In terms of the big occasion at St James' Park in the last 50 years, it probably doesn't get much bigger than tomorrow night for Newcastle United.
True, there have been some huge European nights at Gallowgate down the decades and some massive cup encounters even Champions League games against the likes of Juventus and Barcelona no less. But not since 1976 - the last time Newcastle played in the semi-finals of the League Cup against Spurs - has so much been riding on a single 90 minutes on Tyneside.
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It's little wonder that Wor Flags are urging supporters to turn up with their scarves again to make it a monster night. In more recent times there has barely been anything to get excited about for Newcastle fans.
You could go back to 2020 when Steve Bruce's side reached the quarter-finals of the same competition but that was behind closed doors and ended with a painful exit against Brentford, then in the Championship. Success-starved supporters also got a few breadcrumbs from the FA Cup run earlier that year.
The 2020 cup run saw Newcastle beat Rochdale at the second attempt, scrape past Oxford, again after a replay, and then beat West Brom but then came lockdown and a quarter-final exit against Man City at home on a night that resembled a training exercise (and not a very good one) as Pep Guardiola's side triumphed 2-0.
Other opportunities for League Cup success at least, came away from St James' Park in the previous decade but both ended on a sour note. Barren years in the League Cup came with Hull City winning on penalties in the quarter-finals under Rafa Benitez on a wasted evening in 2016.
And before that you are going back to the Alan Pardew era with a League Cup last eight hammering at Spurs in 2014 and the valiant but unsuccessful Europa League quarter-final defeat to Benfica a year earlier. The city had been at fever pitch for the Benfica tie and even at 3-1 down in the first leg, a crowd of 52,157 watched on as Papiss Cisse's strike took Newcastle within one goal of going through on away goals.
But Benfica's 90th minute equaliser ended any hope of silverware for another year and while the goal from Eduardo Salvio did result in a spontaneous round of "We'll support you ever more" from Toon fans the drought went on. Flicking through the history books, there is nothing to get excited about between 2013 and 2006 when Glenn Roeder led Newcastle to the quarter-finals of both the FA Cup and League Cup but Jose Mourhino's side ended interest on both fronts.
The previous year saw Newcastle get to the semi-finals of the FA Cup only to lose 4-1 to Manchester United in Cardiff just days after a UEFA Cup quarter-final defeat against Sporting Lisbon. Perhaps the nearest comparison to the Southampton game tomorrow came in 2004 when Newcastle took on Marseille.
The first leg of the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup had saw Newcastle hold an excellent Marseille team 0-0 and deny them any away goals as Jonathan Woodgate looked after a young Didier Drogba in efficient manner. With Woodgate injured for the second leg, Drogba helped himself to two goals and Newcastle agony continued.
The big cup occasions in 2000 came with a semi-final tie at Wembley against Chelsea which Newcastle lost 2-1 and even on the run to the last four, they reached the old Twin Towers by winning away to Blackburn and Tranmere. There was more of a taste of the run to the semi-finals in 1998 and 1999 en route to Wembley with victories over Everton in the last eight 24 years ago and at home to Barnsley 23 years ago.
The wins against the Toffees and Tykes were great days to be a fan but to be within touching distance of a final on home turf is something supporters haven't experienced fully since 1976. Back then a 1-0 deficit was overturned from the first leg in front of 49,902.
Goals from Alan Gowling, Glen Keeley and Geoff Nulty were enough to send Newcastle to Wembley to face Man City. They would endure a defeat in the final but the journey and build-up to the final showpiece had Geordies excited for a month.
But nothing may quite compare to Southampton if it goes right at St James' Park. It could change history with 68 years of hurt in domestic competition potentially about to end.
Seeing Newcastle book their place in the final in front of a full house will feel like utopia. For younger fans, it's definitely their biggest night yet and for the older fans, the home clash against the Saints could eclipse many a night at St James'.
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