A look at the man who was substitute at Wembley in 1976.

When older Saints fans look back at the 1976 cup run, its very easy to forget the role that Hugh played in it, not just on the pitch but off it as well.

Hugh Fisher was 23 years old when he arrived at the Dell from Blackpool, the son of Peter Fisher who himslef had played professionally for a host of clubs both in Scotland as well as England.

Ted Bates had noticed Hugh when he had scored for Blackpool at the Dell on  New Years Eve 1966, the Lancashire club were already on the way to relegation, they had sold future Saints star Alan Ball at the start of the season and Fisher headed South in March 1967 ironically making his debut at Goodison against his former team mates new club Everton a game that Saints won 1-0 and also saw the debut for the home side of Howard Kendall. 

He soon made a position in the Saints midfield his own with only the odd occasion out of the team culminating in the 70/71 season when he would play in every league game, but bad times were around the corner and in October 1971  double winners Arsenal arrived at the Dell, and Hugh broke his leg in a collission with goalkeeper Bob Wilson with Saints losing the match 1-0. 

It would be almost a year and the start of the following season before he would play again, it was too his credit that he played in every game that followed starting and completing 41 games and being sub in the final game of the season coming on for the man who took his place for the game Wayne talkes.

&3/74 was another full house of league games although sadly Saints would be relegated, but as he turned 30 he was still a regular in the side.

But it would be 75/76 where he would enjoy his last full season at the club with a medal, in the league injury plagued him and he played 27(2) of the 42 games without scoring, but in the FA Cup it would be his last goal for Saints that would be his most remembered.

With Saints one nil down at home to Aston Villa in the 3rd round of the FA Cup on 3rd January 1976 and the clock about to hit 90 minutes Hugh let fly and it nesteled in the net, Saints were still in the cup, just and the rest as they say is history.

Hugh would start every game in the cup run that season up until the semi final, he would have started that came as well, but ever the consumate profesional, he admitted to lawrie mcMenemy that he was not 100% and feeling a twinge and went on the bench with Paul Gilchrist stepping in, it would be a decision that would cost him a place at Wembley.

Hugh was sub at Wembley and unfortunately for him the game was too tight to contemplate changes, although with the famously sapping Wembley pitch the chances were if it had gone to extra time he would have got on, as we know it didnt.

Hugh was rewarded with a game on the wembley turf in the Charity Shield, but it must have been scant consolation, although Hugh being a team man first did not show any disapointment at any time and was safe in the knowledge he deserved his Cup Winners medal as much as anyone in the squad that day as without him the dream would not have happened.

In 76/77 Hugh started the season in the side, but approaching 33 his days were numbered, he played his last game at home to Bolton in November 76 and as McMenemy revamped the side he found himself in the reserves and unsurprisingly he accepted a job as player manager of then league club Southport in March 1977. 

He would spend only one full season at Haig Avenue and at the end of it Southport did not get re election and found themselves out of the league replaced by Wigan, Hugh moved back to Southampton to work as a brewery rep and paly for a succession of local Southern league teams. 

Hugh has remained in Southampton ever since working in the brewery trade before retiring.

Hugh played 356 games in various competitions for Saints plus 10 as sub, how he must have yearned for that to have been 11, he did though hit 11 goals including that very famous one that should never be forgotten, it could be said it was the second most important shot of the 75/76 season           

Photo: Action Images

eusebio added 08:40 - Jan 5 I remeber my dad telling me that you could hear the break when Wilson shapped his leg and also that Hugh screamed out the ****** has broken it. Not the hero worshipping type player but always gave his all specialising in breaking up the play of other teams. Top man
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ourkid1984 added 12:59 - Jan 5 Top bloke, my dad knows him fairly well and he always stops for a chat and him and his wife have also turned up to a couple of family partys.
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