IF George Burley and his players are seeking any inspiration ahead of Sunday's FA Cup trip to Manchester City, a trip down memory lane will provide it.

Way back in January 1960, 47 years ago this month, Ted Bates' men went to Maine Road and recorded one of THE great cup wins of Saints' entire history.

In what was the last FA Cup tie between the two clubs, Bates' Division 3 high-fliers recovered from going a goal down against their top flight opponents and ran out sensational 5-1 winners.

Yes, that's right - 5-1.

Rarely has a team from two divisions lower stunned a member of English football's elite so embarrassingly on their own turf.

Architects of the third round win on January 9 1960 were four-goal striker Derek Reeves and young winger Terry Paine.

Paine turned in a mesmerising performance to dazzle his Welsh international left-back Cliff Sear.

He was the inspiration behind most of Reeves' goals with George O'Brien also on target against a City side who had lifted the cup at Wembley four years earlier.

Paine said his performance led to City literally knocking on his door to sign him.

"I was at home in Winchester a few months after that when someone knocked on my door," Paine recalled.

"I opened the door and it was Jimmy Meadows, who was a coach at City. He just said he happened to be passing through on holiday!"

Paine added: "I've got brilliant memories of that day "The result reverberated around the world. Radio was big in those days, we didn't get much television coverage.

"It was incredible. You never expect anything like that to happen.

"We just tore them apart. I had a good game, John Sydenham had a good game on the left, and Derek Reeves scored four goals.

"Everything we tried seemed to come off".

"Derek was a great striker, he was quick, strong, not particularly tall, but Goodness me he could finish.

"And George O'Brien alongside him could be relied on to score regularly too".

John Sydenham, speaking to the Echo from his Australian home in Perth, said: "I have vivid memories of that day.

"It's difficult to believe it was 47 years ago, it doesn't seem that long.

"The main thing I remember is we couldn't believe how easy it was for us to tear them apart.

"They had the great Bert Trautman in goal, and we were in division three - it was amazing.

Sydenham recalled: "Myself and Terry were just mucking around at the end of training on the Friday, just the two of us.

"We worked out a little short corner routine that we'd never tried before and decided that the first time we got a corner in the game we'd try it out.

"We didn't mention it at the team meetings or anything.

"The first time we got a corner on the right, I came over from the left to take it.

"It's difficult to explain but I took the corner short to Terry, who promptly dribbled it along the goalline before crossing for Derek Reeves to score.

"It took the City defence so much by surprise that three of their defenders crashed into each other!".

Saints went on to win the Division 3 title that season, belting a superb 106 goals in 46 league matches. Amazingly, they conceded 75 - more than fourth bottom York City!

Reeves plundered 39 league goals in 46 games, a remarkable feat which remains a Saints club record for most league goals scored in a season.

He had reached the 20-goal mark in league action by October 17!

His total haul for the season of 45 goals is another club record that will almost certainly never be beaten.

"They were great days," recalled Sydenham. "We just went out with the aim of scoring more goals than we conceded.

"Those early 1960s days were the most enjoyable of my Saints career.

"People who are still around now who watched us back then will always remember it.

"It was a lot of fun in those days, very enjoyable - it's a different game now".

In a bizarre aside to that great day at Maine Road, many years later Sydenham came to own the match ball which was handed to Reeves and signed by all the Saints players.

"I was talking to some supporters club members and one mentioned that he had the match ball which Derek had been given," said Sydenham.

"He told me he was getting old, he had no grandchildren to hand it down to, and would I like it? I said of course I would so for a few years I had it at my house in Sydney".

Sydenham ended up donating the ball to the Ted Bates Trust for auctioning off at a dinner to raise money for the Bates statue at St Mary's in 2005.

Though he no longer works for Saints' academy - until a few months ago he was employed by the club as a scout - he still can't shake off his affection for the club.

"I follow all the games, either on the internet or on the radio," he said.

"They take place in the early hours for me, but I'm always up trying to find out the scores.

"I hope Saints can do what we did this weekend.

"It will always be my club, nothing will change on that score - and I'm sure Terry feels the same".

Illustrating perfectly the rollercoaster emotions football can provide, Saints were knocked out in the fourth round by Watford, who themselves were a division below Bates' free-scoring outfit.

O'Brien netted twice as the Hornets claimed a 2-2 draw at The Dell before Saints lost the replay 1-0 - the first in a series of dismal cup losses at Vicarage Road that span several decades.

Does the above bring back any memories for long-standing Saints fans reading this? Join the debate on www.dailyecho.co.uk