1933–34 Southampton F.C. season

Southampton F.C.
1933–34 season
Chairman Sloane Stanley
Manager George Kay
Stadium The Dell
Second Division 14th
FA Cup Third round
Top goalscorer League: Ted Drake (22)
All: Ted Drake (23)
Highest home attendance 24,797 v Fulham
(26 December 1933)
Lowest home attendance 3,396 v Swansea Town
(5 February 1934)
Average home league attendance 10,008
Home colours

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.

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

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

Players transferred out

Name Nationality Pos. Club Date Ref.
Bill Charlton  England FW England Fulham May 1933 [1]
Frank Osborne  England FW none (retired) May 1933 [3]
Arthur Tilford  England FB England Fulham May 1933 [2]
Bob Foster  England GK Wales Wrexham June 1933 [4]
Jimmy Harris  England FW England Aylesford Paper Mills August 1933 [5]
Fred Dunmore  England FW England Blyth Spartans October 1933 [14]
Ted Drake  England FW England Arsenal March 1934 [17]

Second Division

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

Final league table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA Avg. Pts
12 Bury 421791670730.95943
13 Burnley 421861860720.83342
14 Southampton 421581954580.93138
15 Hull City 4213121752680.76538
16 Fulham 421572048670.71637

Results by matchday

Round123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142
GroundHAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHHAHAHAHAAHHAAHAH
ResultWDLWWLLDWLWLWLLDWLWLLWDLDWWLDLDLWLDWWLLWLL
Position249538101081291181115131113101315141315161212131416161716171616161616141414

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

FA Cup

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]

Other matches

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]

Player details

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

Name Pos. Nat. League FA Cup Other[lower-alpha 1] Total
Apps. Gls. Apps. Gls. Apps. Gls. Apps. Gls.
Bill Adams HB England 392 20 10 422
Arthur Bradford HB England 301 20 20 341
Tom Brewis FW England 323 00 20 343
Ben Burley FW England 20 00 00 20
Frank Campbell HB Scotland 323 20 10 353
Herbert Coates FW England 40 00 00 40
Norman Cole FW England 105 00 10 115
Joe Cummins FW England 10 00 00 10
Vivian Gibbins FW England 20 00 00 20
Arthur Holt FW England 326 20 10 356
Billy Light GK England 40 00 00 40
Bill Luckett HB England 291 10 20 321
Johnny McIlwaine HB Scotland 111 00 00 111
Dick Neal FW England 413 20 20 453
Arthur Roberts FB England 390 20 20 430
Tom Ruddy FW England 91 10 10 111
Bert Scriven GK England 380 20 20 420
Charlie Sillett FB England 52 10 10 72
Fred Tully FW England 264 10 21 295
Frank Ward FB England 100 00 10 110
Stan Woodhouse HB England 390 20 10 420
Players with appearances who left before the end of the season
Ted Drake FW England 2722 21 00 2923

Notes

  1. ↑ Includes the Hampshire Combination Cup and Hampshire Benevolent/Rowland Hospital Cup matches.

Most appearances

Rank Name Pos. League FA Cup Other Total
Apps. % Apps. % Apps. % Apps. %
1 Dick Neal FW 4197.62 2100.00 2100.00 4597.83
2 Arthur Roberts FB 3992.86 2100.00 2100.00 4393.48
3 Bill Adams HB 3992.86 2100.00 150.00 4291.30
Stan Woodhouse HB 3992.86 2100.00 150.00 4291.30
Bert Scriven GK 3890.48 2100.00 2100.00 4291.30
6 Frank Campbell HB 3276.20 2100.00 150.00 3576.09
Arthur Holt FW 3276.20 2100.00 150.00 3576.09
8 Tom Brewis FW 3276.19 00.00 2100.00 3473.91
Arthur Bradford HB 3071.43 2100.00 2100.00 3473.91
10 Bill Luckett HB 2969.05 150.00 2100.00 3269.57

Top goalscorers

Rank Name Pos. League FA Cup Other Total
Gls. GPG Gls. GPG Gls. GPG Gls. GPG
1 Ted Drake FW 220.81 10.50 00.00 230.79
2 Arthur Holt FW 60.18 00.00 00.00 60.17
3 Norman Cole FW 50.50 00.00 00.00 50.45
Fred Tully FW 40.15 00.00 10.50 50.17
5 Tom Brewis FW 30.09 00.00 20.00 30.08
Frank Campbell HB 30.09 00.00 20.00 30.08
Dick Neal FW 30.07 00.00 20.00 30.06
8 Charlie Sillett FW 20.40 00.00 20.00 20.28
Bill Adams HB 20.05 00.00 20.00 20.04
10 Johnny McIlwaine HB 10.11 00.00 20.00 10.11
Tom Ruddy FW 10.11 00.00 20.00 10.11
Bill Luckett HB 10.03 00.00 20.00 10.03
Arthur Bradford HB 10.03 00.00 20.00 10.02

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. 41
  2. 1 2 Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, pp. 186–187
  3. 1 2 Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, pp. 144–145
  4. 1 2 Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 70
  5. 1 2 Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 86
  6. 1 2 Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 190
  7. 1 2 Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, pp. 122–123
  8. 1 2 Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 38
  9. 1 2 Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 195
  10. 1 2 Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 207
  11. 1 2 Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 32
  12. 1 2 Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 75
  13. 1 2 Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 117
  14. 1 2 Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 62
  15. 1 2 Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 50
  16. 1 2 Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 14
  17. 1 2 Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 61
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 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. 1 2 3 4 5 6 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. 1 2 Juson et al. 2004, p. 133
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