 Saints lost out 7–5 to Manchester United on aggregate but Sydenham's lasting memory of the cup adventure was of Manchester United manager Matt Busby going into the Old Trafford dressing room and congratulating them on their performance.The young Saints side had just won 3–2, becoming the first side to beat United in the Youth Cup, but the damage had already been done in front of a 20,000 crowd at The Dell where the Busby Babes had won the first leg 5–2.He was now well on his way to a successful career in football and having been selected for England Youth five times, he joined Southampton as a professional in April 1957.