John Flood: 1932-2023
Southampton Football Club is saddened to learn of the passing of former player John Flood.
Flood, who played for the team from 1952 to 1958, making 129 appearances and scoring 29 goals, was the club’s oldest surviving player, at the age of 90.
He was brought into the club by Bill Dodgin in the late 1940s as a schoolboy – capped at that level by England – having been part of the Pennington St Mark’s youth team, where he had shone as a dynamic winger, scoring 57 of the team’s 251 goals in their perfect 1947/48 campaign.
Southampton-born Flood turned professional in 1949, by which team Sid Cann had replaced Dodgin as Saints manager. With a period of National Service interrupting his progress, as well as the presence of the brilliant Eric Day in the team, Flood had to wait until late in the 1952/53 campaign for his first-team debut.
Image: Bill Dodgin with John Flood (courtesy Duncan Holley)
He would quickly establish himself as a regular in the side from there, being handed the number seven shirt, and being an important part of the team for a number of years.
The emergence of club legend Terry Paine would eventually result in Flood losing playing time, but he produced a Saints career to be proud of, before departing for Bournemouth in 1958.
The club sends its condolences and best wishes to all of John’s family and loved ones.
John Flood
1932-2023
