1933–34 Southampton F.C. season

The 1933–34 season was the 39th season of competitive football by Southampton, and the club's 12th in the Second Division of the Football League. The season was another mediocre campaign for the Saints, who finished in the bottom half of the Second Division table for the fifth time since joining the league. The club equalled their Football League record of 15 home wins from 21 games, but failed to win a single away fixture all season, continuing a club record run of 33 games without an away which started late the last season and continued until December 1934. Despite starting the season strongly and spending months in the top half of the table, Southampton finished the 1933–34 season in 14th place with 15 wins, eight draws and 19 losses, just five points above Millwall in the first relegation spot.

Southampton F.C.
1933–34 season
ChairmanSloane Stanley
ManagerGeorge Kay
StadiumThe Dell
Second Division14th
FA CupThird round
Top goalscorerLeague: Ted Drake (22)
All: Ted Drake (23)
Highest home attendance24,797 v Fulham
(26 December 1933)
Lowest home attendance3,396 v Swansea Town
(5 February 1934)
Average home league attendance10,008
Biggest win5–0 v Bradford Park Avenue (16 December 1933)
Biggest defeat1–4 v Port Vale
(6 January 1934)
1–4 v Nottingham Forest
(14 April 1934)

In the 1933–34 FA Cup, Southampton entered the third round with a home fixture against Third Division South side Northampton Town. After a 1–1 draw at The Dell, the Saints lost by a single goal in the replay at the County Ground, exiting the tournament without a win for a club record seventh season running. As in the previous year, the club ended the season against local First Division rivals Portsmouth in a single game for the Hampshire Benevolent Cup and Rowland Hospital Cup, which they lost 4–1 at home. In the semi-final of the third annual Hampshire Combination Cup, they also lost 1–0 to Pompey, who had thrashed them 6–0 at the same stage the previous season. Southampton played just one additional friendly match during the 1933–34 campaign, beating divisional rivals Fulham 2–1 at home in January.

Southampton used 22 different players during the 1933–34 season and had thirteen different goalscorers. Their top scorer was centre-forward Ted Drake, who scored 22 goals in the Second Division and one in the FA Cup before he left the club to join Arsenal in March. Inside-forward Arthur Holt scored six times in the league, followed by Norman Cole – who took Drake's place in the regular lineup after his transfer – on five league goals in just ten appearances. Ten players were signed by the club during the campaign, with seven released and sold to other clubs. The average attendance at The Dell during the 1933–34 season was 10,008. The highest attendance of the season was 24,797 against Fulham on 26 December 1933. The lowest attendance was 3,396 against Swansea Town on 5 February 1934.

Background and transfers

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After the end of the 1932–33 season, Southampton manager George Kay sold several players. In May, amateur forward Bill Charlton joined divisional rivals Fulham,[1] while former Cottagers left-back Arthur Tilford returned to the club after three months at the South Coast side.[2] Frank Osborne also left the Saints after a season playing for the reserve side, retiring from football until returning as a director at Fulham a few years later.[3] Backup goalkeeper Bob Foster joined Third Division North side Wrexham in June,[4] while outside-left Jimmy Harris was sold to Aylesford Paper Mills.[5] The club also signed several new players. In June, versatile forward Fred Tully joined from top-flight side Aston Villa,[6] and in August half-back Johnny McIlwaine returned after a year at Welsh side Llanelli.[7] During the summer, the club also signed winger Norman Catlin from Arsenal,[8] full-back Frank Ward from Preston North End,[9] and inside-forward Ted Withers from Clark's College, all on amateur terms initially.[10]

Shortly after the start of the season, Southampton signed outside-left Ben Burley from First Division side Sheffield United,[11] centre-forward Vivian Gibbins from Third Division South club Bristol Rovers,[12] and wing-half Henry Long from Hampshire League side Ryde Sports.[13] In October, outside-right Fred Dunmore was sold to Blyth Spartans,[14] and the following month inside-right Joe Cummins and amateur goalkeeper Eugene Bernard were signed.[15][16] The most notable transfer of the season, however, took place late in the campaign when Ted Drake was sold to First Division title challengers Arsenal. Drake had previously rejected an approach from the Gunners, but moved to the club after a second offer in March 1934, breaking Southampton's transfer record with his fee of £6,000.[17] At the time, Drake was the top scorer in the Second Division with 22 goals; in the ten games he played for Arsenal before the end of the season, he scored seven league goals to help them win the championship.[18]

Players transferred in

Name Nationality Pos. Club Date Fee Ref.
Norman Catlin   England FW   Arsenal June 1933 Free[a] [8]
Fred Tully   England FW   Aston Villa June 1933 Unknown [6]
Frank Ward   England FB   Preston North End July 1933 Unknown [9]
Johnny McIlwaine   Scotland HB   Llanelli August 1933 Free[b] [7]
Ted Withers   England FW   Clark's College August 1933 Free[c] [10]
Ben Burley   England FW   Sheffield United September 1933 Unknown [11]
Vivian Gibbins   England FW   Bristol Rovers September 1933 Unknown [12]
Henry Long   England HB   Ryde Sports September 1933 Free[d] [13]
Eugene Bernard   England GK   Taunton's School November 1933 Free[e] [16]
Joe Cummins   England FW   Jersey Wanderers November 1933 Unknown [15]

Players transferred out

Name Nationality Pos. Club Date Fee Ref.
Bill Charlton   England FW   Fulham May 1933 Free [1]
Arthur Tilford   England FB   Fulham May 1933 Free[f] [2]
Bob Foster   England GK   Wrexham June 1933 Unknown [4]
Fred Dunmore   England FW   Blyth Spartans October 1933 Unknown [14]
Ted Drake   England FW   Arsenal March 1934 £6,000 [17]

Players released

Name Nationality Pos. Date Subsequent club Ref.
Jimmy Harris   England FW May 1933   Aylesford Paper Mills [5]

Players retired

Name Nationality Pos. Date Reason Ref.
Frank Osborne   England FW May 1933 Retired due to age [3]

Second Division

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Southampton started the 1933–34 season strongly, picking up three wins in their first five games to secure a place in the top three of the Second Division league table.[19] Centre-forward Ted Drake quickly established himself as the division's top scorer with eight goals in the opening five games, including a hat-trick on the opening day 4–1 win over Bradford City.[20] The club's poor form away from home continued throughout the season, with only their strong home record keeping them safe from relegation.[18] The Saints quickly slipped into the bottom half of the table, and by the end of 1933 were struggling in 13th place.[21] Drake was sent off in a 3–1 loss at Grimsby Town on 9 December, becoming the first Southampton player to be dismissed in the league since Jerry Mackie on the opening day of the 1929–30 season.[18]

The club failed to win a single game away from home during the 1933–34 league campaign, combining with the last two away fixtures of the previous season and the first ten of the next in the club's longest league sequence without an away win (33 matches in total).[22] After top scorer Ted Drake was sold to First Division side Arsenal for a new Southampton club record fee of £6,000 in March 1934, the Saints continued to struggle in the bottom six places of the table, dropping as low as 17th after a run of seven games with just one win.[20][23] Three more home wins in April – against Blackpool, West Ham United and Grimsby Town – ensured that the club survived relegation to the Third Division South; Southampton finished 14th in the league table with 15 wins (all at home, equalling the club record), eight draws and 19 losses.[20]

List of match results

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26 August 1933 1 Southampton 4–1 Bradford City Southampton
Drake    
Brewis  
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 10,474
28 August 1933 2 Oldham Athletic 1–1 Southampton Oldham
Drake   Stadium: Boundary Park
Attendance: 7,000
2 September 1933 3 Port Vale 2–1 Southampton Hanley
Drake   Stadium: Old Recreation Ground
Attendance: 10,000
4 September 1933 4 Southampton 1–0 Oldham Athletic Southampton
Drake   Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 8,280
9 September 1933 5 Southampton 3–2 Notts County Southampton
Drake   
Ruddy  
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 12,237
16 September 1933 6 Swansea Town 1–0 Southampton Swansea
Stadium: Vetch Field
Attendance: 10,000
23 September 1933 7 Southampton 2–3 Millwall Southampton
Neal    Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 8,314
30 September 1933 8 Lincoln City 1–1 Southampton Lincoln
Drake   Stadium: Sincil Bank
Attendance: 9,000
7 October 1933 9 Southampton 1–0 Bury Southampton
Campbell   Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 11,961
14 October 1933 10 Hull City 1–0 Southampton Kingston upon Hull
Stadium: Anlaby Road
Attendance: 12,000
21 October 1933 11 Southampton 2–1 Burnley Southampton
Drake    Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 10,160
28 October 1933 12 Brentford 2–0 Southampton Brentford
Stadium: Griffin Park
Attendance: 16,000
4 November 1933 13 Southampton 1–0 Bolton Wanderers Southampton
Drake   Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,084
11 November 1933 14 Manchester United 1–0 Southampton Manchester
Stadium: Old Trafford
Attendance: 15,000
18 November 1933 15 Southampton 0–1 Plymouth Argyle Southampton
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 12,333
25 November 1933 16 West Ham United 0–0 Southampton London
Stadium: Boleyn Ground
Attendance: 23,000
2 December 1933 17 Southampton 2–0 Nottingham Forest Southampton
Holt  
Luckett  
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 8,247
9 December 1933 18 Grimsby Town 3–1 Southampton Cleethorpes
Bradford   Stadium: Blundell Park
Attendance: 12,000
16 December 1933 19 Southampton 5–0 Bradford Park Avenue Southampton
Sillett   
Drake   
Holt  
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 8,482
23 December 1933 20 Preston North End 3–1 Southampton Preston
Drake   Stadium: Deepdale
Attendance: 7,000
25 December 1933 21 Fulham 1–0 Southampton London
Stadium: Craven Cottage
Attendance: 21,788
26 December 1933 22 Southampton 2–0 Fulham Southampton
Drake    Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 24,797
30 December 1933 23 Bradford City 2–2 Southampton Bradford
Campbell  
Holt  
Stadium: Valley Parade
Attendance: 10,000
6 January 1934 24 Southampton 1–4 Port Vale Southampton
Campbell   Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 9,800
20 January 1934 25 Notts County 2–2 Southampton Nottingham
Neal  
Drake  
Stadium: Meadow Lane
Attendance: 8,000
5 February 1934 26 Southampton 1–0 Swansea Town Southampton
Holt   Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 3,396
10 February 1934 27 Southampton 3–1 Lincoln City Southampton
Drake   
Tully  
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 8,044
17 February 1934 28 Bury 1–0 Southampton Bury
Stadium: Gigg Lane
Attendance: 9,263
24 February 1934 29 Southampton 1–1 Hull City Southampton
Drake   Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 8,000
3 March 1934 30 Burnley 2–1 Southampton Burnley
Drake   Stadium: Turf Moor
Attendance: 7,000
10 March 1934 31 Southampton 0–0 Brentford Southampton
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 10,439
17 March 1934 32 Bolton Wanderers 2–0 Southampton Bolton
Stadium: Burnden Park
Attendance: 10,000
24 March 1934 33 Southampton 1–0 Manchester United Southampton
Cole   Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 4,900
30 March 1934 34 Blackpool 4–2 Southampton Blackpool
Holt  
Tully  
Stadium: Bloomfield Road
Attendance: 20,966
31 March 1934 35 Plymouth Argyle 0–0 Southampton Plymouth
Stadium: Home Park
Attendance: 10,000
2 April 1934 36 Southampton 3–2 Blackpool Southampton
Adams  
Brewis  
Cole  
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 10,221
7 April 1934 37 Southampton 3–2 West Ham United Southampton
Cole     Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 7,000
9 April 1934 38 Millwall 1–0 Southampton London
Stadium: The Den
Attendance: 8,000
14 April 1934 39 Nottingham Forest 4–1 Southampton West Bridgford
Tully   Stadium: City Ground
Attendance: 8,000
21 April 1934 40 Southampton 4–2 Grimsby Town Southampton
Adams  
Brewis  
McIlwaine  
Holt  
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 9,000
28 April 1934 41 Bradford Park Avenue 3–1 Southampton Bradford
Tully   Stadium: Park Avenue
Attendance: 6,000
5 May 1934 42 Southampton 0–1 Preston North End Southampton
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 9,000

Final league table

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
12 Bury 42 17 9 16 70 73 0.959 43
13 Burnley 42 18 6 18 60 72 0.833 42
14 Southampton 42 15 8 19 54 58 0.931 38
15 Hull City 42 13 12 17 52 68 0.765 38
16 Fulham 42 15 7 20 48 67 0.716 37
Source: [citation needed]
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal average; 3) Goals scored

Results by matchday

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Round123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142
GroundHAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHHAHAHAHAAHHAAHAH
ResultWDLWWLLDWLWLWLLDWLWLLWDLDWWLDLDLWLDWWLLWLL
Position249538101081291181115131113101315141315161212131416161716171616161616141414
Source: 11v11.com[24]
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

FA Cup

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Southampton were drawn in the third round of the 1933–34 FA Cup against Third Division South side Northampton Town at The Dell. The Cobblers opened the scoring after 25 minutes and held onto their lead until half-time, before Ted Drake equalised four minutes after the break to force a replay at the County Ground four days later.[18] Northampton, described by Southampton club historians as "much the better team on the day", defeated the visiting Saints by a single goal, eliminating them in the third round for the sixth season in a row, extending the club's worst run in the tournament.[18][25]

13 January 1934 Round 3 Southampton 1–1 Northampton Town Southampton
Drake   49'   25' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 21,847
17 January 1934 Round 3 Replay Northampton Town 1–0 Southampton Northampton
Stadium: County Ground
Attendance: 16,161

Other matches

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Outside of the league and the FA Cup, Southampton played three additional first-team matches during the 1933–34 season. The first was the semi-final of the third annual Hampshire Combination Cup against local rivals Portsmouth on 22 November at Fratton Park. The First Division hosts eliminated the visiting Saints for a second season, with John Wallbanks scoring the only goal after 20 minutes.[26] The club's only friendly match of the season took place on 27 January 1934, with Southampton beating divisional rivals Fulham 2–1 thanks to goals from Ted Drake and Arthur Holt.[27] At the end of the season, Southampton and Portsmouth met again for the combined Hampshire Benevolent Cup and Rowland Hospital Cup. Pompey, having just finished as runners-up in the FA Cup, beat the Second Division hosts 4–1 thanks to goals from Septimus Rutherford, Jack Weddle, Jack Smith and Fred Worrall.[28] Fred Tully scored the only goal for Southampton, "scarcely a minute" after Rutherford's opener.[28]

22 November 1933 Hampshire CC
Semi-Final
Portsmouth 1–0 Southampton Portsmouth
Wallbanks   20' Stadium: Fratton Park
Attendance: 2,215
Referee: G. H. Allen
27 January 1934 Friendly Southampton 2–1 Fulham Southampton
Drake  
Holt  
Stadium: The Dell
7 May 1934 Hampshire BC/Rowland HC Southampton 1–4 Portsmouth Southampton
Tully   Rutherford   15'
Weddle  
Smith  
Worrall  
Stadium: The Dell
Referee: W. B. Rainey

Player details

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Southampton used 22 different players during the 1933–34 season, thirteen of whom scored during the campaign. The team played in a 2–3–5 formation throughout, using two full-backs, three half-backs, two outside forwards, two inside forwards and a centre-forward.[20] Outside-right Dick Neal appeared in all but one of the club's league games during the campaign, while Arthur Roberts, Bill Adams and Stan Woodhouse all played in 39 of the 42 games in the Second Division.[20] Centre-forward Ted Drake finished as the season's top scorer with 20 goals in the Second Division, followed by inside-forward Arthur Holt on six goals, then Norman Cole and Fred Tully on five each. Frank Campbell was the highest-scoring half-back of the season, with three goals during the league campaign.[20]

Squad statistics

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Name Pos. Nat. League FA Cup Other[g] Total
Apps. Gls. Apps. Gls. Apps. Gls. Apps. Gls.
Bill Adams HB   39 2 2 0 1 0 42 2
Arthur Bradford HB   30 1 2 0 2 0 34 1
Tom Brewis FW   32 3 0 0 2 0 34 3
Ben Burley FW   2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
Frank Campbell HB   32 3 2 0 1 0 35 3
Herbert Coates FW   4 0 0 0 0 0 4 0
Norman Cole FW   10 5 0 0 1 0 11 5
Joe Cummins FW   1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Vivian Gibbins FW   2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
Arthur Holt FW   32 6 2 0 1 0 35 6
Billy Light GK   4 0 0 0 0 0 4 0
Bill Luckett HB   29 1 1 0 2 0 32 1
Johnny McIlwaine HB   11 1 0 0 0 0 11 1
Dick Neal FW   41 3 2 0 2 0 45 3
Arthur Roberts FB   39 0 2 0 2 0 43 0
Tom Ruddy FW   9 1 1 0 1 0 11 1
Bert Scriven GK   38 0 2 0 2 0 42 0
Charlie Sillett FB   5 2 1 0 1 0 7 2
Fred Tully FW   26 4 1 0 2 1 29 5
Frank Ward FB   10 0 0 0 1 0 11 0
Stan Woodhouse HB   39 0 2 0 1 0 42 0
Players with appearances who left before the end of the season
Ted Drake FW   27 22 2 1 0 0 29 23

Most appearances

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Rank Name Pos. League FA Cup Other Total
Apps. % Apps. % Apps. % Apps. %
1 Dick Neal FW 41 97.62 2 100.00 2 100.00 45 97.83
2 Arthur Roberts FB 39 92.86 2 100.00 2 100.00 43 93.48
3 Bill Adams HB 39 92.86 2 100.00 1 50.00 42 91.30
Stan Woodhouse HB 39 92.86 2 100.00 1 50.00 42 91.30
Bert Scriven GK 38 90.48 2 100.00 2 100.00 42 91.30
6 Frank Campbell HB 32 76.20 2 100.00 1 50.00 35 76.09
Arthur Holt FW 32 76.20 2 100.00 1 50.00 35 76.09
8 Tom Brewis FW 32 76.19 0 0.00 2 100.00 34 73.91
Arthur Bradford HB 30 71.43 2 100.00 2 100.00 34 73.91
10 Bill Luckett HB 29 69.05 1 50.00 2 100.00 32 69.57

Top goalscorers

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Rank Name Pos. League FA Cup Other Total
Gls. GPG Gls. GPG Gls. GPG Gls. GPG
1 Ted Drake FW 22 0.81 1 0.50 0 0.00 23 0.79
2 Arthur Holt FW 6 0.18 0 0.00 0 0.00 6 0.17
3 Norman Cole FW 5 0.50 0 0.00 0 0.00 5 0.45
Fred Tully FW 4 0.15 0 0.00 1 0.50 5 0.17
5 Tom Brewis FW 3 0.09 0 0.00 2 0.00 3 0.08
Frank Campbell HB 3 0.09 0 0.00 2 0.00 3 0.08
Dick Neal FW 3 0.07 0 0.00 2 0.00 3 0.06
8 Charlie Sillett FW 2 0.40 0 0.00 2 0.00 2 0.28
Bill Adams HB 2 0.05 0 0.00 2 0.00 2 0.04
10 Johnny McIlwaine HB 1 0.11 0 0.00 2 0.00 1 0.11
Tom Ruddy FW 1 0.11 0 0.00 2 0.00 1 0.11
Bill Luckett HB 1 0.03 0 0.00 2 0.00 1 0.03
Arthur Bradford HB 1 0.03 0 0.00 2 0.00 1 0.02

Footnotes

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  1. ^ Norman Catlin initially joined on amateur terms in June 1933, before turning professional in January 1935.[8]
  2. ^ Johnny McIlwaine returned to Southampton in August 1933 after a temporary transfer to Llanelli.[7]
  3. ^ Ted Withers initially joined on amateur terms in August 1933, before turning professional in October 1934.[10]
  4. ^ Henry Long initially joined on amateur terms in September 1933, before turning professional in October 1934.[13]
  5. ^ Eugene Bernard initially joined on amateur terms.[16]
  6. ^ Arthur Tilford returned to Fulham in May 1933 after a temporary transfer to Southampton.[2]
  7. ^ "Other" includes the Hampshire Combination Cup and Hampshire Benevolent/Rowland Hospital Cup matches.

References

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  1. ^ a b Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 41
  2. ^ a b c Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, pp. 186–187
  3. ^ a b Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, pp. 144–145
  4. ^ a b Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 70
  5. ^ a b Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 86
  6. ^ a b Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 190
  7. ^ a b c Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, pp. 122–123
  8. ^ a b c Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 38
  9. ^ a b Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 195
  10. ^ a b c Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 207
  11. ^ a b Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 32
  12. ^ a b Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 75
  13. ^ a b c Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 117
  14. ^ a b Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 62
  15. ^ a b Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 50
  16. ^ a b c Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 14
  17. ^ a b Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 61
  18. ^ a b c d e Chalk & Holley 1987, p. 90
  19. ^ "League Division Two table after close of play on 09 September 1933". 11v11.com. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
  20. ^ a b c d e f Chalk & Holley 1987, p. 91
  21. ^ "League Division Two table after close of play on 30 December 1933". 11v11.com. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
  22. ^ "Southampton scoring and sequence records". Statto.com. Archived from the original on 5 September 2015. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
  23. ^ "League Division Two table after close of play on 30 March 1934". 11v11.com. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
  24. ^ "11v11 league table generator". 11v11.com. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
  25. ^ "Southampton". Football Club History Database. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
  26. ^ Juson et al. 2004, p. 132
  27. ^ Chalk & Holley 1987, p. 213
  28. ^ a b Juson et al. 2004, p. 133

Bibliography

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  • Chalk, Gary; Holley, Duncan (10 August 1987), A Complete Record of Southampton Football Club: 1885–1987, Derby, England: Breedon Books, ISBN 978-0907969228
  • Chalk, Gary; Holley, Duncan; Bull, David (28 November 2013), All the Saints: A Complete Who's Who of Southampton FC, Bristol, England: Hagiology Publishing, ISBN 978-0992686406
  • Juson, Dave; Aldworth, Clay; Bendel, Barry; Bull, David; Chalk, Gary (10 November 2004), Saints v Pompey: A History of Unrelenting Rivalry, Bristol, England: Hagiology Publishing, ISBN 978-0953447459
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