HE'S nearly 3ft tall, wears a top hat and was witness to one of Southampton’s greatest moments.

Now the lucky Saints mascot has been brought out of retirement as his owner travels thousands of miles across the globe to get him out of the loft and to watch the team at Wembley.

Steve Eastman, an IT director who now lives in Singapore, was only 10 when his grandad bought the dog-shaped mascot from a neighbour - who had previously won it in a raffle at the Maybush pub just after the 1976 Wembley victory.

Since then it’s been languishing in his mum’s loft gathering dust as Steve, 51, and his brother Dan Price, 46, follow their team’s ups and downs from thousands of miles away, only brought out on special occasions - such as the 2003 Cardiff League Cup final, and neighbour Barbara Sandy's 90th birthday.

Although now living far from his native Maybush, Steve is still a season ticket holder and has travelled to Israel, Milan and Liverpool to watch his team at the top of their game

Now he will be travelling back to the UK just to watch Saints at Wembley - although his brother Dan who lives in Australia can’t make it back for the match.

He said: “My first match was in the mid-seventies at the Dell. The mascot was bought by my grandad for me and my brother Dan and it’s part of the family - my son’s a Southampton supporter as well.”

And although he has offered it to the team to take with them on their bus as they make their way to Wembley for the fourth time - they have politely declined.

As previously reported by the Daily Echo Steve offered to lend the lucky mascot to Saints bosses in 1979 and in 2003 - but the mascot had to put up with just watching from the comfort of his sofa.