October 22 – Triple Vision | On This Football Day

October 22 – Triple Vision

SOUTHAMPTON FC was always described as a ‘family club’ but during the 1980s it was literally true as the Wallace brothers came up through the youth system into the first team.

First came Danny Wallace (not that one) who first came to prominence when he became Saints’ youngest ever player when he came on in place of the injured Kevin Keegan at Old Trafford aged 16 years and 313 days in 1980 (a record he would hold until Theo Walcott came along).

The young forward turned pro in 1982 and over the next few years he became a mainstay in a Saints team that was doing well under Lawrie McMenemy, finishing second in the League in 1984.

In 1986 twins Rod and Ray Wallace, younger brothers of Danny, joined the club as apprentices and would soon make their mark.

The proudest moment in the Wallace household was on this day in 1988 when all three of the brothers lined up for Southampton in a match against Sheffield Wednesday at the Dell which ended 1-1.

The Wallace dynasty was soon broken up however when Danny was lured to Manchester United the following year, and in 1991 the Rod and Ray were sold to Leeds in a bizarre job lot transfer.

Rod went on to have a successful career at Elland Road, scoring the goals that helped them win the League in 1992, while Ray, a right-back, only made seven appearances before eventually settling at Stoke City where he played for five years.

Danny helped United win Alex Ferguson’s first trophy: the FA Cup in 1990, but thereafter he started to have more and more injuries and lost his form. A loan move to Millwall failed to help and a transfer to Birmingham City was little better. He moved to Wycombe Wanderers in 1995 but was soon forced to retire because of painful and consistent injury problems.

In 1996 he discovered the root of his injury problems when he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. These days he runs the Danny Wallace Foundation which raises money for research into the condition.

Sadly no footage we have been unable to find any footage of the historic match that all three brothers started, so instead here is a clip of Rod scoring a lovely solo effort for Leeds against Spurs. More tomorrow folks so don’t miss that, and check this one time for more from this day in football history.