All Time Head to Head
Home - W 37 - D 15 - L 10
Away - W 16 - D 20 - L 28
Total - W 53 - D 35 - L 38
Premiership only
Home - W 7 - D 1 - L 2
Away - W 2 - D 3 - L 5
Total - W 9 - D 4 - L 7
The Irons and The Saints have faced each other on many occasions since their first battle in December 1899. During the early 20th Century they regularly battled it out in the Southern League, meeting again after the Great War in Division 2 of the restructured league. West Ham spent most of the 1920's in the top tier, before dropping again for twenty years, and it was over this period in Division 2 that the Irons started to take a lead in head-to-head matches between the two sides, before Southampton slipped into the third Division in 1953.
In 1958 West Ham once more won promotion, but 8 years later Southampton finally joined them in the top flight. For the next 50 years both teams would remain a fixture in the top two divisions, only separated for a few seasons here and there. This continued into the days of the Premier League, where the two teams evened out a bit more in their performances against each other - until 2005 when The Saints began the biggest descent in their history.
Having dropped to The Championship in '05 Southampton continued to struggle, with problems on and off field contributing to flirtation with another drop - a scenario that finally played out in 2009 when they found themselves in the third tier for the first time in 50 years after a 10-point deduction for going into administration. This may have been a blessing in disguise as it paved the way for a consolidation of the team under a new owner (and a healthy cash injection), and only a year later the Saints won the Football League trophy - their first cup in over 30 years. Another year later and promotion to the second flight was achieved, followed swiftly by a return to Premier football this year.
This will only be the Irons third match since 2003 against the team that pipped them to the number two spot in last years Championship, having only managed a home draw and an away loss last season. But so far this season the Saints have seemed a shadow of what they were last year, just above the relegation zone with only four points from 21, whilst West Ham have had a creditable start to the season, amassing eleven points and sitting in eighth. But it is the teams like this, whose pasts mirror our own, that we need to beat if we want to keep riding high....
In 1958 West Ham once more won promotion, but 8 years later Southampton finally joined them in the top flight. For the next 50 years both teams would remain a fixture in the top two divisions, only separated for a few seasons here and there. This continued into the days of the Premier League, where the two teams evened out a bit more in their performances against each other - until 2005 when The Saints began the biggest descent in their history.
Having dropped to The Championship in '05 Southampton continued to struggle, with problems on and off field contributing to flirtation with another drop - a scenario that finally played out in 2009 when they found themselves in the third tier for the first time in 50 years after a 10-point deduction for going into administration. This may have been a blessing in disguise as it paved the way for a consolidation of the team under a new owner (and a healthy cash injection), and only a year later the Saints won the Football League trophy - their first cup in over 30 years. Another year later and promotion to the second flight was achieved, followed swiftly by a return to Premier football this year.
This will only be the Irons third match since 2003 against the team that pipped them to the number two spot in last years Championship, having only managed a home draw and an away loss last season. But so far this season the Saints have seemed a shadow of what they were last year, just above the relegation zone with only four points from 21, whilst West Ham have had a creditable start to the season, amassing eleven points and sitting in eighth. But it is the teams like this, whose pasts mirror our own, that we need to beat if we want to keep riding high....
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