1891–92 St. Mary's F.C. season

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St. Mary's F.C. 1891–92 season

Overview
- The Saints’ seventh season, based in Southampton. After years of friendlies and local cups, they entered the national FA Cup for the first time in the qualifying rounds.
- Honorary President: Canon Basil Wilberforce. Secretary: John Hendin. Home ground: Antelope Ground.

Cup wins and top players
- Hampshire Senior Cup: St. Mary’s retained the trophy for the second year running.
- Top scorer: Ernie Nicholls with 6 goals in all competitions.
- Highest home attendance: about 4,000 for the FA Cup match vs Reading on 24 October 1891.

FA Cup journey
- First qualifying round: St. Mary’s beat Warmley 7–0.
- Second qualifying round: They faced Reading at home. Before this match, they had arranged a friendly with the 93rd Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, and two Highlanders, Jock Fleming and Sandy McMillan, joined the Saints.
- The Reading game finished 7–0 to St. Mary’s, but Reading protested that Fleming and McMillan were not properly registered players long enough before the match. The FA ruled they had not met the required rule, and St. Mary’s were expelled from the competition.
- Aftermath: Fleming left to join Aston Villa; McMillan later died in India. Local reaction felt the punishment was unfair.

Other matches and notable moments
- The Saints played several friendlies against southern teams and military sides, including a 6–2 win over Woolwich Arsenal on 27 February 1892.
- A landmark debut: 17-year-old Charles Miller from Brazil played for St. Mary’s on 18 April 1892 against an army select side, scoring the opener. Miller later became a key figure in Brazilian football, helping to found the São Paulo Athletic Club and the Paulista League, and he is regarded as a founder of football in Brazil.
- Miller also played for Corinthians against the Hampshire F.A. two days later.

Season results
- Of 19 known friendly matches, St. Mary’s won 5, drew 6, and lost 8.

Note
- The club had no league competition this season, focusing on cups and friendlies. The 1891–92 season featured important early steps for the club, including the controversial FA Cup exit and the introduction of Charles Miller, a figure who would influence football far beyond Southampton.