The post cup final years.

If Lawrie had been an unknown provincial manager in the summer of 75 and one that was abused by his own fans and only a few games away from the sack to boot, a year later and his profile could not have been more different, the season started where the last had ended, at Wembley and a defeat to Liverpool in the charity shield, as the league season approached and Saints as firm favourites for promotion.

But perhaps the gloss of that cup win had lead Lawrie to take his foot off the gas and with no incoming players, in fact one out Paul Bennett to Reading, the squad was weaker than the previous year, the hangover from the cup final was still there and Saints started badly in the league, a 1-2 defeat at home to Carlisle on the opening day giving some clues as to the situation, in fact it would be the 8th league game before the first league victory and already McMenemy was making changes, Ted McDougal had been signed and a first year professional called Steve Williams was about to become a regular and a key couple of signings would be made before Xmas the ginger haird duo of Alan Ball and Peter Wells the rebuilding was under way, but ebven a good late run could only push Saints up to ninth and the feeling was that this season had been written off in terms of a promotion push although at the end we would be only eight points off it a gap that could have been shortened and indeed history changed if Saints had held their 1-0 lead at Forest instead of a second half abandonment through fog, Losing the replayed game 2-1 a glance at the table shows that Saints would have been only five points off promotion and Forest would not have gone up and therefore the league and European Cup in the next two seasons would not have happened, however i digress.

1977/78 was a make or break season, Mick Channon had left and in his place came Phil Boyer alongside new central defensive pair Chris Nicholl and Mike Pickering, on the opening day only Turner, Peach & Holmes remained from a year earlier and the goalkeeper was in his last games for the clubb and would soon be ousted by Wells. But it would be an avaerage start and autumn before the side got into its stride, but by New year we were in the top three and would never drop out till the end of the season, indeed with two games to play we were top, but atOrient it seemed we were content with the point needed to guarantee promotion on goal difference rather than push on and risk that by going for a point that would have seen us champions come the final tally, whatever all Saints fans cared about was after a four season hiatus they were back in the top flight.   

The first season back in the then First Division would be memorable, once again McMenemy had decided that having built a side to get up, he would need to build another to stay up and several of that promotion side were within sight of their last games for the Club, McMenemy always liked to sign a high profile player and now he again had the chance, intitially though it was Terry Curran followed by Ivan Golac and in the league Saints would be comfortable mid table all season, however Lawrie was a man for the cups and by March Saints foundthemselves not only in the League Cup Final and a return to Wembley but in the quarter finals of the FA Cup, however within five days Saints dreams would be dashed, on the Saturday they lost to Forest at Wembley, on the Monday they drew with Arsenal at home in the FA Cup then amazingly two days later lost the replay at Highbury and sides complain of fixture back logs today.

1979/80 saw McMenemy aim for a period of stability, it was important for him to make sure the club was no one season wonder a little tinkering in the return of Channon and arrival of Dave Watson saw this achieved and indeed exceeded as the club hovered around the top 5,finally finishing 8th  but in February the football Worldonce again heard the name of Lwrie McMenemy and Southampton when with the assembled hacks at a press conference expecting to be told about plans for a new stadium, Lawrie pointed to the curtain and presented his new signing..

Next Part..... The Keegan Years  

Photo: Action Images

eusebio added 13:54 - Feb 16 The arsenal cup game after the final still haunts me.
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NineteenCanteen added 23:58 - Feb 16 At this rate how long is it before you right something of genuine interest like the Cortese years part 1 or are you waiting for the book to be released? Could be the greatest trilogy since Mario Puzo's work was adapted for the big screen instead of rehashing Crosby and Hope road movies.
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eusebio added 08:42 - Feb 17 Mr 19c Is that really all you have to say. Probably the greatest time in saints history and all you want to do is bitch about Nick. If you really don't like it then why don't you pop off somewhere else. Looking at the amount of post on here of late a lot have and I don't think it is with Nick that they have a problem.
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Chesham_Saint added 13:16 - Feb 21 19C was almost certainly following Pimpey during this period of our history as he clearly doesn't like to be reminded of it!
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