1969 FA Cup Final
Encyclopedia
The 1969 FA Cup Final was the final match of the 1968–69 staging of English
football's primary cup competition
, the Football Association Challenge Cup, better known as the FA Cup
. The match was contested between Leicester City
and Manchester City
at Wembley Stadium in London
on Saturday 26 April 1969. Three-time winners Manchester City were appearing in their seventh final, whereas Leicester City were seeking to win the competition for the first time, having lost three previous finals.
Each team won six ties to reach the final, and overcame one of the 1968 finalists (West Bromwich Albion
and Everton
) at the semi-final stage. As Manchester City were reigning league champions and Leicester City were battling to avoid relegation, the Manchester club were strong favourites. The match finished 1–0 to Manchester City. The goal came in the 24th minute, scored by Neil Young. The victory was Manchester City's fourth FA Cup win.
As both Leicester City and Manchester City were First Division
clubs, they entered the competition in the third round.
Leicester City started their cup run against Barnsley
, but required a replay to overcome their Third Division opponents 2–1. The first Leicester goal was controversial, as the referee overruled his linesman, who had flagged for a foul. Barnsley equalised with a penalty, but Leicester quickly retook the lead. Later in the second half Leicester claimed a third goal, but the referee adjudged that the ball had not crossed the line. A 1–0 win at Millwall followed.
In the fifth round, Leicester City faced Liverpool
. The match was postponed six times before it eventually took place on 1 March. A 0–0 draw meant a replay at Anfield
. Andy Lochhead
gave the Foxes the lead on 34 minutes. Five minutes later Sjoberg's handball gave Liverpool a penalty, but Peter Shilton
saved Tommy Smith
's spot-kick. Liverpool attacked for much of the second half, but Leicester held out to win 1–0. The quarter final saw a trip to Mansfield Town
, who had knocked out clubs from five different divisions. On a pitch described by The Times Geoffrey Green as "resembling a glutinous swamp", Leicester won 1–0. The goal was a header by Rodney Fern
from a Len Glover
cross. The semi-final, played at Hillsborough Stadium
, was against cup-holders West Bromwich Albion
. In a game of few chances, Allan Clarke scored from an Andy Lochhead knockdown with four minutes remaining. Leicester City gained their fourth 1–0 win of the competition and reached the final.
Manchester City's first tie was against Luton Town
of the Third Division, which City won 1–0, Francis Lee
the scorer. In the fourth round, the club were drawn away to Newcastle United
, one of only two top-flight clubs with an away draw. The match finished 0–0, and so was replayed at Maine Road
. Manchester City won 2–0, but had to play much of the match with 10 men after Mike Summerbee
was sent off
. Like Leicester's fifth round tie, Manchester City's match at Blackburn Rovers
' Ewood Park
was delayed multiple times due to poor weather. When it was eventually played Manchester City were comfortable 4–1 winners. In the sixth round, Manchester City were drawn at home to Tottenham Hotspur
. The match was closely contested; in his autobiography, City's Mike Doyle described it as the hardest match of the whole cup run. As in the third round, City won 1–0 thanks to a Francis Lee goal.
The semi-final, against Everton
, was played at Villa Park
. Everton were renowned for their powerful midfield of Ball, Harvey
and Kendall
, but opted to play more defensively than usual. Manchester City nevertheless paid special attention to this area, and instructed David Connor
to man-mark
Ball. Mike Doyle suffered an injury in the first half, and spent 20 minutes off the field. City had the better of the game, but goalscoring chances were missed by Lee and Young. With little time remaining, Young forced a corner. Young took the corner himself, from which teenager Tommy Booth
scored the game's only goal.
, 1934 and 1956
), and had been beaten in the final three times (in 1926
, 1933
and 1955
). Leicester City were making their fourth cup final appearance, and their third of the decade, having lost on all three previous occasions (in 1949
, 1961 and 1963
). The clubs had met in the FA Cup in each of the preceding three seasons. In 1966 Manchester City won a fifth round tie 1–0 after a replay, and won again in the third round in 1967. In the 1967–68 season Leicester finally prevailed. After a 0–0 draw at Maine Road, Leicester City came back from 2–0 down at Filbert Street to win 4–3.
Manchester City manager Joe Mercer named his team for the final several days in advance. Glyn Pardoe
missed training on Monday 21st with a leg injury, but after the fitness of Pardoe, Tony Coleman
and Alan Oakes
was tested in a practice match, all three were passed fit. Leicester City named a 14 man squad before travelling to a training camp in Bisham
on the Tuesday. Manchester City travelled south on the Thursday, staying in Weybridge
. Leicester had fitness doubts over Dave Gibson, Len Glover
and John Sjoberg
, but initially expected all three to be available for the final. However, in a practice match against Brentford
, Sjoberg had to leave the field with a groin injury. His place in the team was taken by Alan Woollett
.
Each club received 16,000 tickets for the final from the Football Association
. The match was televised live by the BBC
and ITV
. Both broadcasters devoted several hours to match build-up, incorporating FA Cup-themed versions of other programmes, such as Cup Final It's a Knockout
.
As the previous season's league champions, Manchester City were strong favourites, particularly as Leicester were embroiled in a struggle to avoid relegation
from the First Division. The Times correspondent anticipated that the condition of the pitch would influence the match, stating that "if — as it is said — it is in a good, lush state Manchester will be happy. If, on the other hand, it proves to be heavy, then it could suit Leicester the better." On the day before the game Joe Mercer criticised the pitch, likening it to a cabbage patch.
became the youngest ever captain of a cup finalist. His opposite number Tony Book
became the third oldest at 35. Book had missed a large part of season through injury, but upon returning his impact was so great that he shared the award for the 1969 FWA Footballer of the Year.
As the teams prepared to leave their dressing rooms, Manchester City deliberately delayed their exit by a short period to play on any nerves the Leicester City players may have had. Manchester City coach Malcolm Allison was not permitted to take his place on the bench, as he was serving a touchline ban. Instead, he had to sit in the stand behind the dugout. Before kick-off, the players were introduced to the guest of honour, Princess Anne
.
Fears that the contest would be a mismatch proved to be unfounded, with Leicester playing in a more attacking manner than anticipated. The Observers Hugh McIvanney wrote that "Suggestions that Leicester would attempt to minimise the discrepancy in talents by a concentration on defensive spoiling were exposed as unjust... ...offering the deceptively languid dribbles of Clarke, the thoughtful passes of Roberts and Gibson and the thrustful running of Lochhead as proof that the skills were not all on one side". Neil Young and Tony Coleman
both had early scoring chances for Manchester City, but missed the target. For Leicester City, a dribbling run by Clarke ended in a shot that was saved by Dowd, and a mishit shot by Len Glover was cleared off the goal-line by a defender. Manchester City scored midway through the first half. Mike Summerbee
crossed the ball from wide on the right, and Young hit a left footed shot high into Peter Shilton
's net. Few further chances occurred in the first half.
Just after half-time, Leicester City had their strongest scoring chance, when Andy Lochhead
received a headed knockdown from Allan Clarke
, but Lochhead's shot went high above the goal. A dominant period by Manchester City then followed, which included a chance for Colin Bell
from a free-kick. Len Glover
was forced to move into defence with his team under pressure, but was injured shortly afterward and had to be substituted. Defender Malcolm Manley
came on in his place.
A poll of journalists named Allan Clarke as man of the match.
, from where they undertook a 13 mile parade in an open-topped bus. 25,000 people lined the route, with a further 3,000 people in Albert Square
, where the parade finished. Three days later, the team paraded the cup in front of their supporters before their match against West Ham United
at Maine Road
.
The good conduct of the supporters of both teams was praised in Parliament by MPs Barnett Janner
and
Tom Boardman
.
Manchester City's cup was their fourth. In winning the trophy, Joe Mercer became the first person to win the league championship and FA Cup as both a captain and a manager. By winning the competition, Manchester City earned the right to compete in the 1969–70 European Cup Winners' Cup. City went on to win the Cup Winners' Cup, beating Górnik Zabrze
2–1 in the final. Leicester City continued to struggle in their remaining league matches and were relegated to the Second Division. Leicester became only the second club to reach a cup final and suffer relegation in the same season. By coincidence, the other club to have done so was Manchester City, who were subject to the same fate in 1926
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
football's primary cup competition
Single-elimination tournament
A single-elimination tournament, also called a knockout, cup or sudden death tournament, is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match or bracket is immediately eliminated from winning the championship or first prize in the event...
, the Football Association Challenge Cup, better known as the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
. The match was contested between Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
and Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
at Wembley Stadium in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on Saturday 26 April 1969. Three-time winners Manchester City were appearing in their seventh final, whereas Leicester City were seeking to win the competition for the first time, having lost three previous finals.
Each team won six ties to reach the final, and overcame one of the 1968 finalists (West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
and Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
) at the semi-final stage. As Manchester City were reigning league champions and Leicester City were battling to avoid relegation, the Manchester club were strong favourites. The match finished 1–0 to Manchester City. The goal came in the 24th minute, scored by Neil Young. The victory was Manchester City's fourth FA Cup win.
Route to the final
| Round | Opposition | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 3rd | Barnsley Barnsley F.C. Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's... (a) |
1–1 |
| Barnsley (h) | 2–1 | |
| 4th | Millwall Millwall F.C. Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the... (a) |
1–0 |
| 5th | Liverpool Liverpool F.C. Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups... (h) |
0–0 |
| Liverpool (a) | 1–0 | |
| 6th | Mansfield Town Mansfield Town F.C. Mansfield Town Football Club is an English football club from the former mining town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. The club was formed in 1897 as Mansfield Wesleyans and changed its name to Mansfield Wesley in 1906 before settling on Mansfield Town in 1910... (a) |
1–0 |
| Semi-final | West Bromwich Albion West Bromwich Albion F.C. West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands... (n Hillsborough Stadium Hillsborough Stadium is the home of Sheffield Wednesday football club, Sheffield, England. Football has been played at the ground since it was opened on 2 September 1899, when Wednesday moved from their original ground at Olive Grove. Today it is a 39,812 capacity all-seater stadium, making it the... ) |
1–0 |
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
clubs, they entered the competition in the third round.
Leicester City started their cup run against Barnsley
Barnsley F.C.
Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's...
, but required a replay to overcome their Third Division opponents 2–1. The first Leicester goal was controversial, as the referee overruled his linesman, who had flagged for a foul. Barnsley equalised with a penalty, but Leicester quickly retook the lead. Later in the second half Leicester claimed a third goal, but the referee adjudged that the ball had not crossed the line. A 1–0 win at Millwall followed.
In the fifth round, Leicester City faced Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
. The match was postponed six times before it eventually took place on 1 March. A 0–0 draw meant a replay at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
. Andy Lochhead
Andy Lochhead
Andrew Lorimar "Andy" Lochhead is a retired professional footballer who played as a striker. He was a tall strong man, with great ability in the air leading to him scoring many headed goals....
gave the Foxes the lead on 34 minutes. Five minutes later Sjoberg's handball gave Liverpool a penalty, but Peter Shilton
Peter Shilton
Peter Leslie Shilton OBE is a former English footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He currently holds the record for playing more games for England than anyone else, earning 125 caps....
saved Tommy Smith
Tommy Smith (footballer born 1945)
Thomas "Tommy" Smith MBE was a long-serving footballer with Liverpool, known for his uncompromising defensive style. Manager Bill Shankly once said of him: "Tommy Smith wasn't born, he was quarried."-Life and playing career:...
's spot-kick. Liverpool attacked for much of the second half, but Leicester held out to win 1–0. The quarter final saw a trip to Mansfield Town
Mansfield Town F.C.
Mansfield Town Football Club is an English football club from the former mining town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. The club was formed in 1897 as Mansfield Wesleyans and changed its name to Mansfield Wesley in 1906 before settling on Mansfield Town in 1910...
, who had knocked out clubs from five different divisions. On a pitch described by The Times Geoffrey Green as "resembling a glutinous swamp", Leicester won 1–0. The goal was a header by Rodney Fern
Rodney Fern
Rodney Alan Fern is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker.-Career:Born in Burton upon Trent, Fern played as an amateur for Measham Imps before turning professional in 1967 with Leicester City. He also played for Luton Town, Chesterfield and Rotherham United before...
from a Len Glover
Len Glover
Leonard "Lenny" Glover was a flamboyant left winger who played, amongst others, for Leicester City. Considered one of the greatest players to don a Leicester City shirt and once described as the "best uncapped winger in the world", the acerbic and quick witted Cockney is often referred to in...
cross. The semi-final, played at Hillsborough Stadium
Hillsborough Stadium
Hillsborough Stadium is the home of Sheffield Wednesday football club, Sheffield, England. Football has been played at the ground since it was opened on 2 September 1899, when Wednesday moved from their original ground at Olive Grove. Today it is a 39,812 capacity all-seater stadium, making it the...
, was against cup-holders West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
. In a game of few chances, Allan Clarke scored from an Andy Lochhead knockdown with four minutes remaining. Leicester City gained their fourth 1–0 win of the competition and reached the final.
| Round | Opposition | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 3rd | Luton Town Luton Town F.C. Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was... (h) |
1–0 |
| 4th | Newcastle United Newcastle United F.C. Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger... (a) |
0–0 |
| Newcastle United (h) | 2–0 | |
| 5th | Blackburn Rovers Blackburn Rovers F.C. Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football.... (a) |
4–1 |
| 6th | Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur F.C. Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane.... (h) |
1–0 |
| Semi-final | Everton Everton F.C. Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football... (n Villa Park Villa Park may mean:United Kingdom* Villa Park, an association football stadium in Birmingham, EnglandUnited States* Villa Park, California, a small city in Orange County* Villa Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago in DuPage County... ) |
1–0 |
Manchester City's first tie was against Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
of the Third Division, which City won 1–0, Francis Lee
Francis Lee
Francis Henry Lee is a former professional footballer, who played in the 1960s and 1970s, including 27 appearances for the England national team. Lee played for Bolton Wanderers, Manchester City, and Derby County...
the scorer. In the fourth round, the club were drawn away to Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
, one of only two top-flight clubs with an away draw. The match finished 0–0, and so was replayed at Maine Road
Maine Road
Maine Road was a football stadium in Moss Side, Manchester, England that was home to Manchester City F.C. from its construction in 1923 until 2003...
. Manchester City won 2–0, but had to play much of the match with 10 men after Mike Summerbee
Mike Summerbee
Mike Summerbee is an English former footballer, who played in the successful Manchester City side of the late 1960s and early 1970s....
was sent off
Penalty card
A penalty card is used in many sports as a means of warning, reprimanding or penalising a player, coach or team official. Penalty cards are most commonly used by referees or umpires to indicate that a player has committed an offense. The referee will hold the card above his or her head while...
. Like Leicester's fifth round tie, Manchester City's match at Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
' Ewood Park
Ewood Park
Ewood Park is a football stadium in the English town of Blackburn, Lancashire, and is the home of Blackburn Rovers Football Club — one of the founder members of the Football League and Premier League. Rovers have played there since they moved from Leamington Street in the summer of 1890. The...
was delayed multiple times due to poor weather. When it was eventually played Manchester City were comfortable 4–1 winners. In the sixth round, Manchester City were drawn at home to Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
. The match was closely contested; in his autobiography, City's Mike Doyle described it as the hardest match of the whole cup run. As in the third round, City won 1–0 thanks to a Francis Lee goal.
The semi-final, against Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
, was played at Villa Park
Villa Park
Villa Park may mean:United Kingdom* Villa Park, an association football stadium in Birmingham, EnglandUnited States* Villa Park, California, a small city in Orange County* Villa Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago in DuPage County...
. Everton were renowned for their powerful midfield of Ball, Harvey
Colin Harvey
Colin Harvey is a retired English footballer who is best known for his time as a player, coach and manager with Everton. He is married to Maureen and lives in Aughton, Lancashire.- Playing career :...
and Kendall
Howard Kendall
Howard Kendall is an English football manager and former player. He is most famous for his connection to Everton, a club that he both played for and managed. His uncle Harry Taylor played for Newcastle United and Fulham in the 1950s....
, but opted to play more defensively than usual. Manchester City nevertheless paid special attention to this area, and instructed David Connor
David Connor (footballer)
David Connor was an English football defender who played for Manchester City between 1964 and 1971 making 141 appearances and scoring 10 goals....
to man-mark
Marking (association football)
In association football, marking is an organized defensive strategy which aims to prevent a member of the opposing team from taking control of the ball...
Ball. Mike Doyle suffered an injury in the first half, and spent 20 minutes off the field. City had the better of the game, but goalscoring chances were missed by Lee and Young. With little time remaining, Young forced a corner. Young took the corner himself, from which teenager Tommy Booth
Tommy Booth
Tommy Booth is an English former footballer who played in the Football League for Manchester City and Preston North End, and was capped four times for England at under-23 level.Booth was born in Middleton, Lancashire...
scored the game's only goal.
Build-up
Manchester City were appearing in the final for the seventh time. They had won the cup three times previously (in 19041904 FA Cup Final
The 1904 FA Cup Final was a football match between Bolton Wanderers and Manchester City on 23 April 1904 at Crystal Palace in London. The showpiece match of English football's primary cup competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup , it was the 32nd Cup final, and the tenth at Crystal...
, 1934 and 1956
1956 FA Cup Final
The 1956 FA Cup Final was the final match of the 1955–56 staging of English football's primary cup competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup, better known as the FA Cup. The showpiece event was contested between Manchester City and Birmingham City at Wembley Stadium in London on Saturday...
), and had been beaten in the final three times (in 1926
1926 FA Cup Final
The 1926 FA Cup Final was a football match between Bolton Wanderers and Manchester City on 24 April 1926 at Wembley Stadium in London. The showpiece match of English football's primary cup competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup , it was the 55th final, and the fourth at Wembley.Each...
, 1933
1933 FA Cup Final
The 1933 FA Cup Final was a football match between Everton and Manchester City on 29 April 1933 at Wembley Stadium in London. The deciding match of English football's primary cup competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup , it was the 62nd final, and the 11th at Wembley...
and 1955
1955 FA Cup Final
The 1955 FA Cup Final was contested by Newcastle United and Manchester City at Wembley. Newcastle won 3–1, with goals from Jackie Milburn in the first minute , Bobby Mitchell and George Hannah. Bobby Johnstone scored City's goal...
). Leicester City were making their fourth cup final appearance, and their third of the decade, having lost on all three previous occasions (in 1949
1949 FA Cup Final
The 1949 FA Cup Final was contested by Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leicester City at Wembley Stadium. Wolves finished 6th in the First Division during that season, and boasted several England internationals among their ranks, while Leicester City had struggled to avoid relegation in the Second...
, 1961 and 1963
1963 FA Cup Final
The 1963 FA Cup Final was the final of the 1962–63 FA Cup, the 82nd season of England's premier club football competition. The match was played at Wembley Stadium on 25 May 1963 and contested by Manchester United and Leicester City. United won 3–1, with a goal from Denis Law and two from...
). The clubs had met in the FA Cup in each of the preceding three seasons. In 1966 Manchester City won a fifth round tie 1–0 after a replay, and won again in the third round in 1967. In the 1967–68 season Leicester finally prevailed. After a 0–0 draw at Maine Road, Leicester City came back from 2–0 down at Filbert Street to win 4–3.
Manchester City manager Joe Mercer named his team for the final several days in advance. Glyn Pardoe
Glyn Pardoe
Glyn Pardoe is an English former footballer who played for Manchester City between 1962 and 1974. He made his first team debut against Birmingham City in April 1962...
missed training on Monday 21st with a leg injury, but after the fitness of Pardoe, Tony Coleman
Tony Coleman
Anthony "Tony" Coleman is an English former footballer who made 250 appearances in the Football League playing for Tranmere Rovers, Preston North End, Doncaster Rovers, Manchester City, Sheffield Wednesday, Blackpool, Southport and Stockport County...
and Alan Oakes
Alan Oakes
Alan Arthur Oakes is an English footballer who holds Manchester City's all-time record for appearances. Thanks to a further six year stint at Chester , Oakes played 776 Football League matches – the seventh most in history.-Permanent Fixture with Man City:Oakes signed for Manchester City on...
was tested in a practice match, all three were passed fit. Leicester City named a 14 man squad before travelling to a training camp in Bisham
Bisham
Bisham is a village and civil parish in the Windsor and Maidenhead district of Berkshire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 1,149. The village is on the River Thames, north of which is Marlow in Buckinghamshire...
on the Tuesday. Manchester City travelled south on the Thursday, staying in Weybridge
Weybridge
Weybridge is a town in the Elmbridge district of Surrey in South East England. It is bounded to the north by the River Thames at the mouth of the River Wey, from which it gets its name...
. Leicester had fitness doubts over Dave Gibson, Len Glover
Len Glover
Leonard "Lenny" Glover was a flamboyant left winger who played, amongst others, for Leicester City. Considered one of the greatest players to don a Leicester City shirt and once described as the "best uncapped winger in the world", the acerbic and quick witted Cockney is often referred to in...
and John Sjoberg
John Sjoberg
John Sjoberg was a Scottish footballer who played 15 seasons for Leicester City between 1958 and 1973. Sjoberg joined the Foxes from Scottish amateur side Banks o'Dee in August 1958, and went on to play 413 first-team matches for Leicester...
, but initially expected all three to be available for the final. However, in a practice match against Brentford
Brentford F.C.
Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....
, Sjoberg had to leave the field with a groin injury. His place in the team was taken by Alan Woollett
Alan Woollett
Alan Woollett was a locally born defender who played for Leicester City during what many people believe to have been their golden era in the late sixties and early seventies. Steady and committed he was a member of the losing 1969 FA Cup Final side and was eventually awarded a testimonial against...
.
Each club received 16,000 tickets for the final from the Football Association
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
. The match was televised live by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
. Both broadcasters devoted several hours to match build-up, incorporating FA Cup-themed versions of other programmes, such as Cup Final It's a Knockout
It's a Knockout
It's a Knockout was adapted from the French show Intervilles. It ran between from 7 August 1966 to 25 December 1988 on BBC1, 28 May 1990 on ITV, 3 August 1991 to 24 December 1994 on S4C and from 3 September 1999 to 6 January 2001 on Channel 5, produced by Richard Hearsey and Ronin Entertainment...
.
As the previous season's league champions, Manchester City were strong favourites, particularly as Leicester were embroiled in a struggle to avoid relegation
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
from the First Division. The Times correspondent anticipated that the condition of the pitch would influence the match, stating that "if — as it is said — it is in a good, lush state Manchester will be happy. If, on the other hand, it proves to be heavy, then it could suit Leicester the better." On the day before the game Joe Mercer criticised the pitch, likening it to a cabbage patch.
Match
At 21, Leicester's David NishDavid Nish
David John Nish was an English former footballer who broke the then British transfer record in 1972 by paying £225,000 for his signature.-Club:...
became the youngest ever captain of a cup finalist. His opposite number Tony Book
Tony Book
Anthony Keith Book is a retired English footballer and manager who was born in Bath, 4 September 1934. Book spent a large part of his career in Non-League football with his home town club Bath City, before entering league football with Plymouth Argyle. At the age of 31, he joined First Division...
became the third oldest at 35. Book had missed a large part of season through injury, but upon returning his impact was so great that he shared the award for the 1969 FWA Footballer of the Year.
As the teams prepared to leave their dressing rooms, Manchester City deliberately delayed their exit by a short period to play on any nerves the Leicester City players may have had. Manchester City coach Malcolm Allison was not permitted to take his place on the bench, as he was serving a touchline ban. Instead, he had to sit in the stand behind the dugout. Before kick-off, the players were introduced to the guest of honour, Princess Anne
Anne, Princess Royal
Princess Anne, Princess Royal , is the only daughter of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
.
Fears that the contest would be a mismatch proved to be unfounded, with Leicester playing in a more attacking manner than anticipated. The Observers Hugh McIvanney wrote that "Suggestions that Leicester would attempt to minimise the discrepancy in talents by a concentration on defensive spoiling were exposed as unjust... ...offering the deceptively languid dribbles of Clarke, the thoughtful passes of Roberts and Gibson and the thrustful running of Lochhead as proof that the skills were not all on one side". Neil Young and Tony Coleman
Tony Coleman
Anthony "Tony" Coleman is an English former footballer who made 250 appearances in the Football League playing for Tranmere Rovers, Preston North End, Doncaster Rovers, Manchester City, Sheffield Wednesday, Blackpool, Southport and Stockport County...
both had early scoring chances for Manchester City, but missed the target. For Leicester City, a dribbling run by Clarke ended in a shot that was saved by Dowd, and a mishit shot by Len Glover was cleared off the goal-line by a defender. Manchester City scored midway through the first half. Mike Summerbee
Mike Summerbee
Mike Summerbee is an English former footballer, who played in the successful Manchester City side of the late 1960s and early 1970s....
crossed the ball from wide on the right, and Young hit a left footed shot high into Peter Shilton
Peter Shilton
Peter Leslie Shilton OBE is a former English footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He currently holds the record for playing more games for England than anyone else, earning 125 caps....
's net. Few further chances occurred in the first half.
Just after half-time, Leicester City had their strongest scoring chance, when Andy Lochhead
Andy Lochhead
Andrew Lorimar "Andy" Lochhead is a retired professional footballer who played as a striker. He was a tall strong man, with great ability in the air leading to him scoring many headed goals....
received a headed knockdown from Allan Clarke
Allan Clarke (footballer)
Allan John Clarke , nicknamed "Sniffer", is a former footballer who played in the Football League for Walsall, Fulham, Leicester City, Leeds United and Barnsley, and won 19 international caps for England.-Early career:Clarke started his career at Walsall and made his debut aged 17, in 1963...
, but Lochhead's shot went high above the goal. A dominant period by Manchester City then followed, which included a chance for Colin Bell
Colin Bell
Colin Bell MBE , is a former English football player who was born in Hesleden, County Durham, England. Nicknamed "The King of the Kippax" , and Nijinsky after the famous racehorse , Bell is widely regarded as Manchester City's greatest ever player...
from a free-kick. Len Glover
Len Glover
Leonard "Lenny" Glover was a flamboyant left winger who played, amongst others, for Leicester City. Considered one of the greatest players to don a Leicester City shirt and once described as the "best uncapped winger in the world", the acerbic and quick witted Cockney is often referred to in...
was forced to move into defence with his team under pressure, but was injured shortly afterward and had to be substituted. Defender Malcolm Manley
Malcolm Manley
Malcolm Manley was a cultured Scottish footballer whose career was cruelly cut short by a crippling knee injury. Born in Johnstone on 1 December 1949 Manley gained Schoolboy international honours for Scotland before joining his hometown club Johnstone Burgh. Here he quickly caught the eye of...
came on in his place.
A poll of journalists named Allan Clarke as man of the match.
Summary
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MATCH RULES
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Post-match
The Manchester City team returned to Manchester the following evening. They travelled by train to WilmslowWilmslow
-Economy:Wilmslow is well known, like Alderley Edge, for having many famous residents, notably footballers, stars of Coronation Street and rich North West businessmen. The town is part of the so-called Golden Triangle in the north west together with Alderley Edge and Prestbury...
, from where they undertook a 13 mile parade in an open-topped bus. 25,000 people lined the route, with a further 3,000 people in Albert Square
Albert Square, Manchester
Albert Square is a public square in the centre of Manchester, England.It is dominated by its largest building, Manchester Town Hall , a Victorian Gothic building by Alfred Waterhouse...
, where the parade finished. Three days later, the team paraded the cup in front of their supporters before their match against West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
at Maine Road
Maine Road
Maine Road was a football stadium in Moss Side, Manchester, England that was home to Manchester City F.C. from its construction in 1923 until 2003...
.
The good conduct of the supporters of both teams was praised in Parliament by MPs Barnett Janner
Barnett Janner, Baron Janner
Barnett Janner, Baron Janner was a Lithuanian-born British politician who was elected as a Liberal Member of Parliament and later as a Labour MP. -Early life:...
and
Tom Boardman
Tom Boardman, Baron Boardman
Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Gray Boardman, Baron Boardman MC, TD, DL, PC was an English Conservative politician and businessman....
.
Manchester City's cup was their fourth. In winning the trophy, Joe Mercer became the first person to win the league championship and FA Cup as both a captain and a manager. By winning the competition, Manchester City earned the right to compete in the 1969–70 European Cup Winners' Cup. City went on to win the Cup Winners' Cup, beating Górnik Zabrze
Górnik Zabrze
Górnik Zabrze is a Polish football club from Zabrze. The club has won numerous championships, and was a dominant force in the 1960s and 1980s. For now Górnik has the most titles in Poland. The club plays in white or dark blue - red kit, and is based at the Ernest Pohl Stadium...
2–1 in the final. Leicester City continued to struggle in their remaining league matches and were relegated to the Second Division. Leicester became only the second club to reach a cup final and suffer relegation in the same season. By coincidence, the other club to have done so was Manchester City, who were subject to the same fate in 1926
1926 FA Cup Final
The 1926 FA Cup Final was a football match between Bolton Wanderers and Manchester City on 24 April 1926 at Wembley Stadium in London. The showpiece match of English football's primary cup competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup , it was the 55th final, and the fourth at Wembley.Each...
.