flight (West Ham United in 1980) has won the trophy. These are the only instances in the post-Second World War era when the trophy has been won by a team outside the top division. In 1978, the Saints won promotion to the First Division and in 1979 reached the League Cup Final where they lost 3–2 to Nottingham Forest. McMenemy was linked with the vacant Manchester United manager's job at the end of the 1980–81 season, but he ruled himself out of the running and the job went to Ron Atkinson instead. McMenemy had signed veteran World Cup winner Alan Ball to aid his side, later adding serving England captain Kevin Keegan when he returned from Germany in 1980. Southampton emerged as title challengers in the 1981–82 season, regularly topping the table, before they finished seventh and the title went to Liverpool. Keegan was sold to Newcastle United that summer, but McMenemy made another big name signing when he captured England goalkeeper Peter Shilton. In 1984, he guided the club to second place in the First Division – their highest ever finish. Sunderland He left Southampton on 1 June 1985, but returned to football five days later when he was named manager of Sunderland, who had just been relegated to the Second Division. At the time he was the highest-paid manager in English football, but his time on Wearside was not a success and he quit in March 1987 – just weeks before Sunderland fell into the Third Division for the first time in their history. A year earlier, they had narrowly avoided a second successive relegation when they had been among the pre-season favourites for promotion, and the best supported side in the Second Division with an average attendance of more than 16,000 – higher than most of the First Division clubs that season. England In July 1990, he ended a three-year break from football when he was appointed assistant to England manager Graham Taylor, managing the Under-21 side, and picking out future talents like Darren Anderton and Steve McManaman. In November 1993, after England failed to qualify for USA 94, Taylor and McMenemy both resigned. They had reached the 1992 European Championships in Sweden, but failed to progress beyond the group stages. Return to Southampton McMenemy soon bounced back and was offered the new position of Director of Football by Southampton within weeks of leaving his role with