ST MARY'S

 24th December 1921, HAIL, ST MARY'S

An early Christmas present for Southampton - on this day in 1921, they beat Northampton Town, 8-0 in a Division 3 (South) fixture at the Dell. Four of those goals came from Bill Rawlings, who finished the season as the Saints' top scorer and won two England caps - very rare for a third tier player. His goals were to prove vital for Southampton in 1921/22. Back then only one club was promoted from that division and going into the last match of the season, on May 6th 1922, Southampton were in second spot two points behind leaders Plymouth Argyle with just two points for a win in those days. Plymouth - who had been unbeaten in their previous 16 League matches - lost 2-0 at QPR while Southampton beat Newport 5-0 to take top spot and promotion on goal average. That 8-0 victory over Northampton remained Southampton's top score in the League until they beat Wolves 9-3 in 1965 but still ranks as Southampton's biggest winning margin in the League - although it was equalled with a 8-0 victory over Sunderland in 2014. 

William Ernest Rawlings was born on 3 January 1896 at Clatford Lodge, Upper Clatford, near Andover. He was the second of four children to William and Jane (née Barlow); his father was a domestic coachman and later ran The Elephant Inn in Andover. Rawlings worked as an assistant grocer before becoming a professional footballer. Rawlings was playing for hometown club, Andover, when he enlisted to fight in World War 1 in 1914, aged 18. He served with the Wessex Field Ambulance and was awarded the 1914 star. He became a licensee in the 1930s, running the Glebe Hotel in Southampton from July 1930. He spent 25 years as a civil servant in the Admiralty, based in Wareham.

Founded in 1885 as St Mary's Y.M.A. and later known as Southampton St Mary's, they became a professional club in 1891, and co-founded the Southern League in 1894. Southampton won the Southern League championship six times between 1896 and 1904, and were later elected to the Football League in 1920, as co-founders of the Third Division. The Saints finished as runners-up in their first season, and the following year received promotion to the Second Division as Third Division champions. The club first entered the First Division in 1966, and currently play in its modern-day counterpart, the Premier League. Southampton won the FA Cup in 1976, reached the final of the League Cup in 1979 and 2017, and won the League Trophy in 2010. The Saints are presently lounging at the bottom of the Prem League.