The Draper Tools Saints shirt of the early 1980s was worn by the likes of Nick Holmes, Kevin Keegan and David Armstrong during a highly successful period in the club's history.

Now the retro-style team shirt is making a comeback as one of the nostalgic items available from the Saints merchandise stores.

The home shirt, which is already selling well, features a thick red stripe and white on the sides and was at the time a fashionable departure from the traditional red and white stripes associated with the Saints. The away shirt, which is proving equally popular, featured a

blue band of colour on the front and sides.

To celebrate the re-release of the retro-style shirt, Saints caught up with former shirt sponsors and local employer Draper Tools based at Chandler's Ford. The company is still very much involved in the club as a box holder, perimeter board advertiser and sponsor of the

big screen.

Publicity manager at Draper Tools Clive Richardson commented: "It's wonderful that the 1980s replica shirt is proving so successful. Draper Tools continues to have a proud connection with Saints as well as a strong belief in community spirit as a whole. It's been a successful association for more than 20 years and we hope we can continue to support the Saints. In fact many of our employees are Saints season ticket holders."

James McLaughlin, head of sales at Southampton FC, said: "There is a strong trend for retro-style clothing from 20 years ago, so we were delighted to be able to re-release this replica shirt after hearing a demand from fans. A lot of die-hard Saints fans feel very sentimental about that period."