1922–23 Southampton F.C. season

The 1922–23 season was the 28th season of competitive football by Southampton, and the club's first in the Second Division of the Football League. Having secured promotion from the Third Division South as champions the previous season, the largely unchanged Saints team avoided relegation comfortably and finished in the middle of the league table in their first season as a second-flight club. After a poor start to the campaign in which they picked up only one point from their first five matches, Southampton began to improve in form and move up from the Second Division relegation zone. The club picked up several wins over higher-placed opponents challenging for the division's two promotion places, allowing them to finish mid-table. Southampton finished in 11th place with 14 wins, 14 draws and 14 losses, and an even goal average.

Southampton F.C.
1922–23 season
ChairmanTankerville Chamberlayne
ManagerJimmy McIntyre
StadiumThe Dell
Second Division11th
FA CupFourth round
Top goalscorerLeague: Arthur Dominy (13)
All: Arthur Dominy (18)
Highest home attendance25,000 v Chelsea
(7 February 1923)
Lowest home attendance5,000 v Port Vale
(5 March 1923)
Average home league attendance12,261

In the 1922–23 FA Cup, Southampton beat First Division sides Newcastle United and Chelsea in the first and second rounds, followed by Second Division opponents Bury in the third, all of which went to replays at The Dell. In the fourth round they faced West Ham United, another Second Division side, and were knocked out after a second replay. The club ended the season hosting local rivals Portsmouth in the annual Hampshire Benevolent Cup charity match, which ended in a 2–2 draw with goals from Arthur Dominy and Henry Johnson. They also played Pompey a week previously in the Rowland Hospital Cup, with Johnson and Bill Rawlings scoring in the 2–1 win. Southampton also played three friendly matches during the season, losing to Arsenal in October, Portsmouth in December, and drawing at Northampton Town in May.

Southampton used 22 different players during the 1922–23 season and had nine different goalscorers. Their top scorer was inside-right Arthur Dominy, who scored 13 goals in the Second Division and four in the FA Cup. Centre-forward Bill Rawlings, the club's top scorer for the last two seasons, scored 12 times in the league and twice in the cup. Seven new players were signed by the club during the campaign, with five released and sold to other clubs. The average attendance at The Dell during the 1922–23 season was 12,261. The highest attendance was approximately 25,000 in the FA Cup second round replay against Chelsea on 7 February 1923; the highest league attendance was 18,000 against South Shields on 2 September 1922. The lowest attendance of the season was around 5,000 for the game against Port Vale on 5 March 1923.

Background and transfers

At the end of the 1921–22 season, several players left Southampton. First was centre-half George Bradburn, who had been out of favour for the past two seasons due to the continued form of the preferred Alec Campbell. He left to return to Walsall in the Third Division North.[1] In June, outside-left Ken Boyes also left the club, remaining in the Third Division South with Bristol Rovers.[1] Len Butt left around the same time, joining local Southern League club Boscombe.[2] Centre-forward John Horton, who had managed just one appearance in his first season with the Saints before breaking his leg, was forced to retire from professional football.[3] Prior to the start of the 1922–23 campaign, Southampton manager Jimmy McIntyre brought in two new signings to the club. First was Scottish half-back Alex Christie, who joined from Walsall primarily as cover at right-half behind the ever-present Bert Shelley.[4] Also signed was left winger Joe Clark, who joined from Welsh side Aberdare & Aberaman Athletic.[4]

Shortly after the season had begun, McIntyre signed several more players. In September, the club brought in half-back Arthur Bradford from Talbot Stead Tubeworks, although he would not make his debut for the club until late the following season.[1] The club also signed former goalkeeper Herbert Lock from Queens Park Rangers and Harry Yeomans from Camberley & Yorktown, having been without a backup for Tommy Allen the entire last season.[5][6] In November, inside-forward Les Bruton was brought in from Foleshill for a fee of £15.[7] Southampton signed and sold one more player in January 1923. Leaving the club was Scottish half-back George Getgood, who had joined less than a year earlier and been a regular in the side ever since. Getgood had continued to commute to the South Coast from Birmingham instead of moving, and so decided to transfer to a club closer to home when he joined Wolverhampton Wanderers.[8] Outside-left Willie McCall moved in the other direction as part of the deal.[9]

Players transferred in

Name Nationality Pos. Club Date Ref.
Alex Christie  Scotland HB Walsall May 1922 [4]
Joe Clark  England FW Aberaman Athletic May 1922 [4]
Arthur Bradford  England HB Talbot Stead Tubeworks September 1922 [1]
Herbert Lock  England GK Queens Park Rangers September 1922 [5]
Harry Yeomans  England GK Camberley & Yorktown October 1922 [6]
Les Bruton  England FW Foleshill November 1922 [7]
Willie McCall  Scotland FW Wolverhampton Wanderers January 1923 [9]

Players transferred out

Name Nationality Pos. Club Date Ref.
George Bradburn  England HB Walsall May 1922 [1]
John Horton  England FW none (retired due to injury) May 1922 [3]
Ken Boyes  England FW Bristol Rovers June 1922 [1]
Len Butt  England HB Boscombe June 1922 [2]
George Getgood  Scotland HB Wolverhampton Wanderers January 1923 [8]

Second Division
See also: 1922–23 Football League

Southampton's first season in the Second Division of the Football League started poorly, with the club picking up just two points from their opening six games – in a goalless draw against South Shields on opening day, and in a 2–2 draw with Barnsley a month later – to find themselves in the relegation zone early on.[10] The Saints failed to score in their first five games of the campaign, which marked a club record not equalled until 1937.[11][12] The first home game of the season, against Leeds United, also marked the end of the team's 18-month unbeaten run at home.[13][12] Southampton picked up their first win over Blackpool on 23 September, and began to improve their form to move up from the bottom of the league table.[10] After a nine-game unbeaten run, the club had made it up to 11th place by mid-November.[14] Despite being briefly dropped in favour of Henry Johnson early in the season, Bill Rawlings scored many important goals in later months alongside Arthur Dominy to ensure that the Saints remained competitive.[10]

The club continued to remain above the drop zone over the Christmas period, despite dropping a number of points in both home and away fixtures, albeit to teams challenging for the division's promotion places. Their biggest defeat of the season came on 9 December at The Dell, with fellow strugglers Derby County thrashing the home side 4–0.[10] By the new year they had cemented their position in the middle of the table, beating teams in the same vicinity such as Hull City and Fulham in late December to move back up to 11th.[10] Another brief unbeaten run against lower-placed teams in March and April was followed by wins over strugglers Clapton Orient and Stockport County, which ensured that the side survived their first season in the Second Division with relative ease.[10] Southampton finished the season in 11th place, picking up 14 wins, 14 draws and 14 losses. With a goal record of 40 scored and 40 conceded, they finished ahead of Hull City on goal average, and trailed 10th-placed Fulham by two points.[10]

List of match results
26 August 1922 1South Shields0–0SouthamptonSouth Shields
Stadium: Horsley Hill
Attendance: 13,000
28 August 1922 2Southampton0–1Leeds UnitedSouthampton
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 16,000
2 September 1922 3Southampton0–2South ShieldsSouthampton
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 18,000
4 September 1922 4Leeds United1–0SouthamptonLeeds
Stadium: Elland Road
Attendance: 6,000
9 September 1922 5Barnsley3–0SouthamptonBarnsley
Stadium: Oakwell
Attendance: 10,000
16 September 1922 6Southampton2–2BarnsleySouthampton
Shelley
Rawlings 		Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,000
23 September 1922 7Blackpool1–2SouthamptonBlackpool
Dominy
Rawlings 		Stadium: Bloomfield Road
Attendance: 14,000
30 September 1922 8Southampton1–1BlackpoolSouthampton
Elkes Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 16,000
7 October 1922 9West Ham United1–1SouthamptonLondon
Elkes Stadium: Boleyn Ground
Attendance: 20,000
14 October 1922 10Southampton2–0West Ham UnitedSouthampton
Dominy
Rawlings 		Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 17,000
21 October 1922 11Wolverhampton Wanderers0–0SouthamptonWolverhampton
Stadium: Molineux Stadium
Attendance: 15,000
28 October 1922 12Southampton3–0Wolverhampton WanderersSouthampton
Getgood
Dominy
Rawlings 		Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 13,000
4 November 1922 13Southampton2–0Bradford CitySouthampton
Dominy
Elkes 		Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 14,000
11 November 1922 14Bradford City0–0SouthamptonBradford
Stadium: Valley Parade
Attendance: 15,000
18 November 1922 15Leicester City2–1SouthamptonLeicester
Dominy Stadium: Filbert Street
Attendance: 18,000
25 November 1922 16Southampton0–0Leicester CitySouthampton
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 17,000
2 December 1922 17Derby County0–2SouthamptonDerby
Dominy
Elkes 		Stadium: Baseball Ground
Attendance: 10,000
9 December 1922 18Southampton0–4Derby CountySouthampton
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,000
16 December 1922 19Notts County1–0SouthamptonNottingham
Stadium: Meadow Lane
Attendance: 9,000
23 December 1922 20Southampton0–1Notts CountySouthampton
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 9,000
25 December 1922 21Hull City1–3SouthamptonKingston upon Hull
Dominy
Elkes 		Stadium: Anlaby Road
Attendance: 14,000
26 December 1922 22Southampton2–1Hull CitySouthampton
Campbell
Own goal 		Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 16,000
30 December 1922 23Southampton2–0FulhamSouthampton
Dominy
Rawlings 		Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 7,000
1 January 1923 24The Wednesday0–0SouthamptonSheffield
Stadium: Hillsborough Stadium
Attendance: 30,000
6 January 1923 25Fulham1–1SouthamptonLondon
Dominy Stadium: Craven Cottage
Attendance: 25,000
20 January 1923 26Southampton0–2Crystal PalaceSouthampton
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 13,000
27 January 1923 27Crystal Palace1–0SouthamptonLondon
Stadium: The Nest
Attendance: 9,000
10 February 1923 28Southampton3–0Coventry CitySouthampton
Brown
McCall
Own goal 		Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 7,000
17 February 1923 29Port Vale0–0SouthamptonHanley
Stadium: Old Recreation Ground
Attendance: 14,000
3 March 1923 30Manchester United1–2SouthamptonManchester
Brown
Rawlings 		Stadium: Old Trafford
Attendance: 20,000
5 March 1923 31Southampton3–1Port ValeSouthampton
Johnson
Rawlings
McCall 		Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 5,000
17 March 1923 32Southampton0–3BurySouthampton
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 12,000
24 March 1923 33Bury0–0SouthamptonBury
Stadium: Gigg Lane
Attendance: 9,000
31 March 1923 34Southampton4–2Rotherham CountySouthampton
Rawlings
Dominy 		Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 10,000
2 April 1923 35Southampton1–1The WednesdaySouthampton
Rawlings Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 16,000
7 April 1923 36Rotherham County0–0SouthamptonRotherham
Stadium: Millmoor
Attendance: 11,000
11 April 1923 37Southampton0–0Manchester UnitedSouthampton
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 5,500
14 April 1923 38Southampton2–0Clapton OrientSouthampton
Dominy
Rawlings 		Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 9,000
21 April 1923 39Clapton Orient1–0SouthamptonLondon
Stadium: Clapton Stadium
Attendance: 15,000
28 April 1923 40Southampton1–0Stockport CountySouthampton
Dominy Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 7,000
30 April 1923 41Coventry City2–0SouthamptonCoventry
Stadium: Highfield Road
Attendance: 12,000
5 May 1923 42Stockport County3–0SouthamptonStockport
Stadium: Edgeley Park
Attendance: 15,000

Final league table
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GR Pts
9 Barnsley 42 17 11 14 62 51 1.216 45
10 Fulham 42 16 12 14 43 32 1.344 44
11 Southampton 42 14 14 14 40 40 1.000 42
12 Hull City 42 14 14 14 43 45 0.956 42
13 South Shields 42 15 10 17 35 44 0.795 40
Source:

Results by matchday
Round123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142
GroundAHHAAHAHAHAHHAAHAHAHAHHAAHAHAAHHAHHAHHAHAA
ResultDLLLLDWDDWDWWDLDWLLLWWWDDLLWDWWLDWDDDWLWLL
Position13152022222119171816171613111413914161715141111101214121211101212121212121111111111
Source: 11v11.com[15]
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

FA Cup
See also: 1922–23 FA Cup

Southampton entered the 1922–23 FA Cup in the first round against Newcastle United, a well-established First Division side who were challenging for the title. According to club historians, "Few people gave Southampton a chance at St James' Park" in the 13 January 1923 game, but the team "fought the muddy battle well" to hold the top-flight side to a goalless draw; goalkeeper Tommy Allen was credited for his performance in particular.[13] In the replay at home four days later, the Saints played "some of the best football ever seen at The Dell" to win 3–1 (despite conceding in the opening minute), with goals coming from Arthur Dominy (two) and Bill Rawlings.[13] The second round match also pitted Second Division Southampton against a First Division club – this time strugglers Chelsea at Stamford Bridge – and also ended in a goalless draw.[13] The tie again saw a replay scheduled at The Dell, which the Saints won in front of a season high attendance of 25,000 thanks to another goal from Dominy.[13]

The pattern of results continued in the third round, as Bury and Southampton competed a goalless draw at Gigg Lane on 24 February.[13] Again, it took a home replay for the Saints to beat the Shakers, which they did with another single goal from Arthur Dominy.[13] In the fourth round, Southampton hosted fellow Second Division side West Ham United, who were then in fourth place in the table.[16] Vic Watson scored for the visitors early on, but a "clever header" from Jack Elkes secured a 1–1 draw and forced at replay at Upton Park ten days later.[13] The replay also ended 1–1, with Bill Rawlings scoring for the Saints.[13] A second replay took place on 19 March at Villa Park, the home of top-flight club Aston Villa, in which the Hammers scored the only goal to advance to the semi-finals.[13] Southampton brought in a total of £28,482 in FA Cup receipts, around £4,000 of which was used to improve the facilities at The Dell.[13] West Ham later made it to the 1923 FA Cup Final, the first to be played at Wembley Stadium.[13]

13 January 1923 Round 1Newcastle United0–0SouthamptonNewcastle upon Tyne
Stadium: St James' Park
Attendance: 35,000
17 January 1923 Round 1 ReplaySouthampton3–1Newcastle UnitedSouthampton
Dominy
Rawlings 		Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 18,000
3 February 1923 Round 2Chelsea0–0SouthamptonLondon
Stadium: Stamford Bridge
Attendance: 67,105
7 February 1923 Round 2 ReplaySouthampton1–0ChelseaSouthampton
Dominy Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 25,000
24 February 1923 Round 3Bury0–0SouthamptonBury
Stadium: Gigg Lane
Attendance: 25,000
28 February 1923 Round 3 ReplaySouthampton1–0ChelseaSouthampton
Dominy Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 16,000
4 March 1923 Round 4Southampton1–1West Ham UnitedSouthampton
Elkes Watson Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 21,690
14 March 1923 Round 4 ReplayWest Ham United1–1SouthamptonLondon
Rawlings Stadium: Boleyn Ground
Attendance: 20,000
19 March 1923 Round 4 Replay 2West Ham United1–0SouthamptonBirmingham
Stadium: Villa Park
Attendance: 22,184

Other matches

Outside of the league and the FA Cup, Southampton played five additional first-team matches during the 1922–23 season. The first was a friendly match against First Division side Arsenal on 16 October 1922, which was a benefit for centre-half Alec Campbell. The high-scoring game ended in a 5–3 win for the Gunners, with the Saints scoring through Bill Rawlings (twice) and Arthur Dominy.[17] The second friendly of the season was another benefit game – this time for long-serving manager Jimmy McIntyre – at home to local rivals Portsmouth in December. The visitors won the game 3–1 through goals from Dave Watson, Jerry Mackie and Alfred Strange, with Rawlings scoring the only goal for the Saints, who were described by the Southampton Times as displaying a "don't care attitude" towards the game.[18]

Southampton and Portsmouth met again on 16 April 1923 in the first competition of the Rowland Hospital Cup, introduced to help raise money for hospitals in the local area. Played at Fratton Park, the game ended in a 2–1 win to the Second Division side, with the visitors' goals coming in the first half courtesy of Henry Johnson and Bill Rawlings.[19] The game's quality was praised by commentators, who claimed that "It could not have been a more stirring game had the two clubs been fighting at the top of the same league".[19] The sides met for a third time the following week, drawing 2–2 in the Hampshire Benevolent Cup. Pompey led through a Tom Parker own goal and a strike from Mackie, before the Saints responded through Johnson and Dominy.[19] On 3 May, the Saints drew 2–2 with Northampton Town.[17]

16 October 1922 FriendlySouthampton3–5ArsenalSouthampton
Rawlings
Dominy 		Stadium: The Dell
4 December 1922 FriendlySouthampton1–3PortsmouthSouthampton
Rawlings Watson
Mackie
Strange 		Stadium: The Dell
16 April 1923 Rowland Hospital CupPortsmouth1–2SouthamptonPortsmouth
Martin Johnson
Rawlings 		Stadium: Fratton Park
Attendance: 7–8,000
Referee: F. C. Winton
23 April 1923 Hampshire BCSouthampton2–2PortsmouthSouthampton
Johnson
Dominy 		Parker  (o.g.)
Mackie 		Stadium: The Dell
Referee: Albert Prince-Cox
3 May 1923 FriendlyNorthampton Town2–2SouthamptonNorthampton
Johnson Stadium: County Ground

Player details

Southampton manager Jimmy McIntyre used 22 different players during the 1922–23 season, nine of whom scored during the campaign. The team played in a 2–3–5 formation throughout the campaign, with two full-backs, three half-backs, two outside forwards, two inside forwards and a centre-forward.[10] Only one player – right-half Bert Shelley – appeared in all 51 league and FA Cup matches. Inside-right Arthur Dominy played in all but two league matches during the season, and centre-half Bill Turner appeared in all except three.[10] Dominy finished as the club's top scorer for the season, with 13 goals in the league and five in the cups. Bill Rawlings scored 12 goals in the league and three in the cups. Alec Campbell, George Getgood and Shelley were the club's only scoring half-backs of the season, with just one league goal each.[10]

Squad statistics
Name Pos. Nat. League FA Cup Other[lower-alpha 1] Total
Apps. Gls. Apps. Gls. Apps. Gls. Apps. Gls.
Tommy Allen GK 310 70 00 380
Len Andrews FW 180 80 20 280
Robert Blyth FW 80 10 00 90
Charlie Brown FW 322 80 20 422
Alec Campbell HB 151 90 10 251
Alex Christie HB 50 00 00 50
Joe Clark FW 200 10 00 210
John Cooper FW 20 00 00 20
Arthur Dominy FW 4013 94 21 4918
Jack Elkes FW 315 91 00 406
Harry Hooper FB 110 00 00 110
Ted Hough FB 70 00 10 80
Henry Johnson FW 91 00 22 113
Herbert Lock GK 110 20 20 150
Willie McCall FW 82 00 00 82
Sammy Meston FW 10 00 00 10
Tom Parker FB 380 90 20 490
Bill Rawlings FW 3512 92 21 4615
Bert Shelley HB 421 90 20 531
Fred Titmuss FB 350 90 20 460
Bill Turner HB 390 90 20 500
Players with appearances who left before the end of the season
George Getgood HB 241 00 00 241

Notes

  1. Includes the Rowland Hospital Cup and Hampshire Benevolent Cup matches.

Most appearances
Rank Name Pos. League FA Cup Other Total
Apps. % Apps. % Apps. % Apps. %
1 Bert Shelley HB 42100.00 9100.00 2100.00 53100.00
2 Arthur Dominy FW 4095.24 9100.00 2100.00 5196.23
3 Bill Turner HB 3992.86 9100.00 2100.00 5094.34
4 Tom Parker FB 3890.48 9100.00 2100.00 4992.45
5 Bill Rawlings FW 3583.33 9100.00 2100.00 4686.79
Fred Titmuss FB 3583.33 9100.00 2100.00 4686.79
7 Charlie Brown FW 3276.19 888.89 2100.00 4279.25
Jack Elkes FW 3173.81 9100.00 00.00 4075.47
9 Tommy Allen GK 3173.81 777.78 00.00 3871.70
10 Len Andrews FW 1842.86 888.89 2100.00 2852.83

Top goalscorers
Rank Name Pos. League FA Cup Other Total
Gls. GPG Gls. GPG Gls. GPG Gls. GPG
1 Arthur Dominy FW 130.32 40.44 10.50 180.36
2 Bill Rawlings FW 120.34 20.22 10.50 150.33
3 Jack Elkes FW 50.16 10.11 00.00 60.15
4 Henry Johnson FW 10.11 00.00 21.00 30.27
5 Willie McCall FW 20.25 00.00 00.00 20.25
Charlie Brown FW 20.06 00.00 00.00 20.04
7 George Getgood HB 10.04 00.00 00.00 10.04
Alec Campbell HB 10.06 00.00 00.00 10.03
Bert Shelley HB 10.02 00.00 00.00 10.01

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. Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 20
  2. Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 33
  3. Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 97
  4. Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 42
  5. Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, pp. 116–117
  6. Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 211
  7. Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 30
  8. Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 74
  9. Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, pp. 118–119
  10. Chalk & Holley 1987, p. 69
  11. Chalk & Holley 1987, p. 66
  12. "Southampton scoring and sequence records". Statto. Archived from the original on 5 September 2015. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  13. Chalk & Holley 1987, p. 68
  14. "League Division Two table after close of play on 11 November 1922". 11v11.com. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  15. "11v11 league table generator". 11v11.com. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  16. "League Division Two table after close of play on 03 March 1923". 11v11.com. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  17. Chalk & Holley 1987, p. 212
  18. Juson et al. 2004, p. 106
  19. Juson et al. 2004, p. 107
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