1st May 1976 - FA Cup Final - Southampton 1 Manchester United 0

Disclaimer, for context.

Those who were old enough to go to the game could do a better write-up than me.

I was seven years old in May 1976. My actual experience of the FA Cup final was watching it on our family’s little TV in our house in New Road, Netley with my mum and dad. Dad had queued up for tickets outside The Dell but had been unsuccessful so here we were. The first game I actually attended was a month before the final at Fratton Park of all places. We won 1-0 with a last minute Mick Channon winner and Pompey’s Relegation to Division 3 was confirmed as a result. All of that was lost on me at the time, as was the fact that three of the heroes of 1976, Jim Steele, Jim McCalliog and Peter Osgood had been dropped from the Portsmouth game for celebrating a little bit too enthusiastically after the semi-final win against Crystal Palace. The memories of watching the final are surprisingly clear and I particularly remember my dad running round the room when the ball hit the net. Courtesy of the Nostalgic TV DVD, I watched the whole thing from start to finish today and I have to say, it brought a tear to the eye when Bobby’s shot hit the net.

I have not written this from the point of view of seven-year-old me. I’ve tried to write it as if this blog existed in 1976 and adult me was around then.... this is where it all gets a little bit like an episode of Doctor Who... if I was the age I am now in 1976, I would be 95 now, which coincidentally, it’s probably roughly the age I’ll be the next time I have a new Saints game to write about.

Anyway.... 1st May 1976.

The Moment Bobby Stokes Became a Legend

At last the day is here, the 1976 FA Cup Final against Manchester United at Wembley.  Have we got a chance? If you believe the media we've got none and Bobby Charlton thinks United will win 6-0.  Well I guess you’ve always got a bit of a chance but if you look at it logically and on paper, we haven’t got much of one. We are a Division 2 side after all and they look like they going to finish third in Division 1 so it’s a bit of a stretch to imagine we can win this game. Why not though – Magic of the Cup and all that.

I think our team it’s pretty much set in stone.  Though the likes of Bennett, Andruszewski, Williams, Mills, Fisher and Earls have all played some games since we beat Palace in the semi-final, I can’t see any of them making the line-up for the final.   Fisher won’t get back in for Gilchrist but other than that, it’ll be the experienced boys back in as that’s the one thing that we have got that United haven’t.  They of course have got all these brilliant young players like Lou Macari, Steve Coppell, Gordon Hill and Sammy McIlroy and it’s going to be bloody hard for us to compete against them.   The United side is a bit of a who’s who of international football with international players from England Scotland, Northern and the Republic of Ireland.  Coppell and Hill are ridiculously good players on the wings and Pearson up front is a handful so I would imagine a few tackles will be flying in early on. If they got weaknesses anywhere I guess it’s in defence and goalkeeper Alex Stepney must be about 70 now which puts him on a par with most of our side. In front of him they have Scotland’s Martin Buchan and Brian Greenhoff who was a midfielder until recently.

Aside from experience, what have we got that they haven’t?  Well, of course we have Mick Channon, still with us and still playing for England despite being in Division 2 but we but if the like of Osgood McCalliog (ex-United of course) and if Rodrigues can roll back the years – who knows? I worry about Ian Turner in goal and the full backs are going to be tested severely, especially Rodrigues against Gordon Hill.

United manager Tommy Docherty has a certain arrogance about him which you’re allowed to have if you manage a team as good as United are. I think it’s the sort of guy that you love if he’s on your side and hate if he’s on the other. This is direct contrast to Lawrie Mac who everyone seems to love at the moment. It’s been quite a journey for Lawrie considering we got relegated in his first season in charge but this is a reward for him and reward for the club for sticking with him. Regardless of how today goes, all he has to do is get us promoted and he’ll be a legend in the city for as long as he walks among us.

It’s been a strange season really. We should’ve got promoted and started reasonably well but a dreadful run until the end of October really put a big dent in any aspirations we might have had of getting promoted. Still, the big winning run over Christmas and the New Year to the end of February got us to fourth place and just one point outside the promotion places, but that run of defeats around the Bradford quarter-final really killed us. In fact, we didn’t win a game between the quarter-final in the semi-final. The results picked up immediately after the semi-final win but the fixture pile-up eventually caught up with us and the two defeats in two days down in the west country to Plymouth and Bristol Rovers killed any outside chance as we had of getting promoted.  6th place is alright and it’s better than last season but next year we have to do better. Okay, we won the two South Coast Derbies but that’s not real great achievement against a side that finished rock bottom of the division and were largely rubbish until relegation was confirmed when we beat them at Fratton Park, after which they picked up a few points.

The Fixture Pile-Up From Hell - 2 games in 2 days, 3 games in 4 days, 5 games in 10 days

Still, if by some bloody miracle we can win today, no one will care and we will come back next season and have another go.

To the team news and it’s completely as expected with just the one change from last week‘s game against Hull with Steve Mills dropping out to be replaced by David Peach. Out of the five or six who could’ve made the bench, it’s no surprise to see more experience on there in the shape of Hugh Fisher as opposed to the more versatile Andruszewski or the promise of Williams.  So Turner in goal, Rodrigues, Peach, Blyth and Steele in defence, Gilchrist, McCalliog and Holmes in midfield with Channon, Osgood and Stokes up front.  Come on you Saints. 

Wembley is looking magnificent on this gloriously sunny day, the twin towers providing the backdrop for the formalities and national anthem and brass bands and all that stuff.  3pm and it’s time to go and Clive Thomas, the strutting, show pony referee from Wales, gets us underway.

Away we go and we are taking absolutely no chances. We’re not passing the ball at all, just sending it long towards Channon and Osgood at every opportunity.  For someone who has played at Wembley a number of times, Channon might have nerves or put the wrong boots on because every touch he has goes straight to a United player. In his defence, it is difficult to control all these balls that are six foot over your head. United are playing all the football and when they get the ball out to Coppell or Hill there is danger everywhere with Pearson lurking up front and McIlroy just behind him. Coppell cuts inside Peach onto his left foot and gets a shot on target and Turner makes everyone shit themselves by dropping the ball into the penalty area before fortunately being given a free-kick for offside as the ball bounced in between to onrushing United players.

Shit, it’s all United but you don’t mind if the right back Forsyth is having a shot from 25 yards and he blazes it well wide. There is another moment as a ball over the top of the defence sees Turner come flying out and block McIlroy right on the edge of the penalty area. Good save to be fair but we are living dangerously so far.

The game has settled into a pattern of United looking dangerous when they have the ball and us trying to break quickly when they lose it. From one such break, Osgood tees up Gilchrist but by the time his shot reaches Stepney, it hardly has any pace in it at all and the keeper just picks it up.

We have survived the first 15 and are actually starting to play a little bit now. Peach is getting forward well and slings over across from the left hand side which is cleared and after some decent play up the left by Peach and Holmes, we win a corner.  Outswinger from Peach and Osgood rises well the heads over the bar.

Osgood is beginning to take centre stage now. He manages to lose the ball on the edge of our own penalty area by pissing about but then gets back into position to casually knock it back to Turner. He is also our major threat at the other end as United don’t seem to be able to handle him in the air. It just needs the right ball into him and Jimmy Mac’s latest effort it’s just a little bit too high and he heads over again.

The threat from United may not be as alarming but they are still very dangerous whenever the wingers get the ball and Coppell is sent crashing to the turf by Holmes on the edge of the box but fortunately, Forsyth complete wastes the free-kick. Hill on the left absolutely cruises past Rodrigues and leaves Blyth on his arse before teeing up Daly, whose goalbound shot is blocked by a mixture of Steele and Turner.

Half an hour gone and the two Saints players who have been driving me nuts by giving the ball away continually, namely McCalliog and Channon, combine as Jimmy Mac gets it right with a wonderful ball over the top and Channon is through with just Stepney to beat but he has to take it first time and Stepney spread himself really well to save his feet. Bastard. If nothing else this proves that we are not going to be steamrollered by this lot and we can create chances as long as we can keep it tight at the back.  Our approach when United have the ball could best be described as ‘uncompromising’.  Everyone is flying in and not giving United any time at all.

As half time approaches we have another half chance following a corner but Rodrigues is on the end of it and hits a shot which is closer to the sun than the goal and we get away with one at the other end as Big Jim Steele absolutely launches Pearson on the edge of the box but the ball runs out and for some reason, Clive Thomas gives a goal kick... hilarious. There is a similar incident just before half-time when this time it’s Nick Holmes who launches Coppell into the air and Thomas gives to the free-kick that should’ve given to the Steele challenge which was much worse.  Anyway, over it comes and after a bit of a flap by Turner, a United shot comes in which hits Mel Blyth but Thomas has seen enough of the first half and we going into the break still at 0-0.  Not bad for a team who didn’t have a chance.

Everyone of a Southampton persuasion would have taken this at half time.  They were the better side for the first 15 but after that it’s been even.  If anything we have looked the more likely to score and we look more compact than they do when defending.  Believe.

It looks like both Channon and Osgood have been given a bit of a bollocking after the first half because they both come out like men possessed in the second. First off, Jimmy Steele waltzes out of defence and puts Channon away on the left and Channon tries to take Buchan on the outside but the United player just about sees him off. Mick then turns up on the right hand side and has a run at Houston but it sent infield into the traffic loses the ball and then wonderfully, cynically takes out Macari as he tries to break away.

United still pose a bit of threat as Coppell beats Steele’s attempted to launch him into the crowd down the left hand side before pulling it back for Stuart Pearson to volley over the bar. We were lucky that the ball came to him a little bit too quickly and a little bit high.

There’s a bit of concern as Rodrigues goes down and stays down but United play on and eventually the ball goes out so the trainer can get on to the Saints skipper. He is back on his feet in a minute or so but he doesn’t look like he knows where he is and United win a corner. Over it comes, flicked on and there is Sammy McIlroy at the back post who has completely lost Rodrigues who has kind of collapsed inside the goal and he heads against the angle of post and crossbar. Bloody hell we were a bit lucky there.

Rodrigues still doesn’t seem to know where he is a few minutes later when he turns up in the inside right position after we’ve built up down the left through Osgood and Channon.  Channon’s ball across is met by the skipper unfortunately the bang on the head has not giving him the ability of a striker and he slices of first time effort hopelessly wide.  There is a much better chance of a goal next as Channon breaks down the right hand side, plays a 1-2 with Jimmy Mac before cutting inside on his left foot and blasting just over the angle of post and crossbar.

On 67 there’s a bit of a surprise when Tommy Doherty decides to take off golden bollocks Gordon Hill and replace with David McCreery. Bit of an odd one that but I’m really not complaining.  Hill started well but has really gone into his shell in the face of the tough tackling of Rodrigues and the relentless running and harrying of Paul Gilchrist.

After taking a while to get going in this game, Mick Channon is really coming to the party now. He’s getting the ball down and trying to play give-and-goes with anyone because he knows there is no one in the United defence who can match his pace. Elsewhere, Nick Holmes knocks down and Bobby Stokes let’s fly and over the bar before another great move with Jimmy Mac finding Channon who picked out Osgood and his shot is comfortably saved by Stepney.  We are definitely look in the more threatening now but you know what’s going to happen if we don’t make it count.

But We've Got No Chance...

83 minutes and Turner lunches a goal kick up the right hand side. Channon reads the bounce and flicks it inside to Jimmy Mac who weights a perfect ball over the top of Greenhoff and Stokes is onside, he's got away from Forsyth and on the bounce, hits it first time across Stepney and into the far bottom corner of the net. Pandemonium.  Bobby Stokes has scored but you can’t see him as he has 10 blokes on top of him. I cannot believe we are actually winning this and it has to be said, deservedly so. Seven minutes to go and this is where our experience should hopefully tell.

However, straight from the fucking kick off, there’s a ball over the top and Gerry Daly is clean through against Turner who thankfully is not as asleep as everyone else and he’s out really quickly again and it’s a big ‘man and ball’ challenge with the ball fortunately dropping down in front of the goalkeeper to pick up. Ian Turner is turning into a hero after looking, at the start of the game, like the reason we would probably lose.

We are not in too much trouble and United are getting increasingly desperate. Coppell still looks like a threat on the right hand side but the goalscorer Stokes is now playing as an extra full back, getting back to cover if Coppell ever does get past Peach.

As the clock approaches 90, we break out again and Nick Holmes, who was still full of running, has the ball on the right hand side and for some reason, slings it into the box with no thought of just keeping the ball away from the United players. Needless to say, they break from this and it’s Holmes himself who has to get back and gives away a free kick for nothing much. Just piss off referee... over it comes, Holmes clears, 90, 91... Blow the fucking whistle!

Another United attack and offside in the left back area. Before anyone could smash the free-kick up the pitch, Clive Thomas blows his whistle and we’ve fucking done it.  Oh yes we have - get in there. Little old Southampton from Division 2 have won the FA Cup. All the United fan boys will be crying in their beer but who cares, we’ve fucking done it. Making up the numbers were we?  The scenes are absolutely mental. There are players rolling around on the pitch, there are some consoling some crying United players but it’s our day, it’s All Saints Day and we have won one of the biggest club competitions in the world..

The Queen Meets Peter Rodrigues

Up the 39 steps go the boys and Peter Rodrigues receives the cup off of the Queen and I’m sure even she appreciates the significance of the little club from the South Coast taking on the trophy. Rodrigues lifts the cup and the noise is deafening.  Back down to the pitch and off on a chaotic lap of honour.

Every player a hero, 1 to 11. Ian Turner was dodgy in places but always managed to get something in the way and made some important saves as the game went on and he can retire one day knowing that he kept a clean sheet in an FA Cup Final. Where do you start with the defenders who were magnificent throughout. You have to start with Jim Steele really and you do wonder how good this guy could be. Other teams have got their hard men at the back of course but right now, I wouldn’t swap Mel Blyth or Steele for any of them. The full backs kept United’s two best players relatively quiet with a mixture of ability and just making sure the United players knew they were there and that a tackle was coming flying in.  What a day for Jim McCalliog in midfield. Never really made it at United but here he is now setting up the winning goal in the FA Cup final against them and what a ball that was.  Doesn’t matter if he gives the ball away a few times – he played the best two passes today to tee up the goal and Channon’s miss in the first half.  The industry of Holmes and Gilchrist either side of him and the work they put in to help out the full backs were the foundations of what today’s win was built on. Up front, Channon wasn’t at his electrifying best for much of the game and Osgood didn’t set the world alight but the reputation of those two guys meant that United were preoccupied with them and didn’t notice Bobby Stokes who will never have to buy another drink in Southampton for as long as he lives.

No one will remember who got promoted from Division 2 this season and not many people will remember who won Division 1 even but everyone will remember who won the FA Cup in 1976 and everyone will remember where they were at the time. The names of the Southampton players will go down in history and anyone who is a football fan, no matter who they support, will know the names of Lawrie McMenemy and Bobby Stokes in particular. Legend status assured.

Tomorrow is the tour of the city which promises to be absolutely chaotic in a good way and if a few of the players managed to get in trouble with the club to going out on the piss after the semi-final, it’s hard to imagine them turning up unscathed tomorrow or indeed for Mick Channon’s testimonial against QPR the day after. That also promises to be completely ridiculous - what's the capacity at The Dell?

Bring it on.



If you've not seen it, the whole game is on You Tube.  Marvel at the keeper picking up back-passes, keepers not wearing gloves, the offside rule being simple, players not rolling around and players not timewasting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vv9-Dxqoys

Also, a club video from the 40th anniversary of the cup win
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=he4r07yqlzU