1927–28 Southampton F.C. season

Southampton F.C.
1927–28 season
Chairman Wyndham Portal
Manager Arthur Chadwick
Stadium The Dell
Second Division 17th
FA Cup Third round
Top goalscorer League: Bill Rawlings (20)
All: Bill Rawlings (21)
Highest home attendance 15,763 v West Bromwich
Albion (9 April 1928)
Lowest home attendance 4,619 v Fulham
(19 November 1927)
Average home league attendance 10,309
Home colours

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 back down to the Third Division South. Southampton finished the season in 17th place with 14 wins, seven draws and 21 losses.

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

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

Players transferred out

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

Second Division

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

Final league table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA Avg. Pts
15 Notts County 4213121768740.91938
16 Wolverhampton Wanderers 4213101963910.69236
17 Southampton 421472168770.88335
18 Reading 4211131853750.70735
19 Blackpool 4213821831010.82234

Results by matchday

Round123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142
GroundHAAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAAHAHHAHAHAAHAHAHHAAHAH
ResultLLLLDWDDLLWLLWWLDLDDLWLLWLWDWWLLLWLWWLWLLW
Position182020201917181718191819201918191718181920181820181917181616171818171918161715181817

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

FA Cup

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]

Other matches

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]

Player details

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

Name Pos. Nat. League FA Cup Hampshire BC Total
Apps. Gls. Apps. Gls. Apps. Gls. Apps. Gls.
Bill Adams HB England 10 00 00 10
Tommy Allen GK England 320 10 00 330
Arthur Bradford HB England 361 10 10 381
Jimmy Bullock FW England 178 10 00 188
Cuthbert Coundon FW England 150 00 00 150
Stan Cribb FW England 103 00 00 103
James Ellison HB England 10 00 00 10
George Harkus HB England 410 10 10 430
Bill Henderson FW England 230 00 00 230
Ted Hough FB England 250 00 00 250
Michael Keeping FB England 280 10 10 300
Bill Luckett HB England 62 10 10 82
Jerry Mackie FW Scotland 76 00 00 76
Jack Mitton HB England 80 00 00 80
Billy Murphy FW England 294 10 00 304
A. Newman[lower-alpha 1] FW England 00 00 10 10
Charlie Petrie FW England 155 00 11 166
Prince[lower-alpha 1] FW England 00 00 10 10
Ted Robinson FB England 10 00 00 10
Dick Rowley FW Republic of Ireland 205 00 00 205
Bert Shelley HB England 330 00 10 340
Jim Swinden FW England 20 00 00 20
Sam Taylor FW England 3010 10 00 3110
Tommy Taylor FW England 42 00 10 52
George Thompson GK England 100 00 10 110
Stan Woodhouse HB England 361 10 10 381
Players with appearances who left before the end of the season
Bill Rawlings FW England 3220 11 00 3321

Notes

  1. 1 2 Players named "A. Newman" and "Prince" are listed in the lineup for the Hampshire Benevolent Cup match, however no first names are given.[24]

Most appearances

Rank Name Pos. League FA Cup Other Total
Apps. % Apps. % Apps. % Apps. %
1 George Harkus HB 4197.62 1100.00 1100.00 4397.73
2 Arthur Bradford HB 3685.71 1100.00 1100.00 3886.36
Stan Woodhouse HB 3685.71 1100.00 1100.00 3886.36
4 Bert Shelley HB 3378.57 00.00 1100.00 3477.27
5 Tommy Allen GK 3276.19 1100.00 00.00 3375.00
Bill Rawlings FW 3276.19 1100.00 00.00 3375.00
7 Sam Taylor FW 3071.43 1100.00 00.00 3170.45
8 Billy Murphy FW 2969.05 1100.00 00.00 3068.18
Michael Keeping FB 2866.67 1100.00 1100.00 3068.18
10 Ted Hough FB 2559.52 00.00 00.00 2556.82

Top goalscorers

Rank Name Pos. League FA Cup Other Total
Gls. GPG Gls. GPG Gls. GPG Gls. GPG
1 Bill Rawlings FW 200.62 11.00 00.00 210.63
2 Sam Taylor FW 100.33 00.00 00.00 100.32
3 Jimmy Bullock FW 80.47 00.00 00.00 80.44
4 Jerry Mackie FW 60.85 00.00 00.00 60.85
Charlie Petrie FW 50.33 00.00 11.00 60.37
6 Dick Rowley FW 50.25 00.00 00.00 50.25
7 Billy Murphy FW 40.13 00.00 00.00 40.13
8 Stan Cribb FW 30.30 00.00 00.00 30.30
9 Tommy Taylor FW 20.50 00.00 00.00 20.40
Bill Luckett HB 20.33 00.00 00.00 20.25

References

  • 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

Footnotes

  1. 1 2 Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 66
  2. 1 2 Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, pp. 134–135
  3. 1 2 Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 150
  4. 1 2 Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 118
  5. 1 2 Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 161
  6. 1 2 3 4 Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 184
  7. 1 2 Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 185
  8. 1 2 Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 206
  9. 1 2 Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 111
  10. 1 2 Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 129
  11. ↑ Chalk & Holley 1987, p. 304
  12. 1 2 Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, pp. 154–155
  13. 1 2 Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 124
  14. 1 2 "Southampton scoring and sequence records". Statto.com. Archived from the original on 5 September 2015. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 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. 1 2 3 4 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. 1 2 3 4 Chalk & Holley 1987, p. 212
  24. 1 2 3 4 Juson et al. 2004, pp. 123–124
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