Nick Holmes' FA Cup record NICK Holmes boasts a remarkable record in the FA Cup as a player, but these day is more than holding his own in the competition as a manager.

With his beloved Southampton, he picked up a winner's medal at Wembley in 1976 when Saints - then in the second division - pulled off one of the greatest cup final shocks of all time, defeating the mighty Manchester United 1-0, courtesy of Bobby Stokes' goal.

In total, Holmes made 45 FA Cup appearances for his only professional club during his time at the Dell - scoring twice. But the final is not his only great cup memory.

"We made the semi-finals twice," he recalls.

"Once we lost to Everton 5-3 - Adrian Heath scored in the 118th minute and we were devastated.

"We finished second in the league that season and I thought we were as good a side as we'd ever been.

"Everton went on to win it, playing Watford in the final.

"That was a really sad time for me, solely because when I was at the cup final before, I didn't have my family with me. It would have been nice for my missus and my son to have been there if we'd have got through.

"We then lost to Liverpool in extra-time a couple of years later in a semi-final at Tottenham, so we had good runs."

As a manager he has now steered Salisbury to the first round proper twice since taking over at Old Sarum in July 2002.

The televised second round replay against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on Tuesday, December 12 will be his 22nd FA Cup tie as City manager.

He boasts 14 wins in those 22 matches, drawing four and losing four times.

City have scored 49 goals and conceded 25.

Holmes has also led City into the quarter-final of the FA Trophy (2005/06) and his side play their second match in this season's competition on the Saturday following the Forest replay when Conference side (and last season's finalists) Woking visit the Raymond McEnhill Stadium on Saturday, December 16.