A FORMER Saints and Scotland goalkeeper with a long-held affection for the club he played for in the 60s, Campbell Forsyth has died aged 86.

Having kept a clean sheet on his international debut at Hampden Park against England, featuring one Terry Paine, the previous year, he signed for Southampton in December 1965.

The Scottish League winning stopper went straight into the Ted Bates side which was pressing for promotion to the top flight.

And there he stayed until breaking his leg early in the 66/67 campaign during a clash with his own defender Denis Hollywood and Ian Callaghan of Liverpool at The Dell.

A popular and highly regarded player, he lost confidence following a famous incident which saw fellow goalkeeper Peter Shilton score past him in a fluke long clearance during a 5-1 home defeat to Leicester in the 67/68 season.

Forsyth, a Kilmarnock legend who earned four Scotland caps, played 51 times for Saints before being forced to retire through injury in 1968 at the age of 34.

He returned to Scotland and scouted for Bates, recommending Jim Steele, Gerry O’Brien and Ally MacLeod to Saints.

Forsyth named his retirement bungalow in Falkirk The Dell and was involved in the fundraising effort for the statue honouring Ted Bates which stands proudly outside St Mary’s Stadium.

Two of his grandsons are now footballers. Cameron, a Scotland Under-19 international, is on Accrington Stanley’s books and Blair plays semi-professionally in Perth, Australia.