The Greatest Ever FA Cup Finals
Memorable Matches In The Oldest Cup Competition In The World
Mar 14, 2008
It is the greatest cup competition in the world and has produced a number of unforgettable finals. Here are details of some that will live forever.
Bolton 2 – 0 West Ham (1923)
Known as the ‘White Horse’ final, incredible crowd scenes greeted the first final played at Wembley in April 1923.
Prior to the match, 100,000 spectators locked outside the stadium burst through the closed gates and onto the pitch. The game would probably have been cancelled were it not for the presence of King George V and the logistics of removing a crowd that now totalled 200,000.
Order was restored by mounted police on horseback led by constable G. A. Story and his white horse ‘Billie’, who moved to the centre of the field and slowly forced the crowd to the touchlines.
The match began 45 minutes late and conditions for play were bordering on the farcical, with police having to force spectators back to allow corner kicks to be taken.
However the game was completed with Bolton winning 2-0 thanks to goals from David Jack and JR Smith.
Cardiff 1 – 0 Arsenal (1927)
When Welsh side Cardiff City defeated Arsenal in the final of 1927, the FA Cup left England for the only time in its history.
Arsenal were supreme in English football but a 73rd minute goal from Hughie Ferguson gave Cardiff and their hordes of fans an unforgettable day out at Wembley.
Blackpool 4 – 3 Bolton Wanderers (1953)
Dubbed ‘The Matthews Final’ in reference to Stanley Matthews, one of England’s finest ever players and Blackpool right-winger, who was trying to win a cup winners medal at the third attempt.
The seven goals in the game make it the highest scoring final in FA Cup history.
In a remarkable game, Bolton led 3-1 with just over twenty minute remaining when Matthews instigated a famous comeback.
He crossed from the right to see Stan Mortensen score after the Bolton keeper fumbled. The score remained at 3-2 until the 87th minute when Mortensen thundered home a free kick from the edge of the area.
As the game entered the final minute, the almost hysterical crowd witnessed Matthews again beat his full back and lay the ball into Parry’s path, who thrashed it home at the near post.
It was a fitting end to a truly memorable match.
Sunderland 1 – 0 Leeds United (1973)
Don Revie’s Leeds team were the kings of English football at the time and faced a Sunderland side then in the second tier of English football.
Anything other than a Leeds victory seemed impossible.
However when Ian Porterfield volleyed home after half an hour an upset was on the cards.
Sunderland defended heroically, but the game will be remembered for a miraculous save by their keeper Jim Montgomery in the 70th minute.
A Paul Reaney cross from the right was met by Trevor Cherry with a diving header. Montgomery flew to his left but could only palm the ball straight into the path of Leeds winger, Paul Lorimer.
Lorimer must score.
He struck it powerfully into seemingly an empty net, only to see Montgomery somehow twist his body, change direction and divert the ball against the underside of the bar and away.
Leeds never recovered and the cup made its way up to the North East of England.
The Magic of The Cup
The ‘magic of the cup’ is a phrase often used in association with the FA Cup and it certainly can produce stories that live long in the memory of all football fans.
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