1922–23 Southampton F.C. season

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Southampton F.C. 1922–23 season: a short, simple overview

Season context
- This was Southampton’s first season in the Football League’s Second Division after being promoted from the Third Division South the previous year.
- Jimmy McIntyre was the manager, Tankerville Chamberlayne the chairman, and The Dell was the home stadium.
- The team used a mix of players, eventually fielding 22 different players and scoring goals from nine different players.

How they did in the league
- They finished 11th in the Second Division.
- Record: 14 wins, 14 draws, 14 losses.
- Goals: 40 scored, 40 conceded (goal difference essentially level).
- They started slowly, earning just one point from the first five matches, then improved to stay clear of the relegation zone.
- Top league scorer: Arthur Dominy with 13 goals.
- Home attendance averaged 12,261 per game; the highest league attendance was 18,000 (South Shields), and the lowest was 5,000 (Port Vale).
- Biggest league win was 3–0 (against Wolverhampton Wanderers and later Coventry City); biggest league defeat was 0–4 ( derby County).

FA Cup run
- Southampton reached the fourth round of the FA Cup.
- They beat First Division sides Newcastle United and Chelsea in early rounds (both needed replays at The Dell).
- They beat Bury in the third round (home replay) and West Ham United in the fourth round after replays.
- They were eliminated by West Ham after two replays in the fourth round.
- The club earned about £28,482 from FA Cup runs, and around £4,000 of that was used to improve The Dell.

Key players and transfers
- New signings before and during the season included Alex Christie, Joe Clark, Arthur Bradford, Herbert Lock, Harry Yeomans, Les Bruton, Willie McCall, and George Getgood.
- Several players left the club during the season, including George Bradburn, Ken Boyes, Len Butt, and George Getgood moved to another club in January.
- Arthur Dominy was the season’s top scorer overall (18 goals in all competitions: 13 league, 5 cups). Bill Rawlings scored 15 in all competitions (12 league, 3 cups).

Other matches and notes
- Besides league and FA Cup games, Southampton played several friendlies and benefit matches, including a high-scoring October 1922 friendly against Arsenal (lost 5–3) and a December friendly with Portsmouth.
- They also played in local cups, such as the Rowland Hospital Cup and the Hampshire Benevolent Cup.

Bottom line
- Southampton’s first season back in the second tier ended with a solid mid-table finish (11th), setting a foundation for the club in a higher division. They showed resilience after a slow start, had a respectable FA Cup run, and managed a varied squad with a notable contribution from Arthur Dominy.