WHILE Saints supporters hold their breath in anticipation of the Cup Final at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium, one die-hard Saints fan is reminiscing over the glorious moment of victory back in 1976.

Eighty-one-year-old Irene Mitchell of Merryoak Green, Bitterne, has lived in Southampton all her life and supported its football club from way back when people used to queue up all night for match tickets at the Dell.

Her living room is bedecked in a bright array of red and white Southampton football club memorabilia and the front door is painted to match. She even tells the time from a Saints clock and keeps a pristine copy of the 20p match programme from the 1976 Cup Final against Manchester United.

Irene, who would love nothing more than to see "her boys'' win the Cup Final on May 17 remembers the 1976 match vividly.

She said: "When we won the cup back then everyone was beeping their horns on the roads and cheering in the pubs. It was lovely.

"I've always loved the Saints. I'm known at my Friday social club as Mrs McMenemy."

Irene, who has six children and eight grandchildren, has even put back hospital appointments to make sure she doesn't miss a second of any of the matches. Celebrating her 80th birthday last year, she was given a cake by her family that was shaped and decorated like the Dell.

Daughter Maureen Mitchell, 53, a receptionist who also cares for Irene, said: "She just loves it. She can't talk to anyone without getting on to football after a few minutes."

Irene will be watching the match against Arsenal at her Southampton home, wearing a red sparkly wig, red and white dress and, of course, a Saints scarf!