The FA Cup is upon us again and a full house today at St Mary’s says it all.

It hasn’t lost the magic, thankfully.

The dream of not just players and managers and coaches but also supporters is to go to Wembley.

Today’s visitors at St Mary’s, as it happens, are Crystal Palace, and that brings back many memories of the big occasion we had all those years ago.

The fact that people still remember and talk about it again says it all. It has such an impact.

I think it’s understandable that certain clubs are against Cup replays.

Obviously the arrival of the Champions League means that there is another target which is diverting some attention from our domestic cup because, purely and simply, of the extra money it would bring in.

Let’s be fair, the clubs at that level do need it in most cases, because of the size and depth of their squad, higher wages, etc.

Do I agree with doing away with replays? Certainly not.

I think that is part of the magic for a small club who has battled its way through to come up against the big boys from the third round onwards.

If, for instance, Cambridge United held Manchester United to a draw on their own small ground imagine the excitement all around gearing up for a visit to Old Trafford.

I think that should be the limit, mind.

Older supporters may well remember when Southampton drew one of my old clubs, Grimsby Town, in the FA Cup in 1977/78, and after draws both here and at Grimsby we had to play a third game on a neutral ground.

I think two games is enough, to be followed if necessary by extra time and penalties, which again adds to the excitement.

It could be worse.

In my early days as manager of Bishop Auckland there was great excitement when, having battled through about seven games in preliminary round starting back as early as the end of August, we reached the first round proper.

Ironically we were drawn against another Northern League team, Blyth Spartans.

We drew at home, drew at Blyth, had to play a third game at Roker Park, the home of Sunderland, and drew again, would you believe?

There was then an argument as Blyth wanted the fourth game at St James’ Park, Newcastle, which was nearer to them but because the game had to be completed that week and Newcastle had already had a home fixture, we returned to Roker Park where we eventually won.

Nobody would argue that should happen again.

If there had to be a vote about scrapping replays then I think there is a good compromise.

The first and second round proper should stay as it is but the third round, which starts every year in January with the big clubs entering, could bring up a situation where before the names go in the hat each club would give a yes or a no to their preference to replays.

Then, even if two Premier League clubs come out together and both had said yes to a replay, because bear in mind not every Premier League club can afford to turn down extra money from the gate or another TV appearance, then it would be as it is now.

If, however, there was one yes and one no there would then be extra time and penalties rather than a replay.

I think as well the FA Cup is regaining its strength and value.

There have been lots of criticisms about the influx of so many foreign players and managers and owners but if anything I think a lot of these newcomers have reminded us how much the FA Cup is admired and respected and watched all around the world.

You ask any one of them if they would like to play at Wembley and their hand will shoot up.

I watched the TV quiz programme A Question of Sport this week.

One of the contestants was an American football player who apparently had played in the Superbowl, which is, I suppose, their equivalent.

Sue Barker, the presenter, asked him what it meant to play there and his reply was simple.

He said: “The minute a young boy starts to play football at school, his one and only dream is to eventually turn out at the Superbowl, and once that happens, the memory will stay with him for life.”

I think that was always the case with English schoolboys and the FA Cup. Maybe it lost its way a little but I am happy to think it is now back on course and long may it continue.

I wouldn’t bet against Sheffield United beating Tottenham in the second leg of the League Cup semi-final.

Forget about the two-division difference, they might just do it for no other reason than the family tradition.

Brian Clough won it four times, including when he beat us in 1979.

How good would it be for the circle to be complete, and his son, Nigel, manager at Sheffield United, to walk out at Wembley and carry on the family tradition in tribute to his dad?