EARLIER this week I saw the final cut of the Saints Christmas film I appeared in for the first time.
We filmed a couple of weeks ago but it was just great fun putting it all together, especially when I was told that I'd get the opportunity to smack Matt Le Tissier around the face with a cushion as he was eating mince pie!
I thought, 'well this is my kind of day'. I tried to do my best to make sure there was something wrong with the take so that I could do it a few more times.
We went through a few mince pies, especially as Matt doesn't like them either. So I was drawing out the punishment for Matt in a few ways. It was just a lot of fun.
It was great to bring together connections of people with the club for the Christmas campaign, which I guess is ultimately the message, isn't it? People coming together at this time of year, it's often an opportunity to think about family and friends and what this time of year is all about.
The video was a really nice piece and a bit of fun as well, but a great opportunity just to get together and look forward to doing something for the club and for the festive campaign.
I got the chance to speak to Keven Schlotterbeck for the first time on the shoot as well. When you meet new players, the conversation is often similar.
This Christmas at Saints... 🎄 The More the Merrier 🎬 https://t.co/G3vuwxEkOf
— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) November 13, 2026
It's really nice because quite often when you do get to meet these guys, it's a little bit like getting the chance to sit and spend a bit of time just talking with somebody, like Zach Abbott on the Dell menu that we did a little while back.
There's always that theme around the club and the team and how things are going and a lot of the fringe bits are often the same about, especially somebody that's from the city and has known the club for so many years and our history.
Asking how players are settling in and especially making reference to how things are going on and off the pitch a little bit, maybe for them individually. You share something, so you've got a connection there straight away.
It's always nice having these conversations, whether it's new players, somebody you haven't met before, and coming together in that kind of environment because it's relaxed. You're there to have some fun and obviously hopefully produce something for the club that they're happy with.
https://t.co/Mc069RbJT0
— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) November 13, 2026
The theme is football, ultimately, that you come back to. Just hearing all the conversations, it's all about how the women's team are getting on and how things are going and speaking to the current players about the season so far and how things are going for them personally.
I enjoyed having a chat with James Bree about being the goal scorer against Portsmouth, joking about how he'll be forever remembered now after scoring in a local derby.
He was just thrilled with it. He said it's almost like every conversation he has with supporters now at the moment has been the fact that he scored against our neighbours.
It's great to hear and share those little stories and opportunities when you get a chance to sort of sit and spend a bit of time with them in a relaxed environment.
This week I also got to go down to Staplewood to use the Dome for a small-sided game.
It's something we did last year and was kindly set up by Saints CEO Phil Parsons.
He has gotten involved in supporting the ex-Saints in a big way and the games that we play.
This Monday night was our first night that Phil arranged for us to go and have a game at the training ground.
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It's not just coming together to keep fit, which is obviously something that's an opportunity for us to run around and have a kick about, doing something we've always loved, but it's just the social side of it.
The camaraderie of meeting up with former teammates and just getting together for an hour and a half or so once a week. But it's just amusing in a way.
Phil doesn't have to do that at all. The club's very kind and generous to not just lay the facility on, but to open up and give us the opportunity to do that.
We run about, it's not a serious game, but we have a lot of fun and it's just that coming together. Sharing stories and doing something that we've all got a connection with is really nice.
Up the Saints,
Franny Benali.
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