Over the years when Saints have been in the top flight the home game against Liverpool has always been the one to look forward to and has rarely disappointed.
Since our first promotion to what was then the old Division 1 back in 1966 it has always been the fixture with Liverpool that Saints fans have looked for when the the fixture list has been announced in the summer. at some points in time the Manchester United meeting has been equally as anticipated, but for some reason it's the Liverpool game that excites more than any other.
Take this season for instance, although Liverpool are in their worst period for decades, it is still this fixture that has sold out the quickest and not just the normal seated areas but the hospitality as well.
Even though Liverpool haven't genuinely challenged for the title for a long time, it is them the fans want to see, the Man City game in Decemeber was 1,000 short of capacity, likewise Chelsea on New Years Day, even Arsenal, but Liverpool is a different matter.
Perhaps because of this the games more often than not are classics, when we returned to the top flight in 1978, Liverpool had just started a domination that lasted for around 15 years, in April 78/79 they were chasing the title when they came to the Dell on a Tuesday evening and Saints did well to hold them to a 1-1 draw, although two weeks later the trip to Anfield would see defeat and the title won for Liverpool.
1979/80, saw a 3-2 victory for Saints in a game that saw Charlie George score his first goal at the Dell, but it would be 1980 and the Kevin Keegan era that would really see the start of a period were Saints were genuine rivals to Liverpool.
Liverpool arrived in mid September for the meeting with arguably one of their finest players, Keegan himself returned from a two game injury, Champions Liverpool sat third in the table, Saints second, naturally a game chosen for Match Of The Day, it didnt disappoint. on 8 minutes future Saints boss Graeme Souness opened the scoring, only for another future Saints boss in Chris Nicholl to equalise, on 34 minutes Phil Boyer put us ahead, but with just over an hour left David Fairclough equalised and thats how the game finished, a cracker but ironically neither Keegan or his replacement Kenny Dalglish scored.
In 1981/82 Saints had lead the table for the longest period any club would that season, but after losing Steve Moran to injury in January we couldn't sustain it and when Liverpool arrived on 24th January the wheels had come off for Saints, they still sat in 5th, but with 5 games left we started the game 1 points behind leaders Liverpool whose main challenger was now Ipswich.
Ian Rush opened the scoring on 12 minutes only for Mick Channon to score one of the best goals seen at the Dell volleying home after one of the longest passing movements ever seen for a goal, 16 passes involving 8 players, after the break two goals in as many minutes saw the game spring to life, first Whelan for Liverpool and then Kevin Keegan for Saints. But the visitors won it in the final minute through Whelan again.
82/83 had not been a great season for Saints who suffered a backlash after losing Keegan and several other key players, Liverpool would again win the league at a canter, but with six games to go they cam unstuck at the Dell with a 3-2 defeat all the goals coming in the first half, the game ebbed and flowed and was 2-2 with Moran and Holmes scoring when just before the break Nick Holmes hit a 30 yarder that sailed over another future Saint Bruce Grobbelaar to win the points.
But it would be 83/84 that would see what many of a certain age see as one of the greatest games not only against Liverpool but of all time at the Dell.
The Dell was packed on a Friday evening for what was the first ever live TV game from the old ground, Saints were getting up a head of steam in both the league and FA Cup and although it was a bit early to be talking about glory, there was a feeling that we were coming good at the right time and we had games in hand.
The game didnt disappoint on the stroke of half time Danny Wallace broke the deadlock with a spectacular overhead kick and the game could have gone either way until with 5 mins to go Wallace again headed home a superb cross from Mark Dennis to seal the game. saints were now up to 4th, still 8 points behind Liverpool but with 2 games in hand, we could start to dream.
The following year there was perhaps more on the game, it was the final game of the season played on a Tuesday evening after the official end of the season, Saints sat in 5th place and this was the last spot for Europe, but lose this one and they could be overtaken by either Chelsea who were one point behind, or Sheffield Wednesday who were two. even Forest in 9th had an outside chance.
A tense game played in driving rain saw Jphn Wark open the scoring and David Armstrong equalise on 53 minutes, the ending was edgy with Liverpool although nothing to play for going for it right to the end, Saints held on for a point and were relieved to hear that their 3 rivals had all lost and they qualified for Europe, ironically events at Heysel involving Liverpool meant that Saints would not be able to take up that chance of European competition.
Now came a period when Liverpool dominated English football as Saints started to decline a little albeit with a reputation for exciting football, in 86/87 Double winners the previous season, Liverpool arrived at the Dell and were despatched 2-1 Armstrong and Glenn Cockerill scoring, in 87/88 it was another classic Saints coming back from 2-0 down to force a draw and nearly win it.
1989/90 was yet another of those games that can be counted by those there as one of the best they have ever seen, 4-2 to Saints who blitzed then unbeatable Liverpool, taking a 3-0 lead through Paul Rideout and a Rod Wallace brace, Peter Beardsley pulled one back on the hour but Matt Le Tissier completed the scoring with five minutes left, Saints even hit the bar in the final minute, Liverpool truly knew they could have been beaten by more, they won the league that season at a canter losing only 5 games, this was one of them.
The next season Liverpool came looking for revenge as well as chasing Arsenal who were two points ahead of them, after only 4 mins Le Tiss hit a 20 yard drive, strangely for this fixture it would turn out to be the only goal of the game, the fact that central defender Jon Gittens was man of the match tells you that this was a hard fought victory.
92/93 saw another home victory, this time 2-1, Neil Maddison opening the scoring and then Nicky Banger with a second half winner, but it would be 93/94 that would see yet another classic game, Valentines day 1994 to be exact, Liverpool arrived with Saints in the bottom 3 and struggling, however new boss Alan Ball was in charge for his first home game for a game started in a snowstorm and ending in a blizzard for Sky's Monday night football.
The game exploded into lifeLe Tissier scoring after only 28 secs with a superb strike from 20 yards, it would be 2-0 on 8 minutes with Craig Maskell scoring on his second debut, and the game was finished on 43 minutes when Le Tiss scored again. Just to make sure though Le Tiss completed his hat trick shortly after the break, Liverpool pulled two back, but it was too little too late and yet another classic was in the books.
Liverpool had a rare thing for a while after this, three wins at the Dell in a row, followed by a draw and then another win on the opening day of the 98/99 season, a match that saw the debut of Wayne Bridge.
2000/01 saw the last ever clash at the Dell between the two sides and it was perhaps one of the best finishes not just between the club but ever for Saints, when Michael Owen made it 3-0 for the visitors on 64 minutes the game looked over, indeed some headed to the exits, but they missed a cracking finale, a Marian Pahars goal on 74 minutes looked to be a consolation, with less than five minutes left Tahar El Khalej made it interesting, but surely that would be it, in the 2nd minute of injury time Pahars darted in to a short back header and equalised to send the Saints fans mad, they went for a fourth but there was little time left, although you had the feeling that if there had been two more minutes they would have got it, a fine way for the last clash at the Dell between these two teams.
Saints christened St Mary's the following season with a 2-0 win courtesy of Beattie and a fine Riise OG and repeated the score two seasons later, and again in our relegation year when the victory against Liverpool with a goal apiece from David Prutton and Peter Crouch suddenly made escaping relegation look possible.
Last year saw the first return to Southampton for Liverpool in eight years and the game didnt disappoint, 3-1 was the scoreline.
Over the years this fixture has always produced goals, there has never been a 0-0 in the League only in two FA Cup tie's in 1923/24 and again in 1925/26.
league wise its been a fairly recent fixture the two clubs not meeting in the same division till 1960/61, the 4-1 victory to saints setting the standards for years to come, hopefully the clash on Saturday ill live up to those high standards, Saints V Liverpool whether at the Dell or St Mary's has always been known for goals and classic games and that is perhaps why even in a period of decline for the Merseysiders they still remain a bigger draw to Saints supporters than any of the JCL Premier League title challengers like Chelsea or Man City and even bigger than Manchester United throughout their glory years.