Memories of the 77-78 season, when we last won promotion.

[CLOTH EARS]

When we won the cup in 76, practically every football pundit had Saints as favourites to go up in 76-77, it didn't happen due to a very poor start to that season, we ended up finishing 9th. Mick Channon departed for Man City at the end of that season and if i remember correctly the likes of Turner, Rodrigues, Blythe, Steel, Gilchrist, McCalliog and Stokes departed also. So the 76 cup final team was being broken up and they had been replaced by Alan Ball & Ted McDougall ( during 76-77 ) Peter Wells, Chris Nichol, Mick Pickering & Phil Boyer. The emergence of Steve Williams along with these signings gave hope for 77-78. There were other young starlets coming through the youth system, all would play a part in 77-78 to varying degrees. These were the likes of Malcolm Waldron, Graham Baker, Tony Sealey, Tony Funnell, Steve Neville and Tim Coak. Saints started 77-78 better than the previous season but they were not pulling up any trees. If my memory serves me correctly it wasn't untill October-ish that Saints got me believing that we were going to be good enough to go up. I remember a 4-2 win over Sunderland at the Dell on a very wet day aswell as good wins over Charlton, Cardiff & Stoke all around Christmas and New Year. I can remember Saints beating Terry Veneballs Crystal palace 2-0 at the Dell in the latter part of the season and they kicked us off the park!, the Saints fans chanted ANIMALS at them, i think Tony Sealey had his leg broke that day too. the highlight of that season for me was a 5-0 win over Blackburn, who at the time were still in with a shout of going up Saints played some superb football and it was made all the sweeter because Blackburn had that fuzzy haired bloke Bailey playing for them who the Saints fans had never forgiven for getting both Peter Osgood and Steve Williams sent off at Ewood Park earlier that season. As the season neared its end i remember travelling up to Luton with my old man in an old Ford Anglia and it seemed like every car we passed had Saints scarves hanging out of the windows, half of Southampton had squeezed into Kenilworth Road that day, Saints won 2-1 with a David Peach penalty and a Ted McDougall header, this left Saints needing a point for promotion and in our penultimate game we had Orient away on a wednesday night and i wasn't fortunate enough to go to this one but Saints took about 15.000 to Brisbane Road and drew 1-1. We were nigh on promoted due to the fact that we had a much better goal difference than Brighton, the final game saw Spurs come to the Dell and Spurs needed just a point to go up and they got it in a 0-0 draw. I remember the Brighton fans accusing Saints and Spurs of fixing the result to stop them going up. I remember a huge pitch invasion and the saints fans were jumping up and down with delight and i remember the Spurs fans celebrated themselves in Archers Road. As a 12 year old nipper i remembered being so excited by it all and the thought of playing the top teams in the land the following season meant that the 78-79 season couldn't come quick enough! Lets hope that all you younger Saints fans can get the feeling that i had back then over the next week! COME ON YOU SAINTS!!!

[thegaffer]

I was one of the 15,000 at Orient that night and wish we had the same amount today at Brentford and also at Plymouth. One thing for sure we will have 32,000 hopefully celebrating promotion next Saturday at home to Walsall. Now that will be a day to remember. COYRS!

[Kenilworthy]

The 1976 cup final team only played one match together again, and that was the Charity Shield. We started 77-78 with Ian Turner in goal but he had injury problems and after a few games back in January Wells took over for the run in. The signing that made the difference was Chris Nicholl, who had been promoted in his first season with all the clubs he played for. Bringing in Phil Boyer to recreate the partnership with Macdougall was also a master stroke.

 

One of my main memories of the season isn't from the league, but of playing Grimsby in a second FA Cup replay at a freezing and foggy Filbert Street.

[alehouseboys]

I was one of the 15,000 at Orient that night

 

...and 10,000 at Luton before that...and similar at Fulham for that Friday night game the one before that. At the same stage in 2011 we get a pitiful 800 for Brighton and 1800 for Brentford. Still 'appy days are 'ere again!

[70's Mike]

...and 10,000 at Luton before that...and similar at Fulham for that Friday night game the one before that. At the same stage in 2011 we get a pitiful 800 for Brighton and 1800 for Brentford. Still 'appy days are 'ere again!

 

suppose that was the big benefit in those days, if you were doing well your away support could be huge.

Those games and all the rest that season, i was lucky enough to see every game home and away,bring back some great memories but also some sadness as some of my fellow travelers are no longer with us

[dronskisaint]

Great memories ....I won money from a Spuds fan too!

[Under Weststand]

That was a great season, my first one really going away on my own at 17, only missed about 3 games all season, I particularly remember Bolton at home 2-2 draw we were 2-0 up, they came back to 2-2 then in stoppage time Frank Worthington caught the ball, dropped it put his head in his hands expecting the whistle only for the the ref just to wave play on. And freezing at Oldham away 1-1 god that really was the coldest I've ever been at a football match(would have helped if I'd had a coat maybe, young and stupid at the time). Those run in games Fulham, Luton & Orient will forever live in my memory.

Lets hope the new generation of Saints get to experience this in the next 3 games. COYR WIFM

[sadoldgit]

We should hae beaten Spurs. Funnell missed a sitter Gutted that we didn't go up as Champions that season but at leat we went up. I was at Orient and ended up on the pitch surround just as the wall collapsed. Scary moment but great night. I actually walked off the pitch with he players at the final whistle. These days I would have been escorted away by the boys in blue!

[Badger]

The 1976 cup final team only played one match together again, and that was the Charity Shield. We started 77-78 with Ian Turner in goal but he had injury problems and after a few games back in January Wells took over for the run in. The signing that made the difference was Chris Nicholl, who had been promoted in his first season with all the clubs he played for. Bringing in Phil Boyer to recreate the partnership with Macdougall was also a master stroke.

 

 

Nicholl was an inspired signing,as was Boyer, but the main driving force for promotion was Alan Ball.

[John B]

I saw the Charlton away game in December then went on a trip through Asia Australia and NZ with no internet I had to follow the results through reading Newspapers in such places as Bangkok Kula Lumpar Singapore Bali Perth Sydney Cairns Alice Springs Wellington and Auckland returned to see the Orient and Spurs matches and will be at St Mary's on Saturday.

 

Also saw us go down at Everton in 1974 when we won 3-1

[OldNick]

was at Charlton away. no segregation in those days!!!

I can still see Alan balls chip and a groan from our fans as it looked as though it was going well over for it to drop in the net . great win

At Orient and Dineage having to walk past the saints fans to go up on the gantry, did he get some stick. A wonderful night and the media had been saying that the Spurs fans were going to turn up to cheer orient on. No sign of them that night. Nearly as great as dellhurst park but not quite

[CLOTH EARS]

Someone mentioned the Fulham game when saints took a huge following to Craven cottage, if my memory serves me correct this was a friday night game, i remember listening to the reports from the game on Radio Solent and all you could hear was the chants of 'Come on you yellows'. Many younger fans may not be aware that in the 70's and 80's before all seater stadiums, most stadiums had cash admission on the day and the clubs and the police had no idea of how many away fans would travel to games, i wonder if fulham really expected 10.000 saints fans to turn up at Craven Cottage on a friday night....probably not! No wonder there was some much hooliganism in those days, if there was not enough room in an away end then away fans would just pay to go in the home end. I reckon saints would've took at least 12.000 to Plymouth tomorrow if the old systems and stadiums were the same as back then.