SATURDAY, AUGUST 15, 2009
13
THE DAILY ECHO
Saints spotlight
Stagg-ering tale
from Jeremy SAINTS’ YOUTH/RESERVE SIDE 1980-81. Back (from left): Reuben Agboola, Pete Vacher, Joe Blochel, Colin Dixon, Martin Foyle, Alastair Sperring, Ian Baird, George Lawrence, Mark Whitlock, David Madden, Ian Juryeff. Front: Russell Burtenshaw, Paul Wiltshire, Jeremy Stagg, Danny Wallace, Chris Hodge, David Puckett, Steve Richardson, Steve Baker, Tim Cole, Wayne Pratt.
WHEN a former England international calls, chances are you listen. But Jeremy Stagg didn’t. The Toynbee pupil enjoyed playing football. He was a hard working wideman and so good that in his early teens he was courted by Tottenham, QPR and Brighton, who were then managed by Alan Mullery, writes SIMON PEACH. The former England international heard of Stagg’s potential and took it upon himself to call his parents, in an attempt to seal the deal. But it wasn’t to be. The born and bred Eastleigh boy decided against a move along the coast, instead signing for Saints as an associate schoolboy. “I was very proud to play for them,” he said on signing for Saints. “At that particular time they were one of the top Division 1 sides. “You learn a hell of a lot when you are working with players of the calibre of Kevin Keegan, Alan Ball, Peter Shilton, Charlie George – they were all terrific players. “You could do nothing but learn from players like that.” And the youth sides weren’t bad either. The likes of George Lawrence, Reuben Agboola and Danny Wallace were all Stagg’s peers in his youth and reserve days. Ian Branfoot was Stagg’s boss throughout his time at Saints, first running the youth side before earning promotion to the reserves. He is also somebody Stagg – now manager at Sydenhams Wessex Premier side Lymington Town – is keen to defend. “Southampton fans may not remember good things about him as manager but he was a top, top coach,” he said. “He was great for youngsters and put things over so simply, all his methods were superb.” Under Branfoot, the midfielder progressed through the ranks. After two years as a schoolboy, and a further two as apprentice, he spent a short spell as a professional. But then that was it. Saints decided not to keep him on after Stagg rejected their last chance of respite. “I got offered a spell in Sweden,” he said. “There were a few guys over there and they wanted me to come back afterwards and see whether I had changed in certain areas. But I declined because I thought I would try and make it here. “I had contacts at Bristol Rovers and York,
but nothing materialised.” So he dropped out of the league. An unhappy spell at Woking followed before he signed with Andover, where he would stay for six years. Stagg was a consistent performer for the Lions, excelling in their midfield. He impressed so much so that Bashley, who had just won the Wessex League for the third year on the trot, forked out nearly £7,000 to sign him. And what a great move it proved to be. “We won the Southern League in my first season there, and in Bashley’s first season in the division,” said Stagg. “They paid some big money for myself and Jason Lovell (£6,000 from Wimborne) and, after a bit of a slow start, we eventually won the league and had some good cup runs.” Cult figure Stagg spent ten happy years at Bashley, becoming a cult figure at the Recreation Ground. He helped Bashley to the FA Cup second round in 1995 and he left the club a few years later. “I regret leaving Bashley when I did. I still had a year or two left in me,” he recalled. “My father died and after that I never really got back to playing. “My mate Leroy Whale was at Andover so I went and joined them, but I struggled with fitness and that was it really.” After finishing playing, Stagg continued his job as a postman, deciding to concentrate his time on developing and following son Liam’s career instead. He coached at Colden Common and Alresford Town, during his son’s spells there, before deciding to take a punt at management this summer. “I saw the Lymington job advertised so I applied for it,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to give management a go but was waiting for the right time. “It is hard work. There are a few teething problems but we’re getting there. We’ve got a good capable squad but these things take time. It’s a complete rebuilding job.” Furthermore, the job kills two birds with one stone, with son Liam now playing for their reserve side. The move reaffirms his commitment to his family and he admits the thing he is most looking forward to is celebrating his 25th wedding anniversary with wife Juliana next year. For a grounded family man, that’s no sur-
prise. Neither are his views on what could have been. “We’ve all got regrets in life,” he said. “If I’d known what I do now, then going to Sweden would probably have been the best route to take. “And sometimes I regret not moving away from my local area when I could have, to allow me to develop somewhere else. But it wasn’t to be. “We all have regrets but we carry on.”
Catching up with class of 1980/81 SAT on an old wooden bench, Jeremy Stagg wasn’t to know that he was squeezed in between the future Eastleigh reserve manager, on one side, and a future England international, on the other. The players of the Saints youth side 29 years ago have all moved on. Some still find employment in football, whereas others work as everything from builders to car salesmen. But, whatever their career path, the Lymington manager still keeps in contact with many of them. “I remember quite a bit about those days and I still keep in touch with a few of them,” said Stagg. “I see Paul Wiltshire (sat on Jeremy’s left) now and again, he is running the Eastleigh reserve side and, obviously, Ian Baird, is down at Eastleigh too as manager. “I’m still quite close to Barry Blankley, who has just left Salisbury, and then there’s Martin Foyle, who is York City manager at the moment.” Stagg may not have made it in the
pro game but 11 of the players he is pictured with did, including Reuben Agboola, who he recently bumped into. “I saw Reuben for the first time since I left Southampton about three weeks ago,” he said. “He’s working in a garage on Southampton Road, and I’m working as a postman, and by chance I was delivering to him. “It was great to see him again.” Another to progress from the youth team was Danny Wallace, the oldest of three brothers. “Danny is a bit of a legend at Southampton,” he said. “I haven’t seen him since we left but he was a very quick player. He frightened defences and was a lovely happy go lucky chap. “And he got a lucky break. “There was a few injuries one day, got the call up (at Old Trafford, of all places), made use of it and never looked back. “He may have got lucky but you need to have the talent to go with that – and Danny certainly had that.”