The above montage are pics from the Southampton 2003 FA Cup run which led them to the final.

I think we are all familiar with their current woes so I’m not going to bother with all that. If you are not go and look it up.

I want to concentrate on their FA Cup Final appearance, but before that a short background on events which eventually led them to Cardiff…

Southampton had outgrown their old ground (which wasn’t had to do) and a new place: St Mary’s Stadium was due to open for the next season. The last game at The Dell was on 19th May 2001 and it was between Southampton and… their 2003 FA Cup Final opponents Arsenal.

It was pretty much a swansong not just for the stadium but for the club legend Matt Le Tissier, who wrote himself further into that legend when he scored the winner in a 3-2 defeat of the Gunners.

At the beginning of the next season, initially with Le Tiss in their ranks, they were struggling. Les Grey was sacked and Gordon Strachan was brought in. He steadied the ship and things began too look up with an 11th place finish in the Premiership. The next season things got better and better when The Saints finished in a high 8th spot plus a cup final appearance to top it off.

So then to Cardiff (because Wembley was still under construction) and because it was pissing it down that day the roof was closed. Thus it became the only FA Cup Final ever to be played “indoors”…
One for you there fact fans.

The Saints as mentioned were on a high and full of confidence for this final, even with the task ahead of them. That task was to beat the “Invincibles” – as they later became to be known – of Arsenal FC.

Arsenal went into this as the FA Cup holders. They had beaten Chelsea the year before and had once again defeated them in the 6th round (after a replay) for this year. Southampton under Strachan’s guidance had some now familiar names in their ranks, such as the Saints youth player Wayne Bridge. Up front they had James Beattie.

Despite their opposition it was a close game, with Arsenal and some household names such as Seaman, Laren, Ashley Cole, Pires, Henry and Bergkamp in there, having to work to get the 1-nil win.

- The music created to commemorate that day came via the prolific songwriter Carl McIntosh, who has composed over 40 songs. Seriously go and have a listen.

For the FA Cup Final he did two songs, one of them named after Chris Marsden, the Saints captain.

» Carl McIntosh – Southampton Boys » Carl McIntosh – Marsdeninho

There will be a now-rare South Coast derby when the troubled Pompey travel to take on the (still troubled ?) Saints for the 5th round of the FA Cup. Whatever happens after this, who knows. But good luck to both. I hope there are better times ahead.

The Grauniad’s Small Talk has a chat with Matt Le Tissier and one of the first questions was about the moment when he was subbed by “George Weah’s cousin” Ali Dia. (pronounced: dire)

» A video interview of Le Tiss talking about “Bambi on ice” and his 20 minutes in a Southampton shirt:

EXTRA TIME:

A clip from Sky Three’s “Football Years”, which briefly covers the Ali Dia appearance:

As they said in the clip there he went on to play for Non-League Gateshead and played 8 matches for them without once bothering the goal (or anybody else for that matter).

AND PENS:

Related – Go and have a listen to Pez & The Valley Slags with their valiant tribute to the legendary Saint.

About this time last year I wrote about two clubs in the Championship (old Division 2) who were in danger of the drop down to the third tier of league football. One of them did go and the other somehow survived.

The one who went down is now back and stronger than before.

The other who somehow managed to escape and play another Championship season is now doomed again, but not just for relegation – they may actually disappear forever.

I’m saddened to read this because you never want to see a club completely fold. I am more saddened I think for the fans because it’s them who get punished and lose their team because of the ineptitude of a few suits upstairs.

I hope that there will be a similar to Luton type of rescue of the club (Fred Dinenage where are you ? Oh he’s a Pompey boy, never mind) and that for the sake of the fans and the players, that they do continue onwards.

- Some music and a few versions of a classic song which is associated with the club:

[See post to listen to audio] » Louis Armstrong – When The Saints Go Marchin’ In [See post to listen to audio] » The All-Star Marching Band – When The Saints Go Marching In [See post to listen to audio] » Don Bowyer – When The Saints Go Marching In

More of this sort of thing (multiple versions of the same song) to be be posted tomorrow/whenever.

I’m not complaining, this is a rare thing and makes for exciting viewing.

Apart from the title decider and play-off places, the fiercer competition to avoid a certain position is actually at the other end of the table where a couple of former “big” clubs are circling the drain.

Vying to avoid the one remaining relegation position are Blackpool, Coventry, Sheffield Wednesday, Leicester and Southampton.

Things looking even more doomed for fans of both these teams next season with (rumoured) news that if Leicester drop they will replace manager Ian Holloway with Iain Dowie.

Stop laughing there Saints fans.
Recently their previous chairman Rupert Lowe has gained power back at the club and if they survive this current financial crisis… and relegation would make them immediately call in the receivers… but if they do somehow scrape out of it there’s a whisper going around that Lowe would bring the nightmare that is the Hoddle out of the wilderness…

Dark times indeed.

So for these reasons and more, not just because of the above dire consequences if one of these two do go, this coming Sunday will be edge of the seat stuff.

As it stands Southampton are at home but are facing a Sheffield United side that’s been on a run (won their last 4) and a win would put them into a playoff spot. Meanwhile Leicester go away to play Stoke City who are level on points with West Brom for the Championship title.

Musically looking at the situation with these two and I have to say after listening to the following “efforts” that they both deserve to go down.

I usually try not to form or post my opinion about the songs, I leave that up to you, but in this case I have to speak out.

The performers on these songs chose to hide their identities and used a pseudonym and I can understand why.

In the first one done by “The Valley Slags” and is an ode to Matt Le Tissier… BUT – when you hear the first line you will wonder if they are actually singing about one in the same person:

» The Valley Slags – Legend Of The Saint

“Tall and gangly…”   Really…?

Next is a really dreadful effort about Leicester City. It’s a short song which barely makes it to the 1 minute 40 mark:

» Phil Bert and the Foxes – This Is The Season For Us

If the relegation issue was to be decided on these tracks I would say that Leicester are fcuked.