My moment of the year

This year has been full of ups and downs - quite literally. We have seen positive and negative records broken.

January to May was a period for the club that no fan will ever forget. Russell Martin took a forlorn, hapless and relegated squad and flipped them into Championship contenders, culminating in a day out at Wembley and, ultimately, promotion.

We set a club record 25-game unbeaten streak in all competitions, a record which had previously stood for 103 years.

Turn the page to part two - and you can see the huge gulf. It has been a period to forget.

Only one win this season, countless errors made, two consecutive home games conceding five goals and we are already onto our third manager of the campaign.

We knew it would be tough, but we didn't quite expect this did we?

We are desperately trying to avoid Derby County's 11-point total from 2007-08.

The moment of the year is undoubtedly the day out at Wembley. It is not too often that we Saints fans make the trip to the famous arch.

We had the heartbreak of the 2017 League Cup final, the memorable League Trophy win over Carlisle United in 2010, but the 2024 play-off final tops the lot.

To be among the 35,000 travelling Saints fans and witness the trophy lift was a special moment. For me, that triumph outweighs the negatives of this year.

One thing is certain: it is never dull.

Here's hoping for a positive turnaround in 2025 under Ivan Juric.

Find more from Ray Hunt at the In that Number podcast