Hugh Fisher's Southampton FC FA Cup medal up for auction

Hugh Fisher, who kept Saints in the competition that year with a last-minute equaliser in the third round against Aston Villa at The Dell, is selling his FA Cup winner's medal.

An unused substitute on the day that second division Saints overcame football giants Manchester United, 80-year-old Hugh is said to have decided to dig his medal out of the drawer where it has been sitting ever since that famous day to raise some funds towards family experiences. 

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The medal, inscribed on the reverse with The Football Association Challenge Cup Winner Hugh Fisher Southampton FC 1975-76 and in its original case, will go up for auction on Tuesday.

Graham Budd Auctions Ltd is opening the bidding at £3,400 at 10am and estimates suggest it will reach at least £6,000 to £8,000 by the time the auction closes 24 hours later.

Other 1976 Saints winners medals have reached around £25,000 in past auctions, so bidding could go a lot higher.

A spokesman for the auctioneers said: "Southampton fans will be flocking to our auction to try and get their hands on this 1976 FA Cup winner’s medal. This represents the only time the team has won the cup - making it very significant to the club’s history.

Some fans groups are calling for Southampton FC to buy the piece of history themselves.

Scottish midfielder Fisher, known as Hughie, began his career at Blackpool. He scored the opening goal in a 5-1 mauling of Saints at The Dell in December 1966 and was promptly signed by Southampton manager Ted Bates. 

After ten years with Saints, playing 366 games and scoring 11 goals, he joined Southport as player manager, leaving when they left the Football League.

Fisher continued to play semi-professional football until he retired in 1980, then becoming a familiar face around the South's pubs and clubs as a brewery representative.