Talk about there being good news and bad news.
Those hungover from too much revelry the night before awoke at their leisure on New Year’s Day 1974 as the UK enjoyed January 1st being a public holiday for the first time.
But offsetting this new perk for most of the working populace was news that Great Britain had just entered its first post-war recession – the start of the new year also heralding commencement of a three day working week, a policy introduced by Tory prime minister Edward Heath in a bid to conserve fuel stocks due to ongoing industrial action by the National Union of Mineworkers.
As people moved wearily through the first few days of the year, many were disillusioned by the prospect of nothing but short days, long evenings and week-in/week-out work before better weather returned with spring. Those younger dreaded the post-Christmas return to school, but as a common denominator just about everybody now wanted ‘Merry Xmas Everybody‘ by Slade, the festive number one of 1973, to just go away quietly………..
In a week the BBC aired a new nostalgia-based sitcom, those with an inclination for football – to paraphrase the title bestowed upon it by writers Jimmy Perry and David Croft – could have been forgiven in thinking, it ain’t half an opportune moment for the FA Cup third round to come around and give us some respite from the literal and metaphorical gloom.
While entry of first and second division clubs into the competition had always made the first Saturday of January – the traditional setting for round three – a much anticipated day in the season, 1974 brought a set of anomalies and anticipations unlike any the FA Cup had experienced for a generation, if ever at all.
As a consequence of the power-saving measures brought in by the government, the ties played on Saturday 5 January kicked off at 2pm in order for the 90 minutes to be completed without the use of floodlights, thus avoiding pressure on energy stocks. Indeed, for any fixture requiring a replay, (the law of sod being what it is almost half the matches went to a second, one to a third), it would take place on either Tuesday or Wednesday the following week, but again with a 2pm kick-off time.
Furthermore, in another break with the norm, clubs were given the option of playing their respective tie at 2pm on Sunday 6 January, which eight sides duly did.
The four fixtures in question, these at Nottingham Forest, Bolton, Bradford City and Cambridge, faced opposition from traditionalists and also went against legislation within the Sunday Observance Act, some of which dated back to 18th century. One stipulation of this ancient act of parliament was that an admission fee could not be charged for public entertainment, therefore spectators bought a team sheet which gained entry into the ground.
Members of the public who descended upon Burnden Park (where a gate of 40,000 was almost three times bigger than the average league attendance that season), received terrific entertainment for the expense of a 60p or 40p team sheet – second division Bolton overcoming top flight Stoke City by the odd-goal in five.
While some fundamentals of the FA Cup had been changed in adapting to the grim economic times (not least professional football being sanctioned on a Sunday for the first time), the fascination element had never been stronger – the previous season conjuring a triumph so remarkable that none of the forty four first and second division teams who entered at the third round could be discounted as a possible winner.
Afterall, if Sunderland could be in a second division relegation fight in December and then five months later lift the trophy, the right of every club to dream big had been restored.
During the next few months the dreams of some would last longer than others, for the whom the FA Cup of 1973-74 would prove a cat-nap, pipedream even. But even through the power cuts and dark winter nights the cup had the capacity to keep those interested wide awake…………
Selected FA Cup Third Round ties of 1973-74 (Saturday 5/Sunday 6 January 1974):
Still basking in the ‘Porterfield 1-0‘, Monty miracle save and ‘messiah’ Stokoe glory attached to their stunning 1973 final defeat of overwhelming favourites Leeds, holders Sunderland, the most unexpected FA Cup winners of the post-war era, began defence of the trophy by making a cross-country trek to second division rivals Carlisle United.
Having exited the European Cup Winners’ Cup at the second round stage six weeks before, in the wake of their Wembley wonder show Bob Stokoe’s side were displaying inconsistent league form, the visit to Brunton Park bringing together two sides on the distant fringes of the Division Two promotion race – their week-to-week similarities borne out in a goalless draw.
The first FA Cup tie hosted at Roker Park since the sixth round triumph over Luton Town ten months previous, Sunderland now looked odds-on to progress. But a goal from Carlisle winger Dennis Martin decided the contest, the Wearsiders now on the receiving end of a surprise FA Cup defeat.
As a galvanising ninety minutes of the season, the honours also went to the Cumbrians – Sunderland continuing along in erratic manner to finish sixth, Carlisle finding sufficient momentum to achieve the most extraordinary elevation of recent times.
With Leeds United travelling to Molineux the 1972-73 competition was evoked, the current Division One leaders having overcome Wolves at the semi-final stage the previous season.
Revenge appeared the order of the day when the prolific John Richards put the home ahead on 55 minutes, a lead they held until Roger Kirkpatrick (a referee not adverse to building up his part), awarded the visitors a contentious late penalty, Derek Jefferson adjudged to have fouled Leeds’ inspirational skipper Billy Bremner.
His fellow Scottish international Peter Lorimer beat Phil Parkes with the ensuing spot-kick – Leeds also scoring at the last knockings in the Elland Road replay, centre-forward Mick Jones securing their place in round four with an 86th minute header.
At the ‘cup favourites’ table Leeds had Liverpool for company, the reigning league champions, (currently trailing Don Revie’s side in second spot), holding a ninety places league advantage over Division Four basement boys Doncaster Rovers – the gulf quickly in evidence when England international Kevin Keegan nodded the Anfield hosts into a fifth minute lead against his hometown club.
With the Kop settling back to enjoy the goal glut another arrived just three minutes later, only not in the expected manner – Peter Kitchen, already an accomplished lower division finisher, netting an equaliser for the visitors, who then had the temerity to take an 18th minute lead through future Stoke City man Brendan O’Callaghan.
Twelve minutes after the break Keegan levelled matters with his second headed goal of the afternoon, the home side having occasion over the next few months to count their blessings when a late Kitchen effort struck the woodwork. Thus their name stayed in the draw and perhaps, in the parlance of the times, on the cup – goals from Steve Heighway and Peter Cormack easing Liverpool to victory in the Belle Vue return.
The disproportion in league standing was even greater on Tyneside where a Newcastle United side containing inspirational performers such as Malcolm Macdonald, Terry Hibbitt and John Tudor came up against Isthmian League operators Hendon.
When central defender Pat Howard headed Newcastle into a first half lead it seemed a calculator may be required to keep score, but that would be failing to calculate the susceptibility of the home side when faced with low ranked opposition, their 1972 third round exit at (then) non-league Hereford United still fresh in the mind.
When a second goal failed to materialise the answer to name that toon was ‘Slippin’ and Slidin‘ – Hendon grabbing a late-leveler when Rod Haider pounced on a loose ball in a rutted Leazes End penalty area.
The replay, staged at Vicarage Road, Watford, four days later found Newcastle in no mood to revisit their nightmare Edgar Street experience of two years before – goals from Macdonald, Tudor, a Terry McDermott penalty and blink-of-an-eye Hibbitt thunderbolt ensuring comfortable, if convoluted passage into round four.
There was a similar state of disparity at the Baseball Ground where the league champions of eighteen months before entertained small-fry opponents – Derby County, the premier team of England in 1972, facing Northern Premier League outfit Boston United.
Contrary to all logical eventualities, Derby boss Dave Mackay, only two months into the job after replacing Brian Clough, saw his array of international talent held to a goalless draw by a collection of part-timers coached by future league title winning manager Howard Wilkinson.
The return at York Street four days later closed schools and shops in order for people to attend – the 11,000 who gathered witnessing the story play out as it should. An Archie Gemmill hat-trick, brace from Jeff Bourne and a David Nish effort saw The Rams to a 6-1 win with Jim Conde replying for the willing but well-beaten hosts.
Already acclaimed as the most significant FA Cup tie since the war, the 1972 defeat of Newcastle by Southern League Hereford United generated such momentum and renown for the Edgar Street club, (while enlarging the lustre of the cup for years to come), that at the end of the 1971-72 campaign they were elected to the Football League.
On joining the ninety two they achieved promotion in their first season so it was a third division club they travelled to Upton Park, where they lost in round four after beating Newcastle two years before. Once again Hereford were geared up for heroics, a first half strike from centre-forward Eric Redrobe looking likely to be decisive (in the last competitive match Bobby Moore would ever play for The Hammers), until West Ham United substitute Pat Holland intervened with a brilliant individual goal to necessitate an Edgar Street replay.
Back on home soil Hereford completed the job with a commendable bravado, coming from behind just as they had done against Newcastle, in writing another chapter in their thrilling FA Cup chronicle of the early-70s.
Behind to an early Clyde Best header, the home side rallied to level before half-time with a Tommy Naylor penalty – West Ham knocked out of their stride well before a second half winner from Alan Jones was greeted with suitable rapture in the land of a thousand pitch invasions.
The shock reverberations might not have been so great at Bolton three days earlier, but for the long-suffering home support it was still a cup-tie for the ages – the Burnden Park faithful having waited ages for such a memorable result.
It had been sixteen years since Nat, ’58 and all that, longer still since the classic post-war film drama ‘It Always Rains on Sundays’, but latterday Trotters talisman John Byrom provided a goal deluge in creating a black sabbath for the visitors – late Stoke City goals from John Ritchie and Sean Haslegrave not enough to save Boothen blushes.
Across East Anglia there were two all-Division One ties, Ipswich Town, (Kevin Beattie (2), Bryan Hamilton), establishing just enough leeway to edge past Sheffield United, who replied through Geoff Salmons and stylish England midfielder Tony Currie. At Carrow Road, bottom of the table Norwich City were sunk by a goal from Scottish international Eddie Kelly as Arsenal maintained a remarkable record, their only FA Cup defeats in the past four seasons coming in a final and semi-final.
In the capital there was a first division, West London showdown as QPR made the short trip from W12 to Stamford Bridge. Both sides were keen to win through in order to enhance the second half of the season and with no love lost between supporters of each club, Chelsea had most to be grateful for when the SW6 encounter ended in stalemate – not least when Welsh international goalkeeper John Phillips saved a second half penalty from Rangers future England captain Gerry Francis.
When the initial replay of January 9 fell prey to a waterlogged pitch, the teams eventually convened at Loftus Road at 2pm on Tuesday 15 January. Rangers, having made their presence felt in impressive style since their August return to Division One, coming out on top by virtue of a second half goal from Stan Bowles.
The game and pretty much the season in terms of tangible reward, was up for Chelsea when 1970 FA Cup Final replay hero Dave Webb (destined to join QPR five months later) saw his closing stage header hit the bar – the home side advancing into round four while continuing their ascendancy to being number one club in the surrounding neighborhoods.
The fifth all-top flight tussle was at Filbert Street, where Spurs, always a good bet for a cup run, paid a visit to in-form Leicester City.
Given their fitful league showings, Tottenham, currently languishing in the bottom half of the table, were in need of a boost, their efforts looking likely to yield a White Hart Lane replay until Steve Earle broke the deadlock with just ninety seconds left – the Foxes thus securing a dramatic, but deserved victory.
Even with tongue firmly in cheek it would be pushing things to describe a 1-0 Manchester United victory (courtesy of a second half Lou Macari header) over third division visitors Plymouth Argyle as a turn up for the book.
But let’s face it, United with only one win in eleven games prior were in abysmal form, while The Pilgrims, having overcome top flight opposition in Burnley and Birmingham City, had battled through to forthcoming home and away League Cup semi-finals against Manchester City.
Fielding ten internationals in their match day twelve, United had been rocked by the latest (and what would prove the last), walk out by George Best – the greatest player of current era going awol after Tommy Docherty’s side had five days earlier taken a New Years Day Shepherd’s Bush stuffing off QPR.
Doing just enough to defeat Plymouth, United would be laboured and fatally lacking in firepower through the coming months, the absence of Best painfully felt by a side already short on inspiration.
Ironic then, that in the opening week of 1974 ITV should launch a new travel show, hosted by Judith Chalmers, called ‘Wish You Were Here‘ – the Stretford End no doubt having similar thoughts in regard to Best…………..
FA CUP ROUND THREE – 1973-74:
Bristol City 1 Hull City 1 (R 0-1); Grantham 0 Middlesbrough 2; Liverpool 2 Doncaster Rovers 2 (R 0-2); Southampton 2 Blackpool 1; Leicester City 1 Tottenham Hotspur 0; Nottingham Forest 4 Bristol Rovers 3; Aston Villa 3 Chester City 1; Sheffield Wednesday 0 Coventry City 0 (R 3-1);
Bolton Wanderers 3 Stoke City 2; Grimsby Town 0 Burnley 2; Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 Leeds United 1 (R 1-0); West Bromwich Albion 4 Notts County 0; Derby County 0 Boston United 0 (R 1-6); Everton 3 Blackburn Rovers 0; Ipswich Town 3 Sheffield United 2; Newcastle United 1 Hendon 1 (R 0-4); Fulham 1 Preston North End 0; Portsmouth 3 Swindon Town 3 (R 0-1);
West Ham United 1 Hereford United 1 (R 2-1); Manchester United 1 Plymouth Argyle 0; Norwich City 0 Arsenal 1; Port Vale 1 Luton Town 1 (R 4-2); Peterborough United 3 Southend United 1; Birmingham City 5 Cardiff City 2; Cambridge United 2 Oldham Athletic 2 (R (i) 3-3 (ii) 1-2) Oxford United 2 Manchester City 5; Orient 2 Bournemouth 1;
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NEIL SAMBROOK is the author of ‘MONTY’S DOUBLE‘ – an acclaimed thriller now available in paperback and as an Amazon Kindle book.