1927–28 Southampton F.C. season

The 1927–28 season was the 33rd season of competitive football by Southampton, and the club's sixth in the Second Division of the Football League. The season was the club's worst in the division to date, as they finished in 17th place just two points above Fulham in the first relegation spot. After a poor start in which they lost their first four games of the campaign, the Saints continued to drop points against teams throughout the Second Division, remaining in the bottom six positions for most of the year. A number of wins in the second half of the season over fellow mid-table sides helped to offset notable losses against those aiming for promotion, ensuring that the club avoided returning down to the Third Division South. Southampton finished the season in 17th place with 14 wins, seven draws and 21 losses.

Southampton F.C.
1927–28 season
ChairmanWyndham Portal
ManagerArthur Chadwick
StadiumThe Dell
Second Division17th
FA CupThird round
Top goalscorerLeague: Bill Rawlings (20)
All: Bill Rawlings (21)
Highest home attendance15,763 v West Bromwich
Albion
(9 April 1928)
Lowest home attendance4,619 v Fulham
(19 November 1927)
Average home league attendance10,309
Biggest win5–0 v Grimsby Town
(4 February 1928)
6–1 v Barnsley
(24 March 1928)
Biggest defeat1–6 v Manchester City
(28 April 1928)

In the 1927–28 FA Cup, Southampton entered at the third round away to First Division side Cardiff City, who had beaten Arsenal to win the tournament the previous season. The game ended 2–1 to the Welsh side, with Bill Rawlings scoring a consolation goal for visitors as they were eliminated in their first fixture in the cup for the second time in three seasons. The club ended the season at Fratton Park for the Hampshire Benevolent Cup match against local rivals Portsmouth, who had just completed their first year as a top-flight side. Pompey thrashed the Saints 6–1, with Charlie Petrie scoring the sole goal for the visitors. Southampton also played five friendly matches during the season, losing to Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic, Corinthian and Millwall, and drawing with Guildford City and Wimborne Town.

Southampton used 27 different players during the 1927–28 season and had twelve different goalscorers. Their top-scorer was centre-forward Bill Rawlings, in his final season with the club, who scored 20 goals in the Second Division and one in the FA Cup. Sam Taylor scored ten goals in the league, followed by Jimmy Bullock with eight league goals. Jerry Mackie, who joined the club in March 1928 after Rawlings left for Manchester United, scored six goals in his seven league appearances. Eight players were signed by the club during the campaign, with four released and sold to other clubs. The average attendance at The Dell during the 1927–28 season was 10,309. The highest attendance was 15,763 against West Bromwich Albion on 9 April 1928; the lowest was 4,619 against Fulham on 19 November 1927.

Background and transfers

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Southampton manager Arthur Chadwick signed several new players after the end of the 1926–27 season. The first addition was right-back James Ellison, who joined on amateur terms in May from Welsh club Rhyl United, before signing a professional contract in October.[1] The following month the club signed half-back Jack Mitton from Wolverhampton Wanderers for £150,[2] and inside-forward Charlie Petrie from Swindon Town.[3] Five more players arrived at The Dell in August: wing-half Bill Luckett from Liverpool County Combination side Skelmersdale United,[4] full-back Ted Robinson from Lancashire Combination side Chorley,[5] inside-forward Tommy Taylor from Manchester City,[6] goalkeeper George Thompson from Midland League club York City,[7] and half-back Arthur Wilson from Scotswood.[8]

During the summer, goalkeeper James Thitchener left the club for Peterborough-based side Celta Mills.[6] Also departing the club were right-half Ernie King, who signed for Southern League side Guildford City,[9] and inside-left Frank Matthews, who joined Third Division North club Chesterfield.[10] Shortly before the end of the season, in March 1928, centre-forward Bill Rawlings left the club to join First Division side Manchester United for a new club record fee of £3,860.[11] In a nine-year career at Southampton, Rawlings made a total of 377 appearances and scored 198 goals in all competitions, making him the club's top scorer at the time.[12] To replace their top scorer, the Saints signed Jerry Mackie from local First Division rivals Portsmouth, who introduced himself by scoring a hat-trick on his debut.[13]

Players transferred in

Name Nationality Pos. Club Date Fee Ref.
James Ellison   England FB   Rhyl United May 1927 Free[a] [1]
Jack Mitton   England HB   Wolverhampton Wanderers June 1927 £150 [2]
Charlie Petrie   England FW   Swindon Town June 1927 Unknown [3]
Bill Luckett   England HB   Skelmersdale United August 1927 Unknown [4]
Ted Robinson   England FB   Chorley August 1927 Unknown [5]
Tommy Taylor   England FW   Manchester City August 1927 Unknown [6]
George Thompson   England GK   York City August 1927 Unknown [7]
Arthur Wilson   England HB   Scotswood August 1927 Unknown [8]
Jerry Mackie   Scotland FW   Portsmouth March 1928 Unknown [13]

Players transferred out

Name Nationality Pos. Club Date Fee Ref.
James Thitchener   England GK   Celta Mills May 1927 Unknown [6]
Ernie King   England HB   Guildford City June 1927 Unknown [9]
Frank Matthews   England FW   Chesterfield June 1927 Unknown [10]
Bill Rawlings   England FW   Manchester United March 1928 £3,860 [12]

Second Division

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Southampton's campaign in the 1927–28 Football League Second Division started with four straight losses, combining with the defeat on the last day of the previous season to mark their joint longest run of losses in league football.[14] The first game of the season was a 6–3 loss at home to Stoke City on 27 August 1927, who had been recently promoted to the Second Division as Third Division North champions. Bill Rawlings (twice) and Sam Taylor scored for the home side in the club's highest-scoring draw to date.[15][14] The next three matches saw the Saints lose 2–0 away to Clapton Orient and Leeds United, and 3–1 in the return fixture against Orient at The Dell, leaving the team in 20th place in the Second Division table.[15][16] A 5–2 win over Oldham Athletic and three draws saw Southampton move up three places in the standings to 17th by October,[17] although by the next month they were back in close proximity to the relegation zone following defeats against Blackpool, Chelsea, Port Vale and South Shields.[15][18]

The club continued to struggle throughout November and December, when they remained in the bottom six of the table facing the prospect of a battle against relegation. Fortunes began to turn in late January when the Saints beat Notts County 5–1 (in which debutant Bill Luckett scored twice),[19] followed by a 5–0 defeat of Grimsby Town and 2–0 victories over Blackpool and Chelsea in February,[15] all of which combined to help the side escape the bottom six for the first time during the campaign.[20] The remaining fixtures of the season saw Southampton pick up enough wins to remain out of the relegation zone and therefore safe in the second flight. Notable games included a 6–1 victory over Barnsley in which new signing Jerry Mackie scored a hat-trick on his debut, and a 2–1 away win over promotion hopefuls Preston North End.[15] The Saints finished the season in 17th place in the Second Division league table – their lowest position in their six seasons in the division to date – with 14 wins, seven draws and 21 losses.[15]

List of match results

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27 August 1927 1 Southampton 3–6 Stoke City Southampton
Rawlings   
S. Taylor  
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 12,000
29 August 1927 2 Clapton Orient 2–0 Southampton London
Stadium: Clapton Stadium
Attendance: 13,711
3 September 1927 3 Leeds United 2–0 Southampton Leeds
Stadium: Elland Road
Attendance: 20,000
5 September 1927 4 Southampton 1–3 Clapton Orient Southampton
Petrie   Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 7,982
10 September 1927 5 Notts County 0–0 Southampton Nottingham
Stadium: Meadow Lane
Attendance: 10,000
17 September 1927 6 Southampton 5–2 Oldham Athletic Southampton
Rawlings   
S. Taylor   
Murphy  
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 10,000
24 September 1927 7 Grimsby Town 2–2 Southampton Cleethorpes
S. Taylor    Stadium: Blundell Park
Attendance: 10,000
1 October 1927 8 Southampton 0–0 Reading Southampton
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 10,000
8 October 1927 9 Blackpool 1–0 Southampton Blackpool
Stadium: Bloomfield Road
Attendance: 12,000
15 October 1927 10 Southampton 2–4 Chelsea Southampton
Petrie    Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 14,000
22 October 1927 11 Southampton 4–1 Wolverhampton Wanderers Southampton
Rowley   
Rawlings   
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 8,000
29 October 1927 12 Port Vale 4–0 Southampton Hanley
Stadium: Old Recreation Ground
Attendance: 9,000
5 November 1927 13 Southampton 3–5 South Shields Southampton
Rawlings   
S. Taylor  
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 8,000
12 November 1927 14 Barnsley 0–1 Southampton Barnsley
Rowley   Stadium: Oakwell
Attendance: 8,000
19 November 1927 15 Southampton 5–2 Fulham Southampton
Rawlings   
Bradford  
Rowley  
Murphy  
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 4,619
26 November 1927 16 Hull City 1–0 Southampton Kingston upon Hull
Stadium: Anlaby Road
Attendance: 10,000
3 December 1927 17 Southampton 0–0 Preston North End Southampton
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 10,000
10 December 1927 18 Swansea Town 2–0 Southampton Swansea
Stadium: Vetch Field
Attendance: 13,000
17 December 1927 19 Southampton 1–1 Manchester City Southampton
S. Taylor   Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 12,000
24 December 1927 20 Nottingham Forest 1–1 Southampton West Bridgford
Rawlings   Stadium: City Ground
Attendance: 4,000
26 December 1927 21 Bristol City 3–0 Southampton Bristol
Stadium: Ashton Gate Stadium
Attendance: 17,072
27 December 1927 22 Southampton 3–2 Bristol City Southampton
Rawlings   
Bullock  
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 10,132
31 December 1927 23 Stoke City 2–1 Southampton Stoke-on-Trent
Own goal   Stadium: Victoria Ground
Attendance: 6,000
7 January 1928 24 Southampton 1–4 Leeds United Southampton
Murphy   Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 14,000
21 January 1928 25 Southampton 5–1 Notts County Southampton
Luckett   
Rawlings   
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 10,000
31 January 1928 26 Oldham Athletic 3–1 Southampton Oldham
Bullock   Stadium: Boundary Park
Attendance: 6,365
4 February 1928 27 Southampton 5–0 Grimsby Town Southampton
S. Taylor   
Rawlings  
Bullock  
Murphy  
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 8,000
11 February 1928 28 Reading 0–0 Southampton Reading
Stadium: Elm Park
Attendance: 8,000
18 February 1928 29 Southampton 2–0 Blackpool Southampton
Rawlings  
Bullock  
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 12,000
25 February 1928 30 Chelsea 0–2 Southampton London
Rawlings    Stadium: Stamford Bridge
Attendance: 40,000
3 March 1928 31 Wolverhampton Wanderers 2–1 Southampton Wolverhampton
Rawlings   Stadium: Molineux Stadium
Attendance: 13,000
10 March 1928 32 Southampton 1–3 Port Vale Southampton
S. Taylor   Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 10,000
17 March 1928 33 South Shields 2–1 Southampton South Shields
Bullock   Stadium: Horsley Hill
Attendance: 3,000
24 March 1928 34 Southampton 6–1 Barnsley Southampton
Mackie    
Woodhouse  
Petrie  
Cribb  
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 11,000
31 March 1928 35 Fulham 1–0 Southampton London
Stadium: Craven Cottage
Attendance: 7,000
7 April 1928 36 Southampton 2–0 Hull City Southampton
Mackie  
Cribb  
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 11,000
9 April 1928 37 Southampton 3–2 West Bromwich Albion Southampton
Mackie  
Bullock  
Cribb  
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,763
10 April 1928 38 West Bromwich Albion 2–1 Southampton West Bromwich
Bullock   Stadium: The Hawthorns
Attendance: 10,000
14 April 1928 39 Preston North End 1–2 Southampton Preston
Mackie  
Petrie  
Stadium: Deepdale
Attendance: 10,000
21 April 1928 40 Southampton 0–2 Swansea Town Southampton
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 8,000
28 April 1928 41 Manchester City 6–1 Southampton Manchester
T. Taylor   Stadium: Maine Road
Attendance: 40,000
5 May 1928 42 Southampton 2–1 Nottingham Forest Southampton
Rowley  
T. Taylor  
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 10,000

Final league table

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
15 Notts County 42 13 12 17 68 74 0.919 38
16 Wolverhampton Wanderers 42 13 10 19 63 91 0.692 36
17 Southampton 42 14 7 21 68 77 0.883 35
18 Reading 42 11 13 18 53 75 0.707 35
19 Blackpool 42 13 8 21 83 101 0.822 34
Source: [citation needed]

Results by matchday

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Round123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142
GroundHAAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAAHAHHAHAHAAHAHAHHAAHAH
ResultLLLLDWDDLLWLLWWLDLDDLWLLWLWDWWLLLWLWWLWLLW
Position182020201917181718191819201918191718181920181820181917181616171818171918161715181817
Source: 11v11.com[21]
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

FA Cup

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Southampton entered the 1927–28 FA Cup in the third round against defending champions Cardiff City, who had beaten Southampton's semi-final opponents Arsenal in the final the previous year.[19] The meeting took place on 14 January 1928 at Ninian Park, marking the first time the Saints had been drawn into the tournament away from home since the 1923–24 season.[22] The Second Division side put up "a good show", but lost 2–1 to the top-flight Bluebirds.[19] Bill Rawlings scored the only goal for the visitors, which marked his final cup goal for the club before leaving in March.[19]

14 January 1928 Round 3 Cardiff City 2–1 Southampton Cardiff
Rawlings   Stadium: Ninian Park
Attendance: 20,000

Other matches

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Outside of the league and the FA Cup, Southampton played six additional first-team matches during the 1927–28 season. The first was a friendly match against local side Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic on 28 September 1927, which they lost 3–1.[23] In January the Saints travelled to face amateur club Corinthian, who thrashed them 5–0.[23] Two away friendlies in April ended in draws: Arthur Wilson scored twice alongside Bert Shelley in a 3–3 draw against Southern League side Guildford City, and a week later a 2–2 draw with Dorset League side Wimborne Town included goals from Fred Lohse and Shelley.[23] A final friendly took place against Millwall at The Dell on 2 May. A benefit for Michael Keeping and Ted Hough, it ended in a 2–1 win for the visitors, with Southampton's consolation scored by Jim Swinden.[23]

Five days after the loss to Millwall, Southampton ended their season at Fratton Park with the annual Hampshire Benevolent Cup fixture against local rivals Portsmouth. The home side took the lead in the first minute through a header from Jack Weddle, with a Bobby Irvine volley doubling their advantage and Dave Watson adding a third before half-time.[24] After Weddle scored a second and third goal after the break, Charlie Petrie pulled one back for the travelling Saints, although the Pompey forward later scored his fourth and his side's sixth to secure a 6–1 victory.[24] For the first time since its introduction in the 1922–23 season, the Rowland Hospital Cup was not contested between the sides in 1927–28, with a local newspaper explaining that "Southampton could not find it convenient to field a team" for the fixture.[24]

28 September 1927 Friendly Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic 3–1 Southampton Bournemouth
Rawlings   Stadium: Dean Court
28 January 1928 Friendly Corinthian 5–0 Southampton London
Stadium: The Crystal Palace
23 April 1928 Friendly Guildford City 3–3 Southampton Guildford
Wilson   
Shelley
Stadium: Joseph's Road
30 April 1928 Friendly Wimborne Town 2–2 Southampton Wimborne Minster
Lohse  
Shelley
Stadium: The Cuthbury
2 May 1928 Friendly Southampton 1–2 Millwall Southampton
Swinden   Stadium: The Dell
7 May 1928 Hampshire BC Portsmouth 6–1 Southampton Portsmouth
Weddle     
Irvine  
Watson  
Petrie   Stadium: Fratton Park
Attendance: 3,000
Referee: W. E. Stone

Player details

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Southampton used 27 different players during the 1927–28 season, twelve of whom scored during the campaign. The team played in a 2–3–5 formation throughout the campaign, using two full-backs, three half-backs, two outside forwards, two inside forwards and a centre-forward.[15] Half-back and captain George Harkus made the most appearances during the season, playing in all but one league match. Arthur Bradford and Stan Woodhouse appeared in all but six games in the league.[15] Centre-forward Bill Rawlings finished as the season's top scorer with 20 goals in the Second Division and one in the FA Cup. Jimmy Bullock was the second-highest scorer of the season, with eight goals in 17 league appearances. The highest-scoring half-back of the season was new signing Bill Luckett, who scored twice in the league.[15]

Squad statistics

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Name Pos. Nat. League FA Cup Hampshire BC Total
Apps. Gls. Apps. Gls. Apps. Gls. Apps. Gls.
Bill Adams HB   1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Tommy Allen GK   32 0 1 0 0 0 33 0
Arthur Bradford HB   36 1 1 0 1 0 38 1
Jimmy Bullock FW   17 8 1 0 0 0 18 8
Cuthbert Coundon FW   15 0 0 0 0 0 15 0
Stan Cribb FW   10 3 0 0 0 0 10 3
James Ellison HB   1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
George Harkus HB   41 0 1 0 1 0 43 0
Bill Henderson FW   23 0 0 0 0 0 23 0
Ted Hough FB   25 0 0 0 0 0 25 0
Michael Keeping FB   28 0 1 0 1 0 30 0
Bill Luckett HB   6 2 1 0 1 0 8 2
Jerry Mackie FW   7 6 0 0 0 0 7 6
Jack Mitton HB   8 0 0 0 0 0 8 0
Billy Murphy FW   29 4 1 0 0 0 30 4
A. Newman[b] FW   0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0
Charlie Petrie FW   15 5 0 0 1 1 16 6
Prince[b] FW   0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0
Ted Robinson FB   1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Dick Rowley FW   20 5 0 0 0 0 20 5
Bert Shelley HB   33 0 0 0 1 0 34 0
Jim Swinden FW   2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
Sam Taylor FW   30 10 1 0 0 0 31 10
Tommy Taylor FW   4 2 0 0 1 0 5 2
George Thompson GK   10 0 0 0 1 0 11 0
Stan Woodhouse HB   36 1 1 0 1 0 38 1
Players with appearances who left before the end of the season
Bill Rawlings FW   32 20 1 1 0 0 33 21

Most appearances

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Rank Name Pos. League FA Cup Other Total
Apps. % Apps. % Apps. % Apps. %
1 George Harkus HB 41 97.62 1 100.00 1 100.00 43 97.73
2 Arthur Bradford HB 36 85.71 1 100.00 1 100.00 38 86.36
Stan Woodhouse HB 36 85.71 1 100.00 1 100.00 38 86.36
4 Bert Shelley HB 33 78.57 0 0.00 1 100.00 34 77.27
5 Tommy Allen GK 32 76.19 1 100.00 0 0.00 33 75.00
Bill Rawlings FW 32 76.19 1 100.00 0 0.00 33 75.00
7 Sam Taylor FW 30 71.43 1 100.00 0 0.00 31 70.45
8 Billy Murphy FW 29 69.05 1 100.00 0 0.00 30 68.18
Michael Keeping FB 28 66.67 1 100.00 1 100.00 30 68.18
10 Ted Hough FB 25 59.52 0 0.00 0 0.00 25 56.82

Top goalscorers

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Rank Name Pos. League FA Cup Other Total
Gls. GPG Gls. GPG Gls. GPG Gls. GPG
1 Bill Rawlings FW 20 0.62 1 1.00 0 0.00 21 0.63
2 Sam Taylor FW 10 0.33 0 0.00 0 0.00 10 0.32
3 Jimmy Bullock FW 8 0.47 0 0.00 0 0.00 8 0.44
4 Jerry Mackie FW 6 0.85 0 0.00 0 0.00 6 0.85
Charlie Petrie FW 5 0.33 0 0.00 1 1.00 6 0.37
6 Dick Rowley FW 5 0.25 0 0.00 0 0.00 5 0.25
7 Billy Murphy FW 4 0.13 0 0.00 0 0.00 4 0.13
8 Stan Cribb FW 3 0.30 0 0.00 0 0.00 3 0.30
9 Tommy Taylor FW 2 0.50 0 0.00 0 0.00 2 0.40
Bill Luckett HB 2 0.33 0 0.00 0 0.00 2 0.25

Footnotes

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  1. ^ James Ellison initially joined on amateur terms in May 1927, before turning professional that October.[1]
  2. ^ a b Players named "A. Newman" and "Prince" are listed in the lineup for the Hampshire Benevolent Cup match, however no first names are given.[24]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 66
  2. ^ a b Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, pp. 134–135
  3. ^ a b Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 150
  4. ^ a b Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 118
  5. ^ a b Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 161
  6. ^ a b c d Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 184
  7. ^ a b Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 185
  8. ^ a b Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 206
  9. ^ a b Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 111
  10. ^ a b Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 129
  11. ^ Chalk & Holley 1987, p. 304
  12. ^ a b Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, pp. 154–155
  13. ^ a b Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 124
  14. ^ a b "Southampton scoring and sequence records". Statto.com. Archived from the original on 5 September 2015. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
  15. ^ a b c d e f g h i Chalk & Holley 1987, p. 79
  16. ^ "League Division Two table after close of play on 05 September 1927". 11v11.com. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
  17. ^ "League Division Two table after close of play on 01 October 1927". 11v11.com. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
  18. ^ "League Division Two table after close of play on 05 November 1927". 11v11.com. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
  19. ^ a b c d Chalk & Holley 1987, p. 78
  20. ^ "League Division Two table after close of play on 25 February 1928". 11v11.com. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
  21. ^ "11v11 league table generator". 11v11.com. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
  22. ^ "Southampton". Football Club History Database. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
  23. ^ a b c d Chalk & Holley 1987, p. 212
  24. ^ a b c d Juson et al. 2004, pp. 123–124

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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