For those taking an interest in such things the FA Cup Sixth Round of 1974-75 had a familiar look given the respective early-70s successes of two among the current quarter-final quota.
With Arsenal (1971) and Leeds United (who defeated The Gunners to lift the trophy 12 months later) still in the mix there was undoubted familiarity attached to the last eight, a footballing status quo if you like – the label chosen advisedly (predictably some would say), due to the denim clad rock combo being number one on the U.K. album charts with ‘On the Level‘ in the week the fixtures were played.
In terms of major honours this illustrious duo had trophy pedigree, Leeds to the extent of being reigning league champions, although of late both had been forced to negotiate choppy waters.
The brief Elland Road stay of Brian Clough through the opening weeks of the current campaign brought heavy weather for just over forty days and nights. But with the steady hand of Jimmy Armfield now at the tiller, they had recovered to pick up league points two by two – sixth in the table Leeds taking a 14-match all competition unbeaten record into a Portman Road quarter-final, where third-placed Ipswich could lay claim to being the highest ranked side left in the field, this despite faltering league form.
For their part, such was the way they were floundering, Arsenal were one of three sides for whom reaching Wembley and being relegated was within the realms of possibility.
Three successive league defeats had the effect of turning a dire season into a disaster and in languishing at sixth bottom Bertie Mee’s side were one place below woefully out-of-form Birmingham and just four above basement boys Carlisle United – whose challenging first season in the top flight had come with the pleasant distraction of steady cup progress.
Elsewhere, both West Ham and Middlesbrough had been unable to maintain impressive pre-Christmas form. Yet despite dropping into mid-table from lofty turn of the year positions each warranted consideration in outside bet for the cup stakes having won through some tricky ties to feature in the sixth round.
Overall ‘Boro, under Jack Charlton, had acquitted themselves with distinction after winning Division Two the previous season and West Ham on their day were a match for anyone, so while neither had home advantage there was little to suggest further progress was not beyond them, even if it meant possible recourse to a replay.
With second division sides Aston Villa and Norwich City having contested the League Cup Final seven days before the FA Cup quarter-final fixtures, it was somewhat surprising to find the sole Division Two representatives were not League Cup winners Villa, their fellow promotion hopefuls of Carrow Road or even leaders Manchester United – but win a few, lose a few Fulham.
Through the first two months of 1975 the Craven Cottage side had in fact played more FA Cup ties than league fixtures, contesting seven fixtures in progressing through rounds three and four, all of which led to a 2-1 fifth round victory at current Division One leaders Everton.
Their unexpected Goodison Park triumph brought plaudits aplenty for England World Cup winning captain Bobby Moore whose assured display evoked yesteryear excellence, while an authoritative midfield showing from veteran skipper Alan Mullery would go a long way in earning the former England international his ‘Footballer of the Year‘ recognition in the weeks ahead.
The FA Cup sixth round would produce a four-match marathon, but one not involving Fulham whose status had long since been ascertained when identity of the final last-four participants was finally known, the semi-finals by now only nine days away.
Through the nineteen days and quartet of games required to finally separate Ipswich and Leeds, Status Quo had been knocked from number one on the L.P. charts by ‘Physical Graffiti‘ the latest album by rock titans Led Zeppelin.
The first on their own Swansong label, such an FA Cup fate had befallen four more hopefuls for another year………..
The FA Cup Sixth Round of 1974-75 – Saturday 8th March 1975:
CARLISLE UNITED 0 FULHAM 1 (21,570):
As recently as 1969, Leicester City had reached the FA Cup Final but failed to stave off relegation in the same season, so while a prompt second division return loomed for Carlisle it was not necessarily a barrier to cup progress – particularly when the quarter-final draw had paired them with the lowest ranked side left in the competition.
At the outset of a blustery Cumberland afternoon the best FA Cup run in their history (Carlisle having never previously reached the last eight), appeared to have good opportunity to continue, although the visitors after ousting Everton would not be unduly undaunted themselves given other places fate could have sent them.
With Mullery motivating and Moore masterful (both of whom had been FA Cup winners with respective former clubs Spurs and West Ham), Fulham emerged unscathed from early Carlisle pressure, for whom manager Alan Ashman was no stranger to successful FA Cup runs having guided West Brom to glory eight years before.
As the game settled to become a cagey affair, it became increasingly likely an error on the part of either side could prove costly. In the event it was Carlisle who were made to pay – the Cumbrians only shot of the second half being one to their own foot as a monumental mix-up in failing to deal with a Viv Busby cross presented Fulham winger Les Barrett with a second half tap-in.
Clad in their AC Milan styled red and black striped shirts, Alec Stock’s Fulham eased their way through the final 22 minutes in recording another win on the road against Division One opposition – although clinching a semi-final berth ultimately owed more to the composure of Mooro than Catenaccio.
BIRMINGHAM CITY 1 MIDDLESBROUGH 0 (47,260):
In opposition at a rammed to the rafters St Andrew’s were a team whose form had deserted them of late – and one with none to speak of at all.
Seven days before ‘Boro had ended a barren spell on registering their first league win in eight outings, while the slump being endured by the hosts amounted to just three wins in fourteen Division One outings since mid-November, precipitating a slide from having UEFA Cup intentions to working out relegation permutations.
Yet for all their recent travails, eased to small degree with victory over near neighbours Wolves the previous Saturday, Blues had managed to keep on the cup road. Their right to continue the journey was secured with a Bob Hatton goal two minutes after the restart – the experienced striker displaying all his six-yard box instincts with a close ranger header after central defender Joe Gallagher had nodded a Howard Kendall corner into the danger zone.
With his 14th goal of the season Hatton ensured victory for Freddie Goodwin’s side who booked a second FA Cup semi-final appearance in four seasons.
Having already recorded a league double over Birmingham would have been of little consolation to Middlesbrough on the day – that would come with a steady end to the campaign which yielded a seventh-place finish.
IPSWICH TOWN 0 LEEDS UNITED 0 (38,010). R1: (11/3 – 50,074) 1-1. R2: (25/3 – 35,195)) 0-0. R3: (27/3 – 19,750) 3-2:
If recent progress rather than current league placing was anything to go, then visitors Leeds had the edge for the initial contest at Portman Road.
Three league defeats in the last four had served to put the skids under Bobby Robson and his side as their title challenge continued to blow hot and cold. Yet as the business end of the season approached Leeds were heating up nicely, evident with an impressive 3-0 European Cup quarter-final first leg win over Anderlecht three days before.
But through ninety minutes of a Suffolk stalemate neither side were able to make any genuine headway – the replay that loomed long before the last knockings serving to deny England boss Don Revie access to players from both clubs for the midweek Wembley friendly against West Germany, the Elland Road return taking place 24 hours before.
As things transpired Revie masterminded the undoubted highlight of his ultimately calamitous reign, a comprehensive 2-0 defeat of the current world champions a stand out performance by the national side during a largely dismal decade. His former Leeds charges, however, came within 60 seconds of exiting the competition in which he steered them to victory three years before (along with three losing final appearances), striker Duncan McKenzie levelling with time almost up in denying Ipswich the victory a 17th minute David Johnson header had looked likely to secure.
By the time of the second replay on Tuesday 25 March, Leeds had progressed in Europe by eliminating Anderlecht. But in the neutral surroundings of Filbert Street, there was another impasse with the East Anglians and two weeks on from the Elland Road meeting, extra-time again failed to produce a definite result.
The upshot was that everyone reconvened back at Leicester City 48 hours later, by which time it had long been established West Ham were awaiting the winners. Yet who would emerge to face The Hammers remained in the balance through the latest showdown, the game pinballing to and fro on the day Ken Russell’s big screen adaptation of ‘Tommy‘ the 1969 rock opera by The Who landed in U.K. cinemas.
With 17-year-old Scottish midfielder John Wark selected for a first team debut, Ipswich took an early lead through reliable goal-getter Trevor Whymark, but few strikers of the era had the reliability of Allan Clarke who obliged with a leveller for Leeds eleven minutes before half-time.
Shortly after the restart Ipswich found themselves back in front when Northern Ireland international Bryan Hamilton deflected a Colin Viljoen shot wrong-footed Leeds ‘keeper David Stewart.
Fielding a team comprising of ten outfield internationals Leeds had the experience and enterprise to respond, their efforts when Johnny Giles restored level terms with 20 minutes remaining – but parity would only last until the 81st minute when the matter was finally settled by a fine curling shot from Ipswich winger Clive Woods.
When the final whistle was blown by 1974 World Cup referee Jack Taylor, it ended 420 minutes of draining cup football, to which both sides would point when their league form faltered in the weeks ahead.
But in the short term, each had semi-finals to contemplate – Ipswich could now see West Ham on the horizon, while Leeds had a two-leg European Cup affair against Barcelona to plan for.
ARSENAL 0 WEST HAM UNITED 2 (56,740):
From being admired for their 1971 double exploits, by the spring of 1971 Arsenal were simply mired – and that was before setting foot on a quagmire Highbury surface on which they faced a visit from London rivals West Ham.
If 1973-74 had brought next to nothing for the North Bank to engage with, then the current season was little short of shocking, prolonged FA Cup involvement offering redemption despite the precarious nature of their league position.
From showing unaccustomed consistency through autumn when they had rubber shoulders with the front-runners West Ham had found the going tougher since the Christmas decorations came down, arriving in N5 to find the going closer to a swamped allotment than football field. Indeed, if referee Ken Burns used the accepted rule of thumb of the ball being able to turn its circumference in order for a pitch to be deemed playable, from the highlights is hard to fathom which bit of sodden turf he might have used.
In an era when teams had to adapt to problems caused by challenging conditions underfoot, circumstances on this day dictated playing positive and forward. West Ham are reminded of this in being fortunate not to concede a first-half penalty when a Billy Bonds back pass instigates a collision between goalkeeper Mervyn Day and Arsenal centre-forward John Radford.
Commentator David Coleman is adamant a spot-kick should have been forthcoming, the nailed-on nature of the incident would probably have resulted in the award of two in the VAR times of today.
But the Hammers survive still in the lead, their advantage having been gained after a series of slips and slides by the Arsenal defence presents an opportunity to West Ham forward Alan Taylor. Bought for £40,000 from fourth division Rochdale four months earlier, the 20-year-old striker stays sure-footed enough to slam the visitors ahead from six yards.
With Day making series of impressive saves Arsenal are denied an equaliser, although the route to goal is best exemplified at the other end when a superb Trevor Brooking pass compounds the glue pot mire and the Gunners defence – Taylor racing clear to complete the scoring and clinch victory with 17 minutes left.
Back in the day, no pun intended, it was often heard said that a team had ‘their name on the cup‘. As a strategy for success, good fortune, good goalkeeping and a forward who only touched the ball to score seemed just the formula if a club name was going to be inscribed on the trophy for the first time since 1964………….
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