Would you take a Seventies rewind?

I had the enormous pleasure of speaking to Stuart Pearson recently, for the first time since joining Manchester United back in 2011.

The reason I have always been so keen to meet the former Manchester United striker is not only because I know how popular he was in his time here, but because he also brings back memories of the first FA Cup final I ever watched, something that was almost like a rites of passage back in the day.

It has been something that has puzzled me in later years, as to how I have no memory of the finals in the 1970s, despite being born in 1972. Admittedly, I was very young but, with my father being such a big Red, the highs and lows experienced must have had a huge impact on our household.

I can recall the Queen's Silver Jubilee street party in 1977, and Elvis Presley dying in the same year. Obviously, I have lots of recollections of playschool and primary school but nothing of the 1979 defeat to Arsenal, when I was six, going on seven. Apparently, my mum took me out to the park because my dad was becoming so animated when we slipped 2-0 down to the Gunners.

It has always made me ponder, would I have accepted the crushing lows of 1976 and 1979, in order to enjoy the massive high of 1977, had there been the possibility of being given the opportunity.

I wonder if fans younger than me could also ask themselves this same question - would you take the two negatives to celebrate one amazing, probably unexpected, positive?

For context, United had been a Second Division team in 1974/75 and yet reached the cup final, playing thrilling, attacking football a year later, only to lose 1-0 against Southampton, due to late goal by Bobby Stokes.

This was the reason behind being able to speak to 'Pancho', as Saturday's Legends game at St Mary's is to mark the 50-year anniversary of the hosts' first major trophy win. Pearson is in the dugout, helping coach our team, which contains former stars such as Wes Brown, Antonio Valencia, Louis Saha and Dimitar Berbatov.

United boss Tommy Docherty famously promised the fans he'd deliver the prestigious silverware in the following season and was true to his word.

In surely the highlight of the decade for the Reds, Liverpool were overcome 2-1 at Wembley. Pearson's opener was quickly levelled by Jimmy Case, only for Lou Macari's shot to deflect in off Jimmy Greenhoff to restore the lead and put paid to the Merseysiders' Treble hopes.

Bob Paisley's men won the European Cup four days later, so this result remains particularly pertinent, and Pearson admits he is always introduced as the man who helped stop the Scousers doing the first Treble when speaking in the hospitality boxes at Old Trafford.

I don't know why but the sight of Phil Neal being unable to prevent the winner on the line remains an image stuck firmly in my mind, maybe it was on the cover of a book or something from a bit later but, make no mistake, after the despair of relegation, this must have been a huge, satisfying high for United supporters at the time.

There was another famous win over our arch-rivals two years later, defeating them 1-0 in the semi-final replay at Goodison Park, in another game much talked about endlessly by that generation.

Jimmy Greenhoff nodded the winner, in the wonderful white shirt with the three black stripes, and the Reds were going to Wembley once again.

Things were not going well on the big day, hence the need for the young me to be relocated to the park, but the swings and roundabouts of football were never more evident than when, at 2-0 down with only four minutes left, Dave Sexton's side mustered an incredible revival, with Gordon McQueen and Sammy McIlroy hauling us back from the dead.

My dad always said he was still bouncing off the ceiling when Liam Brady's cross evaded Gary Bailey and Alan Sunderland poached the winner seconds later.

A gut-wrenching 3-2 loss and an overall tally of one win and two defeats in 1970s FA Cup finals.

I guess I should really provide even more context to these events.

There was only rarely any stoppage time of any length in those days. The game would not have gone to penalties but a replay, if the scores were level after extra-time.

And, crucially, the FA Cup was THE competition for everybody in an era where it was one of the few domestic games ever shown live on television. I can still remember the crackle of excitement when it was decreed I should sit and watch the 1980 game, with my family, including my grandparents. 

I could sense the anticipation with all the build-up on both main channels and this was clearly a very big deal.

I'd really got into football properly, by that I mean more than playing myself but following it, that season, with the purchase of my first Panini sticker album. I became obsessed very quickly and knew all the squads (and still do).

West Ham United were underdogs, as a Second Division side (like Southampton were four years previously), so I sided with them, particularly when my dad told me how one of their strikers, Pancho, had been a favourite of ours at Old Trafford. Pleasingly, he got the assist for Trevor Brooking's winner, if only there was such a thing as an assist in 1980 (admitting to me last week it was a shot not a cross), and I would not have to wait too long for these sort of days to belong to Manchester United.

Hence, Pearson was a memorable figure from my childhood before I could celebrate glory of my own with the Reds (in 1983 and 1985). I also remember him being among the 'Top Trump' cards we used to play during the endless 'wet playtimes' at school, as an England international at the time.

My friend Stuart (of course), was named after him and was the guy I was able to share the elation of Moscow with in 2008, from behind the goal at the Luzhniki Stadium, as Sir Alex Ferguson's side conquered Europe again via a penalty shootout.

So, as I embark on a nostalgic trip and wonder what it must have been like for fellow Reds during the Seventies, I am quite keen to know if younger fans would accept going back in time, just to experience the buzz of the victory over a dominant Liverpool side?

Is it worth having that high, while also losing to a Second Division team and suffering the agony of conceding a 90th-minute goal after looking to have rescued an impossible situation?

I'm interested in knowing your thoughts!

The opinions in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of Manchester United Football Club.