1st May 1976

Probably sat outside a pub on the outskirts of London this time 43 years ago, enjoying a couple of drinks in the sunshine prior to heading to Wembley fo the greatest day in my long Saints supporting life.

Like many Saints fans I was just pleased to see my relatively small 2nd Division club take on the might of Manchester Utd who were odds on favourites to win.

We did it though and throughout the rest of the fabulous 1976 summer, we all baked in the reflective glory.

I hope one day the modern generation of Saints fans can enjoy something similar.

Whilst the memories remain fresh, it make me realise quite how quickly the time has passed!!!

Wow, where have 43 years gone, scary. The Cortina GT parked up and on the way up Wembley Way. What a day out that was.

Wow, where have 43 years gone, scary. The Cortina GT parked up and on the way up Wembley Way. What a day out that was.

Indeed.

We'd just weathered the 10 minute storm by now.

Never forget the first couple of minutes, Gordon Hill's jinking run past our defence and cross which Turner spilled, then recovered it at Stuart Pearson's feet (probably long before Pearson got their in truth but to me at the time it seemed we were paying in slow motion). **** !! Another 89 minutes of this !!!

Thanks for reminding me, I know it should be first thing on my mind today.

'Its Ours' the best headline I can remember in the Pink football echo.

So many memories. One of the best seeing the Southampton Manchester supporters club coach coming into the services and then driving straight back out as they saw a few coaches of Saints fans waiting for them to stop lol

Thanks for reminding me, I know it should be first thing on my mind today.

 

'Its Ours' the best headline I can remember in the Pink football echo.

 

So many memories. One of the best seeing the Southampton Manchester supporters club coach coming into the services and then driving straight back out as they saw a few coaches of Saints fans waiting for them to stop lol

It most certainly wasn't The Pink in those days.

Good old Football Echo. RIP

It most certainly wasn't The Pink in those days.

 

Good old Football Echo. RIP

Are you saying it wasnt Pink???

It was, but only called The Football Echo. Never knew why someone in the marketing side of the Echo decided to change the name years later.

The old FE was an integral part of Saturday.

You did of course describe it as the pink FE , rather than The Pink !

I didn’t know that we were wearing yellow and wore a yellow jumper. It wouldn’t have been a problem if I hadn’t been sitting in the United end! What an amazing day.

Always makes me think of my Granny & Grandad - I was only 11 from a house of little interest in football, I liked football, moved away from Southampton but had not long found the team from the city where I was from, having gotten fed up with school chums changing the team to follow like the weather, Leeds - Derby - QPR.

Anyway I was the weird kid supporting a second division team, Granny saved all the Saints stuff in the Echo for me, crikey we’re getting further and further in the FA Cup - my parents didn’t have a flippin clue Saints were in the final until we did big shop at Carrefour and the place was festooned with Saints for the Cup.

Easter was late that year and my Sister and I had our usual week away staying our Grandparents, the City just turned more Yellow and Blue as the week went on. Granny knew it was coming as John Curry had won gold at the Winter Olympics (Manchester was a foreign city). Match day the 4 of us sat down watching the TV, second half we must have worn Granny out as she nodded off. Then it happened - Stokes had the ball in the back of the Man United net, Grandad, my Sister and me erupted dancing round like loons, along with most of Dale Valley Road going on the noise from outside. Granny wakes up cool as you like “have we won?” Probably a throw back to the days of coming out of the shelter after yet another air raid “oh good house is still here”. And so began the longest seven minutes ever in the lives of Saints fans around back then.

Shame we never repeated the feat in 2003 just to give a new generation of Saints fans a glorious memory.

.........and just remember The Queen is a Saints Fan too, she hasn’t bothered to go to the final and present the cup since that day: I guess having seen her team win it at long last there was no point turning up any more.

Always makes me think of my Granny & Grandad - I was only 11 from a house of little interest in football, I liked football, moved away from Southampton but had not long found the team from the city where I was from, having gotten fed up with school chums changing the team to follow like the weather, Leeds - Derby - QPR.

Anyway I was the weird kid supporting a second division team, Granny saved all the Saints stuff in the Echo for me, crikey we’re getting further and further in the FA Cup - my parents didn’t have a flippin clue Saints were in the final until we did big shop at Carrefour and the place was festooned with Saints for the Cup.

Easter was late that year and my Sister and I had our usual week away staying our Grandparents, the City just turned more Yellow and Blue as the week went on. Granny knew it was coming as John Curry had won gold at the Winter Olympics (Manchester was a foreign city). Match day the 4 of us sat down watching the TV, second half we must have worn Granny out as she nodded off. Then it happened - Stokes had the ball in the back of the Man United net, Grandad, my Sister and me erupted dancing round like loons, along with most of Dale Valley Road going on the noise from outside. Granny wakes up cool as you like “have we won?” Probably a throw back to the days of coming out of the shelter after yet another air raid “oh good house is still here”. And so began the longest seven minutes ever in the lives of Saints fans around back then.

Shame we never repeated the feat in 2003 just to give a new generation of Saints fans a glorious memory.

 

.........and just remember The Queen is a Saints Fan too, she hasn’t bothered to go to the final and present the cup since that day: I guess having seen her team win it at long last there was no point turning up any more.

Wonderful. I could write reams about that day, but two memories always spring into mind. Relaxing by the river at Kew with a pint and seeing a sign saying 'Bobby Stokes 25/1 to score the winner' (no i didn't FFS) and being stood right at the top of the terrace directly in line from where he shot - we could see instantly that Stepney was far to much to his right and was never going to get anywhere near it, so we (Garry Glass, Bob Aldridge wherever you are now) were off the ground well before it crossed the line.

All we had to do was see out the 7 years before the final whistle.........

It was, but only called The Football Echo. Never knew why someone in the marketing side of the Echo decided to change the name years later.

 

The old FE was an integral part of Saturday.

 

You did of course describe it as the pink FE , rather than The Pink !

I still have a copy of that particular edition.........

Be nice to have one of these days in my living memory, rather than old football videos and other supporters commenting on a great day out!

What I would do for a day like that. So incredibly envious of anyone at the final in 76 or behind the goal for Moran at Fratton.

One day I hope.

Be nice to have one of these days in my living memory, rather than old football videos and other supporters commenting on a great day out!

Don't know if that's even possible in our day and age. Life was so much easier in '76 and your team winning the Cup was a big, big deal. Apparently even in John Lewis in town everything went silent and stood still for a few moments when Stokeser scored.

Wouldn't happen today I'd doubt.

What I would do for a day like that. So incredibly envious of anyone at the final in 76 or behind the goal for Moran at Fratton.

 

One day I hope.

Nah mush you're wrong what you should be hoping for is that we finish 8th again, because that's more important than a cup final win, at least that's what i've learnt from people on here...

What I would do for a day like that. So incredibly envious of anyone at the final in 76 or behind the goal for Moran at Fratton.

 

One day I hope.

What I would do for a day like that. So incredibly envious of anyone at the final in 76 or behind the goal for Moran at Fratton.

 

One day I hope.

i was at both games too, also did Marseilles and Anderlecht away games and didn't miss a game 77/78 promotion season

i was at both games too, also did Marseilles and Anderlecht away games and didn't miss a game 77/78 promotion season

A bit off-piste but that 77/78 promotion season holds great memories, particularly the last half dozen games when we were taking 10,000+ away each time.

And to come just 2 years after the cup final, it was a great time to be a fan. The Sunday homecoming around the streets of Shirley Warren were pretty lively and memorable. As close as we could get to the city centre.