Then the drop:- Roughton's first full season in charge, 1952-53, was the most disastrous in the club's history; they were relegated for the first time! Nevertheless Roughton kept his job until November 1955, when his poisoned chalice was handed on to Ted Bates.
Ted Bates had been coaching the reserves and been Charlie Wayman's strike partner in the side that had promised so much barely five years before.
Bates' task was one of Herculean dimensions, the club were not just struggling on the field, but financially off it, and despite some astonishing performances in front of goal it was not until 1959-60 that they made a lasting impression.
This they did with a bang that reverberated around the country; drawn to play First Division Manchester City at Maine Road in the 3rd round of the F.A. Cup they triumphed, five goals to one! A young Terry Paine and four goal Derek Reeves were the outstanding players in a magnificent performance -not diminished one iota by the fact they were eliminated by Fourth Division Watford in the next round.
That disappointment overcome Saints swept to the Third Division Championship, and Division Two, with 106 goals.
Into the First Division:-
Saints return to the Second Division saw some entertaining football at The Dell, electrified by the two home grown wingers Terry Paine and John Sydenham, but the club struggled in the early stages of the '62-63 season and Bates splashed an awesome £48,000 in the space of a month to bring Plymouth Argyle striker George Kirby, and West Brom's Stuart Williams and David Burnside to Southampton.
The new signings settled in quickly and shrugging off the fixture backlog caused one the best Januarys ever (for children with sledges) set off on a spectacular F.A. Cup-run, taking First Division Nottingham Forest to two replays in the 6th Round, and, after coming back from 3-0 down at the Dell, thrashing them 5-0 at White Hart Lane.
A disappointing semi-final at Villa Park saw them defeated by a solitary Dennis Law goal, and it was Manchester United who went to Wembley, and won.
The last game of the 1965-66 season, away to Division Two champions Manchester City saw Saints needing to avoid a five goal defeat to gain promotion. It was a goalless draw and Saints supporters, after seventy-eight years of waiting, at last could rejoice top-rank status. It was just as well Saints didn't lose 5-0, as the city had been rejoicing all the previous week.
Saints' forwards made a distinct impression in the first division, Paine and Sydenham proving as effective in the top flight as they had in the second and third divisions; a young Martin Chivers and new signing Ron Davies, especially Ron Davies, flourishing. Seventy-four goals were accumulated during that first season; only champions Manchester United, West Ham and West Brom managed a better tally, however the defence conceded ninety-two goals; the worst performance in the division and over the following seasons Saints adopted a more pragmatic defensive formulation -they stopped taking prisoners.
Page Four: The History Of Southampton Football Club 1973 - 1985