I scored the winning goal when Arsenal last lost a league game at home to Southampton, now I’m a tiler at 65

SOUTHAMPTON person failed to triumph successful their past 28 league games astatine Arsenal – stretching backmost 37 years.

Former Saints midfielder Glenn Cockerill reflects connected that past triumph successful North London and his adjacent sojourn to Highbury the pursuing twelvemonth with Saints, erstwhile helium suffered a breached jaw successful a 2-2 draw.

The erstwhile midfielder works arsenic a tiler and, astatine 65, says helium hopes to discontinue adjacent year.

He is inactive progressive successful shot with Saints and his tireless foundation enactment — including a legends lucifer which takes spot adjacent weekend. His lad Brody is portion of the Bromley academy.

WITH conscionable implicit 10 minutes left, Colin Clarke nodded connected a agelong free-kick into the Arsenal country and lightning-quick Danny Wallace prodded the shot home.

If you would person told maine then, arsenic we walked disconnected the transportation astatine Highbury, that a Saints broadside would not person won astatine Arsenal successful the league earlier I was 65, I’d person thought you were having a laugh.

I really thought my aged squad were going to triumph astatine the Emirates successful 2023 erstwhile they were 2-0 up and past 3-1 up with 2 minutes remaining, but the Gunners pegged them backmost to 3-3.

It’s hard to comprehend that it was 37 years agone erstwhile we past won determination — and adjacent much brainsick that determination is simply a full caller procreation that don’t adjacent retrieve Arsenal’s aged Highbury ground.

It was 1 of the grandest stadiums to play in, with a immense marble entrance. As a subordinate it was ever 1 of those distant games I truly looked guardant to.

But you knew arsenic an hostile going to Highbury (or the Emirates arsenic it is now) that it was ever 1 of the astir hard places to get thing from the game.

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At the clip of this match, George Graham’s broadside were apical of the array but, nether manager Chris Nicholl, we were a precise underrated side.

During my 8 fantastic years arsenic a Southampton player, six of them were spent playing alongside Jimmy Case successful midfield.

We formed a large knowing connected the transportation and a lifelong relationship disconnected it. I ne'er stopped learning from him and we’d ever screen for each different during games.

But what a subordinate helium was! It angers and frustrates maine erstwhile I spot truthful galore players with fractional his endowment playing for England erstwhile I look and spot helium ne'er won a Three Lions cap.

Here was a feline who won the European Cup 3 times with Liverpool.

Jimmy had 1 of the hardest shots successful the game, could unlock defences with sublime passes with either ft and could play each implicit the pitch. And helium was arsenic hard arsenic nails arsenic an opponent.

We should person won successful our adjacent crippled astatine Highbury the pursuing play erstwhile we were starring 2-0 earlier my jaw was broken. The crippled ended up 2-2.

Even 36 years on, I person nary privation to remark connected what Paul Davis has had to accidental astir the incidental (which led to a nine-game prohibition and a £3,000 fine).

Unforgettable injury

From my ain perspective, 1 infinitesimal I was playing and the adjacent I was knocked retired cold. When I came circular each I tin callback is our physio, Dennis Rofe, asking if I was OK and whether I knew what the people was.

The brainsick portion is that I played connected for the remainder of the lucifer not having a hint that I had a severely breached jaw.

It seems astir Stone Age compared with contiguous wherever players are treated successful fabric wool wherever thing aesculapian is involved, and rightly so. I ne'er thought for a infinitesimal astir coming off!

We ever had food and chips connected the mode location from a London distant game. It wasn’t until I tried to devour the food I realised my full jaw and rima wouldn’t work.

I made my mode to the beforehand of the bus, told the manager and the aesculapian staff. I was taken consecutive to infirmary and wrong a mates of hours was successful country having an operation.

All I wanted to bash was get backmost playing again arsenic soon arsenic possible. The irony was I returned with Davis’ prohibition inactive running.

Next generation

As acold arsenic this play is concerned, I reckon Russell Martin and Southampton are going to request astir 8 wins and a smattering of draws if they are to enactment successful the Premier League.

Arsenal is 1 of the toughest games they’ll look this play but we saw past week different newly-promoted club, Leicester, tally them precise close.

I americium precise arrogant that my lad Brody is 1 of the apprentices and portion of the academy astatine caller League Two broadside Bromley.

At 16, he’s got truthful overmuch much earthy endowment than I ever had.

But he’s besides a precise grounded lad and has truthful overmuch dedication.

He’s got a agelong mode to spell but he’s connected the close way with an ambitious nine and learning each day.

I americium hoping we get a immense turnout connected Sunday week (October 13) erstwhile a Saints’ Legends broadside play against a Russell Martin XI astatine St Mary’s — with everything to money chosen charities successful the Southampton area.