Johnstone's Paint Trophy Final shows Southampton have emerged from doldrums

In August, that was pretty much all I knew about the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy.

To be perfectly honest if many Saints fans tell you they have always loved the Football League Trophy, they are probably lying or only started following Saints at Christmas.

But I am unashamed to say now I am very excited about the big prize – quite literally massive if you’ve seen the size of the JPT – that Kelvin Davis could be holding aloft sometime before 4pm on Sunday.

It’s a bandwagon I’m happy to have jumped on.

A lot of other clubs considered to be our peers and equals in terms of stature may sneer at the enthusiasm Saints supporters have embraced the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy.

But when you consider where we were just 11 months ago, it is no wonder we have made the most of England’s third biggest cup competition.

Here we are, less than a year after standing on the precipice to extinction, taking the biggest ever support of any one club to the new Wembley Stadium.

We’ve signed some great players and have a manager who certainly seems to know what he is doing. All-in-all, I’d say we have every reason to make the most of the ‘Paint Pot’ final.

Rather than being ‘just’ a Wembley appearance, it’s a chance for all Saints fans to enjoy the fact that things seem to be getting better after five or six miserable years.

I image we’ll be hearing more than a few chants aimed at Alan Pardew Esquire and Herr Liebherr throughout the 90 minutes tomorrow afternoon – and quite right too.

Ultimately they are the driving forces behind Saints’ resurgence and the feel-good factor around the club – it is only right and proper to acknowledge the work they have done.

So as the legions of Saints fans march upon Olympic Way, with the chants of Oh When The Saints reverberating around North London, enjoy it, soak it in and make the most of it.

After what we’ve been through, I think we deserve to.