This is preview of the book From Bovril to Champagne...which is about 1970's FA Cup finals. The chapter about 1976 starts on page 203, so you have to scroll down and there are a few pages not there, but you get a sense of the excitement of the day. If you want to read all of it, you can always purchase the book!... https://books.google.co.uk/books?id...age&q=about all saints day at wembley&f=false
Two memories occur to me: 1. Two (or more) rather cocksure ManU players (Greenhof? not sure of names) were asked, in a pre-match interview, probably on the Friday night before the match, what they thought of Southampton, and they replied 'Southampton? Who are they?' I remember thinking "You'll find out soon". 2. The (possibly apocryphal) story of what actually happened to the FA Cup itself, during the evening/night after the match. Stories abound of one or more players taking it with them, to the late-night burger van on the old main road out of Southampton.
Cup Final 1976. Probably the best song ever written about any FA Cup Final. Twas in the very first of May to Wembley I did roam I did not have a ticket so I had to stay at home I loaded up with telly snacks and several crates of beer I flung a toilet roll at next door's cat for atmosphere At first United's onslaught was stopped by goalie brave Then Channon missed a sitter there that Stepney he did save Then just on 40 minutes a disaster made me cough Me vertical hold went up the shoot, me contrast knob fell off Upon the hour United they may well have took the lead A right flanked corner inswing came from Hill struck firm indeed Off Pearson's nut, across the goal, to McIllroy in flight He met it sweetly with his head, it bounced off the upright Then Osgood up the other end, he opened up the door And Channon's cross gave Rodrigues a golden chance to score Alas this bold Captain did err, a chance he could not bag He sliced the ball which nearly hit the right hand corner flag Then Docherty, in panic, made a substitution [utterly brilliant line] The disappointed Hill came off, McCready he came on United's men, they tried in vain, to quell Southampton's tide They ran around in circles, vanished up their own offside Then 7 minutes from the end, me mind was all agog It seems that Stokesy took a long ball from McCalliog They said that Stepney had no chance, for Stokesy struck it true Why do the goals all seem to come when you nipped off to the loo Then very soon the whistle blew, The Saints had won the day The killer blow, it was confirmed, on the action replay The day the South they went berserk, the day they hit the booze The day Southampton they did win, and Doc's men they did lose written by a bloke called Alan White:
But not typed out to copy and keep. To my limited knowledge, nobody has ever printed out the lyrics to this song.
I was a bit young and couldn't get a ticket, but can remember my older brother dying an old t-shirt yellow and painting "Super Jim, Man of Steel" on it in blue. Me and my younger brother went to watch the game at a friend of my parents because they had a new, big tv....The first suprise was the kit, a stripe down the arm with little Admiral logos, that was the first time that had ever been seen and was way beyond cool to us. The first 20 minutes were nerve wracking as United missed a few chances and Ian Turner saved some somehow. After that Saints came more and more into it and hearing the Saints fans sent shivers through me. Then it happened, Bobby scored and me and my brother forgot where we were and screamed our heads off. The last seven minutes took an eternity but the whistle blew and even my parent's friends were celebrating as much as us. I can remember rthe players receiving the cup and their medals and Mel Blyth being told by an interviewer that the goal may have been offside, with which he replied "Offside?, I couldn't give a monkey's! " Then we left and walked home and was amazed to see someone mowing his lawn while everybody was outside celebrating. A special day followed by another at the Civic Centre watching the players speaking to the crowd.
J Cheers FLT Moving on, tearfully. On the first story, it was Gordon Hill. The night of the semis (they were played at 3.00 on a Saturday as they should be!) and Docherty and Hill were being interviewed. They had just beaten Derby, then a big deal. "What about Southampton in the final" they were asked. "yeah, what about Southampton?" said our cockney wit To his great credit, Tommy Doc cut the prat off at the knees and congratulated us on getting to the final. He was equally magnanimous in defeat. Decent bloke the Doc. Hill was a prat. I thoroughly enjoyed his substitution at Wembley.
This was the game that got me supporting Saints. Glory hunter . I was playing in the garden whilst my brother was watching indoors when it was evident Saints had scored (lots of screaming and shouting!) I rushed in to watch the rest of the game. Not so nerve wracking for me back then. My Dad had to work on cup day but he took us all into Southampton to see the cup being paraded. My Mum marked the occasion by wearing a blue and yellow checked coat. We had scarves. It was brilliant to see and got me interested in football. 40 years later I'm still hooked and waiting for the next time I'll get to go to town to see the cup up on that bus.
That season was my first living in Southampton - it made feel at home, having a Scottish influence in the side, and I was proud of the contribution Fisher, McCalliog and Steele made to the cup run. Happy days !
We're supposed to be celebrating not getting touchy just because someone pointed something out. Come on; raise that glass!
I'm not sure if this has been posted yet, but..... YELLOW AND BLUE VERSUS MANCHESTER WHO That banner in the crowd was one of my most vivid memories of that day!
