Ok this is going to be a short series of articles, but to start with we are going to go back 35 years to 16th August 1975.
After a disapointing first season back in division 2 in 74/75 Saints had been brought back to the ground in the summer and although relegation didnt mean the big financial loss that it does now, there was still a big need to trim the squad and reduce the wage bill, the initial result was that Eric Martin and Bob McCarthy were allowed to go on free transfers along with reserves Bill Beaney and Mick Earles and Bobby Stokes , Jim Steele, Paul Bennett and Gerry O'Brien were put on the transfer list.
This left the club very short of cover as they had just 21 professionals on the books and remember back then reserve games were played on Saturdays so there wasnt enough to fill two teams, things werent looking great. However Saints were still considered promotion hopefuls if only for the presence of Channon & Osgood, if they could keep them that is.
The only arrrival had been Peter Rodrigues on a free transfer and its fair to say that hadnt set the fans hearts beating.
To add to the woe, in BBC South documentary Mick Channon had let slip that he felt it best that he left the club, McMenemy perhaps in a fit of pique made sure the board turned him down when he put in the more conventional request.
In contrast to Saints West Brom were highly fancied for promotion under Johnny Giles and has the embryo of the team that enjoyed a decent spell in the top flight for the next decade.
With the turmoil of the summer it was a rather disapointing crowd of 15,246 that saw the teams run out, including a healthy contingent of West brom supporters on the Archers Road with their Yellow & Green scarves as Albion were one of the first sides to start playing in relatively brash design and colours.
It didnt take long for the game to burst into life, on six minutes Nick Holmes knocked in the rebound after Albion keeper John Osbourne saved from Jim McCalliog, eleven minutes later and the lead was doubled when Mick Channon showed he was still dedicated to the cause and it was Channon who made the game safe in the fifty sixth minute when he headed into an empty net after a David Peach lob.
This was as rare a win for Saints to start a season as it is now, in fact it was the first one for 10 years, when they beat Derby away 3-0, those looking for coinncidences were quick to point out that Saints were promoted to the top flight in that season.
Saints would continue their good start winning three out of the first four games and topping the league, however although they hovered around promotion all season, after the opening weeks they could never rise above fifth and would eventually finish 6th four points off that coveted third place (Dont forget only two points for a win back then)
It was a tough league with Sunderland Bristol City and West Brom going up, but Saints had Wembley as a consolation, ironically it could be said that this Cup run cost them promotion initially after Saints knocked out WEest brom in the fifth round of the cup they won two home games and were right back in the frame, but in the next six, taking them till after the semi, they would fail to win any of them, two draws being all they could muster.