Antelope Ground
Encyclopedia
The Antelope Ground, Southampton
was a sports ground that was the first home of both Hampshire County Cricket Club
, who played there prior to 1884, and of Southampton Football Club, who played there from 1887 to 1896 as "Southampton St. Mary's F.C."
The ground was situated on the east side of St Mary's Road at the corner of Brinton's Terrace and extended south to Clovelly Road and east to Exmoor Road. The ground took its name from the Antelope Hotel, which was situated on the opposite side of St Mary's Road.
match played at the ground was on 23 August 1839 when "North of Hampshire" opposed "South of Hampshire".
In 1842 three local gentlemen, Thomas Chamberlayne
, Sir Frederick Hervey-Bathurst
and Sir John Barker-Mill
, financed the development of the ground and installed the former Hampshire
and Surrey
cricketer Daniel Day
in the Antelope Hotel. Chamberlayne was a Hampshire cricketer, making several appearances in the 1840s, including in the Hampshire v. England match in September 1842. Hervey-Bathurst also played regularly for MCC and Hampshire between 1832 and 1861. All three gentlemen are shown on the scorecard of a match between MCC
and Hampshire at Lord's
on 30 June 1842, although Barker-Mill is shown as "absent hurt".
During the period when the ground was under the supervision of Daniel Day the ground was known as "Day's Ground" rather than the Antelope. Five first-class matches were played there between 1842 and 1845. The first major match was staged there on in September 1842, when Hampshire played England. This was a low-scoring match with Hampshire being bowled out for 67 in the first innings; England replied with a total of 99, but Hampshire only managed 27 in their second innings and England thus won by an innings and 5 runs. England's best bowler was William Hillyer
who took 15 wickets in the match.
In 1845, the ground was first threatened by building speculation, resulting in Daniel Day moving to a ground at the Woolston Hotel on the south side of Woolston Road, Itchen
, a few hundred yards across the River Itchen
from Southampton. Major matches in Southampton were then played on what was known as "Day's Itchen Ground".
The building development fell through and the lease of the Antelope Ground was taken by a Mr. Brooks (or Brooke), with cricket matches involving the "Gentlemen of South Hampshire" being staged there.
In 1861 James Southerton
, the Surrey cricketer was engaged at Southampton and resided at the Antelope Ground. He remained there until 1867. The first recorded individual century made on the ground was in 1862, when George Ede
hit 122 for South Hampshire v East Hampshire.
was re-formed, following which major cricket returned to the Antelope, with the County Club renting the ground from 1864 on a yearly basis.
The first county match at the ground following the revival of the club was against Sussex
starting on 7 July 1864, which Sussex won by 10 wickets with James Lillywhite
claiming ten wickets in the match for 80 runs, including taking his 100th wicket in first-class
matches.
Over the next twenty years, 27 first-class matches were played at the Antelope Ground as well as regular matches involving the "Gentlemen of Hampshire".
The best bowling figures were in a match against Derbyshire
in July 1876 when Derbyshire's William Mycroft
claimed 17-103 in the match. Despite this, Hampshire won a low-scoring match by one wicket.
Francis Lacey
claimed the highest individual score at the ground, with 211 in the first innings against Kent
in June 1884, which he followed with 92 not out in the second, as Hampshire won by 3 wickets. This was Lacey's top score in first-class matches.
The last recorded match at the ground was between Hampshire and Somerset
in August 1884, when a total of 645 runs were scored, with Ernest Powell
and Francis Lacey scoring 140 and 100 respectively in Hampshire's first innings. Hampshire won the match by an innings and 169 runs.
In 1883, Col. James Fellowes
opened negotiations for the lease and development of land in Northlands Road, Southampton (part of the Hulse
Estate) and by the Annual General Meeting of Hampshire County Cricket Club, held at the George Hotel, Winchester in January 1884, Col. Fellowes was able to report that 8 acres (32,374.9 m²) of land had been leased at an annual rent of £160 on condition that the club erected a pavilion. The new lease was to run for 28 years. The first match played at the new County Ground
was on 9 May 1885.
was founded officially in 1885, although the club's history can be traced back to 1878 with the foundation of "Southampton Rangers" by shipbuilders working for Oswald & Mordaunt (later Vosper Thorneycroft). The first match played under the name of "St Mary's" was on 21 November 1885, played on the "backfield" of the County Ground
in Northlands Road, where the Hampshire Bowling Club was later established. The match was against a team from Freemantle
, who were defeated 5–1. Over the next two years, the "Saints" played their home matches on Southampton Common
near the Cowherds pub. In 1887, the Hampshire Football Association
was founded and immediately established the Hampshire Senior
and Junior Cup competitions, with St Mary's entering the latter. On 26 November 1887, the Saints played their first-ever Cup tie away to Totton
, played at Testwood.
In the next round, the Saints were drawn at home to play Petersfield on 17 December 1887. As the Common was not suitable for a cup-tie, the St Mary's committee secured the use of the Antelope Ground, "by kind permission of the Pirates". The Pirates were a rugby club who shared the ground with a football team from Woolston Works
. The visitors could only muster ten men, and the Saints won easily, 10–0. In the next round, the Saints received another home draw against Lymington; the Pirates already had a fixture on the date of the match (21 January 1888), so the match was played on the pitch at the Anchor Hotel, Redbridge
, just within the town boundary. The match was won 4–0, but some of the Saints' fans misbehaved; their "hilarious" behaviour was such that the owner of the ground demanded that the gate receipts should be paid to the Royal South Hants Hospital
. The remaining matches in the cup were all played at the County Ground, with the Saints defeating the Southampton Harriers 2–1 in the final after a replay.
The next recorded match at the Antelope Ground was on 14 April 1888, when St Mary's lost 3–0 to the Woolston works team in an end-of-season friendly. During the summer of 1888, the Saints committee endeavoured to find a more suitable permanent location than the Common. An application to play on Hoglands Park was refused by the Town Council. With pitches at the County Ground and the Antelope costing between £2.10s and £3 to rent (necessitating an attendance of 240 at 3d
each to break even) the club were in great need of a permanent home.
For the 1888–89 season, the Saints continued to play most of their home matches on the Common, although some more prestigious friendly matches were played at the County Ground. After a 5–0 victory in the Hampshire Junior Cup first round over Havant at the Antelope Ground in November and a bye in the second, the third round draw gave the Saints a home match with the Fordingbridge Turks. The match was scheduled for 12 January when the Saints had four players selected for a Hampshire FA game; the Saints' tried to have the cup game re-scheduled but the Turks refused. On the morning of the game, no venue had been arranged but an agreement was reached with the Woolston Works side, who were now tenants at the Antelope Ground, to use their facilities. The Saints won 4–2 earning them a semi-final appearance against Cowes
, which the Saints eventually won after a third replay. The final against Christchurch
was played at Bar End
, Winchester
with the Saints winning 3–0. The crowd at the County Ground for the third replay was reported to be in excess of 5,000, although the actual crowd was probably less than half this, but nonetheless the level of support demonstrated that football had now become well-established in the eyes of the Southampton public.
In the summer of 1889, the Woolston Works team folded leaving it clear for the Saints to claim the Antelope Ground as their home base, with the Trojans Rugby Club
as joint tenants. Having at last obtained a permanent home, St Mary's could now claim to be the premier club in the town, although Freemantle
would continue to contest this claim, despite having a much poorer record in the local cups.
For the 1889–90 season, St Mary's played their friendly matches at the Antelope Ground as well as a third round match in the Hampshire Junior Cup, but the semi-final and final of the cup were played at the County Ground, with the Saints defeating Lymington 2–0 in the final, thus winning the tournament for the third consecutive year, enabling them to retain the cup outright. The crowd at the County Ground was estimated at 2,800 and the gate money (£51 3s 6d) was reported to be "the largest ever taken in the two counties (Hampshire and Dorset) and beats the big "gate" at the Cowes match last year".
In the following year, the Saints continued to arrange friendly matches at the Antelope Ground inviting teams from further afield, suffering defeats against teams such as Reading
and Swindon Town
. Having won the Junior Cup outright, they now entered the Hampshire Senior Cup defeating Geneva Cross from Netley Hospital
5–0 at the Antelope Ground, before playing the semi-final and final at the County Ground where, on 14 March 1891, they defeated a side from the Royal Engineers
, Aldershot
3–1 in front of a crowd numbering between 3,000 and 4,000 with a "gate" of £63. The season ended with the St Mary's club having a membership of 400 and a bank balance of over £100.
The success in local cup competitions prompted the club committee to enter a national tournament for the first time – in the First Qualifying Round of the FA Cup
they played at Warmley
near Bristol
winning comfortably 4–1. The draw for the next round was a home match against Reading
to be played on 24 October 1891. Two weeks before the tie at the Antelope Ground, the Saints arranged a friendly against the 93rd Highlanders, after which two members of the Highlanders side, Jock Fleming
and Sandy McMillan, were signed by the Saints.
For the first FA Cup match to be staged in Southampton, the St Mary's committee pulled out all the stops to make sure that the Antelope Ground met the standards expected of a venue for the country's top football tournament, although the local press complained of the poor facilities, not having a covered press box, and there were problems with the pitch markings. The crowd (estimated at 4,000) watched the match from behind a rope around the perimeter of the pitch. The walls and banks around the ground were crowded with spectators trying to get a better view, as were the windows of neighbouring houses. They were entertained with a 7–0 victory, with Fleming getting a hat-trick. At the reception after the match, the Reading secretary asked for, and received, an advance of £3 on the share of the gate money. With this he immediately sent a telegram of protest accompanied by the necessary fee of 2 guineas
to the Football Association claiming that the Saints had fielded illegally registered players in Fleming and McMillan. The claim was upheld by the F.A., who found that the players had not been registered at least 28 days before the match, and as the Saints had not complied with the requirements of Rule 5 they were thus expelled from the competition.
In 1892–93, the Saints defeated Newbury
4–1 (with a hat-trick from Bob Kiddle
) in the First Qualifying Round played at the Antelope Ground. In the Second Qualifying Round they played Maidenhead United
at the Antelope Ground on 29 October 1892 and suffered a 4–0 defeat — apart from the Hampshire County Cricket Club Charity Cup the previous April, this was the Saints first defeat in a cup match. Shortly before this match, the Saints had signed their first professional player, Jack Dollin, who was paid a "pound a week and given a job in the week", although his professional status was not revealed publicly at the time. Dollin only remained with the Saints until the end of the season, before knee injuries caused him to revert to amateur status.
Before the start of the 1893–94 season, the Saints signed further players on professional terms, including Jack Angus
and Harry Offer
, who had previously played for Ardwick (later Manchester City
) and Royal Arsenal
respectively. In the FA Cup, Uxbridge
were defeated 3–1 at the Antelope Ground, before a defeat at Reading
in the next round. In the local cups, the Saints were defeated 1–0 by the Royal Engineers (Aldershot) in the final (with Angus being sent off), played at the County Ground, but did gain revenge by winning the Hampshire County Cricket Club Charity Cup 5–0 a few weeks later.
During the 1893–94 season, the Saints arranged a match under "Well Patent" lights, but it was called off due to bad weather; it would be another 60 years before Southampton played their first match under floodlights. At the end of the season, the Saints were able to report a "profit" of over £85 — gate receipts and subscriptions had produced income of £768, with expenses of £683 including wages of £221 and rent for the Antelope Ground of £42.
In June 1894, St. Mary's Church
, who owned the freehold of the ground, were short of funds and decided that the Antelope Ground should be sold. They offered it to the Town Council for £5,000 but this was declined. There was a brief half-hearted campaign to persuade the Saints to purchase the freehold, but the club could not afford it but instead considered a permanent move to the County Ground. Ultimately, this all came to nothing and the Saints remained at the Antelope Ground for the start of the next, historic season.
, which had been created to enable clubs in southern England who were not admitted to the Football League
, to play competitive football on a regular basis. For the start of their League career, Saints signed several new players on professional contracts, including Charles Baker
, Alf Littlehales
and Lachie Thomson
from Stoke and Fred Hollands
from Millwall
.
Saints' first league match was played at the Antelope Ground on 6 October 1894 in front of a crowd estimated at between 4,000 and 5,000, who paid 6d each for admittance; Harry Offer
, Jack Angus
and Fred Hollands scored in a 3–1 victory over Chatham. During the match, Chatham's centre-forward, Gamble, was sent-off for making "uncomplimentary" comments to the referee following Southampton's second goal, for which he claimed the ball had been "carried right into goal on one of the player's arms".
The Saints' first defeat at the Antelope Ground came against Luton
on 22 December (2–1), whilst their best result was a 7–1 victory over Swindon Town
on 30 March, with two goals each from Jack Angus and Herbert Ward. Saints finished their inaugural league season
in third place, behind Millwall
and Luton Town
.
In the FA Cup, Southampton met Newbury
on 13 October 1894 in the First Qualifying Round at the Antelope Ground. Saints were "in particularly rampant mood" and won 14–0, with hat-tricks from Herbert Ward and Arthur Nineham
; this is still Southampton's biggest victory in a competitive match. They had easy victories in the next three rounds, defeating Reading
5–2, Marlow
7–3 and Warmley
5–1, with all four qualifying matches being played at the Antelope Ground. This meant that the Saints went into the draw for the First Round proper for the first time, from which they received yet another home tie, against Nottingham Forest
of the First Division
.
The match against Nottingham Forest was played at the Antelope Ground on 2 February 1895. On the day of the match, the pitch was covered with three inches (76 mm) of snow. After a long delay, while the referee assessed whether or not the frozen ground was fit to play on, the crowd (estimated at 7,000) were admitted. By this time a grandstand had been erected at the ground, for which spectators were charged admission of 1s 6d, compared to the standing spectators for whom the admission was still 6d. The Nottingham Forest players complained about the spartan state of the changing accommodation, demanding an oil stove, before the match eventually kicked off. Despite scoring 31 goals in the qualifying stages, the Saints were no match for the "skill, subtlety and cohesion" of their opponents who ran out 4–1 victors, with two goals from Thomas Rose. The local press blamed the defeat on the failure of the Southampton players to train adequately and also suggested that the "more northerly visitors were more accustomed to the Arctic conditions".
Shortly before the FA Cup exit, the Saints had entertained a team from the Wiltshire Regiment
, winning 13–0 on a "quagmire of a pitch" at the Antelope Ground, with Joe Rogers
scoring ten goals.
For the Saints' second season
in the Southern League, they remained at the Antelope Ground, with the league season following a similar pattern as the previous year, with the Saints finishing third behind Millwall and Luton Town. The highlight of the league season was the visit of Millwall on 21 March 1896 when a crowd of 8,000 saw the Saints defeat the reigning champions 2–0, with goals from Charles Baker
and Joe Turner
.
Further excitement came in the FA Cup
, when an away victory over local rivals Freemantle
in the First Qualifying Round was followed by comfortable home victories over Marlow
(5–0), Reading
(3–0) and Uxbridge
(3–0). In the First Round proper, the Saints once again received a home draw against opposition from the Football League First Division
, this time in the shape of The Wednesday. Saints' trainer, Bill Dawson, who had moved from Stoke in the summer, spent the week leading up to Wednesday's visit with extra training for the players, taking them through their paces on Shawford Down.
For the match, played at the Antelope Ground on 1 February 1896, the crowd was estimated at 12,000, by far the largest yet recorded for a football match in Southampton. In an effort to avoid the crowd congestion from the previous year, the gates were opened at 1 o'clock. According to the report in one local newspaper, "The Independent", by the time of the kick-off,
The reporter for "the Echo"
, writing under the name "Ariel", added:
Unfortunately, the ground was unable to take such a large crowd. Shortly before the teams ran out onto the pitch, a shed roof collapsed, resulting in injuries to fans who had been inside the shed or perched on top. One spectator, George May, suffered a broken ankle and a Mr. George Bett, who had been inside, suffered serious knee damage that subsequently prevented him from working in his occupation as a carriage maker at the Eastleigh railway works
. Bett later unsuccessfully sued the club for damages, his case failing because it was found that the club had declared the shed "out of bounds", although the defendants did agree to help Bett in his hardship.
For the match itself, the Saints had to play their third-choice goalkeeper, Walter Cox
as Tom Cain was injured, and the Royal Artillery refused to allow on-loan 'keeper "Gunner" Reilly
to play. The Saints took an early lead, through Watty Keay
, before two goals from Alec Brady
gave Wednesday the half-time lead. Wednesday increased their lead shortly after the break, and although Joe Turner
got one back, the Saints were unable to score an equalizer. Wednesday ran out 3–2 winners and went on to win the Cup the following April.
The club, through the connections of their president Dr. H. W. R. Bencraft
, who was also Hon. Secretary to Hampshire County Cricket Club
, secured the use of the County Ground, at an annual rental of £200.
The last football match played at the Antelope Ground was on the evening of Wednesday 29 April 1896, when a crowd estimated at 3,000 saw the Saints defeat their local rivals Freemantle
in a friendly, with the last goal being scored by Southampton-born Fred Hayter.
Southampton Football Club spent the next two seasons as tenants at the County Ground, during both of which they won the Southern League title, before eventually obtaining a permanent home, when they moved to The Dell in 1898.
The Antelope Ground was demolished, with Graham Road being built across the site. Subsequently, a furniture store was built on the corner of Brinton's Terrace and St Mary's Road; Brinton's Terrace is now one of the entrances to the Royal South Hampshire Hospital
, while the Antelope Hotel has long since disappeared and an office block, which was for many years occupied by British Gas
, now stands on the site.
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
was a sports ground that was the first home of both Hampshire County Cricket Club
Hampshire County Cricket Club
Hampshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Hampshire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1863 as a successor to the Hampshire county cricket teams and has played at the Antelope Ground from then until 1885, before moving to the County Ground where it...
, who played there prior to 1884, and of Southampton Football Club, who played there from 1887 to 1896 as "Southampton St. Mary's F.C."
The ground was situated on the east side of St Mary's Road at the corner of Brinton's Terrace and extended south to Clovelly Road and east to Exmoor Road. The ground took its name from the Antelope Hotel, which was situated on the opposite side of St Mary's Road.
1842 to 1845
The first known cricketCricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
match played at the ground was on 23 August 1839 when "North of Hampshire" opposed "South of Hampshire".
In 1842 three local gentlemen, Thomas Chamberlayne
Thomas Chamberlayne (cricketer)
Thomas Chamberlayne was an English cricketer and yachtsman.-Early life:...
, Sir Frederick Hervey-Bathurst
Sir Frederick Hervey-Bathurst, 3rd Baronet
Sir Frederick Thomas Arthur Hervey-Bathurst, born Frederick Hutchison Hervey was a famous English cricketer...
and Sir John Barker-Mill
Sir John Barker-Mill, 1st Baronet
Sir John Barker-Mill, 1st Baronet was an English cricketer.In 1842 three local gentlemen, Thomas Chamberlayne, Sir Frederick Hervey-Bathurst and Barker-Mill himself, financed the development of the Antelope Ground in Southampton.Barker-Mill made a single first-class appearance for pre-county club...
, financed the development of the ground and installed the former Hampshire
Hampshire County Cricket Club
Hampshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Hampshire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1863 as a successor to the Hampshire county cricket teams and has played at the Antelope Ground from then until 1885, before moving to the County Ground where it...
and Surrey
Surrey County Cricket Club
Surrey County Cricket Club is one of the 18 professional county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Surrey. Its limited overs team is called the Surrey Lions...
cricketer Daniel Day
Daniel Day (cricketer)
Daniel Day was an English cricketer. Day was a right-handed batsman who bowled right-arm roundarm fast-medium...
in the Antelope Hotel. Chamberlayne was a Hampshire cricketer, making several appearances in the 1840s, including in the Hampshire v. England match in September 1842. Hervey-Bathurst also played regularly for MCC and Hampshire between 1832 and 1861. All three gentlemen are shown on the scorecard of a match between MCC
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
and Hampshire at Lord's
Lord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board , the European Cricket Council and, until August 2005, the...
on 30 June 1842, although Barker-Mill is shown as "absent hurt".
During the period when the ground was under the supervision of Daniel Day the ground was known as "Day's Ground" rather than the Antelope. Five first-class matches were played there between 1842 and 1845. The first major match was staged there on in September 1842, when Hampshire played England. This was a low-scoring match with Hampshire being bowled out for 67 in the first innings; England replied with a total of 99, but Hampshire only managed 27 in their second innings and England thus won by an innings and 5 runs. England's best bowler was William Hillyer
William Hillyer
William Richard Hillyer , was a prominent cricketer for Kent County Cricket Club, MCC and many other sides in the days before county and international cricket was organised into regular competitions....
who took 15 wickets in the match.
In 1845, the ground was first threatened by building speculation, resulting in Daniel Day moving to a ground at the Woolston Hotel on the south side of Woolston Road, Itchen
Itchen Urban District
Itchen was an urban district in Hampshire, England from 1898 to 1920.It was formed in 1898 from the parishes of St Mary Extra and Sholing . From 1894 to 1898 both these parishes had formed part of the South Stoneham Rural District. A unified parish of Itchen, coterminous with the urban district...
, a few hundred yards across the River Itchen
River Itchen, Hampshire
The River Itchen is a river in Hampshire, England. It flows from mid-Hampshire to join with Southampton Water below the Itchen Bridge in the city of Southampton. The river has a total length of , and is noted as one of England's - if not one of the World's - premier chalk streams for fly fishing,...
from Southampton. Major matches in Southampton were then played on what was known as "Day's Itchen Ground".
The building development fell through and the lease of the Antelope Ground was taken by a Mr. Brooks (or Brooke), with cricket matches involving the "Gentlemen of South Hampshire" being staged there.
In 1861 James Southerton
James Southerton
James Southerton was a professional cricketer who played first-class cricket between 1854 and 1879....
, the Surrey cricketer was engaged at Southampton and resided at the Antelope Ground. He remained there until 1867. The first recorded individual century made on the ground was in 1862, when George Ede
George Ede
George Matthew Ede was an English cricketer. Ede was the twin brother of Edward Ede, Sr.. The Ede brothers were both educated at Abingdon School and both became cricketers, playing for Hampshire. Ede was Hampshires captain from 1864 to 1869...
hit 122 for South Hampshire v East Hampshire.
1863 to 1884
On 11 September 1863, at a meeting held at the Antelope Hotel, Hampshire County Cricket ClubHampshire County Cricket Club
Hampshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Hampshire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1863 as a successor to the Hampshire county cricket teams and has played at the Antelope Ground from then until 1885, before moving to the County Ground where it...
was re-formed, following which major cricket returned to the Antelope, with the County Club renting the ground from 1864 on a yearly basis.
The first county match at the ground following the revival of the club was against Sussex
Sussex County Cricket Club
Sussex County Cricket Club is the oldest of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Sussex. The club was founded as a successor to Brighton Cricket Club which was a representative of the county of Sussex as a...
starting on 7 July 1864, which Sussex won by 10 wickets with James Lillywhite
James Lillywhite
James Lillywhite was a first-class and Test cricketer and umpire. He was the first ever captain of the English cricket team in a Test match, captaining 2 Tests against Australia in 1876-77, losing the first, but winning the second.Lillywhite was born in Westhampnett in Sussex, the son of a...
claiming ten wickets in the match for 80 runs, including taking his 100th wicket in first-class
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
matches.
Over the next twenty years, 27 first-class matches were played at the Antelope Ground as well as regular matches involving the "Gentlemen of Hampshire".
The best bowling figures were in a match against Derbyshire
Derbyshire County Cricket Club
Derbyshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the England and Wales domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Derbyshire...
in July 1876 when Derbyshire's William Mycroft
William Mycroft
William Mycroft was an English cricketer who played first class cricket for Derbyshire and MCC between 1873 and 1886. He was a left-arm fast bowler with a great deal of spin and a dangerous yorker that was often believed to be unfair - which may explain why he was not considered for the earliest...
claimed 17-103 in the match. Despite this, Hampshire won a low-scoring match by one wicket.
Francis Lacey
Francis Lacey
Sir Francis Eden Lacey was the first man to be knighted for services to cricket, on retiring as Secretary of MCC, a post which he held from 1898 to 1926. As Secretary, he initiated many important reforms...
claimed the highest individual score at the ground, with 211 in the first innings against Kent
Kent County Cricket Club
Kent County Cricket Club is one of the 18 first class county county cricket clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the county of Kent...
in June 1884, which he followed with 92 not out in the second, as Hampshire won by 3 wickets. This was Lacey's top score in first-class matches.
The last recorded match at the ground was between Hampshire and Somerset
Somerset County Cricket Club
Somerset County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Somerset...
in August 1884, when a total of 645 runs were scored, with Ernest Powell
Ernest Powell
Ernest Ormsby Powell was an English cricketer. Powell was a right-handed batsman.-Life:Powell was educated at Eton and King's College, Cambridge. He made his first-class debut for Surrey in 1882 against the Middlesex...
and Francis Lacey scoring 140 and 100 respectively in Hampshire's first innings. Hampshire won the match by an innings and 169 runs.
In 1883, Col. James Fellowes
James Fellowes (cricketer)
James Fellowes was an amateur English cricketer. Fellowes was a right-handed batsman who bowled right-arm fast-roundarm....
opened negotiations for the lease and development of land in Northlands Road, Southampton (part of the Hulse
Hulse Baronets
The Hulse Baronetcy, of Lincoln's Inn Fields, is a title in the Baronetage of Great Britain. It was created on 7 February 1739 for Edward Hulse, Physician in Ordinary to Queen Anne, George I and George II. The third baronet was High Sheriff of Hampshire in 1802. The sixth Baronet represented...
Estate) and by the Annual General Meeting of Hampshire County Cricket Club, held at the George Hotel, Winchester in January 1884, Col. Fellowes was able to report that 8 acres (32,374.9 m²) of land had been leased at an annual rent of £160 on condition that the club erected a pavilion. The new lease was to run for 28 years. The first match played at the new County Ground
County Ground, Southampton
The County Ground in Southampton, England was a former cricket and football ground. It was the home of Hampshire County Cricket Club from the 1885 English cricket season until the 2000 English cricket season...
was on 9 May 1885.
Formation to 1891
Southampton St Mary's F.C.Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
was founded officially in 1885, although the club's history can be traced back to 1878 with the foundation of "Southampton Rangers" by shipbuilders working for Oswald & Mordaunt (later Vosper Thorneycroft). The first match played under the name of "St Mary's" was on 21 November 1885, played on the "backfield" of the County Ground
County Ground, Southampton
The County Ground in Southampton, England was a former cricket and football ground. It was the home of Hampshire County Cricket Club from the 1885 English cricket season until the 2000 English cricket season...
in Northlands Road, where the Hampshire Bowling Club was later established. The match was against a team from Freemantle
Freemantle
Freemantle is a suburb and electoral ward in Southampton, UK.Origins of the name are uncertain, but there are similarly named places in Hampshire, notably a suburb of Hannington and Freemantle Common in Bitterne...
, who were defeated 5–1. Over the next two years, the "Saints" played their home matches on Southampton Common
Southampton Common
Southampton Common is a large open space to the north of the city centre of Southampton, England. It is bounded by the districts of Shirley, Bassett, Highfield and Portswood. The area supports a large variety of wildlife, including the largest recorded population of the internationally rare great...
near the Cowherds pub. In 1887, the Hampshire Football Association
Hampshire Football Association
The Hampshire Football Association, also known as Hampshire FA, is the governing body of football in the county of Hampshire. It was formed in 1887.-External links:* * *...
was founded and immediately established the Hampshire Senior
Hampshire Senior Cup
The Hampshire Senior Cup is a cup competition open to football teams affiliated with the Hampshire Football Association. The competition was founded in 1888 and has been contested every year since, with the exception of 1914 to 1919 when it was postponed due to World War I.Despite the...
and Junior Cup competitions, with St Mary's entering the latter. On 26 November 1887, the Saints played their first-ever Cup tie away to Totton
A.F.C. Totton
A.F.C. Totton is a football club based in Totton, Hampshire, England. Totton Football Club was founded in 1886 and changed its name to A.F.C. Totton in 1975. The newly established club was among the founding members of the Wessex League in 1986. They are currently members of the Southern League...
, played at Testwood.
In the next round, the Saints were drawn at home to play Petersfield on 17 December 1887. As the Common was not suitable for a cup-tie, the St Mary's committee secured the use of the Antelope Ground, "by kind permission of the Pirates". The Pirates were a rugby club who shared the ground with a football team from Woolston Works
Woolston, Southampton
Woolston is a suburb of Southampton, Hampshire, located on the eastern bank of the River Itchen. It is bounded by the River Itchen, Hampshire, Sholing, Peartree Green, Itchen and Weston.The area is rich in maritime and aviation history...
. The visitors could only muster ten men, and the Saints won easily, 10–0. In the next round, the Saints received another home draw against Lymington; the Pirates already had a fixture on the date of the match (21 January 1888), so the match was played on the pitch at the Anchor Hotel, Redbridge
Redbridge, Southampton
Redbridge is a ward with a population of 14,432, to the west of the city centre of Southampton, England. The settlement is positioned at the mouth of the River Test and is the southern terminus of the former Andover Canal and Sprat and Winkle railway line, and the modern M271 motorway.Because of...
, just within the town boundary. The match was won 4–0, but some of the Saints' fans misbehaved; their "hilarious" behaviour was such that the owner of the ground demanded that the gate receipts should be paid to the Royal South Hants Hospital
Royal South Hampshire Hospital
The Royal South Hants Hospital, known locally as "The RSH", is an acute hospital in Southampton. It has been managed by Southampton City Primary Care Trust since 31 March 2007 with some additional services being provided by the Hampshire Partnership NHS Trust...
. The remaining matches in the cup were all played at the County Ground, with the Saints defeating the Southampton Harriers 2–1 in the final after a replay.
The next recorded match at the Antelope Ground was on 14 April 1888, when St Mary's lost 3–0 to the Woolston works team in an end-of-season friendly. During the summer of 1888, the Saints committee endeavoured to find a more suitable permanent location than the Common. An application to play on Hoglands Park was refused by the Town Council. With pitches at the County Ground and the Antelope costing between £2.10s and £3 to rent (necessitating an attendance of 240 at 3d
Penny (British pre-decimal coin)
The penny of the Kingdom of Great Britain and later of the United Kingdom, was in circulation from the early 18th century until February 1971, Decimal Day....
each to break even) the club were in great need of a permanent home.
For the 1888–89 season, the Saints continued to play most of their home matches on the Common, although some more prestigious friendly matches were played at the County Ground. After a 5–0 victory in the Hampshire Junior Cup first round over Havant at the Antelope Ground in November and a bye in the second, the third round draw gave the Saints a home match with the Fordingbridge Turks. The match was scheduled for 12 January when the Saints had four players selected for a Hampshire FA game; the Saints' tried to have the cup game re-scheduled but the Turks refused. On the morning of the game, no venue had been arranged but an agreement was reached with the Woolston Works side, who were now tenants at the Antelope Ground, to use their facilities. The Saints won 4–2 earning them a semi-final appearance against Cowes
Cowes Sports F.C.
Cowes Sports F.C. is a football club based in Cowes, Isle of Wight, England. They were established in 1881.The history of Cowes Football Club can be traced back to 1881, when the club was originally formed, although competitive action did not arrive until 1886 in the shape of the Hants and Dorset...
, which the Saints eventually won after a third replay. The final against Christchurch
Christchurch F.C.
Christchurch F.C. is a football club based in Christchurch, Dorset, England. They were established in 1885. In the 2002–03 and 2008–09 seasons, they reached the 4th round of the FA Vase. They are currently members of the Wessex League Premier Division...
was played at Bar End
Bar End
Bar End is an area of Winchester, Hampshire, England. It lies on the east bank of the River Itchen to the north of St. Catherine's Hill and is the location of a park and ride car park serving the city centre....
, Winchester
Winchester
Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
with the Saints winning 3–0. The crowd at the County Ground for the third replay was reported to be in excess of 5,000, although the actual crowd was probably less than half this, but nonetheless the level of support demonstrated that football had now become well-established in the eyes of the Southampton public.
In the summer of 1889, the Woolston Works team folded leaving it clear for the Saints to claim the Antelope Ground as their home base, with the Trojans Rugby Club
Trojans Rugby Club
The Trojans Club based at Stoneham Lane, Eastleigh, Hampshire was formed in 1874, initially as a rugby club.There are now four very active sections, Rugby, Cricket, Hockey and Squash, covering all ages from Under 8 to Seniors and both men and women, boys and girls...
as joint tenants. Having at last obtained a permanent home, St Mary's could now claim to be the premier club in the town, although Freemantle
Freemantle F.C.
Freemantle Football Club were a football club based in the Freemantle area of Southampton who were active at the end of the nineteenth century. During their brief heyday, they were rivals to Southampton Football Club...
would continue to contest this claim, despite having a much poorer record in the local cups.
For the 1889–90 season, St Mary's played their friendly matches at the Antelope Ground as well as a third round match in the Hampshire Junior Cup, but the semi-final and final of the cup were played at the County Ground, with the Saints defeating Lymington 2–0 in the final, thus winning the tournament for the third consecutive year, enabling them to retain the cup outright. The crowd at the County Ground was estimated at 2,800 and the gate money (£51 3s 6d) was reported to be "the largest ever taken in the two counties (Hampshire and Dorset) and beats the big "gate" at the Cowes match last year".
In the following year, the Saints continued to arrange friendly matches at the Antelope Ground inviting teams from further afield, suffering defeats against teams such as Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
and Swindon Town
Swindon Town F.C.
Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...
. Having won the Junior Cup outright, they now entered the Hampshire Senior Cup defeating Geneva Cross from Netley Hospital
Netley Hospital
The Royal Victoria Hospital, or Netley Hospital was a large military hospital in Netley, near Southampton, Hampshire, England. Construction started in 1856 at the suggestion of Queen Victoria but its design caused some controversy, chiefly from Florence Nightingale. Often visited by Queen Victoria,...
5–0 at the Antelope Ground, before playing the semi-final and final at the County Ground where, on 14 March 1891, they defeated a side from the Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
, Aldershot
Aldershot
Aldershot is a town in the English county of Hampshire, located on heathland about southwest of London. The town is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council...
3–1 in front of a crowd numbering between 3,000 and 4,000 with a "gate" of £63. The season ended with the St Mary's club having a membership of 400 and a bank balance of over £100.
1891 to 1894 (Entering the FA Cup)
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
they played at Warmley
Warmley F.C.
Warmley F.C. was a football club based in Warmley, near Kingswood, England. They were formed in 1882. They are widely regarded as playing the first organised football match in the Bristol region against St George....
near Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
winning comfortably 4–1. The draw for the next round was a home match against Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
to be played on 24 October 1891. Two weeks before the tie at the Antelope Ground, the Saints arranged a friendly against the 93rd Highlanders, after which two members of the Highlanders side, Jock Fleming
Jock Fleming
James John "Jock" Fleming was a Scottish footballer who played at centre-forward for Southampton St. Mary's, Aston Villa and Lincoln City in the 1890s.-Football career:...
and Sandy McMillan, were signed by the Saints.
For the first FA Cup match to be staged in Southampton, the St Mary's committee pulled out all the stops to make sure that the Antelope Ground met the standards expected of a venue for the country's top football tournament, although the local press complained of the poor facilities, not having a covered press box, and there were problems with the pitch markings. The crowd (estimated at 4,000) watched the match from behind a rope around the perimeter of the pitch. The walls and banks around the ground were crowded with spectators trying to get a better view, as were the windows of neighbouring houses. They were entertained with a 7–0 victory, with Fleming getting a hat-trick. At the reception after the match, the Reading secretary asked for, and received, an advance of £3 on the share of the gate money. With this he immediately sent a telegram of protest accompanied by the necessary fee of 2 guineas
Guinea (British coin)
The guinea is a coin that was minted in the Kingdom of England and later in the Kingdom of Great Britain and the United Kingdom between 1663 and 1813...
to the Football Association claiming that the Saints had fielded illegally registered players in Fleming and McMillan. The claim was upheld by the F.A., who found that the players had not been registered at least 28 days before the match, and as the Saints had not complied with the requirements of Rule 5 they were thus expelled from the competition.
In 1892–93, the Saints defeated Newbury
Newbury Town F.C.
Newbury Town F.C. is a now-defunct football club based in Newbury, England. They won the Hellenic League title two times in their history. They also won the Isthmian League Division Two in 1994, but ceased to exist just before the start of the 1995–96 season...
4–1 (with a hat-trick from Bob Kiddle
Bob Kiddle
Robert Sherren Kiddle was an English amateur footballer who played as an inside-forward for Southampton St. Mary's in the 1890s.-Football career:...
) in the First Qualifying Round played at the Antelope Ground. In the Second Qualifying Round they played Maidenhead United
Maidenhead United F.C.
Maidenhead United Football Club is an English football club in Maidenhead, Berkshire. The club was founded in 1870 and moved to their current ground at York Road the following year...
at the Antelope Ground on 29 October 1892 and suffered a 4–0 defeat — apart from the Hampshire County Cricket Club Charity Cup the previous April, this was the Saints first defeat in a cup match. Shortly before this match, the Saints had signed their first professional player, Jack Dollin, who was paid a "pound a week and given a job in the week", although his professional status was not revealed publicly at the time. Dollin only remained with the Saints until the end of the season, before knee injuries caused him to revert to amateur status.
Before the start of the 1893–94 season, the Saints signed further players on professional terms, including Jack Angus
Jack Angus
John William Angus was a Scottish professional footballer who played as a forward in Southampton's inaugural season in the Southern League.-Football career:...
and Harry Offer
Harry Offer
Henry Thomas "Harry" Offer was an English footballer who scored Arsenal's first-ever goal in the FA Cup "proper" rounds in 1891, and Southampton's first-ever league goal in 1894.-Swindon Town:...
, who had previously played for Ardwick (later Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
) and Royal Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
respectively. In the FA Cup, Uxbridge
Uxbridge F.C.
Uxbridge Football Club are a football club representing Uxbridge but now based in West Drayton, in the County of Middlesex England. They were established in 1871 and are one of the oldest clubs in the South of England. They were founder members of the Southern League Division Two in 1894 and have...
were defeated 3–1 at the Antelope Ground, before a defeat at Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
in the next round. In the local cups, the Saints were defeated 1–0 by the Royal Engineers (Aldershot) in the final (with Angus being sent off), played at the County Ground, but did gain revenge by winning the Hampshire County Cricket Club Charity Cup 5–0 a few weeks later.
During the 1893–94 season, the Saints arranged a match under "Well Patent" lights, but it was called off due to bad weather; it would be another 60 years before Southampton played their first match under floodlights. At the end of the season, the Saints were able to report a "profit" of over £85 — gate receipts and subscriptions had produced income of £768, with expenses of £683 including wages of £221 and rent for the Antelope Ground of £42.
In June 1894, St. Mary's Church
St. Mary's Church, Southampton
St. Mary's Church, Southampton is the largest church in the city of Southampton, England and can trace its origins to the first Saxon settlements of the 7th century. In 1917, the sound of the church bells inspired the writing of the song, "The Bells of St. Mary's", later sung by Bing Crosby in the...
, who owned the freehold of the ground, were short of funds and decided that the Antelope Ground should be sold. They offered it to the Town Council for £5,000 but this was declined. There was a brief half-hearted campaign to persuade the Saints to purchase the freehold, but the club could not afford it but instead considered a permanent move to the County Ground. Ultimately, this all came to nothing and the Saints remained at the Antelope Ground for the start of the next, historic season.
1894 to 1896 (The Southern League)
In 1894, Southampton St Mary's were one of the nine founder members of the Southern LeagueSouthern Football League
The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
, which had been created to enable clubs in southern England who were not admitted to the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
, to play competitive football on a regular basis. For the start of their League career, Saints signed several new players on professional contracts, including Charles Baker
Charles Baker (footballer)
Charles Baker was an English professional footballer who played as an inside forward in Southampton's inaugural season in the Southern League.-Playing career:...
, Alf Littlehales
Alf Littlehales
Alfred "Alf" Littlehales was an English professional footballer who played at centre-half for Southampton in the 1890s.-Football career:...
and Lachie Thomson
Lachie Thomson
W.J.G. "Lachie" Thomson was an English professional footballer who played as a defender for Stoke in the Football League before joining Southampton St Mary's for the inaugural Southern League season in 1894.-Stoke:...
from Stoke and Fred Hollands
Fred Hollands
Frederick George "Fred" Hollands was an English professional footballer who played as an outside-forward for Millwall Athletic and Southampton St Mary's in the 1890s.-Football career:...
from Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
.
Saints' first league match was played at the Antelope Ground on 6 October 1894 in front of a crowd estimated at between 4,000 and 5,000, who paid 6d each for admittance; Harry Offer
Harry Offer
Henry Thomas "Harry" Offer was an English footballer who scored Arsenal's first-ever goal in the FA Cup "proper" rounds in 1891, and Southampton's first-ever league goal in 1894.-Swindon Town:...
, Jack Angus
Jack Angus
John William Angus was a Scottish professional footballer who played as a forward in Southampton's inaugural season in the Southern League.-Football career:...
and Fred Hollands scored in a 3–1 victory over Chatham. During the match, Chatham's centre-forward, Gamble, was sent-off for making "uncomplimentary" comments to the referee following Southampton's second goal, for which he claimed the ball had been "carried right into goal on one of the player's arms".
The Saints' first defeat at the Antelope Ground came against Luton
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
on 22 December (2–1), whilst their best result was a 7–1 victory over Swindon Town
Swindon Town F.C.
Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...
on 30 March, with two goals each from Jack Angus and Herbert Ward. Saints finished their inaugural league season
Southern Football League 1894-95
The 1894-95 season was the first in the history of the Southern League. Sixteen clubs joined the new league, which was split into two divisions...
in third place, behind Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
and Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
.
In the FA Cup, Southampton met Newbury
Newbury Town F.C.
Newbury Town F.C. is a now-defunct football club based in Newbury, England. They won the Hellenic League title two times in their history. They also won the Isthmian League Division Two in 1994, but ceased to exist just before the start of the 1995–96 season...
on 13 October 1894 in the First Qualifying Round at the Antelope Ground. Saints were "in particularly rampant mood" and won 14–0, with hat-tricks from Herbert Ward and Arthur Nineham
Arthur Nineham
George Arthur Nineham was an English amateur footballer who played as a forward for Southampton St. Mary's in the 1890s. He was one of the few locally-born players to make the transition from mainly friendly matches to Southern League football.-Football career:Nineham was born in Southampton and...
; this is still Southampton's biggest victory in a competitive match. They had easy victories in the next three rounds, defeating Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
5–2, Marlow
Marlow F.C.
Marlow F.C. is an English football club based in Marlow, Buckinghamshire. The club are currently members of Division One Central of the Southern League and play at the Alfred Davis Memorial Ground...
7–3 and Warmley
Warmley F.C.
Warmley F.C. was a football club based in Warmley, near Kingswood, England. They were formed in 1882. They are widely regarded as playing the first organised football match in the Bristol region against St George....
5–1, with all four qualifying matches being played at the Antelope Ground. This meant that the Saints went into the draw for the First Round proper for the first time, from which they received yet another home tie, against Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
of the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
.
The match against Nottingham Forest was played at the Antelope Ground on 2 February 1895. On the day of the match, the pitch was covered with three inches (76 mm) of snow. After a long delay, while the referee assessed whether or not the frozen ground was fit to play on, the crowd (estimated at 7,000) were admitted. By this time a grandstand had been erected at the ground, for which spectators were charged admission of 1s 6d, compared to the standing spectators for whom the admission was still 6d. The Nottingham Forest players complained about the spartan state of the changing accommodation, demanding an oil stove, before the match eventually kicked off. Despite scoring 31 goals in the qualifying stages, the Saints were no match for the "skill, subtlety and cohesion" of their opponents who ran out 4–1 victors, with two goals from Thomas Rose. The local press blamed the defeat on the failure of the Southampton players to train adequately and also suggested that the "more northerly visitors were more accustomed to the Arctic conditions".
Shortly before the FA Cup exit, the Saints had entertained a team from the Wiltshire Regiment
Wiltshire Regiment
The Wiltshire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army, formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 62nd Regiment of Foot and the 99th Duke of Edinburgh's Regiment of Foot....
, winning 13–0 on a "quagmire of a pitch" at the Antelope Ground, with Joe Rogers
Joe Rogers (footballer born 1874)
Joseph James Rogers was an English professional footballer who played either as a forward or full back for Southampton, Grimsby Town and Newcastle United.-Football career:...
scoring ten goals.
For the Saints' second season
Southern Football League 1895-96
The 1895-96 season was the second in the history of the Southern League. Millwall Athletic won Division One for the second successive season.-Division One:...
in the Southern League, they remained at the Antelope Ground, with the league season following a similar pattern as the previous year, with the Saints finishing third behind Millwall and Luton Town. The highlight of the league season was the visit of Millwall on 21 March 1896 when a crowd of 8,000 saw the Saints defeat the reigning champions 2–0, with goals from Charles Baker
Charles Baker (footballer)
Charles Baker was an English professional footballer who played as an inside forward in Southampton's inaugural season in the Southern League.-Playing career:...
and Joe Turner
Joe Turner (footballer)
Joseph Turner was a professional footballer who played in the 1902 FA Cup final for Southampton. Southampton were a Southern League club at the time, and their feat was all the more remarkable in that they had already been losing finalists two years earlier...
.
Further excitement came in the FA Cup
FA Cup 1895–96
The 1895–1896 FA Cup was the 25th season of the world's oldest association football competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup . The cup was won by The Wednesday, who defeated Wolverhampton Wanderers 2–1 in the final of the competition, played at Crystal Palace in London...
, when an away victory over local rivals Freemantle
Freemantle F.C.
Freemantle Football Club were a football club based in the Freemantle area of Southampton who were active at the end of the nineteenth century. During their brief heyday, they were rivals to Southampton Football Club...
in the First Qualifying Round was followed by comfortable home victories over Marlow
Marlow F.C.
Marlow F.C. is an English football club based in Marlow, Buckinghamshire. The club are currently members of Division One Central of the Southern League and play at the Alfred Davis Memorial Ground...
(5–0), Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
(3–0) and Uxbridge
Uxbridge F.C.
Uxbridge Football Club are a football club representing Uxbridge but now based in West Drayton, in the County of Middlesex England. They were established in 1871 and are one of the oldest clubs in the South of England. They were founder members of the Southern League Division Two in 1894 and have...
(3–0). In the First Round proper, the Saints once again received a home draw against opposition from the Football League First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
, this time in the shape of The Wednesday. Saints' trainer, Bill Dawson, who had moved from Stoke in the summer, spent the week leading up to Wednesday's visit with extra training for the players, taking them through their paces on Shawford Down.
For the match, played at the Antelope Ground on 1 February 1896, the crowd was estimated at 12,000, by far the largest yet recorded for a football match in Southampton. In an effort to avoid the crowd congestion from the previous year, the gates were opened at 1 o'clock. According to the report in one local newspaper, "The Independent", by the time of the kick-off,
"the scene at the ground was a sight for the gods. Thousands lined the ropes and crowded the embankments, and hundreds packed the stands. The enclosure was encircled by a dense and perfect sea of faces. Every coign of vantage had been monopolised, windows and house tops not excepted."
The reporter for "the Echo"
Southern Daily Echo
The Southern Daily Echo, commonly known as the Daily Echo or simply The Echo, is a local newspaper that covers the area of south-central Hampshire, England, including the city of Southampton...
, writing under the name "Ariel", added:
"All the world and his wife were there, including many of our "city fathers" and grave and reverend seigniors, whose curiosity had been aroused by the chatter that was going on in the town... It was a sight calculated to excite the feelings of the Saintly executive, and make them look as pleased and comfortable as if the very cockles of their hearts were being tickled. A sea of faces ten thousand strong bordered the field of play when ... the referee first tooted the whistle."
Unfortunately, the ground was unable to take such a large crowd. Shortly before the teams ran out onto the pitch, a shed roof collapsed, resulting in injuries to fans who had been inside the shed or perched on top. One spectator, George May, suffered a broken ankle and a Mr. George Bett, who had been inside, suffered serious knee damage that subsequently prevented him from working in his occupation as a carriage maker at the Eastleigh railway works
Eastleigh Works
Eastleigh Works is a locomotive, carriage and wagon building and repair facility in the town of Eastleigh in the county of Hampshire in England.-History under the LSWR:...
. Bett later unsuccessfully sued the club for damages, his case failing because it was found that the club had declared the shed "out of bounds", although the defendants did agree to help Bett in his hardship.
For the match itself, the Saints had to play their third-choice goalkeeper, Walter Cox
Walter Cox (footballer)
Walter Cox was an English footballer who played as a goalkeeper for various clubs around the turn of the 20th century.-Football career:Cox was born in Southampton and started playing for the newly formed Southampton St Mary's club in 1892 as an outfield player...
as Tom Cain was injured, and the Royal Artillery refused to allow on-loan 'keeper "Gunner" Reilly
Matt Reilly (footballer)
Matthew Michael "Matt" Reilly was an Irish international goalkeeper who played most of his career with Portsmouth in the Southern League. He also had spells with Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur in the Southern League, with Notts County in the Football League, with Dundee in the Scottish Football...
to play. The Saints took an early lead, through Watty Keay
Watty Keay
Walter "Watty" Keay was a Scottish professional footballer who played as an inside forward for various clubs, including Partick Thistle in Scotland and Derby County and Southampton in England...
, before two goals from Alec Brady
Alec Brady
Alexander "Alec" Brady was a Scottish professional footballer who played as an inside forward. He was a part of the Wednesday side that won the FA Cup in 1896.-References:...
gave Wednesday the half-time lead. Wednesday increased their lead shortly after the break, and although Joe Turner
Joe Turner (footballer)
Joseph Turner was a professional footballer who played in the 1902 FA Cup final for Southampton. Southampton were a Southern League club at the time, and their feat was all the more remarkable in that they had already been losing finalists two years earlier...
got one back, the Saints were unable to score an equalizer. Wednesday ran out 3–2 winners and went on to win the Cup the following April.
Closure
Although the Saints had previously set up a sub-committee to discuss purchasing the Antelope Ground outright, no agreement could be reached with the freeholders. Following the failure of these negotiations, the church agreed the sale of the site to property developers. On 18 January 1896, the local press reported that contracts had already been drawn up for the sale and that "eligible villa residences" would be built on the ground where "many historic battles" had been fought.The club, through the connections of their president Dr. H. W. R. Bencraft
Russell Bencraft
Sir Henry William Russell Bencraft CBE MRCS, LRCP was an English cricketer, cricket administrator and medical practitioner. He was born at Southampton, Hampshire.-Hampshire County Cricket Club:...
, who was also Hon. Secretary to Hampshire County Cricket Club
Hampshire County Cricket Club
Hampshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Hampshire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1863 as a successor to the Hampshire county cricket teams and has played at the Antelope Ground from then until 1885, before moving to the County Ground where it...
, secured the use of the County Ground, at an annual rental of £200.
The last football match played at the Antelope Ground was on the evening of Wednesday 29 April 1896, when a crowd estimated at 3,000 saw the Saints defeat their local rivals Freemantle
Freemantle F.C.
Freemantle Football Club were a football club based in the Freemantle area of Southampton who were active at the end of the nineteenth century. During their brief heyday, they were rivals to Southampton Football Club...
in a friendly, with the last goal being scored by Southampton-born Fred Hayter.
Southampton Football Club spent the next two seasons as tenants at the County Ground, during both of which they won the Southern League title, before eventually obtaining a permanent home, when they moved to The Dell in 1898.
The Antelope Ground was demolished, with Graham Road being built across the site. Subsequently, a furniture store was built on the corner of Brinton's Terrace and St Mary's Road; Brinton's Terrace is now one of the entrances to the Royal South Hampshire Hospital
Royal South Hampshire Hospital
The Royal South Hants Hospital, known locally as "The RSH", is an acute hospital in Southampton. It has been managed by Southampton City Primary Care Trust since 31 March 2007 with some additional services being provided by the Hampshire Partnership NHS Trust...
, while the Antelope Hotel has long since disappeared and an office block, which was for many years occupied by British Gas
British Gas plc
British Gas plc was formerly the monopoly gas supplier and is a private sector in the United Kingdom.- History :In the early 1900s the gas market in the United Kingdom was mainly run by county councils and small private firms...
, now stands on the site.