THE exile
N EWPORT COUNTY AFC OFFICIAL MATCH DAY PROGRAM M E 2021-22 | ISSUE 01 | £2.00
V SOUTHAMPTON FC
25/08/2021
KICK OFF 7.45PM CARABAO CUP ROUND TWO
o t k c a b e m o c l e W e d a r a P y e n d o R #ONECLUBONECOUNTY WWW.NEWPORT-COUNTY.CO.UK A SUPPORTER OWNED FOOTBALL CLUB
WWW.NEWPORT-COUNTY.CO.UK
MICHAEL
FLYNN
I would like to begin by welcoming Ralph Hasenhuttl, his staff, players and everyone connected with Southampton to Rodney Parade for this evening’s fixture.
Chairman: Gavin Foxall Directors: Bob Herrin, Colin Faulkner, Joe Crocker, Kelly Anderson, Kevin Ward, Mark Crook, Mike Everett, Paul Marks, Peter Madigan, Shaun Johnson. Honorary Club President: David Hando Manager: Michael Flynn Assistant Manager: Wayne Hatswell Goalkeeping Coach: James Hollman Senior Physiotherapist: Tom Gittoes Head of Analysis: Jason Windsor Kit Man: Neil Leek General Manager: Nigel Stephenson Club Secretary: Ben Lucey Academy Manager: Damien Broad Media Manager: Callum Ellis Commercial Manager: Matthew Owen Supporter Liaison Officer: Donna Linton Community Development Officer: Norman Parselle STADIUM ADDRESS NEWPORT COUNTY AFC RODNEY PARADE RODNEY ROAD, NP19 0UU CONTACT US
01633 302012
After counting down the days over the last 17 months to see a bumper crowd return at Rodney Parade, unfortunately, I will have to wait a little longer after returning a positive Covid test last week but look forward to seeing you all soon. A lot has changed in the world since we were last here together in March 2020, but we have all longed for this day to come when we could get you back in to cheer us on. It’s been a very difficult period for everyone, particularly for those who have lost family members and close friends during the pandemic. Football has paled into insignificance as we have all fought together in these difficult times, but hopefully our success last season provided you with some comfort and brought happiness to you, even when things have looked bleak in the world. We were very fortunate to have been able to continue doing what we love throughout the pandemic, but it hasn’t been the same without your backing. This evening we finally have the opportunity to welcome you back, and what an occasion it is set to be for you all to make your longawaited return. Everyone wants to be involved in these big fixtures because you want to challenge yourself against teams in higher divisions, so I am sure Southampton will provide a stern test for the players this evening. It has been a busy summer window for us with plenty of incomings and outgoings, but we have added plenty of quality to the squad, and I am confident that we have enough strength to challenge at the top end of the table again this season. Finally, I want to thank all those involved in the Rodney Parade pitch renovation who have worked tirelessly over the last few months to install a new playing surface for the new season. I am sure you will have seen the aerial photos and will agree the pitch is in great condition ahead of this evening's fixture. Let’s hope we can enjoy another successful season with you back behind us. Make plenty of noise this evening and enjoy the match.
office@newport-county.co.uk
Michael OFFICIAL MATCHDAY PROGRAMME | 03
AMBER from the Attic with Chris Shingler
THE SAINTS’ LAST VISIT TO THESE PARTS WAS ON THE 30TH OF JANUARY 1968 FOR AN FA CUP THIRD ROUND REPLAY, AND THAT 6D-PRICED, EIGHTPAGE PROGRAMME IS THE ONE WE SHALL LOOK BACK ON TONIGHT AS WE FINALLY PLAY OUR FIRST HOME MATCH OF THE NEW SEASON.
The initial match at The Dell had ended in a 1-1 draw; Gerald King’s penalty being enough to cancel out Frank Saul’s opener, thus ensuring we brought the First Division Saints back to Somerton Park. The exciting first tie was watched by 23,789 who had crammed into Southampton’s snug former ground, including a couple of thousand wildly happy Welshmen, most of whom travelled down to the south coast via one of three football specials laid on by dear old British Rail. As a footnote (no pun intended), King’s penalty was a slightly comical affair with the ball going to one corner of the net and his errant boot flying into the other! So, our issue that evening bore a lovely tangerine and black cover and opened with a piece penned by director Harry Morgan in which he explains how 35 years earlier, his love affair with The Ironsides began. Harry explains... “I came to Newport from Hereford for an interview about a certain business appointment. When I arrived at my destination the office was locked and pinned to the door was the following note: ‘Hereford lad. Will be back later, have gone to watch the County.’ Harry goes onto explain that having suddenly acquired time to spare, he too went along to the match and was hooked from thereon.
Harry notes the recent cup wins over Gillingham, Swansea Town and Guildford to set up this Southampton tie had shown we had a “Useful team” and that the fans had responded by travelling to Guildford and Southampton in their thousands. Opposite on page three the scene is set in ‘Tonight’s Game’ and a nod is given to our visitor’s First Division status, after being regular opponents for many seasons in the Third Division (South). The draw for the Fourth Round is also included and the winners of this tie were going to have a trip to either The Hawthorns or Layer Road to look forward to, as West Brom and Colchester also had gone to a replay after a 1-1 draw in Essex. Staying on the same page, and it’s nice to note that those hordes of County fans who had followed the side in their cup
04 | OFFICIAL MATCHDAY PROGRAMME
exploits, via the railways, had in fact been praised in the South Wales Argus by BR’s public relations South Wales officer Mr David Owen for their behaviour, with Mr Owen adding... “There was not a suggestion of (any) vandalism”... and that he... “Paid
WWW.NEWPORT-COUNTY.CO.UK
tribute to the passengers” whilst having... “No hesitation in putting on more special trains for the Southampton cup-tie.” Following the central pages where the ‘Team Line-ups’ were printed in all their pomp, we come to page six and find a round-up of recent ‘Teams, Results, Scorers and Attendances’ from not only the first team, but also our Welsh League (reserve) side. On the same day as the first XI were battling at The Dell, our second string were losing by the odd goal in three at home to Llanelli. We had also recently gleaned a useful point at Luton, whilst an impressive 8,774 were in attendance at Guilford where Tony Buck’s goal was enough to put us into the hat for Round 3. Up next are ‘Supporters’ Club Notes’ and they open by congratulating the team on their “Magnificent” display in the first tie, citing the... “New spirit which has come to the County in the last few months”... being a prevalent factor in the upturn in our results. Notice is also given of an intended coach to travel to the coming Saturday’s Welsh Cup 5th Round clash at Welshpool. Here we learn that the princely sum of 15/- (around 75p) would have secured your seat. The back page proudly presented the Southampton players and there are some very well-known names indeed in the likes of goalkeeper Eric Martin, Scottish cap Jimmy Gabriel, David Webb (who in 1970 would score the winner for Chelsea in their bloodbath Old Trafford Cup Final replay against Leeds United), long-serving Terry Paine (an England World Cup squad member in 1966 who once gueststarred in a match for the County in a testimonial), as well as Welsh international centre-forward Ron Davies. There was also a certain youngster by the name of Michael Channon, who of course later became better known as “Mick” and not only made his mark on this tie and football in general (he became an England international, too) but in the horse racing world as well as a top-tier trainer.
Cup fever had certainly struck our then town as 17,600 crammed into Somerton Park and long-term, legendary supporter Richard Bosustow recalled on the Newport County Nostalgia Facebook Group recently that even when getting to the ground early that night, a full ninety minutes before kick-off with his father, they both thought they wouldn’t get in given the extraordinarily long queues on the Somerton Bridge side of the ground. Luckily for Dick and Dad, a friendly copper told them to go around to the Social Club side where they entered the ground much quicker. Another couple of fans in Paul Sefton and Mark Dallimore also posted memories of how seats were provided for overspill fans on the Speedway track, whilst Keith Horton recalled how he had hoped County could produce a giant-killing act, especially after witnessing the draw the previous Saturday. However, it wasn’t to be. In a pulsating match - that was covered by the BBC (with legendary Kenneth Wolstenholme on the commentary) who showed highlights later that evening on their Sportsview programme introduced by Frank Bough - it was Southampton who edged us out 3-2 after the County had
valiantly fought back from 0-2 down to level. Indeed, the home faithful must have thought It was all over when Saul and Sydenham had scored for the visitors, but an Alan Williams header and a jubilant Len Hill equalising strike set up a grandstand finish. Alas, our hopes of a cup upset were finally extinguished when Mick Channon, who had replaced an injured Gabriel, scored with an absolute rocket down at the Railway End and, despite a brave effort, we were out. The Saints were off to The Hawthorns in Round 4 where, despite earning a 1-1 draw in the Midlands, were likewise dumped out by an identical 3-2 score at home in the replay. Teams: County: Len Weare, Joe Wilson, David Williams, Allan Wood, Alan Williams, John Rowland, Harry Robinson, Len Hill, Tony Buck, Billy Stark, Gerald King. Sub: Alan Smith. Southampton: Eric Martin, Ken Jones, Denis Hollyman, David Webb, David Walker, Jimmy Gabriel, Hugh Fisher, Terry Paine, Ron Davies, Frank Saul, John Sydenham. Sub: Mick Channon.
OFFICIAL MATCHDAY PROGRAMME | 05
WWW.NEWPORT-COUNTY.CO.UK
FOUR OF A KIND CAITLIN BENNETT TAKES A LOOK AT FOUR PLAYERS WHO HAVE REPRESENTED NEWPORT COUNTY AFC AND SOUTHAMPTON... JAKE THOMPSON Jake Thompson began his footballing career at Southampton and made his first team debut against Cardiff City in August 2008 during a Championship fixture. Having been released by the Saints two years later, the midfielder had a plethora of spells in the Football League before signing a permanent deal with Newport County AFC in 2012, from which he spent a month on loan with Lincoln City. A return to the Exiles in February 2013 made Thompson part of the team that finished third in the Conference Premier and won promotion back to the Football League after a 25year absence under the management of the late Justin Edinburgh.
before stepping away from the game in 1979.
JASON BOWEN Jason Bowen’s career began at fellow Welsh side Swansea City in 1990, before a move to Birmingham City welcomed a loan move to the Saints in 1997.
EDDIE ODHIAMBO
Bowen made just three appearances for Southampton and, although the move seemed it would be made permanent, the clubs were unable to agree a fee, with the forward returning to the Blues. Following spells at Reading and Cardiff City respectively, Newport County AFC was next for the Welshman, making his debut for the Exiles at Havant & Waterlooville in August 2004. He tallied 48 goals in 149 league appearances for
County before leaving in 2008 for Llanelli Town - the club where he finished his career in 2013.
Starting his career with Oxford United, Eddie Odhiambo earned a move to Southampton in 2003, where he signed a professional contract a year later. Failing to make the Saints’ first team, the defender made a return to the U’s on a free transfer in July 2006, where he spent two seasons. In 2010, Odhiambo put pen-topaper on a deal with Newport County AFC, filling in where he was needed at right-back and centre-midfield and he helped the Exiles secure a mid-table finish before he was released.
EDDIE ODHIAMBO
TONY BYRNE With his wait to break into Southampton’s first team being prolonged due to a broken leg, Tony Byrne eventually made his league debut in 1967 at Old Trafford in front of a crowd of 50,000. Byrne struggled for a regular place in the Saints’ back-line and opted to join Hereford United, followed by a move over the bridge to County in 1977. The Republic of Ireland international made 80 appearances and scored a solitary goal for the Exiles OFFICIAL MATCHDAY PROGRAMME | 07
MATCHBYMA
Follow The Exiles throughout the 202
DATE
OPPOSITION
AUGUST Sat 07 Oldham Athletic Tues 10 Ipswich Town Sat 14 Mansfield Town Sat 21 Tranmere Rovers Wed 25 SOUTHAMPTON Sat 28 Salford City Tues 31 PLYMOUTH ARGYLE SEPTEMBER Sat 04 LEYTON ORIENT Fri 10 Harrogate Town Tues 14 NORTHAMPTON TOWN Sat 18 WALSALL Fri 24 Barrow AFC OCTOBER Sat 02 SCUNTHORPE UNITED Tues 05 ARSENAL U21 Sat 09 BRADFORD CITY Sat 16 Exeter City Tues 19 CARLISLE UNITED Sat 23 Bristol Rovers Sat 30 STEVENAGE NOVEMBER Sat 06 Emirates FA Cup 1R Tues 09 Swindon Town Fri 12 Hartlepool United Sat 20 SWINDON TOWN Tues 23 Crawley Town Fri 26 Colchester United DECEMBER Sat 04 Emirates FA Cup 2R Tues 07 SUTTON UNITED Sat 11 Port Vale Sat 18 Rochdale Sun 26 FOREST GREEN ROVERS Wed 29 Leyton Orient JANUARY Sat 01 Walsall Sat 08 SALFORD CITY Sat 15 HARROGATE TOWN Sat 22 Scunthorpe United Sat 29 BARROW AFC FEBRUARY Sat 05 Forest Green Rovers Tues 08 Northampton Town Sat 12 OLDHAM ATHLETIC Sat 19 Mansfield Town Sat 26 TRANMERE ROVERS MARCH Sat 05 BRISTOL ROVERS Sat 12 Stevenage Tues 15 Carlisle United Fri 18 HARTLEPOOL UNITED Sat 26 Bradford City APRIL Sat 02 EXETER CITY Sat 09 Swindon Town Fri 15 CRAWLEY TOWN Mon 18 Sutton United Fri 22 COLCHESTER UNITED Sat 30 Port Vale MAY Sat 07 ROCHDALE
V
COMP
ATT
F-A
POS
A A A A H A H
L2 EFLC L2 L2 CCR2 L2 PJT
4094 6144 3793 6160
1-0 1-0 1-2 1-0
6 13 9
H A H H A
L2 L2 L2 L2 L2
H H H A H A H
L2 PJT L2 L2 L2 L2 L2
A A H A A
JPT L2 L2 L2 L2
H A A H A
L2 L2 L2 L2 L2
A H H A H
L2 L2 L2 L2 L2
A A H A H
L2 L2 L2 L2 L2
H A A H A
L2 L2 L2 L2 L2
A A H A H A
L2 L2 L2 L2 L2 L2
H
L2
10 | OFFICIAL MATCHDAY PROGRAMME
STARTING XI Day Townsend Day Day
Normann A Lewis Norman Norman
Haynes Hall Haynesn Haynes
Farquharson Woodiwiss Farquharson Farquharson
Dolanl J Clarke Bennett Bennett
Demetriou Missilou J Clarkel J Clarke
Upson Livermoreln Upson Upsonn
WWW.NEWPORT-COUNTY.CO.UK
ATCH
21/2022 season
Key: Goalscorer(s) in Bold1; Sub 1 l; Sub 2 l; Sub 3 l; Sub 4 l; Sub 5 l Yellow Card n; Red Card n; * Own Goal; (P) Penalty.
Statistics supplied by Gareth Swattridge SUBSTITUTES
Bennett Abraham 1 Azaz Azazl
Willmott Azazl Willmott 1 Willmott
L Collinsl Ellisonl Missilouln Hyltonl
Hyltonl Greenidge Abrahamln Fishe 1l
J Clarkel Upsonl Fisherl Abrahaml
REFEREE Abrahamsl L Collinsln Greenridgel Ellisonl
Ellison 1l Telfordl L Collinsl Missiloul
Missilou Hillier Lewis Lewis
Greenridge S Lewis Woodiwiss L Collins
Townsend Karadogan Livermore Greenridge
Ovendale Townsend Townsend
Mr T Nield Mr N Hair Mr A Blackhouse Mr R Lewis
OFFICIAL MATCHDAY PROGRAMME | 11
SUPPORTERS’ TRUST WHAT IS THE SUPPORTERS’ TRUST?
HOW CAN YOU HELP THE TRUST?
The Newport County AFC Supporters’ Trust is one of more than 140 Supporters' Trusts that exist under the umbrella of Supporters' Direct, a national body that provides assistance to supporters "who wish to play a responsible part in the life of the football club they support".
There are a variety of ways in which County supporters can help the Trust.
The Trust was originally formed in 2001 and took a controlling stake in the football club in October 2015 following a community share issue which saw County supporters raise a magnificent £236,000 in just a month. Since then, Newport County AFC has been a supporter-owned, community-based club. The primary purpose of the Trust is to provide funding to the club. Our aim is to donate at least £100,000 a season to the club. As well as being owners of an EFL club, Trust members receive a range of benefits depending on their membership tier. All members have guaranteed priority tickets for cup matches. More details about the Trust can be found on our website: www.ncafctrust.org
WHO IS ON THE TRUST BOARD? The Board of the Supporters’ Trust currently consists of nine elected directors and two coopted directors. As the Trust is the majority shareholder in the club, all Trust directors are also registered with the Football League as directors of the club having passed the EFL’s Owners and Directors Test. Your Trust/Club elected directors are: Kelly Anderson, Gavin Foxall, Shaun Johnson, Mike Everett, Joe Crocker, Colin Faulkner, Bob Herrin, Paul Marks and Kevin Ward. The two co-opted directors are Mark Crook and Peter Madigan. 12 | OFFICIAL MATCHDAY PROGRAMME
BECOME A MEMBER: Becoming a Trust member guarantees you a range of benefits and helps the Trust donate more money to the club. Our aim is to donate £100,000 a season to help the manager. The membership packages are as follows… n Bronze: £5 a month; n Silver: £10 a month; n Gold: £20 a month; n Platinum: £50+ a month. There is also a membership package for ExPat supporters at £25 a month. Corporate membership is available at £1,000 a year or £600 for six months. More details here www.ncafctrust.org/join EASYFUNDRAISING: Join easyfundraising and you can collect free donations for theTrust (and therefore the Club) every time you buy something online. It won’t cost you a penny extra. Just start your online shopping first at www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/ncafctrus t/, then shop as normal. Retailers will then make a small donation to say ‘thank you’. There are more than 3,200 retailers to choose from and so far this scheme has raised almost £18,500 for the Trust. VOLUNTEER: The Trust and the Club appreciates the many outstanding volunteers who give up their time to help in a variety of ways. If you have the time and skills you think could benefit the club, then please email info@ncafctrust.org
CONTACT THE TRUST If you have any queries, suggestions, questions or proposals for the Trust, you can contact us via email info@ncafctrust.org or our website www.ncafctrust.org/contact-us
OFFICIAL MATCHDAY PROGRAMME | 11
WWW.NEWPORT-COUNTY.CO.UK
VIEW FROM THE
BOARDROOM NEWPORT COUNTY AFC CHAIRMAN GAVIN FOXALL PROVIDES AN UPDATE ON THE ONGOINGS AT THE CLUB.
A WARM WELCOME TO ALL THE DIRECTORS, PLAYERS AND OFFICIALS OF SOUTHAMPTON FC FOR TONIGHT’S CARABAO CUP SECOND ROUND TIE In addition, an enormous welcome back to all the Amber Army. Whilst we were able to host restricted numbers for our play off semi-final first leg last season, it will be great to see supporters at Rodney Parade in full numbers. And what a game to host - yet another Premier League side. As we all know, we love to host such opposition and I am sure the Amber Army will provide a warm welcome to our visitors and the place will be rocking! Whilst we are able to operate as near to normal as possible, there are some Covid protocols the club still has to follow. We therefore won’t see everything back to normal just yet. For instance, the pitch is a designated red zone, so we are unable to have our guard of honour or any mascot experiences for the foreseeable future. Please bear with us as we transition out of Covid. It has been a difficult time for everyone over the last 18 months, and the club recognises that some supporters have sadly passed away over that period of time. We will recognise that tonight by remembering those who are no longer with us. Our thoughts are with those supporters’ families who have lost loved ones.
Supporters will have been watching the pitch renovation closely. Our thanks to colleagues at Rodney Parade and their contractors who have undertaken significant work to lay a new surface, with an amber 3G surround. The boxes now have balconies running along the Bisley, the home changing room has also been extended. We will shortly be seeing a new LED system at the ground. Well done to all involved. It has been a tough start to the season given the number of away games. The players and staff have embraced this challenge and performed extremely well. Our thanks to all those supporters who have made some long journeys to cheer on the team. It really makes a difference, and it is much appreciated. This level of support reflects the support that the club has received throughout the pandemic and it really is humbling. Finally, on behalf of everyone associated with the club, I wanted to send our best wishes to our manager Michael Flynn. I know it will be difficult for him to miss this evening as he loves these occasions. Good luck to the lads this evening. Gavin
OFFICIAL MATCHDAY PROGRAMME | 17
MATCHREPORT TRAMERE ROVERS 0 NEWPORT COUNTY AFC 1 SATURDAY 21 AUGUST 2021 - 3.00PM SKYBET LEAGUE TWO Alex Fisher scored on his first start to earn Newport County AFC a 1-0 win over Tranmere Rovers at Prenton Park. The striker was thrown straight into the mix against Mansfield Town last weekend just hours after signing with the Exiles and was given the nod from the start for the trip to Birkenhead. The decision paid dividends as Fisher carved out plenty of opportunities in front of goal - seeing two efforts denied by the crossbar - before he finally fired home on the hour-mark.
Tranmere had their fair of chances to take a share of the spoils, but Fisher's strike proved to be enough for County, who were without manager Michael Flynn due to a positive Covid-19 test, to travel back to south Wales with maximum points. County made two changes after suffering their first defeat of the campaign against Mansfield Town last weekend, with Fisher and Jermaine Hylton replacing Chris Missilou and Timmy Abraham respectively. Scot Bennett assumed the captaincy for the second consecutive fixture
20 | OFFICIAL MATCHDAY PROGRAMME
after Matty Dolan and Mickey Demetriou missed out through injury. Cameron Norman enjoyed County’s first opportunity to test Tranmere goalkeeper Joe Murphy after the ball fell kindly to the defender, who connected with the ball well but could only find the side netting. But it was the home side who came closest to opening the scoring in the first half when Paul Glatzel latched on to Kieron Morris’ throw and stung the palms of Joe Day.
WWW.NEWPORT-COUNTY.CO.UK
The County goalkeeper was forced into action again seven minutes later, this time backpedalling before making a brilliant save to tip a deflected cross off Priestley Farquharson over the top of the crossbar. Day had produced several saves to prevent Tranmere from taking the lead in the first half, but the hosts should have broken the deadlock with 10 minutes left of the first half. After the experienced Liam Feeney raced from his own half to the byline, he put the ball on a plate for an unmarked Glatzel, who somehow failed to guide his effort on target from the centre of the box. County soaked up the home side’s pressure and enjoyed a string of opportunities in the closing stages of the first half, with Jermaine Hylton the first to find a pocket of space before bringing a diving save out of Murphy. The woodwork ensured the scoreline remained level with two minutes remaining of the first half when Fisher’s volley crashed against the crossbar after Farquharson’s header back across goal. But there was still time for Fisher to test Murphy for a second time before the half-time interval as he diverted Willmott’s cutback goal-bound, only to see the effort kept out by the goalkeeper as the sides headed for the tunnel level. Finn Azaz continued to cause the home side problems after the restart and almost registered his first County goal since his loan move from Aston Villa loanee, with his effort from the edge of the area taking a wicked deflection off Tom Davies and sailing behind for a corner. But the Exiles finally found the breakthrough on the hour-mark. After Fisher saw his header crash against the crossbar for the second time, Hylton diverted the ball back across goal and Fisher, aided by the ball falling kindly to him, was on hand to prod the ball beyond Murphy. Nevitt almost responded for the hosts in the dying stages after rising high to meet a corner, but he could only nod his effort over the crossbar as the Exiles held out for their third clean sheet of the campaign. Newport County AFC: Joe Day, Ryan Haynes, Priestley Farquharson, James Clarke, Cameron Norman, Ed Upson, Scot Bennett (C), Jermaine Hylton (Kevin Ellison 80’), Robbie Willmott, Finn Azaz (Chris Missilou 86'), Alex Fisher (Timmy Abraham 64’). Substitutes not used: Nick Townsend, Aaron Lewis, Lewis Collins, Jordan Greenidge. OFFICIAL MATCHDAY PROGRAMME | 21
NEW-SIGNING ALEX FISHER GOT HIS GOAL TALLY UP AND RUNNING ON HIS FIRST START FOR THE EXILES ON SATURDAY. THE STRIKER NOW WANTS TO PLAY HIS PART IN HELPING COUNTY SCRIPT MORE CUP GIANT-KILLINGS AGAINST PREMIER LEAGUE OPPOSITION.
ALEXFISHER
WWW.NEWPORT-COUNTY.CO.UK
INTERVIEW BY CALLUM ELLIS
OFFICIAL MATCHDAY PROGRAMME | 23
WWW.NEWPORT-COUNTY.CO.UK
ALEX, LET’S START WITH SATURDAY’S VICTORY OVER TRANMERE ROVERS. YOU SAID BEFORE THE GAME THAT YOU WERE AIMING TO HELP THE TEAM OUT WITH GOALS AND YOU MANAGED TO DO JUST THAT ON YOUR FIRST START FOR THE CLUB. HOW PLEASED WERE YOU TO GET OFF THE MARK? I was delighted to get my first for the club because it’s always nice to get off the mark early. Sometimes those things can grind on a little bit so, personally, that was a great feeling for me, but I think we can all agree that that was one heck of a team performance. Tranmere is a tough place to go and I think everyone involved really showed we've got such a good unit we’ve got here. There was a real scuffle in the penalty area before you finally prodded the ball over the line. You were really determined to get that ball in, weren’t you? Yeah, it’s funny how it goes sometimes because I’ve scored tidier finishes in my time for sure, but I don’t care how they go in as long as it gets us the three points. I was quite disappointed that my header a few seconds before came off the underside of the crossbar. It’s quite easy to switch off but I thought Jermaine Hylton kept possession well and kept the chance alive.. I was fortunate when it came to me again because it rolled off all the parts of my body and then went in the bottom corner. You were thrown into the mix against Mansfield Town just a few hours after joining the club. It must have been a good feeling for you to be rewarded with your first start then on Saturday, wasn’t it? Absolutely, because when you work hard all week you want to get as much game-time as you can. We had some strong spells of possession in the game, and it was good to finally get the goal as well because it had been coming.
24 | OFFICIAL MATCHDAY PROGRAMME
I want to contribute as much as I can in front of goal now, whether that comes from assists or scoring them myself because it’s all part of the job. It’s been a difficult 17 months for the fans who haven’t been able to be in attendance. They’ve had to wait a while to enjoy moments like that but you certainly gave them something to shout about in the away end. It must be nice to have them back now, isn’t it? Of course, we thought we’d save the best for the second half so we were in front of them! Personally, I’m delighted but I think you’ve got to give a heck of a lot of credit to everyone else, especially those last 10 minutes because that was a really impressive defensive display and I was proud to watch them seal the three points after I came off.
WWW.NEWPORT-COUNTY.CO.UK
Given how many away games there’s been, how is the feeling in the camp after getting six points on the board already? There’s a great buzz because there have been long trips on the road and we’ve played against some tough teams. Even though we lost against Mansfield last week, everyone thought we played some good stuff, and it was very close, so we were unlucky not to draw or even win that game. Having said that, six points after three games is a good start and a win against a side like Tranmere could prove to be important come the end of the season. All attentions now turn to the Rodney Parade homecoming on Wednesday night. After a few away games at the start of the season, you must be looking forward to testing yourselves against a Premier League side at home, aren’t you? We’re going in with a lot of confidence. Hopefully it will be a good spectacle all around and we hope to put on a good show and continue this legacy of cup runs against the big guns. I watched the draw for the second round with quite a lot of anticipation, as I’m sure everyone else did because Newport have got a bit of a knack of getting big draws in cup competitions. I’m sure it will be another big occasion at Rodney Parade, so we’re all looking forward to it now and hopefully we can give the fans something to shout about after such a long time away.
OFFICIAL MATCHDAY PROGRAMME | 25
WWW.NEWPORT-COUNTY.CO.UK
26 | OFFICIAL MATCHDAY PROGRAMME
WWW.NEWPORT-COUNTY.CO.UK
OFFICIAL MATCHDAY PROGRAMME | 27
WWW.NEWPORT-COUNTY.CO.UK
Welcome
SOUTHAMPTON BY RICHARD TAYLOR
SAINTS STATS…
SAINTS’ LEAGUE JOURNEY…
Formed: Previous Name:
1894-1920 Southern League Division 1; 1920-21 Division 3; 1921-22 Division 3 (South); 1922-53 Division 2; 1953-58 Division 3 (South); 1958-60 Division 3; 1960-66 Division 2; 1966-74 Division 1; 1974-78 Division 2; 1978-92 Division 1; 1992-2005 FA Premier League; 2005-09 FL Championship; 2009-11 League One; 2011-12 FL Championship; 2012- FA Premier League.
1885. St Mary’s Young Men’s Association (1885-87), St Mary’s (1887-94), Southampton St Mary’s (1894-95). Ground: St Mary’s Stadium, Britannia Road, Southampton, Hampshire SO14 5FP. Previous Grounds: The Common (1885-89), Antelope Cricket Ground (1889-96), The County Cricket Ground (1896-98), The Dell (1898-2001). Capacity: 32,384 (all-seated). Best League Position: Runners-up, Division 1, 1983-84. Best in FA Cup: Winners, 1975-76. Best in League Cup: Runners-up 1978-79 and 2016-17. Best in Full Members Cup: Runners-up 1991-92. Best in FL Trophy: Winners 2009-10. Best in Europe: European Cup Winners’ Cup Quarter Finalists, 1976-77. European Qualification: Nine times, most recent Europa League 2016-17. Record Win: 11–0 v Northampton Town, December 1901, Southern League, and v Watford, December 1902, Southern League. Record Defeat: 0-9 v Leicester City, FA Premier League, October 2019, and v Manchester United, FA Premier League, February 2021. Record Crowd: 32,363 v Coventry City, FL Championship, April 2012. Record Appearances: Terry Paine, 815 (1956-74). Record Scorer: Mick Channon, 228 (1966-77 and 1979-82). Record Signing: Danny Ings, £20m from Liverpool, July 2019. Record Departure: Virgil Van Dijk, £75m to Liverpool, January 2018. Most Capped Player: Maya Yoshida, 83 (107), Japan.
28 | OFFICIAL MATCHDAY PROGRAMME
SAINTS’ LAST 10 SEASONS... Season 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21
League FL Championship FA Premier League FA Premier League FA Premier League FA Premier League FA Premier League FA Premier League FA Premier League FA Premier League FA Premier League
Pos 2 14 8 7 6 8 17 16 11 15
Promotion
Average Att 26,420 30,874 30,212 30,652 30,751 30,936 30,794 30,139 29,675 -
SAINTS 2021-22... Date 24 July: 27 July: 31 July: 04 Aug: 07 Aug: 14 Aug: 22 Aug: 25 Aug: 28 Aug:
Opponents Fulham (Friendly) Cardiff City (Friendly) Swansea City (Friendly) Levante (Friendly) Athletic Bilbao (Friendly) Everton Manchester United Newport County (EFL Cup Round 2) Newcastle United
V H A A H H A H A A
F-A Att: 1-1 4-0 3-1 1-0 1-3 1-3 39,571
WWW.NEWPORT-COUNTY.CO.UK
IN THE BEGINNING... SAINTS MARCH IN This evening’s visitors came into being at a meeting in November 1885, when the curate of Southampton’s St Mary’s Church shared his vision to form a ‘Young Men’s Association for active recreation’. The new club effectively replaced Deanery FC, established five years earlier by local school teachers, and soon adopted their epochal ‘Saints’ nickname. One enterprising individual at Southampton’s Ordnance Office designed a white shield with a diagonal red stripe to represent the new club’s playing colours, with replicas distributed throughout the town and worn in supporters’ hat bands together with a ‘Play up Saints’ message! The Ordnance Office employee would have looked down with pride from his celestial berth last term as Saints returned to their diagonal stripe shirt design, with the original kit style serving as the change strip and the colours reversed on the main shirt. Best not to mention the ‘Play Up’ banner though in 21st century Southampton!
HIGHLIGHTS... Top of Saints’ achievements has to be the famous 1976 FA Cup triumph, as Bobby Stokes’ 83rd minute strike eluded Manchester United keeper Alex Stepney and gave the then second tier South Coast club their first major trophy. Manager Lawrie McMenemy, Cardiff born captain Peter Rodrigues, future County loan keeper Ian Turner, Mick Channon et al ensured they would never have to buy a beverage in the South Coast city again. Other highpoints of McMenemy’s management included the stellar signing of European Footballer of the Year Kevin Keegan from Hamburger SV in 1980 and a second placed finish to Liverpool in the First Division four years later, as the likes of Peter Shilton, Danny Wallace and Steve Moran assumed centre stage. More recent memorable moments include a last-day 1998-99 FA Premier League ‘Great Escape’, inspired by club legend Matt Le Tissier and Latvian Matt Pahars, and an appearance in the Final of tonight’s competition in 2017, when Manchester United gained belated Wembley revenge with a 3-2 victory over Claude Puel’s side.
DON’T MENTION... n Nine-nil as Saints have twice been on the receiving end of the score line in the past two seasons. First up in the hall of shame was the St Mary’s demolition by Leicester City in October 2019, while 16 months later Manchester United ran riot at Old Trafford. The Foxes mauling saw coaching and playing staff donate their wages to the Saints Foundation Charity, though Southampton finished both campaigns in mid table, despite that Old Trafford humbling being one of six successive defeats. n The 2008-09 FL Championship campaign. An instantly forgettable time for all at St Mary’s as their striped heroes slumped to relegation to the third tier for the first time since 1960, with all employees asked to work unpaid as a gesture of goodwill as the parent company was in administration. n Lack of home Cup ties. Saints supporters may feel a little hard done by with an away tie this evening, given that they had to miss three home Cup ties in last term’s Covid-hit competitions and were drawn away three times in the 2019-20 EFL Cup. However, this pales into insignificance compared to a 19-year run without a home FA Cup tie following their 1927 Quarter Final victory over Millwall. The wait was finally over in January 1946 as The Dell played host to Newport County! Unfortunately for Billy McCandless’ County, Saints made it a happy homecoming with a 4-3 Round 3 home leg victory over their Football League South rivals and returned triumphant from Somerton Park five days later with a 2-1 win despite a WM Owen strike for County.
SAINTS GOSSIP... Saints started the current campaign with a 3-1 defeat at Everton, having taken a first half lead through debutant Adam Armstrong, who arrived from Blackburn Rovers only a few days earlier. Pundit Micah Richards fears that there could be tough times ahead for this evening’s visitors, telling ‘The Daily Mail’:
‘There is trouble ahead. Southampton have allowed three big characters to leave in Danny Ings (to Aston Villa), Ryan Bertrand and Jannik Vestergaard (both to Leicester City) and in some ways they are irreplaceable. You cannot lose the goals Ings produced and expect to be OK. Vestergaard and Bertrand were also key parts in keeping things solid and they will be big losses. Southampton play lovely football at times, but they have the capacity to lose heavily – and lose regularly. This might be a season too far for them.’
MANAGER’S VIEW.. Boss Ralph Hasenhüttl reflecting on the recent departures of star men Danny Ings and Jannik Vestergaard, which added around £45m to the Saints coffers. ‘One thing that is for sure, when players are going into the last one or two years in the contract, the power moves to the players and away from the clubs. This is because of the Bosman rule we have, that means players at the end of the contract are completely free. This is a horrible situation for a lot of clubs in football and it leads us to this situation we are in at the moment, where there are a lot of clubs struggling. ‘We are not the only club who tries to extend contracts from players. They cost a lot of money [to sign] and then do not want to stay with you anymore. ‘For us, it is very important that we get something for players when they are coming into the last year [of their contracts]. That leads us to the situation we have been in.’
FANS’ VIEWS... ‘I think we give Ralph until the November international break and see how we are doing then. We will have played a range of different clubs. It will be 11 games in, and all of our new signings will have had three months to get used to the system.’ Josh Golding offering his assessment on Twitter. ’To give ourselves any chance this season, we need to spend every single penny of the Ings money on an experienced, established centre back who will hold that back four together.’ Liam Houghton looking for Saints to splash the Ings cash. ‘Remember when before the 14/15 season, we sold half our team and replaced them with nobodies, and everyone lost it and thought we would go down…and we had the best two seasons after that we have ever had. We have been here before…it won’t be as bad as you think it will. We will be fine.’ ‘Jim’ offering a more optimistic view. ‘Still have fond memories of the 1967-68 season Third Round tie; drew at home after playing very badly, went to away match with mates on Wednesday night, fortunately the first Severn bridge had been opened by then. We did not play particularly well but won. ‘cambsant’ with a history lesson.
COUNTY v SAINTS Season Competition 1919-20 1920-21 1921-22 1939-40 1945-46 1945-46 1946-47 1953-54 1954-55 1955-56 1956-57 1956-57 1957-58 1958-59 1959-60 1967-68
Southern League D1 Division 3 Division 3 (South) Division 2 Football League South FA Cup Round 3 Division 2 Division 3 (South) Division 3 (South) Division 3 (South) Division 3 (South) FA Cup Round 3 Division 3 (South) Division 3 Division 3 FA Cup Round 3
H
Att
A
Att
1-1 0-0 0-1 3-1 0-0 1-2 1-2 0-4 0-1 1-0 2-3 3-3 1-1 4-2 5-1 2-3
6,332 8,000 8,000 13,810) 14,089 8,509 11,149 8,571 7,512 7,048 6,982 18,562 5,117 9,034 6,429 17,600
0-2 0-0 0-5 2-6 3-4 1-5 0-4 0-2 3-3 0-3 1-0 1-2 3-3 0-2 1-
6,000 6,000 9,000 14,483 22,000 17,778 14,454 13,880 7,779 5721 22,372 12,925 21,495 19,167 23,789
OFFICIAL MATCHDAY PROGRAMME | 29
WWW.NEWPORT-COUNTY.CO.UK
Meet the Players & Staff of
SOUTHAMPTON BY PHIL TANNER
01 ALEX MCCARTHY
02 KYLE WALKER-PETERS
GOALKEEPER
DEFENDER
Came through the ranks at Reading’s academy and had numerous loans out which included 44 games for Yeovil in 2009-10 and time at Brentford, Leeds and Ipswich. Alex moved on to a season with QPR and was briefly with Crystal Palace before joining Southampton, where he has contested the shirt with Fraser Forster and Angus Gunn. Capped by England in 2018, he played 30 Premier League games last season.
Capped by England at every level up to U21 and a key member of the side since signing from Spurs, initially on loan, in January 2020. Kyle came through the Tottenham academy and his debut came in 2017-18. He featured in both our memorable 2017-18 encounters in the FA Cup. He played a dozen senior games for Spurs and made 30 appearances for the Saints in the Premier League last season.
05 JACK STEPHENS
06 ORIOL ROMEU
DEFENDER
MIDFIELDER
Now 26 and joined Saints as a 17-yearold having broken into the first team at Plymouth Argyle. The Cornishman was capped by England at U18 and was promoted into the first-team squad ahead of the 2012-13 season. He captained the U21s and spent 2014-15 on loan with League One side Swindon. After loans at Middlesbrough and Coventry he has been a regular at centreback at St Mary's since 2016-17.
Defensive midfielder who has been at St Mary's for six years. Oriol was with Espanyol as a schoolboy before joining their neighbours Barcelona. He helped Spain win the 2008 UEFA U17 championship and played at the London Olympics, and has also represented Catalonia. After graduating to Barca's first team under Pep Guardiola he signed for Chelsea in 2011, joining Saints after loans to Valencia and Stuttgart.
07 SHANE LONG
08 JAMES WARD-PROWSE
STRIKER
MIDFIELDER
Irish veteran who moved to England as a teenager when he and Kevin Doyle joined Reading from Cork City in 2005. Shane helped win promotion to the Premier League in 2005-06 and won the first of more than 80 caps the following season. He topped 200 games for the Royals before returning to the Premier League with West Brom and Hull and last season passed 200 games for the Saints in all competitions.
Possibly the best striker of a dead ball in English football, the club captain is coveted by even bigger clubs and contracted for a further four years. James, 26, was first called up for a League Cup game at 16. He turned pro when Saints returned to the Premier League in 2012-13 and in 2019-20 he played every minute of every competitive game. Started the season on almost 270 PL games and eight England caps.
09 ADAM ARMSTRONG
10 CHE ADAMS
STRIKER
STRIKER
Last season's Championship PFA Player of the Year, signed from Blackburn Rovers to succeed the prolific Danny Ings. Adam had racked up 49 goals in 130 appearances for Rovers. He came through the ranks at hometown Newcastle, from where he had a series of loans including one with Coventry where he made the PFA League One Team of the Year. Part of the England side that lifted the 2017 World Cup for U20s.
Capped by Scotland after playing at U20 for England. Che was spotted playing nonleague for Ilkeston by Nigel Clough when he managed Sheffield United. Birmingham City paid a reported £2m for his services ahead of 2016-17 and he joined the Saints two years ago after an ever-present season when he played 46 games in the Championship and netted 22. Last season he hit nine in 36 Premier League appearances.
30 | OFFICIAL MATCHDAY PROGRAMME
WWW.NEWPORT-COUNTY.CO.UK
11 NATHAN REDMOND
12 MOUSSA DJENEPO
MIDFIELDER
MIDFIELDER
Another former Birmingham player. Nathan was in their academy from age eight and debuted at 16. In the summer of 2013 he featured in the European U21 championship, before Norwich paid £3.2m to bring him to Carrow Road. With the Canaries yo-yoing between the two top flights, he joined Southampton in summer 2016 and started this season on 167 EFL games. One full England cap after winning 38 at U21.
Winger who began with Yeelen Olympique in his native Mali and moved to Standard Liege in Belgium, helping them qualify for the Europa League. Moussa had won eight caps by the time he joined Saints two summers ago on a four-year deal and now has 17. He soon won a Premier League Goal of the Month award for a solo effort against Sheffield United. Started this season with 45 PL appearances to his name.
14 MICHAEL OBAFEMI
15 ROMAIN PERRAUD
STRIKER
DEFENDER
Dubliner and Ireland cap who played junior football for Chelsea, Arsenal and Watford before joining from Leyton Orient in July 2016. Michael made his debut as a sub 18 months later, becoming Saints' second youngest player to feature in the Premier League behind Luke Shaw. He later became the club’s youngest Premier League scorer to date, at 18 years and 169 days old. Made four PL appearances last season.
French left back capped up to U21 level signed in July from Brest in Ligue 1. Just turned 24, he takes over the slot from Ryan Bertrand who moved on to Leicester City after almost 200 Premier League games for Saints. Romain was born in Toulouse and began in the B team at Nice. He spent 2018-19 on loan at Paris FC in the second tier and then had two seasons with Brest, leaving half-way through a four-year contract.
17 STUART ARMSTRONG
18 ARMANDO BROJA
MIDFIELDER
STRIKER
A Scotland regular with 28 caps, Stuart played youth football for hometown Inverness CT and in 2009 joined Dundee United, where he established a reputation with 21 goals and 31 assists in 150 games. He moved to Celtic in 2015 and his honours there included four league titles, two as part of back-to-back trebles. Stuart moved to St Mary’s in June 2018 and is now closing in on 100 Premier League games.
On loan from Chelsea, where he came through the academy. The Albanian cap scored 23 goals in 33 appearances in the youth ranks in the 2019-20 season, during which he signed his first full contract and made his Premier League debut off the bench. Armando spent last season at Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem where he netted 11, making him one of the leading teenage scorers across Europe’s top divisions.
20 WILL SMALLBON
21 TINO LIVRAMENTO
MIDFIELDER
DEFENDER
Coming back from a cruciate injury in January and we wish the Irish U21 cap a speedy recovery. Will is an integral cog in the midfield of Saints’ U23 side and made his first start in the FA Cup third round in January 2020 - scoring on debut - and his first Premier League start the next month. He completed 201920 with 10 games to his name and was rewarded with a new four-year deal which runs until 2024.
Croydon-born right back not turning 19 until December who has been capped by England at all junior levels from U15 through to U19. Tino was with Chelsea from a very young age and was their academy Player of the Year for last season. He was twice on the bench for Premier League games but his Saints debut in August - after moving for a reported £5m, with a buy-back clause marked his senior debut.
OFFICIAL MATCHDAY PROGRAMME | 31
WWW.NEWPORT-COUNTY.CO.UK
Meet the Players & Staff of
SOUTHAMPTON BY PHIL TANNER
22 MOHAMMED SALISU
23 NATHAN TELLA
DEFENDER
MIDFIELDER
Ghanaian starting his second campaign with Saints after signing from Valladolid in Spain’s La Liga, having come through their academy. Mohammed's breakthrough season came in 2019-20 when he was an ever-present at centreback and helped the club to their highest-placed finish in 17 years. He signed a four-year contract at St Mary's and made nine starts and four appearances as a sub in his debut season.
Grew up in Stevenage and spent ten years of his footballing childhood with Arsenal. Nathan signed for Southampton in 2017 after spending time on trial at Reading and Norwich City. He impressed in his first year with the U23s and was rewarded with a one-year contract extension in 2019. After making his full debut in a Carabao Cup tie in September 2020 he went on to play 7 + 13 in the Premier League.
24 MOHAMED ELYOUNOUSSI
27 IBRAHIMA DIALLO
MIDFIELDER
MIDFIELDER
Born in Morocco and moved to Norway as a child, going on to earn more than 30 caps for his adopted country. The winger began his career with Sarpsborg and then joined Molde, where he helped secure a double in his first season in 2014, topscoring with 17. Mohamed then spent two years with Basel in Switzerland before joining Saints on a five-year deal, but spent the last two seasons on loan with Celtic.
French U21 cap starting his second season at St Mary's. The box-to-box midfielder played youth and B team football for Ligue 1 giants Monaco. Ibrahima's breakthrough came with a loan to Brest in August 2018, made permanent after he helped secure promotion back to the top tier. Just over two years after his senior debut, he joined Saints in October 2020 on a four-year deal. Played 22 PL games last season.
32 THEO WALCOTT
35 JAN BEDNAREK
STRIKER
DEFENDER
Local hero who began with Saints aged 11 and was their youngest-ever debutant and scorer in 2005. Theo moved to Arsenal in 2006. In 12 years there he won two FA Cups and the first of 47 England caps, and in 2010 he became the youngest England player to score a hattrick. After almost 400 games he moved to Everton and he returned south a year ago, initially on loan, playing 20 PL games last season.
Polish international centreback who spent all his pre-Saints career with Lech Poznan, who he supported as a boy and where his brother plays. Jan helped Lech to third in the top flight in 2016-17 and to the Polish Cup final. He came to St Mary's on a five-year deal in July 2017 and established himself fully after the arrival of Ralph Hasenhüttl. Started this season with 99 Premier League appearances to his name.
41 HARRY LEWIS
43 YAN VALERY
GOALKEEPER
DEFENDER
Third choice between the sticks who joined Saints' academy from Shrewsbury Town in 2015. Harry's Southampton firstteam experience is limited to three FA Cup ties early in his career but he has been a regular for the juniors in the EFL Trophy and he made 30 appearances on loan at Dundee United in 2017-18. His grandfather Ken Mulhearn kept goal for Stockport, Manchester City, Shrewsbury and Crewe.
From the suburbs of Paris, Yan was picked up as a 14-year-old by Stade Rennais who like our visitors have a reputation for developing young players. He moved to the Saints' academy in 2015, aged 16. He broke into the first team at right back early in 2018-19, under Mark Hughes, and ended his debut season with the Young Player of the year award. Last season he played seven games on loan at Birmingham City.
32 | OFFICIAL MATCHDAY PROGRAMME
WWW.NEWPORT-COUNTY.CO.UK
44 FRASER FORSTER GOALKEEPER Last season's first choice for cup games, playing five in the FA Cup as well as eight in the Premier League. Now 33, Fraser was a youth player with Newcastle and loans from there included a whole season with Norwich City and two with Celtic. Fraser moved to Parkhead permanently and two years later joined Saints for a reported £10m, with time back on loan there last season. Six caps for England.
45 SAM MCQUEEN DEFENDER Won't play tonight but we'd like to offer encouragement as he battles back from complications after a knee reconstruction which have kept him out for almost three years. An England U21 cap, left back Sam has been rewarded for his rehab work with a squad number and a reported sixmonth contract extension. As well as 20 league games for Saints he has played on loan for Southend United and Middlesbrough.
DYNEL SIMEU DEFENDER Centreback signed this summer from Chelsea on a three-year contract. The 19year-old had played in the Blues' academy since the age of 13. He now returns to the city where he grew up, initially as a development player but looking like a candidate to feature tonight. Cameroonborn Dynel is an England U19 cap and skippered Chelsea's U23s, who finished second in Premier League 2 last season.
CALEB WATTS STRIKER Another who may step up from the U23 squad tonight. Nineteen-year-old Caleb made his debut last season with one start in the FA Cup, followed by three appearances off the bench in the Premier League. He also featured twice for the U21 side in the EFL Trophy. Qualifying via his father, he is recently back from representing Australia at the Olympics in Tokyo where he was the youngest squad member.
RALPH HASENHÜTTL MANAGER Arrived at Southampton in December 2018, succeeding Mark Hughes and the first Austrian manager in the Premier League. Now 54, Ralph had a prolific career as a striker and won eight caps. He played for clubs including Austria Wien and Austria Salzburg, Mechelen and Lierse in Belgium and Cologne and Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga. Ralph's managerial career began in the third tier in Germany at Unterhaching. Taking over in late 2007, he produced a record of 40 wins and 20 draws from 88 games through to leaving in 2010. He then guided another third-tier club, VfR Aalen, to promotion. His next destination was FC Ingolstadt, who he took from bottom of Bundesliga 2 to mid-table in the top flight. The summer of 2016 saw him join newly promoted Bundesliga side RB Leipzig, proponents of the high-intensity pressing game. They finished as runners-up to Bayern and earned a Champions League spot. Leipzig finished third in their group, before making the quarter-finals of the Europa League. Their next campaign was not quite as electric, but they still earned a top-six finish in the top-flight before Ralph decided to step away. His break didn't last too long, though, and he moved to the Premier League to take over at St Mary’s. His three seasons there have seen Saints finish 16th, 11th and 15th. OFFICIAL MATCHDAY PROGRAMME | 33
SQUADCHECK NEWPORT COUNTY AFC
SOUTHAMPTON FC MANAGER: RALPH HASENHUTTL
MANAGER: MICHAEL FLYNN
TONIGHT’S OTHER FIXURES ROUND TWO NEWCASTLE UNITED V BURNLEY KICK-OFF 7.45PM WEST BROMWICH ALBION V ARSENAL KICK-OFF 8.00PM
01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 10 11 12 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 27 28 29 30 41 42 43
JOE DAY (GK) CAMERON NORMAN RYAN HAYNES ED UPSON JAMES CLARKE PRIESTLEY FARQUHARSON ROBBIE WILLMOTT MATTY DOLAN COURTNEY BAKER-RICHARDSON JERMAINE HYLTON ALEX FISHER AARON LEWIS LOUIS HALL TIMMY ABRAHAM SCOT BENNETT FINN AZAZ DOM TELFORD COURTNEY SENIOR LEWIS COLLINS KEVIN ELLISON CHRISTOPHER MISSILOU MICKEY DEMETRIOU JORDAN GREENIDGE NICK TOWNSEND (GK) JOE WOODIWISS LEWYS TWAMLEY RYAN HILLIER
01 02 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 14 15 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 27 32 35 41 43 44 45
ALEX MCCARTHY (GK) KYLE WALKER-PETERS JACK STEPHENS ORIOL ROMEU SHANE LONG JAMES WARD-PROWSE ADAM ARMSTRONG CHÉ ADAMS NATHAN REDMOND MICHAEL OBAFEMI ROMAIN PERRAUD STUART ARMSTRONG ARMANDO BROJA MOUSSA DJENEPO WILL SMALLBONE TINO LIVRAMENTO MOHAMMED SALISU NATHAN TELLA MOHAMED ELYOUNOUSSI IBRAHIMA DIALLO THEO WALCOTT JAN BEDNAREK HARRY LEWIS (GK) YAN VALERY FRASER FORSTER (GK) SAM MCQUEEN
IN CHARGE
Referee: Darren Drysdale Assistant Referees: Joe Clark & Lisa Rashid Fourth Official: Scott Jackson
NEXT UP AT HOME...
PLYMOUTH ARGYLE FC Tuesday 31 August 2021 Kick-off 7.00pm Papa John’s Trophy
LEYTON ORIENT FC
Saturday 4 September 2021 Kick-off 3.00pm SKYBET LEAGUE TWO
#ONECLUBONECOUNTY