Southampton fans asked to find Carlisle on a map

But there has been one stat about Johnstone’s Paint Trophy finalists Carlisle that has been a great source of confusion to the thousands of Saints fans: Just where is Carlisle?

In fact it’s 335 miles north of Southampton, but many Saints fans have been left scratching their heads when trying to work out from which direction rival fans will have to travel to reach Sunday’s final.

From Wales, to near Weymouth and even close to Newcastle were just some of the suggestions from fans asked by the Daily Echo when we took a map out on to the streets.

Founder of the Saints Trust Nick Illingsworth said: “I only know where it is because I went there for the first time this season.

“We haven’t had to play there for some 28 years so no one would know really, it’s a place where if you step out the back door you’re in Scotland.

“We haven’t had that many players who have played for both clubs and with it being somewhere so far north it’s not somewhere you’d pass on the way to other grounds. Not a lot of Saints fans will have been to Walsall but they might know it because they’ve passed the ground on the M6.”

As the closest city to Scotland their Member of Parliament said there were many reasons that people should know of Carlisle’s heritage.

Carlisle MP Eric Martlew said: “We’re the first city in England, sitting almost along the Scottish border.

“It was a Roman city and there has been a long football tradition here, perhaps people in Southampton aren’t aware of us because we don’t usually have to play them, they’re usually in a higher league.

“We’re not in Wales though and I know where Southampton is, I’ve been there. People should know us from Hadrian’s Wall and football fans will know from their away trips.

“We’re looking forward to Sunday, we start as underdogs but I think that favours us and I’ll definitely be there, it’s going to be a great day.”