culvert
Culvert
A culvert is a device used to channel water. It may be used to allow water to pass underneath a road, railway, or embankment. Culverts can be made of many different materials; steel, polyvinyl chloride and concrete are the most common...
formed from the Rollsbrook stream. The playing field had to be levelled and the ground made up and turfed ready for the opening of the new season. On completion, the stadium was described in the Southampton Observer:
. . . the rising staging on the north side of the ground will hold 5,500 spectators, who have of course to stand up; the covered east and west stands will seat 4,000 spectators comfortably, and the staging and sloping bank on the south side will hold 15,000 spectators. This totals up to 24,500.
At this stage, the new ground did not have an official name, with various names suggested including "the Fitzhugh Dell", "The Archer's Ground" and "Milton Park" but gradually the ground became known by default as "The Dell".
Player statistics
| Position | Nationality | Name | League apps |
League goals |
FA Cup apps |
FA Cup goals |
Total apps |
Total goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FW |  Kingdom of England |
12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 2 | |
| FW |  Kingdom of Scotland |
19 | 10 | 9 | 6 | 28 | 16 | |
| HB | Kingdom of England |
21 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 30 | 2 | |
| GK | Kingdom of England |
22 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 31 | 0 | |
| FW | Kingdom of England |
15 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 23 | 8 | |
| FB | Kingdom of England |
22 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 31 | 1 | |
| FW | Kingdom of Scotland |
18 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 26 | 7 | |
| HB | Kingdom of England |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| HB | Kingdom of Scotland |
7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | |
| HB | Kingdom of Scotland |
22 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 31 | 3 | |
| FW | Kingdom of Scotland |
3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | |
| FB | Kingdom of Scotland |
17 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 26 | 0 | |
| HB | Kingdom of Scotland |
20 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 29 | 4 | |
| FW | Kingdom of England |
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| FW | Kingdom of Scotland |
8 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 4 | |
| FW | Kingdom of England |
20 | 10 | 9 | 4 | 29 | 14 | |
| FW | Kingdom of England |
13 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 20 | 10 | |
Key
- GK — Goalkeeper
- FB — Full back
- HB — Half back
- FW — Forward
In
| Date | Position | Name | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 1897 | FW | Bob Brown Bob Brown (Victorian footballer) Robert "Bob" Brown was an English professional footballer who played as an outside-forward for various clubs at the end of the 19th century, including three years in the Football League with Burton Wanderers and a year at Southampton in 1897–98, where he helped win the Southern League... |
Burton Wanderers Burton Wanderers F.C. Burton Wanderers were a football club from Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, England that spent three seasons in The Football League. In 1901, the club merged with Burton Swifts and formed a new club, Burton United.-History:... |
| May 1897 | HB | Arthur Chadwick Arthur Chadwick Arthur Chadwick was a professional footballer whose playing career included spells at Portsmouth and Southampton, before going on to be manager at Exeter City, Reading and Southampton... |
Burton Swifts Burton Swifts F.C. Burton Swifts were an English football club from Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire. The club ceased to exist in 1901 when they merged with Burton Wanderers to form Burton United.-History:... |
| Summer 1897 | FB | Tom Nicol Tom Nicol Thomas H. "Tom" Nicol was a Scottish footballer who played for Burnley first as a centre forward and then as a full back in the 1890s, before later becoming a bowls champion in Southampton.-Burnley:... |
Blackburn Rovers Blackburn Rovers F.C. Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football.... |
| May 1897 | HB | Bob Petrie Bob Petrie Robert "Bob" Petrie was a professional footballer who won the FA Cup with Sheffield Wednesday in 1896 and was on the losing side in the 1900 FA Cup final with Southampton.-Playing career:... |
Sheffield Wednesday Sheffield Wednesday F.C. Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the... |
| February 1898 | FW | Jack Reynolds Jack Reynolds (footballer born 1869) John "Jack" Reynolds was a footballer who played for, among others, West Bromwich Albion, Aston Villa and Celtic. As an international he played five times for Ireland before it emerged that he was actually English and he subsequently played eight times for England... |
Celtic Celtic F.C. Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the... |
| Summer 1897 | FW | David Steven David Steven David Steven was a Scottish professional footballer who played as an inside-forward around the turn of the 20th century, spending most of his career with his hometown club, Dundee, before he died from a heart attack aged only 25.... |
Dundee Dundee F.C. Dundee Football Club, founded in 1893, are a football club based in the city of Dundee, Scotland. They are nicknamed The Dee or The Dark Blues and play their home matches at Dens Park. Their shirt colour is dark blue. Dundee currently play in the Scottish First Division, having been relegated from... |
| Summer 1897 | FW | Jimmy Yates Jimmy Yates Jimmy Yates was an English professional footballer who played as a right winger in the 1900 FA Cup Final for Southampton.-Playing career:... |
Sheffield United Sheffield United F.C. Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production... |
Departures
| Date | Position | Name | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summer 1897 | GK | Walter Cox Walter Cox (footballer) Walter Cox was an English footballer who played as a goalkeeper for various clubs around the turn of the 20th century.-Football career:Cox was born in Southampton and started playing for the newly formed Southampton St Mary's club in 1892 as an outfield player... |
Bristol St George |
| Summer 1897 | FB | David Hamer David Hamer (footballer) David Bowen Hamer was a Welsh professional footballer who played as a full-back for Southampton St. Mary's in the early years of the Southern League.-Football career:... |
Cowes |
| Summer 1897 | HB | John Hodgkinson John Hodgkinson (footballer) John Hodgkinson was an English professional footballer who played at half-back for Southampton and New Brompton in the 1890s.-Football career:... |
New Brompton |
| March 1898 | HB | Alf Littlehales Alf Littlehales Alfred "Alf" Littlehales was an English professional footballer who played at centre-half for Southampton in the 1890s.-Football career:... |
Retired |
| Summer 1897 | FB | Donald McKay Donald McKay (footballer) Donald McKay was a Scottish footballer who played as a full-back for Southampton St. Mary's in 1896–97, when they won the Southern League title for the first of six occasions over the next eight years.-Football career:... |
Retired |
| Summer 1897 | FB | James McKie James McKie (Victorian footballer) James McKie was a Scottish footballer who played as a full-back for Southampton St. Mary's in 1896–97, when they won the Southern League title for the first of six occasions over the next eight years.-Football career:... |
Chatham |
| Summer 1897 | HB | William Ponting William Ponting William Robert Ponting was an English amateur footballer who played as a half-back for Southampton St. Mary's in 1896–97, when they won the Southern League title for the first of six occasions over the next eight years.-Football career:... |
Andover Andover F.C. Andover F.C. was a football club based in Andover, Hampshire, established in 1883. Since the 2007–08 season, Andover had been a member of the Southern League Division One South and West at Step 4 of the National League System... |
| Summer 1897 | FW | George Seeley George Seeley George Alfred Seeley was an English professional footballer who played for various clubs around the turn of the 20th century, including Southampton in 1898–99, where he helped win the Southern League championship.... |
Bristol St George |