Southampton fans embark on signature search

Southampton’s star player Rickie Lambert at a England training session

Two die-hard fans of Premier League club Southampton have set out on a quest to collect autographs of players who have played for the club since the end of the Second World war and have fallen short of 40 signatures. BBC News reports.

Steve and Michael Morrison, who are father and son respectively, are aiming to collect the signatures of 620 players who have represented the club since 1945.

The due have got the signatures of former players such as Matt le Tissier, Kevin Keegan, Gareth Bale, Mick Channon and Peter Shilton.

Steve Morrrison said: “It’s a fantastic collection which demonstrates our love for the football club.”

The 46-year-old has been collecting signatures since his childhood and started his quest after his son started coming along with him to the club’s matches.

Besides personally approaching the players, the team makes use of online auction sites as well as autograph dealers in order to obtain the signatures.

The pair managed to get the signature of CB Fry ,who played for Southampton in the 1900s, and Alf Ramsey who led England to World Cup glory after playing for the club in the 1940′s.

The collection, which is currently kept in supermarket bags, features the signatures of the 1975 FA cup winning squad and every post war goal scorer including Rickie Lambert and Charlie Wayman.

Michael Morrison, aged 17, said: “Every signature is the same to us for sentimental value – every player has played their part in the history of the club.”

New signing Dani Osvaldo and former manager George Roughton are among the signatures the pair are yet to obtain.

The Morrison’s are also looking for the autograph of the infamous Ali Dia, who played just 53 minutes for the club in 1996.

Steve said: “There’s going to be someone out there somewhere who can help us track them down.”