MINNOWS CLASH IN VINTAGE ENCOUNTER

My father bought our first ever television in 1953. Crafty devil, my dad - convinced my mother that he wanted to buy it to watch the upcoming coronation of Queen Elizabeth 2 as he knew just how much she would enjoy watching it. The truth, I suspect, is that he really wanted to watch the Cup Final which that year was played out between Blackpool and Bolton Wanderers.

And what a memorable final it turned out to be - the Matthews Final - when the late lamented wizard of dribble Sir Stanley Matthews finally won the honour that had eluded him in his long and distinguished career as he laid on the winning goal for Perry to secure a 4-3 victory, having come from 3-1 down against a spirited but depleted Bolton side. Here is Matthews hoisted aloft by his team-mates displaying the FA Cup after the game:-

Blackpool have never won anything since.

In 1976, Southampton won the FA Cup by beating Manchester United with a late goal from the late lamented Bobby Stokes. I was fortunate enough to be there to witness the greatest day in the club`s history. Here is Saints captain Peter Rodrigues with team-mates and the coveted trophy after the game:-

Saints have never won anything since.

On Saturday, Blackpool, having been promoted to the Championship from League One, made their first ever visit to St. Mary`s Stadium to play Southampton for the first time in 29 years. So it came as no real surprise that the game produced football of a standard anachronistically plucked from those bygone decades. Lots of honest endeavour; so little quality. No Stanley Matthews` on show, despite Saints` Nathan Dyer showing the occasional attempt to bamboozle Blackpool`s uncompromising full back.

In all honesty, Blackpool were robbed of at least a point, thanks to a combination of rueful finishing, bizarre refereeing and Saints` Jason Euell becoming their first player to miss a penalty at St. Mary`s. Saints won the game 1-0 thanks to a 34th minute goal from Stern John. (In a boredom relieving moment, I asked my neighbour why Stern John had been christened Stern; apparently it was because he was born in the back of a boat.)

It was truly the worst performance I have seen for years - such has been Southampton`s decline and for the first time ever, my perceptive colleagues and I trudged back to Town Quay feeling depressed and angry at what we had witnessed....and this despite winning the game; goodness knows how we might have felt had we lost.

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Two clubs which once won the glittering prizes have joined the ranks of the footballing minnows; Southampton`s prospects are grim as they continue to sink, but a resurgent Blackpool seem to be rising to the surface after all those years since they graced our first ever television set and I wish them well. They deserved better on Saturday.