In this two part series we take a look at the FA quarter final ties that Southampton FC have taken part in, how many of them did you attend and what memories do you have.
I would suspect that there are not many on here that were around in season 1962/63 when Saints were drawn away to Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup 6th round, as a kid in the 1970's though there were plenty who remembered the Cup run of that season and what was a quarter final that stretched to two replays.
In many respects the first game at the City ground is one of the forgotten games of Saints history, around 5,000 Saints supporters travelled up to the East Midlands in a crowd of 28,232.
They saw the Old Gold shirted Saints fall behind in the 80th minute, but the visitors responded quickly through Terry Paine and the game ended 1-1, the name of Southampton would be in the semi final draw back then made on Monday lunchtime, but although they would be drawn out of the hat, they still had to beat Forest at the Dell to earn the right to play Manchester United.
The gates at the Dell four days later, the turnstiles were shut by 7pm with officially 29,497 inside the ground and thousands still outside.
But it was not to be good watching, Saints would be 2-0 down after just 5 minutes and that would be the score at half time, the visitors playing a resolute defensive formation and allowing Saints little chance to get back in the tie.
But if Saints thought they were still in the game they were mistaken, Forest scored a third on 55 minutes and surely Saints were out of the game and out of the cup.
But the crowd seemed to sense a special night and they erupted ten minutes later when Terry Paine headed home, but the linesman's flag went up and the goal was disallowed.
That seemed to raise the crowd even more and no one was going home, but Forest still held firm and as the game entered the last 16 minutes the scoreline hadn't changed, but then came a goal George Kirby stooping low to head home.
Now it was one way traffic with Paine on one wing and John Sydenham on the other banging the crosses into the box Kirby forced the keeper into palming the ball into his own net and it was 3-2.
Now the atmosphere was electric and the crowd were almost sucking the ball into the net, but the final minute arrived with Saints still behind but then David Burnside fired home the equaliser and the tie was into extra time.
The extra 30 minutes though, saw no more scoring although it was Saints who looked most likely, so it was to a second replay five days later at White Hart Lane, Cup fever had hit Southampton, all the trains were booked solid as were coaches and an estimated 25,000 Saints fans made their way to North London, many getting there late and missing the first half due to traffic jam's, that made little difference given that with a gate of 42, 256, Forest fans were in short supply in the crowd.
Saints again wore the lucky Old Gold kit, and came out to a rousing chorus of "Oh When The Saints Go Marching In " local journalists at the game wrote that such was the deafening roar that it eclipsed Spurs supporters when their team were at home, back then Tottenham did not claim the song as their own, perhaps they should ask some of their own older fans who were at the game whose anthem this song is.
The first 40 minutes were goalless, but then just before the break that all changed, firstly David Burnside smashed in a 25 yard volley and two minutes later Ken Wimshurst let fly and Saints led for the first time in the tie.
During the break another 3,000 Saints supporters came into the ground to find their side in the lead and the atmosphere ramped up several notches, on the hour Burnside scored another screamer and 25,000 Saints fans went mad.
Forest didn't have the spirit Saints had in the previous game and were in no state to fight back, George O'Brien scored a brace and it was 5-0, it could have been six but the fans didn't care, they invaded the pitch at the final whistle and chaired the players off.
The trip home was one big traffic jam from White Hart Lane to Southampton as the Saints supporters looked forward to an FA Cup semi final, the first one for 36 years, since 1927 to be precise.
To put this in context, Southampton who at that time where a second division side and indeed a mid table one at that finishing 11th, had beaten a first division side 5-0.
It would be another 13 years before the next quarter final tie, although we would come close on several occasions.