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Southampton’s 1976 FA Cup winning manager Lawrie McMenemy writes an exclusive weekly column for the Daily Echo.
The man who also led Saints to their last League Cup final in 1979 gives us his memories of past glories, and looks ahead to tomorrow’s big day at Wembley.
When I talk to supporters outside the ground before games, if they have youngsters with them the parent or grandparent always mentions 1976, Saints v Manchester United and winning the FA Cup.
As a manager it is a highlight without a doubt.
Being second top in the league is possibly the biggest achievement because that was stretched over 42 games.
However, there is no getting away from the excitement and glamour and the big day out that any cup final has, and particularly the FA Cup which is watched on TV all around the world.
That day was certainly one to remember because we were the second division team, the odds were against us, and of course thanks to Bobby Stokes, bless him, we won the Cup.
I can understand therefore how the 32,000 Saints supporters are feeling at present as they are looking forward to the latest visit to the great arena and are able to take some of those youngsters and show them the ground and the game which they have talked to them about for years and years.
There have been many changes over the years in the game in general and one I think was a pity was the moving of the dressing room area at Wembley.
Before the start of the game historically both teams were summoned out of their room at the bottom of a long tunnel with a rap on the door by an FA official.
You then lined up, he walked between the players, turned to both managers who were at the front of their teams and said ‘are you ready?’ You could hear the buzz of what was then 100,000 supporters, and the light at the end of the tunnel was shining brightly.
You then started the walk, the noise got louder, the light was brighter, and emerging from the tunnel the roar was unbelievable. You then had the long walk from the corner flag to the halfway line.
That enabled everyone to soak up the atmosphere and realise how special the day was, and I think it gave memories that will stay with players and staff forever.
Of course now there is probably the same get together in a smaller tunnel and the walk out is only about ten yards before the teams line up facing the Royal Box.
It is still better to be there than not of course.
I had won league titles at four previous clubs but to win any cup competition is always special.
It is often classed as a bonus because the main job of course is trying to win any division your team is in, or particularly these days if it’s the Premier League, not to get relegated and stay up at all costs.
Having photographs and film of a special day is something which can stay with the manager or player, or anyone connected with the club, forever, particularly these days with the internet and social media.
It’s not easy to just have a snapshot of someone who has won a league as it is spread over so long, but for a one-off occasion everyone on the day has their picture taken alongside the trophy and that can be passed around as often as you like.
My memories of the only other League Cup final Saints have been in are many.
Bearing in mind it was only three years after our two previous visits – the FA Cup final and Charity Shield – it was not much problem organising days away for training etc in the build-up.
I remember team wise having a problem with the fitness of Steve Williams. As I trained the rest of the squad doing light work in the couple of days before the game, he spent time with Don Taylor our physio.
It wasn’t until the last minute basically that it was decided he could play.
The game itself I always remember as two halves.
I believe we won the first half and Brian Clough’s Forest the second.
I was sad not to win, but looking back it was a five goal thriller, a good game all round.
As we left the hotel the team were waiting for me as I said goodbye to the staff.
I boarded the coach and took my normal seat at the front near the driver.
I heard a lot of laughter, especially from the back of the bus which made me feel very happy as the players didn’t sound as nervous as they could have been.
As the laughter increased I turned and realised there was an additional face on the bus, and one I recognised. It was comedian Freddie Starr.
To this day I don’t know how he got there, but I suspect he knew somebody like the great Alan Ball.
He must have popped down to the hotel and got on the bus as it waited and hid in the toilet at the back until it was on the move, and then he appeared.
I could of course have stopped the bus and got him off, but I realised how relaxed he was making everyone and thought we will give him a lift to the game and that will be it.
As we got off the bus - in those days it was still in the far corner with the long tunnel - my mind was on other things and I walked onto the pitch followed by the players.
Freddie had gone out of my mind until it was pointed out that the guard’s band, who were marching up and down on the halfway line, had an additional member with them. It was our Freddie.
He apparently then disappeared and when the teams had come out and the game had started inevitably I was shouting instructions and so would Brian Clough now and again.
With the benches at Wembley being so far away from the pitch we had to raise our voices.
I felt it was unusual for our instructions to be repeated every time until I turned round and saw Mr Starr sitting on the back row of the benches impersonating Brian and me.
At half time I made sure even though he followed the last player in, the door was slammed in his face. Where he went from there I couldn’t tell you.
I remember standing on the edge of the pitch looking up as my players walked up the 39 steps, received their runners-up medals and applauded as Brian’s team got the trophy.
As they were walking off Brian nudged me and said ‘right, up we go. Come on, follow me.’ He and I went up the steps as well, much to the surprise of the front row of the Royal Box, who by then were all turned to the right watching the Forest team do their lap of honour.
Brian walked along and with his unique voice told everyone how nice it was to see them until we got to the middle bit where there was a small Italian gentleman, who was a top official with FIFA and had presented the trophy on the day.
He looked down somewhat surprised to see these two older gentlemen.
He was greeted by Cloughie saying ‘well done young man, you’ve done a very good job today.’ The man then turned to his right in wonderment where the then head of the football League Alan Hardacre, a tough character, was glowering at the two of us.
He reached under the bench and pulled out two little boxes which he handed to the Italian who then presented them to us.
He was thanked again by Brian, still wishing everyone all the best.
We went down on the pitch together and opened the boxes to find they were empty.
The sad fact was of course that in those days managers did not go up at the end of the game, win or lose.
As a result of that having happened twice to me I contacted the FA and received a letter which said ‘Lawrie, you have to understand the game is all about the players.’ Many years later when I was working with England we were abroad somewhere, the story cropped up and the FA representative with us said he had written that letter.
I asked if it was all about the players why do the referee and linesman go up?
I continued to ask the FA and eventually a gentleman called Mr Whatmore, chairman for a short time, told me to get the LMA to send a list of names because they had eventually started to let the managers go up in about 1997.
The LMA organised a dinner, got together all of the remaining managers -winners and runners-up – and on the night there must have been about 30 of us presented with medals and it was wonderful evening.
Alan Ball had been made available after a wonderful career with England and the World Cup, Everton and Arsenal.
There were first division clubs who wanted to sign him but I was able to convince him to come to us in the second division.
I said the main job is to help get us promoted.
When we reached Wembley I thought ‘that’s your thank you, your bonus.’ He never dreamed he would be there at Wembley again.
He was a World Cup winner but it was still amazing.
So much has changed in football.
When you looked through the squads we and Forest had that day it is pretty much all English players, with the odd Irish and Scottish players in there.
Sadly two of them are no longer with us – Alan and Austin Hayes. As the players were saying last week wouldn’t it have been nice if the remaining group had been got together for Wembley for the final time?
There was just one foreigner – Ivan Golac.
Hr was a revelation really, nobody had heard of him when he joined.
I only need to look at him once in a trial and I signed him, and what terrific signing he proved to be.
It was his dream to play at Wembley and I was so happy for him that was realised.
I haven’t actually seen United in the flesh this season but it was a surprise to most that they had a poor start.
It would appear, however, that Jose has settled things down now.
He has brought in some youngsters who have done extremely well and apart from winning a trophy like this has got the mindset of himself and all the players on being in that top four, which is vital to a club like this for the Champions League next season.
Whilst a lot of tinkering may have gone on in the build-up, I would expect on the day both teams to be at full strength.
This of course in the follow-up could mean some of the players who have accepted a sort of rota system might be unhappy.
It would never have happened in our day, firstly because we didn’t have enough players and also if I left our senior players they would be banging on my door.
Every one of them will surely want to be in that 11 at Wembley.
Whilst it will be a totally committed day from everyone concerned, it could possibly lead to problems when everyone settles down in the weeks after if some players think they were badly done to with the final.
Undoubtedly Jose and Claude have done very well at previous clubs and, no matter how they view cup competitions in the build-up, will want to win at Wembley.
I have not had the pleasure of meeting Mr Puel, although I did drop him a little note after the semi-finals to congratulate him and wish him well at Wembley saying I hope he can go one better than 1979.
I believe this will be his first experience of a game at the big stadium, whereas Jose has been there on many occasions and his record shows wherever he has been, even though he doesn’t often stay more than two or three years, he usually picks up silverware.
He will be more than anxious to do that on the day as it will be his first at Old Trafford.
United of course are a club who expect to win trophies, as we found out back in 76.
All I can hope is that Claude enjoys the walk up the steps and is the one with the biggest smile on his face on the day.
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