Zenith Cup Final 1992

[RedWillie]

went to wembley twice with saints...

1979 Leagure Cup Final lost 3-2 to Forest

1992 Zenith Data Final lost 3-2 to Forest

 

i see a pattern.!!

...went on a coach from cadnam and the driver got friggin lost on London after the match trying to avoid all the traffic. Think we got home at 0100 next day

[Green]

OTD 1992: 

 

[SotonianWill]

44 minutes ago, Green said:

OTD 1992: 

 

thanks for that i’ve only ever seen the goals. I skipped it after we scored our second though. 

[benjii]

2 hours ago, Green said:

OTD 1992: 

 

Good find! I was there. Don't remember too much of it though! 

[sydenhamssocks]

I was at this ! Jeez I’m old 😂   Kevin Moores soaring header lives long in the memory. 

[malcolm waldron]

I always felt it was wrong to be playing in a cup final at Wembley wearing blue...

[Chez]

Brilliant day out that. Bit of tin pot trophy, but still great excitement and tremendous atmosphere in the run up and at the ground. I seem to recall queuing, for a very long time to get tickets, possibly on a Sunday.

I drove up, five or even 6 of us, in me mum's little Peugeot 205 XE (954cc and 48 horses) with a 20ft george cross covering pretty much the entire car. We stopped off at fleet services, never seen so many Saints fans travelling to a game before. 

We were utter shite first half, but then fought back well and thought we'd go on and win it, but Forrest were the cup kings around that time. Afterwards around Wembley Saints fans seemed to still be in great spirits, despite the defeat. We had a pretty shit side, so maybe we were just happy we competed. At 0-2 it was a pretty horrible feeling. 

It took an eternity to get home. Think it rained a little. That's my only memories.  

Edited 29 March, 2023 by Chez

[Yorkshire Saint]

Great day. I still have my hat from the day (painfully blue) and the program.

Letissier only started because Gilkes was cup tied -  figure that one out. Branfoot out !!

14 years later has got to be a record between posts on a topic.

Edited 29 March, 2023 by Yorkshire Saint

[Miltonaggro]

Great day out at the old Wembley.  A legendary London bender for our cohort which included a group of Irish lads from work who were converted to the cause thereafter.  Saints support was brilliant. 

[Hawkswood]

I was at that game. Shit weather and an awful game of football if I remember correctly but was still great to see saints at Wembley . I preferred the semi second league at Stamford Bridge.  le tiss scored a hat trick I think. 

[cf saint]

1 hour ago, Hawkswood said:

I was at that game. Shit weather and an awful game of football if I remember correctly but was still great to see saints at Wembley . I preferred the semi second league at Stamford Bridge.  le tiss scored a hat trick I think. 

Agree the final was really only notable for seeing Saints at old Wembley.

I thought the semi final at Chelsea was a real le tiss highlights/lowlights.  Remember trying to say how he had done to someone after and saying he basically did sod all …. Other than score a hat trick 🤣

[Kenilworthy]

Day was ruined for me when after the game the gridlock in the car park resulted in the coach carrying the Forest directors wiping out the front wing of my Astra. This was thanks to one of the Police controlling traffic waving the coach forward when there was no room. Insurance finally settled when they realised there was no way they would get an unbiased opinion from either side.

[Turkish]

20 hours ago, Chez said:

Brilliant day out that. Bit of tin pot trophy, but still great excitement and tremendous atmosphere in the run up and at the ground. I seem to recall queuing, for a very long time to get tickets, possibly on a Sunday.

I drove up, five or even 6 of us, in me mum's little Peugeot 205 XE (954cc and 48 horses) with a 20ft george cross covering pretty much the entire car. We stopped off at fleet services, never seen so many Saints fans travelling to a game before. 

We were utter shite first half, but then fought back well and thought we'd go on and win it, but Forrest were the cup kings around that time. Afterwards around Wembley Saints fans seemed to still be in great spirits, despite the defeat. We had a pretty shit side, so maybe we were just happy we competed. At 0-2 it was a pretty horrible feeling. 

It took an eternity to get home. Think it rained a little. That's my only memories.  

I don’t agree we had a shite side, Flowers in goal, Kenna at right back and Shearer up front who all went onto win the league with Blackburn three years later

ruddock was a great centre half for us. Horne, Cockerill, Moore all solid premier league players and of course MLT.  We had the basis of a decent side the problem was we had a terrible manager who hoofed it long ball into Ian Dowie and wanted us to be aggressive, sound familiar…

as for the game Forest were a great side in those days so we were always second favourites but like you say when we got it back to 2-2 thought we might have the momentum to win it, typical saints though heroic failure as usual. IIRC they battered us for the first hour, we were lucky only to be 2-0 down, typical Forest at the time let us have the ball and hit fast on the break. Flowers kept us in it. They were a great side to watch, we just lumped balls into the box and hoped for the best. Criminal misuse of Shearer and Le Tissier

 

 

Edited 30 March, 2023 by Turkish

[John Boy Saint]

As was mentioned on the first page - before kick off teams were being announced. Forest first every name cheered by theirs including Cloughy - Saints turn cheers through the team - chap in front of us with his tourist mate “just listen to this”. “And the Southampton manager - Ian Branfoot” - the crescendo of boos was almost deafening. 

A cup to fill the void left by the ban from European football that had absolutely nothing to do with Liverpool
 

[Turkish]

20 minutes ago, John Boy Saint said:

As was mentioned on the first page - before kick off teams were being announced. Forest first every name cheered by theirs including Cloughy - Saints turn cheers through the team - chap in front of us with his tourist mate “just listen to this”. “And the Southampton manager - Ian Branfoot” - the crescendo of boos was almost deafening. 

A cup to fill the void left by the ban from European football that had absolutely nothing to do with Liverpool
 

Remember the predecessor to that? the Super Cup i think they called it. The teams that would have qualified for for Europe played a competition amongst themselves. Hardly caught the imagination crowds were about 5k at the Dell i think. Of course we did badly in it. Then they introduced this cup which was a bit like how the league cup is now, no one really cared until the semi final, some random finalists and winners didn't Reading win it one year when it was called the Simod cup?Luton also. For those that dont know Simod were a crap brand of trainers in the late 80s. 

I've also just realised out final v Forest was the last ever match and final in this competition, another unwanted record Saints hold. it would make a decent quiz question that.

Edited 31 March, 2023 by Turkish

[saint1977]

2 hours ago, Turkish said:

Remember the predecessor to that? the Super Cup i think they called it. The teams that would have qualified for for Europe played a competition amongst themselves. Hardly caught the imagination crowds were about 5k at the Dell i think. Of course we did badly in it. Then they introduced this cup which was a bit like how the league cup is now, no one really cared until the semi final, some random finalists and winners didn't Reading win it one year when it was called the Simod cup?Luton also. For those that dont know Simod were a crap brand of trainers in the late 80s. 

I've also just realised out final v Forest was the last ever match and final in this competition, another unwanted record Saints hold. it would make a decent quiz question that.

It was a replacement cup, the Super Cup, for clubs who missed out on European Qualification places in 1985 due to the English club ban after Heysel. Gates were low throughout although Ian Rush still managed an extra time winner against Saints in that as well, added to his ET double in the FA Cup semi (cheers Kevin Bond for the backpass). 

ZDS only really became serious in the final. Great day out, shame about Gemmill’s winner and as others have said Kevin Moore’s header into the roof of the net is a long term memory. Branfoot wasted so much talent with his 4th division tactics, a bit like a far more recent Saints manager. If we’d won though Askham would probably never have sacked him.

Didn’t Terry Hurlock score his only Saints goal v West Ham in one of the area SFs?

[John Boy Saint]

1 hour ago, Turkish said:

Remember the predecessor to that? the Super Cup i think they called it. The teams that would have qualified for for Europe played a competition amongst themselves. Hardly caught the imagination crowds were about 5k at the Dell i think. Of course we did badly in it. Then they introduced this cup which was a bit like how the league cup is now, no one really cared until the semi final, some random finalists and winners didn't Reading win it one year when it was called the Simod cup?Luton also. For those that dont know Simod were a crap brand of trainers in the late 80s. 

I've also just realised out final v Forest was the last ever match and final in this competition, another unwanted record Saints hold. it would make a decent quiz question that.

Just looked up that Super Cup - blimey what a farce! Just one season and such a car crash that the final, due to fixture congestion (god knows where from with no Europe), had to be held over to the following season in which it was defunct and to magnify the absurdity of its being - Liverpool won it.

Actually even this Full members Cup was a shambles too Liverpool Arsenal Spurs and Man U chose not to enter it ever. This was for the top 2 leagues, as leagues 3 & 4 teams didn't have full voting rights - so they ended up with the EFL Trophy: which we won.

Reading did win it once beating Luton - Luton won the 1988 League Cup or Littlewoods Cup, or was it Rumbelows beating Arsenal, that gave us endless views of David Pleat in his flashers mac gambolling across the sacred turf at the final whistle. Reading really milked winning he Simod cup locally, it was the only thing they had to crow about until pipping us to Championship title with a hopefully soon to lost - record points haul. 

 

[Chez]

2 hours ago, Turkish said:

For those that dont know Simod were a crap brand of trainers in the late 80s. 

That's a good memory. I had it in my mind that Simod was some sort of budget electrical brand/shop.

Were they a poor man's Travel Fox?

[Turkish]

24 minutes ago, John Boy Saint said:

Just looked up that Super Cup - blimey what a farce! Just one season and such a car crash that the final, due to fixture congestion (god knows where from with no Europe), had to be held over to the following season in which it was defunct and to magnify the absurdity of its being - Liverpool won it.

Actually even this Full members Cup was a shambles too Liverpool Arsenal Spurs and Man U chose not to enter it ever. This was for the top 2 leagues, as leagues 3 & 4 teams didn't have full voting rights - so they ended up with the EFL Trophy: which we won.

Reading did win it once beating Luton - Luton won the 1988 League Cup or Littlewoods Cup, or was it Rumbelows beating Arsenal, that gave us endless views of David Pleat in his flashers mac gambolling across the sacred turf at the final whistle. Reading really milked winning he Simod cup locally, it was the only thing they had to crow about until pipping us to Championship title with a hopefully soon to lost - record points haul. 

 

Ah yes Luton won the League cup, that's right. I think that was the same year they knocked us out in a reply at the Dell after Extra time and we had a perfectly good goal ruled out with about 20 minutes to go which would have put us 1-0 up.

Reading fans still go on about it now. When i worked there a few years back they used to all go on about how brilliant it was. That and Robin Friday. Of course the rest of them went back to support Spurs and Chelsea when Reading got relegated back to the championship

[Turkish]

10 minutes ago, Chez said:

That's a good memory. I had it in my mind that Simod was some sort of budget electrical brand/shop.

Were they a poor man's Travel Fox?

They were worse than that, on a par with Hi-tec, a little bit above supermarket brands, proper shit.

 

 

Edited 31 March, 2023 by Turkish

[SotonianWill]

47 minutes ago, saint1977 said:

Didn’t Terry Hurlock score his only Saints goal v West Ham in one of the area SFs?

OOoo 

[Chez]

On 30/03/2023 at 11:06, Turkish said:

I don’t agree we had a shite side, Flowers in goal, Kenna at right back and Shearer up front who all went onto win the league with Blackburn three years later

ruddock was a great centre half for us. Horne, Cockerill, Moore all solid premier league players and of course MLT.  We had the basis of a decent side the problem was we had a terrible manager who hoofed it long ball into Ian Dowie and wanted us to be aggressive, sound familiar…

as for the game Forest were a great side in those days so we were always second favourites but like you say when we got it back to 2-2 thought we might have the momentum to win it, typical saints though heroic failure as usual. IIRC they battered us for the first hour, we were lucky only to be 2-0 down, typical Forest at the time let us have the ball and hit fast on the break. Flowers kept us in it. They were a great side to watch, we just lumped balls into the box and hoped for the best. Criminal misuse of Shearer and Le Tissier

You are right, Brantfoot's tactics were horrific, although I think that side might look a little better on paper than it actually was.

Flowers
Kenna Moore Ruddock Benali
Horne Cockerill Hurlock MLT
Dowie Shearer

Moore was an average Prem player at best and was on the decline. Benali was limited. I loved Stomper. Not sure how good he really was though. Must have been pretty good to get that move back to Spurs. Kenna was still learning the game at that point. Cockerill was over the hill, Hurlock also. MLT became a non entity under Brantford except in the ZDS cup - where he scored loads of goals. Dowie was always only ever OK. Shearer was obviously an emerging talent, hence the move, but he did things at Blackburn in that first season that he hadn't shown for us. Yeah, maybe we weren't shite, but the best football from Flowers, Kenna, MLT and Sheader was to come.

What formation did we play? Did Horne play wider or did  we play three in the middle and MLT in the hole?

I just noticed that we lost after extra time. That is not something I remember at all. I'm getting old.

[Chez]

14 minutes ago, Turkish said:

They were worse than that, on a par with Hi-tec, a little bit above supermarket brands, proper shit.

 

 

fuck, they are bad. These seem slightly more in touch with the times.

 

 

[EssEffCee]

7 hours ago, Turkish said:

Ah yes Luton won the League cup, that's right. I think that was the same year they knocked us out in a reply at the Dell after Extra time and we had a perfectly good goal ruled out with about 20 minutes to go which would have put us 1-0 up.

Reading fans still go on about it now. When i worked there a few years back they used to all go on about how brilliant it was. That and Robin Friday. Of course the rest of them went back to support Spurs and Chelsea when Reading got relegated back to the championship

Don't think Reading's record point total was the year we went up with them (as it was still fairly close up until their 3-1 win at St Marys towards the end of the season if I remember rightly), think it was the first time they were promoted. Our first season in championship post relegation perhaps? 

[Turkish]

3 minutes ago, EssEffCee said:

Don't think Reading's record point total was the year we went up with them (as it was still fairly close up until their 3-1 win at St Marys towards the end of the season if I remember rightly), think it was the first time they were promoted. Our first season in championship post relegation perhaps? 

We beat them at the their place when they were miles clear at the top of the championship the year we had to play the kids, we'd hardly won for ages then won up there on a friday night, it would have been 2008 or 9 i think. that must have been their big points season.

[EssEffCee]

13 minutes ago, Turkish said:

We beat them at the their place when they were miles clear at the top of the championship the year we had to play the kids, we'd hardly won for ages then won up there on a friday night, it would have been 2008 or 9 i think. that must have been their big points season.

 

Yeah that rings a bell actually. BWP got both?

[Turkish]

2 minutes ago, EssEffCee said:

 

Yeah that rings a bell actually. BWP got both?

im getting my matches mixed up. We beat them up there on a saturday, it was a friday night at home when we lost 3-1. 

THe year they got loads of points in the 2005/06 season when we lost 2-0 up there in Feb. they ended that season with 31 wins and 106 points

[EssEffCee]

8 minutes ago, Turkish said:

im getting my matches mixed up. We beat them up there on a saturday, it was a friday night at home when we lost 3-1. 

THe year they got loads of points in the 2005/06 season when we lost 2-0 up there in Feb. they ended that season with 31 wins and 106 points

 

Those few seasons tend to all blur into one for me. Don't think I could recall more than a handful of matches from that whole period and I had a season ticket for all bar 08/09.