The 1927–28 season was the 33rd season of competitive football by Southampton, and the club's sixth in the Second Division of the Football League. The season was the club's worst in the division to date, as they finished in 17th place just two points above Fulham in the first relegation spot. After a poor start in which they lost their first four games of the campaign, the Saints continued to drop points against teams throughout the Second Division, remaining in the bottom six positions for most of the year. A number of wins in the second half of the season over fellow mid-table sides helped to offset notable losses against those aiming for promotion, ensuring that the club avoided returning down to the Third Division South. Southampton finished the season in 17th place with 14 wins, seven draws and 21 losses.

Quick Facts Chairman, Manager ...

Southampton F.C.

1927–28 season
Chairman	Wyndham Portal
Manager	Arthur Chadwick
Stadium	The Dell
Second Division	17th
FA Cup	Third round
Top goalscorer	League: Bill Rawlings (20) All: Bill Rawlings (21)
Highest home attendance	15,763 v West Bromwich Albion (9 April 1928)
Lowest home attendance	4,619 v Fulham (19 November 1927)
Average home league attendance	10,309
Biggest win	5–0 v Grimsby Town (4 February 1928) 6–1 v Barnsley (24 March 1928)
Biggest defeat	1–6 v Manchester City (28 April 1928)
Home colours
← 1926–27 1928–29 →

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In the 1927–28 FA Cup, Southampton entered at the third round away to First Division side Cardiff City, who had beaten Arsenal to win the tournament the previous season. The game ended 2–1 to the Welsh side, with Bill Rawlings scoring a consolation goal for visitors as they were eliminated in their first fixture in the cup for the second time in three seasons. The club ended the season at Fratton Park for the Hampshire Benevolent Cup match against local rivals Portsmouth, who had just completed their first year as a top-flight side. Pompey thrashed the Saints 6–1, with Charlie Petrie scoring the sole goal for the visitors. Southampton also played five friendly matches during the season, losing to Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic, Corinthian and Millwall, and drawing with Guildford City and Wimborne Town.

Southampton used 27 different players during the 1927–28 season and had twelve different goalscorers. Their top-scorer was centre-forward Bill Rawlings, in his final season with the club, who scored 20 goals in the Second Division and one in the FA Cup. Sam Taylor scored ten goals in the league, followed by Jimmy Bullock with eight league goals. Jerry Mackie, who joined the club in March 1928 after Rawlings left for Manchester United, scored six goals in his seven league appearances. Eight players were signed by the club during the campaign, with four released and sold to other clubs. The average attendance at The Dell during the 1927–28 season was 10,309. The highest attendance was 15,763 against West Bromwich Albion on 9 April 1928; the lowest was 4,619 against Fulham on 19 November 1927.

Southampton manager Arthur Chadwick signed several new players after the end of the 1926–27 season. The first addition was right-back James Ellison, who joined on amateur terms in May from Welsh club Rhyl United, before signing a professional contract in October.^[1] The following month the club signed half-back Jack Mitton from Wolverhampton Wanderers for £150,^[2] and inside-forward Charlie Petrie from Swindon Town.^[3] Five more players arrived at The Dell in August: wing-half Bill Luckett from Liverpool County Combination side Skelmersdale United,^[4] full-back Ted Robinson from Lancashire Combination side Chorley,^[5] inside-forward Tommy Taylor from Manchester City,^[6] goalkeeper George Thompson from Midland League club York City,^[7] and half-back Arthur Wilson from Scotswood.^[8]

During the summer, goalkeeper James Thitchener left the club for Peterborough-based side Celta Mills.^[6] Also departing the club were right-half Ernie King, who signed for Southern League side Guildford City,^[9] and inside-left Frank Matthews, who joined Third Division North club Chesterfield.^[10] Shortly before the end of the season, in March 1928, centre-forward Bill Rawlings left the club to join First Division side Manchester United for a new club record fee of £3,860.^[11] In a nine-year career at Southampton, Rawlings made a total of 377 appearances and scored 198 goals in all competitions, making him the club's top scorer at the time.^[12] To replace their top scorer, the Saints signed Jerry Mackie from local First Division rivals Portsmouth, who introduced himself by scoring a hat-trick on his debut.^[13]

Players transferred in

More information Name, Nationality ...

Name	Nationality	Pos.	Club	Date	Fee	Ref.
James Ellison	England	FB	Rhyl United	May 1927	Free[lower-alpha 1]	[1]
Jack Mitton	England	HB	Wolverhampton Wanderers	June 1927	£150	[2]
Charlie Petrie	England	FW	Swindon Town	June 1927	Unknown	[3]
Bill Luckett	England	HB	Skelmersdale United	August 1927	Unknown	[4]
Ted Robinson	England	FB	Chorley	August 1927	Unknown	[5]
Tommy Taylor	England	FW	Manchester City	August 1927	Unknown	[6]
George Thompson	England	GK	York City	August 1927	Unknown	[7]
Arthur Wilson	England	HB	Scotswood	August 1927	Unknown	[8]
Jerry Mackie	Scotland	FW	Portsmouth	March 1928	Unknown	[13]

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Players transferred out

More information Name, Nationality ...

Name	Nationality	Pos.	Club	Date	Fee	Ref.
James Thitchener	England	GK	Celta Mills	May 1927	Unknown	[6]
Ernie King	England	HB	Guildford City	June 1927	Unknown	[9]
Frank Matthews	England	FW	Chesterfield	June 1927	Unknown	[10]
Bill Rawlings	England	FW	Manchester United	March 1928	£3,860	[12]

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Southampton's campaign in the 1927–28 Football League Second Division started with four straight losses, combining with the defeat on the last day of the previous season to mark their joint longest run of losses in league football.^[14] The first game of the season was a 6–3 loss at home to Stoke City on 27 August 1927, who had been recently promoted to the Second Division as Third Division North champions. Bill Rawlings (twice) and Sam Taylor scored for the home side in the club's highest-scoring draw to date.^[15][14] The next three matches saw the Saints lose 2–0 away to Clapton Orient and Leeds United, and 3–1 in the return fixture against Orient at The Dell, leaving the team in 20th place in the Second Division table.^[15][16] A 5–2 win over Oldham Athletic and three draws saw Southampton move up three places in the standings to 17th by October,^[17] although by the next month they were back in close proximity to the relegation zone following defeats against Blackpool, Chelsea, Port Vale and South Shields.^[15][18]

The club continued to struggle throughout November and December, when they remained in the bottom six of the table facing the prospect of a battle against relegation. Fortunes began to turn in late January when the Saints beat Notts County 5–1 (in which debutant Bill Luckett scored twice),^[19] followed by a 5–0 defeat of Grimsby Town and 2–0 victories over Blackpool and Chelsea in February,^[15] all of which combined to help the side escape the bottom six for the first time during the campaign.^[20] The remaining fixtures of the season saw Southampton pick up enough wins to remain out of the relegation zone and therefore safe in the second flight. Notable games included a 6–1 victory over Barnsley in which new signing Jerry Mackie scored a hat-trick on his debut, and a 2–1 away win over promotion hopefuls Preston North End.^[15] The Saints finished the season in 17th place in the Second Division league table – their lowest position in their six seasons in the division to date – with 14 wins, seven draws and 21 losses.^[15]

List of match results

Southampton v Stoke City

27 August 1927 1	Southampton	3–6	Stoke City	Southampton
	Rawlings S. Taylor			Stadium: The Dell Attendance: 12,000

Clapton Orient v Southampton

29 August 1927 2	Clapton Orient	2–0	Southampton	London
				Stadium: Clapton Stadium Attendance: 13,711

Leeds United v Southampton

3 September 1927 3	Leeds United	2–0	Southampton	Leeds
				Stadium: Elland Road Attendance: 20,000

Southampton v Clapton Orient

5 September 1927 4	Southampton	1–3	Clapton Orient	Southampton
	Petrie			Stadium: The Dell Attendance: 7,982

Notts County v Southampton

10 September 1927 5	Notts County	0–0	Southampton	Nottingham
				Stadium: Meadow Lane Attendance: 10,000

Southampton v Oldham Athletic

17 September 1927 6	Southampton	5–2	Oldham Athletic	Southampton
	Rawlings S. Taylor Murphy			Stadium: The Dell Attendance: 10,000

Grimsby Town v Southampton

24 September 1927 7	Grimsby Town	2–2	Southampton	Cleethorpes
			S. Taylor	Stadium: Blundell Park Attendance: 10,000

Southampton v Reading

1 October 1927 8	Southampton	0–0	Reading	Southampton
				Stadium: The Dell Attendance: 10,000

Blackpool v Southampton

8 October 1927 9	Blackpool	1–0	Southampton	Blackpool
				Stadium: Bloomfield Road Attendance: 12,000

Southampton v Chelsea

15 October 1927 10	Southampton	2–4	Chelsea	Southampton
	Petrie			Stadium: The Dell Attendance: 14,000

Southampton v Wolverhampton Wanderers

22 October 1927 11	Southampton	4–1	Wolverhampton Wanderers	Southampton
	Rowley Rawlings			Stadium: The Dell Attendance: 8,000

Port Vale v Southampton

29 October 1927 12	Port Vale	4–0	Southampton	Hanley
				Stadium: Old Recreation Ground Attendance: 9,000

Southampton v South Shields

5 November 1927 13	Southampton	3–5	South Shields	Southampton
	Rawlings S. Taylor			Stadium: The Dell Attendance: 8,000

Barnsley v Southampton

12 November 1927 14	Barnsley	0–1	Southampton	Barnsley
			Rowley	Stadium: Oakwell Attendance: 8,000

Southampton v Fulham

19 November 1927 15	Southampton	5–2	Fulham	Southampton
	Rawlings Bradford Rowley Murphy			Stadium: The Dell Attendance: 4,619

Hull City v Southampton

26 November 1927 16	Hull City	1–0	Southampton	Kingston upon Hull
				Stadium: Anlaby Road Attendance: 10,000

Southampton v Preston North End

3 December 1927 17	Southampton	0–0	Preston North End	Southampton
				Stadium: The Dell Attendance: 10,000

Swansea Town v Southampton

10 December 1927 18	Swansea Town	2–0	Southampton	Swansea
				Stadium: Vetch Field Attendance: 13,000

Southampton v Manchester City

17 December 1927 19	Southampton	1–1	Manchester City	Southampton
	S. Taylor			Stadium: The Dell Attendance: 12,000

Nottingham Forest v Southampton

24 December 1927 20	Nottingham Forest	1–1	Southampton	West Bridgford
			Rawlings	Stadium: City Ground Attendance: 4,000

Bristol City v Southampton

26 December 1927 21	Bristol City	3–0	Southampton	Bristol
				Stadium: Ashton Gate Stadium Attendance: 17,072

Southampton v Bristol City

27 December 1927 22	Southampton	3–2	Bristol City	Southampton
	Rawlings Bullock			Stadium: The Dell Attendance: 10,132

Stoke City v Southampton

31 December 1927 23	Stoke City	2–1	Southampton	Stoke-on-Trent
			Own goal	Stadium: Victoria Ground Attendance: 6,000

Southampton v Leeds United

7 January 1928 24	Southampton	1–4	Leeds United	Southampton
	Murphy			Stadium: The Dell Attendance: 14,000

Southampton v Notts County

21 January 1928 25	Southampton	5–1	Notts County	Southampton
	Luckett Rawlings			Stadium: The Dell Attendance: 10,000

Oldham Athletic v Southampton

31 January 1928 26	Oldham Athletic	3–1	Southampton	Oldham
			Bullock	Stadium: Boundary Park Attendance: 6,365

Southampton v Grimsby Town

4 February 1928 27	Southampton	5–0	Grimsby Town	Southampton
	S. Taylor Rawlings Bullock Murphy			Stadium: The Dell Attendance: 8,000

Reading v Southampton

11 February 1928 28	Reading	0–0	Southampton	Reading
				Stadium: Elm Park Attendance: 8,000

Southampton v Blackpool

18 February 1928 29	Southampton	2–0	Blackpool	Southampton
	Rawlings Bullock			Stadium: The Dell Attendance: 12,000

Chelsea v Southampton

25 February 1928 30	Chelsea	0–2	Southampton	London
			Rawlings	Stadium: Stamford Bridge Attendance: 40,000

Wolverhampton Wanderers v Southampton

3 March 1928 31	Wolverhampton Wanderers	2–1	Southampton	Wolverhampton
			Rawlings	Stadium: Molineux Stadium Attendance: 13,000

Southampton v Port Vale

10 March 1928 32	Southampton	1–3	Port Vale	Southampton
	S. Taylor			Stadium: The Dell Attendance: 10,000

South Shields v Southampton

17 March 1928 33	South Shields	2–1	Southampton	South Shields
			Bullock	Stadium: Horsley Hill Attendance: 3,000

Southampton v Barnsley

24 March 1928 34	Southampton	6–1	Barnsley	Southampton
	Mackie Woodhouse Petrie Cribb			Stadium: The Dell Attendance: 11,000

Fulham v Southampton

31 March 1928 35	Fulham	1–0	Southampton	London
				Stadium: Craven Cottage Attendance: 7,000

Southampton v Hull City

7 April 1928 36	Southampton	2–0	Hull City	Southampton
	Mackie Cribb			Stadium: The Dell Attendance: 11,000

Southampton v West Bromwich Albion

9 April 1928 37	Southampton	3–2	West Bromwich Albion	Southampton
	Mackie Bullock Cribb			Stadium: The Dell Attendance: 15,763

West Bromwich Albion v Southampton

10 April 1928 38	West Bromwich Albion	2–1	Southampton	West Bromwich
			Bullock	Stadium: The Hawthorns Attendance: 10,000

Preston North End v Southampton

14 April 1928 39	Preston North End	1–2	Southampton	Preston
			Mackie Petrie	Stadium: Deepdale Attendance: 10,000

Southampton v Swansea Town

21 April 1928 40	Southampton	0–2	Swansea Town	Southampton
				Stadium: The Dell Attendance: 8,000

Manchester City v Southampton

28 April 1928 41	Manchester City	6–1	Southampton	Manchester
			T. Taylor	Stadium: Maine Road Attendance: 40,000

Southampton v Nottingham Forest

5 May 1928 42	Southampton	2–1	Nottingham Forest	Southampton
	Rowley T. Taylor			Stadium: The Dell Attendance: 10,000

Southampton entered the 1927–28 FA Cup in the third round against defending champions Cardiff City, who had beaten Southampton's semi-final opponents Arsenal in the final the previous year.^[19] The meeting took place on 14 January 1928 at Ninian Park, marking the first time the Saints had been drawn into the tournament away from home since the 1923–24 season.^[22] The Second Division side put up "a good show", but lost 2–1 to the top-flight Bluebirds.^[19] Bill Rawlings scored the only goal for the visitors, which marked his final cup goal for the club before leaving in March.^[19]

Cardiff City v Southampton

14 January 1928 Round 3	Cardiff City	2–1	Southampton	Cardiff
			Rawlings	Stadium: Ninian Park Attendance: 20,000

Outside of the league and the FA Cup, Southampton played six additional first-team matches during the 1927–28 season. The first was a friendly match against local side Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic on 28 September 1927, which they lost 3–1.^[23] In January the Saints travelled to face amateur club Corinthian, who thrashed them 5–0.^[23] Two away friendlies in April ended in draws: Arthur Wilson scored twice alongside Bert Shelley in a 3–3 draw against Southern League side Guildford City, and a week later a 2–2 draw with Dorset League side Wimborne Town included goals from Fred Lohse and Shelley.^[23] A final friendly took place against Millwall at The Dell on 2 May. A benefit for Michael Keeping and Ted Hough, it ended in a 2–1 win for the visitors, with Southampton's consolation scored by Jim Swinden.^[23]

Five days after the loss to Millwall, Southampton ended their season at Fratton Park with the annual Hampshire Benevolent Cup fixture against local rivals Portsmouth. The home side took the lead in the first minute through a header from Jack Weddle, with a Bobby Irvine volley doubling their advantage and Dave Watson adding a third before half-time.^[24] After Weddle scored a second and third goal after the break, Charlie Petrie pulled one back for the travelling Saints, although the Pompey forward later scored his fourth and his side's sixth to secure a 6–1 victory.^[24] For the first time since its introduction in the 1922–23 season, the Rowland Hospital Cup was not contested between the sides in 1927–28, with a local newspaper explaining that "Southampton could not find it convenient to field a team" for the fixture.^[24]

Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic v Southampton

28 September 1927 Friendly	Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic	3–1	Southampton	Bournemouth
			Rawlings	Stadium: Dean Court

Guildford City v Southampton

23 April 1928 Friendly	Guildford City	3–3	Southampton	Guildford
	Wilson Shelley			Stadium: Joseph's Road

Wimborne Town v Southampton

30 April 1928 Friendly	Wimborne Town	2–2	Southampton	Wimborne Minster
	Lohse Shelley			Stadium: The Cuthbury

Southampton v Millwall

2 May 1928 Friendly	Southampton	1–2	Millwall	Southampton
	Swinden			Stadium: The Dell

Portsmouth v Southampton

7 May 1928 Hampshire BC	Portsmouth	6–1	Southampton	Portsmouth
	Weddle Irvine Watson		Petrie	Stadium: Fratton Park Attendance: 3,000 Referee: W. E. Stone

Southampton used 27 different players during the 1927–28 season, twelve of whom scored during the campaign. The team played in a 2–3–5 formation throughout the campaign, using two full-backs, three half-backs, two outside forwards, two inside forwards and a centre-forward.^[15] Half-back and captain George Harkus made the most appearances during the season, playing in all but one league match. Arthur Bradford and Stan Woodhouse appeared in all but six games in the league.^[15] Centre-forward Bill Rawlings finished as the season's top scorer with 20 goals in the Second Division and one in the FA Cup. Jimmy Bullock was the second-highest scorer of the season, with eight goals in 17 league appearances. The highest-scoring half-back of the season was new signing Bill Luckett, who scored twice in the league.^[15]

Squad statistics

More information Name, Pos. ...

Name	Pos.	Nat.	League		FA Cup		Hampshire BC		Total
			Apps.	Gls.	Apps.	Gls.	Apps.	Gls.	Apps.	Gls.
Bill Adams	HB		1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
Tommy Allen	GK		32	0	1	0	0	0	33	0
Arthur Bradford	HB		36	1	1	0	1	0	38	1
Jimmy Bullock	FW		17	8	1	0	0	0	18	8
Cuthbert Coundon	FW		15	0	0	0	0	0	15	0
Stan Cribb	FW		10	3	0	0	0	0	10	3
James Ellison	HB		1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
George Harkus	HB		41	0	1	0	1	0	43	0
Bill Henderson	FW		23	0	0	0	0	0	23	0
Ted Hough	FB		25	0	0	0	0	0	25	0
Michael Keeping	FB		28	0	1	0	1	0	30	0
Bill Luckett	HB		6	2	1	0	1	0	8	2
Jerry Mackie	FW		7	6	0	0	0	0	7	6
Jack Mitton	HB		8	0	0	0	0	0	8	0
Billy Murphy	FW		29	4	1	0	0	0	30	4
A. Newman[lower-alpha 2]	FW		0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0
Charlie Petrie	FW		15	5	0	0	1	1	16	6
Prince[lower-alpha 2]	FW		0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0
Ted Robinson	FB		1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
Dick Rowley	FW		20	5	0	0	0	0	20	5
Bert Shelley	HB		33	0	0	0	1	0	34	0
Jim Swinden	FW		2	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
Sam Taylor	FW		30	10	1	0	0	0	31	10
Tommy Taylor	FW		4	2	0	0	1	0	5	2
George Thompson	GK		10	0	0	0	1	0	11	0
Stan Woodhouse	HB		36	1	1	0	1	0	38	1
Players with appearances who left before the end of the season
Bill Rawlings	FW		32	20	1	1	0	0	33	21

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