SAINTS have qualified for European football for only the eighth time in their history.

Six of those occasions, including the current one, have been as a result of their league position.

Once was as a result of winning the FA Cup in 1976, and once as a result of finishing runners-up in the FA Cup.

Here, the Daily Echo takes a brief look back at the previous seven seasons – and eight tournaments, there were two in 1976/77! - of Saints in Europe.

1969/70

Saints were beneficiaries of a slightly bizarre ruling that only one club from any one city could qualify for the Inter Cities Fairs Cup.

Despite finishing seventh in 1968/69, that was good enough as three clubs from London and two from Liverpool finished between them and champions Leeds.

With third placed Arsenal pipping fifth placed Chelsea and sixth placed Tottenham, and runners-up Liverpool pipping third placed Everton, Ted Bates’ men were in Europe for the first time.

They beat Norwegians Rosenborg 2-1 on aggregate before knocking out Portuguese club Vitoria Guimaraes 8-4.

After a 3-3 away draw, Ron Davies scored twice in a 5-1 Dell second leg triumph.

Saints were eliminated on away goals in the third round by First Division rivals Newcastle United.

After a goalless draw on Tyneside, Saints were 1-0 up at The Dell thanks to a Mick Channon goal with only six minutes left to play.

That was when Bryan Robson struck to send the Magpies through to the quarter finals.

1971/72

Saints qualified for the first ever UEFA Cup in a similar manner to the Fairs Cup entry of two seasons earlier.

Because more than one London club finished above them, they were handed a second route into Europe after finishing seventh again.

This time the adventure was over at the first round stage, Athletico Bilbao winning 3-2 on aggregate after Saints had won the first leg 2-1 at The Dell with a Mick Channon winner.

1976/77

Saints were entered into the European Cup Winners Cup as a result of their momentous FA Cup final win against Manchester United.

It was a memorable first time in the competition as well, Lawrie McMenemy’s men reaching the quarter finals – as a second division club, lest we forget.

Saints defeated French cup holders Marseille 5-2 on aggregate in the first round, after winning the first leg at home 4-0 with Mick Channon netting twice.

Channon struck twice more in the second round first leg when Saints won 5-2 at Northern Ireland’s Carrick Rangers.

Wembley hero Bobby Stokes was on target when Saints won the second leg 4-1.

Drawn against Belgian club Anderlecht in the last eight, Saints lost the first leg 2-0 away - and had a Channon goal harshly ruled out for offside late on.

Saints hit back to lead 2-0 in the second leg, thanks to David Peach and Ted MacDougall, but François Van der Elst took the Belgians through by netting in the 83rd minute.

Saints also took part in the Anglo-Italian Cup in 1976/77, losing 4-1 on aggregate to Napoli after Steve Williams had scored the only goal of the first leg at The Dell.

1981/82

After finishing a then club best sixth in the top flight in 1980/81, Saints were back in the UEFA Cup.

Steve Moran scored twice as McMenemy’s side won 3-0 at Irish club Limerick in the first round first leg tie, and Kevin Keegan struck in a 1-1 second leg stalemate.

Drawn at home to Sporting Lisbon in the second round first leg, Saints suffered a miserable first half.

At 3-0 down at half-time, their Euro dream was virtually over.

Keegan and Mick Channon reduced the arrears to 3-2 before the visitors added a fourth.

The second leg was drawn 0-0 in Portugal, but Saints were out.

1982/83

Saints’ UEFA Cup adventure lasted just two games against Swedish underdogs Norkkoping.

Mark Wright’s late leveller rescued a 2-2 Dell draw for Saints in the home leg, and the second leg was goalless.

1984/85 Back in the UEFA Cup after finishing runners-up to Liverpool in 1983/84, Saints were dumped out at the first round stage again.

After a 0-0 home leg with German club Hamburg, Saints lost the second leg to two second half goals.

Manny Kaltz broke the deadlock with a 68th minute spot-kick before Scottish international striker Mark McGhee netted the second in the dying seconds.

Saints would qualify for the UEFA Cup again at the end of the season by finishing fifth.

They never had the chance of playing in it, though, as English clubs were banned from European competitions in the wake of the Heysel tragedy.

2003/04

Saints’ last entry into Europe was as a result of them losing the previous season’s FA Cup final to Arsenal, who had already qualified for the Champions League.

It was to be another short-lived adventure.

Drawn against Romanians Steaua Bucharest, Gordon Strachan’s men were held 1-1 at home after Kevin Phillips had cancelled out Claudiu Raducanu’s opener.

Eight minutes from time in the second leg, Raducanu scored the only goal to send Saints crashing out.