Southampton finds itself at a historic crossroad akin to two FA Cup finals. The echoes of 1976 resonate along the Solent as Tonda Eckert’s squad aims to defeat a formidable opponent, reminiscent of the legendary triumph led by Lawrie McMenemy’s team at Wembley.

Half a century ago, Manchester United was the giant humbled by Southampton, who were then a promising second-tier team. Now, as they prepare for an FA Cup quarter-final clash against Premier League frontrunners Arsenal, they mirror that same underdog spirit.

This matchup stirs memories of another notable FA Cup journey. In 2003, under the guidance of Gordon Strachan, the Saints reached the final in Cardiff, only to fall to an Arsenal side that would soon be known as the Invincibles.

“We had a really strong team,” recalls Strachan. “We played without a traditional left winger, allowing Wayne Bridge to surge forward from left back, while Fabrice Fernandes, a left-footer, cut inside from the right. We had variety, and we convinced ourselves we were the fittest team in the league. Whether that was true or not, we ran until we could run no more.”

Strachan pushed his players to their limits, taking them through rigorous training in the Scottish sand dunes during pre-season. Francis Benali recalls calling Matt Le Tissier from his basic student digs, joking that Le Tissier made the right choice to retire the previous season, as he would have loathed the grueling regime.

Southampton are back in the FA Cup quarter-finals, having knocked out Premier League side Fulham in the last round thanks to Ross Stewart’s penalty

It’s 50 years since the club’s greatest day – the 1976 FA Cup win as a second-tier side against Manchester United

Saturday’s opponents are Arsenal – who beat the Saints 1-0 in the 2003 final with a Robert Pires goal

“It was character-building,” Strachan laughs over the phone. “That’s something you don’t see much of these days. Look at teams like Tottenham, brimming with technical skill but lacking character. We were all about character.”

Saints launched that Cup run with a thumping 4-0 win against Spurs. Then they beat Millwall after a replay with cult hero Benali coming out of the wilderness to plug an injury crisis. It was his first appearance in 16 months and his first start for the club in almost three years.

Benali played four games in 10 days and was injured in the replay. He was fit for the final but not even selected on the bench, a bittersweet day for someone who was born in the city and would walk past The Dell to school during the McMenemy era.

‘Memories of that day in ’76 are etched into the mind of every Saints fan,’ says Benali. ‘For me, sitting on the floor in a crowded room watching the final on TV. The joy when Bobby Stokes scored. Images from the Civic Centre. Lawrie on the balcony and thousands of people in the city.

‘I was convinced the bus parade would drive past my school gates. I had my eyes peeled all day, craning my neck and looking out of the window expecting to see them drive by with the FA Cup. They didn’t. I’ve no idea why I thought they would.’

Still part of the Saints fabric, former left back Benali has come to know many of those FA Cup winners. Last weekend, he played in a Legends game between Southampton and Manchester United at St Mary’s in the same yellow-and-blue retro away kit Eckert’s team will wear against Arsenal.

It was one of several events to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the club’s finest hour, and some of those who played at Wembley were in the stands, including left back David Peach and goalkeeper Ian Turner.

‘I bumped into David afterwards and said, “I hope I did the No 3 shirt justice’,’ says Benali. ‘It is only right that special achievement is recognised 50 years on. Much as we would have loved to, none of us have replicated it since.’

Goalscorer Bobby Stokes (right) kisses the cup after the 1976 final

2003 manager Gordon Strachan with captain Chris Marsden after the defeat by Arsenal at the Millennium Stadium

Franny Benali (right) was a boyhood Southampton fan and lived out his dream, playing with the likes of Matt Le Tissier (centre) and James Beattie (16)

Saints were close in 2003. ‘We were lucky with the draw,’ admits Jo Tessem, a scorer in a 2-0 win against Norwich in the fifth round, before they overcame Wolverhampton Wanderers by the same score and came up against Watford in a semi-final at Villa Park where Brett Ormerod rose to the occasion.

Ormerod had not scored since October, but a 23-game personal drought ended when he climbed to head a cross by Chris Marsden. Then, his low cross towards 24-goal top scorer James Beattie forced an own goal for the second in a 2-1 win.

‘Those were days when nobody cared about assists,’ says Ormerod. ‘I was on this goal drought, but I had more than double the next-best for assists at Southampton. I’d started as a winger and was quite good at getting down the sides. Beats was flying that season, he’d been called up by England.

‘We were apprentices together in the youth team at Blackburn. He used to strap up my ankle for me in those days. I got released and went into non-League with Accrington Stanley, so it was great to come together at Southampton and play in an FA Cup final, the biggest occasion of the year for anyone who grew up watching football in the 80s and 90s.’

Saints and Arsenal had met in the Premier League at Highbury 10 days before the showpiece and Arsene Wenger’s team won 6-1, with hat-tricks from Robert Pires and a 20-year-old Jermaine Pennant.

Players thought Fabrice Fernandes performed so poorly at Highbury he paid with his place in the Cup Final team, but Strachan claims he always planned to do something different in Cardiff to cope with the threat of Pires and Thierry Henry.

‘Arsenal were phenomenal, probably the best team in the world at the time, and Pires played like an old-fashioned inside left,’ says Strachan. ‘He dragged his full back inside and Henry ran into behind into the space and attacked the goal to finish on his right foot.’

So the Saints boss selected 21-year-old right back Chris Baird for only the second start of his senior career and pushed the versatile Paul Telfer into Fernandes’ position on the right wing, with orders to track back and cover the runs of Henry.

Brett Ormerod (left) and Beattie formed a formidable strike partnership for the Saints in the early 2000s, having also come through the Blackburn academy together

Ormerod scores the opening goal in the 2003 semi-final, a 2-1 win over Watford at Villa Park

The players wore Ted Baker suits. ‘I played in a few play-off finals as well,’ says Ormerod. ‘I’d always hoped they wouldn’t put the club crest on the jacket and then it’d be good for a couple of weddings or a funeral.

‘Gordon Strachan used to joke and say he’d seen better dressed wounds than me. I’d say, “I’m a shepherd me, gaffer, not a sheep”, which he liked. But on Cup final day, he said, “Brett only you can make a Ted Baker suit look like it’s from George at Asda”.’

Again, Saints wore yellow and blue and ‘Spirit of 76’ fuelled the preparations. This time though, they lost to the only goal – Pires the scorer, in the 38th minute. It was the ninth of Arsenal’s 14 FA Cup wins and they became the first team to retain the trophy since Tottenham in 1982.

‘David Seaman pulled off a worldie from me in the second half,’ recalls Ormerod. ‘Jo Tessem flicked on a long kick, and I jumped and chested it and as I landed turned and hit it. He’s tipped it round the post. I remember at the time him winking at me. I went, “you b*****d”.

‘Ashley Cole cleared one from Beats. We really played well against a fantastic side. Henry and Dennis Bergkamp up front, they don’t come much better. But Henry was running the ball into corners to run down the clock by the end.

‘They used to take the mickey out of me at Preston because I always went on about Henry running for the corners. In the end, I found a photograph to show them. There’s Henry in the corner and me trying to smash him from one side and Chris Marsden from the other.’

Back in the dressing room, Strachan told his dejected players to remember the sickening feeling and make sure they were on the other side of the emotion if they were ever back in a final.

Strachan was an FA Cup winner with Manchester United in 1985. ‘I won it when winning the FA Cup was every player’s dream,’ says the 69-year-old. ‘Now, I think they dream more about playing in the Champions League and getting more social media followers and buying houses for their parents.’

The 1976 team parade through the streets to celebrate winning the only major trophy in the club’s history

Strachan (front row, furthest left) celebrates winning the 1985 FA Cup as a player with Manchester United

Now it’s time for the 2026 team to write their own history

Danny Higginbotham, an unused substitute, offered Benali his medal as recognition of his 20 years at Saints. ‘He said, “you take this Franny, you deserve it more than me”,’ recalls Benali. ‘I’ve joked with him since, saying I wonder if he would’ve offered me a winner’s medal, but I was truly choked up. It was a kind gesture, but it was Danny’s medal. I declined the offer.’

Saints later provided Benali and others including Kevin Davies and injured captain Jason Dodd with replica medals, but the runners-up medal simply isn’t the same.

‘Lose the final and you tend to forget it,’ says Tessem, wincing at his collection of near misses, twice losing the Norwegian Cup final with Lyn Oslo and twice finishing second in the Norwegian league with Molde in his homeland. He still has the FA Cup medal ‘somewhere’ and reckons he could still fit into the suit.

No trophy, but for Saints fans, a season to cherish. Eighth in the Premier League and the FA Cup booked a ticket for the UEFA Cup, which didn’t prove much of an adventure. They were knocked out in the first round by Steaua Bucharest but more memories were created, and they by the Strachan Index are the measure of success.

Eckert and his team go in search of some more, taking strength from the past.