3rd round of the FA cup

G

Gnasher65

Registered
Growing up and before our relegation to L1 this was the weekend of football i looked forward to the most.
If we were in the top flight, a potential banana skin game against an underdog, or if in the second division a chance to bloody the nose of one of the big boys and the rare possibility of a good run (i started supporting in 1970 so missed the near-glory years of the 60s).
Sadly those days are long gone now, and i just have an overwhelming sense if ennui.
I just know either our team or the other or both will be weakened (because the league is more important moneywise (c) (tm)) and thus it just becomes a waiting exercise in between league games like an international weekend.
As excited as i was at our win to finally get that monkey off our back it still didn't feel like it would've done in 74 or 82.
 
Everything about the F.A.Cup was special.
Match Day, there was always a different buzz to the atmosphere.
I recall gathering around the radio to listen to the old farts at the F.A do the draw. The adrenaline flowed.
Your heart went up and down, they'd draw a tough team at home.......no not us you thought......relax and repeat.
The lack of TV coverage, the Saturday 3pms, the newspaper columns focusing on potential giant killers, the neutral semi final venues and above all the golden prize, reaching an F.A.Cup Final at old Wembley.
Cup Final day, the long build up following the coaches from hotel to Wembley and all the TV coverage.....' how they got there '
Everything building to a monumental occasion.
In a day when pitches were sawdust and mud baths, Wembley was pristine. It was like an immaculate bowling green.
It was also a rare live TV experience.
You treasured it, everything about it felt special, the history of it and a day where someone would forever be a hero or villain.
 
The cup tied rule just shows how important the cups were, you can't imagine a big side now buying a player because he was out of the cup to give them a better chance of winning it, which is why the rule was brought in, for me it was THE competition, been a city fan since the 60's and although the premier League win was incredible that fa cup win is the one that brought a tear of joy to my eye, I'd been dreaming of winning that since I was 8 or 9 years old
 
Filbo24 said:
The cup tied rule just shows how important the cups were, you can't imagine a big side now buying a player because he was out of the cup to give them a better chance of winning it, which is why the rule was brought in, for me it was THE competition, been a city fan since the 60's and although the premier League win was incredible that fa cup win is the one that brought a tear of joy to my eye, I'd been dreaming of winning that since I was 8 or 9 years old
Click to expand...

It was a monkey off the back and the frill of doing it was fantastic.
That said it was tempered for me because of the severely restricted crowd.
How good would it have been if it had been a full house ?
 
Gnasher65 said:
Growing up and before our relegation to L1 this was the weekend of football i looked forward to the most.
If we were in the top flight, a potential banana skin game against an underdog, or if in the second division a chance to bloody the nose of one of the big boys and the rare possibility of a good run (i started supporting in 1970 so missed the near-glory years of the 60s).
Sadly those days are long gone now, and i just have an overwhelming sense if ennui.
I just know either our team or the other or both will be weakened (because the league is more important moneywise (c) (tm)) and thus it just becomes a waiting exercise in between league games like an international weekend.
As excited as i was at our win to finally get that monkey off our back it still didn't feel like it would've done in 74 or 82.
Click to expand...
My first real experience of Cup Fever was Richard Smith scoring the winner against Palace in 1992. Loved it.
 
Coatsworth said:
My first real experience of Cup Fever was Richard Smith scoring the winner against Palace in 1992. Loved it.
Click to expand...

Exeter at home was my 1st.
I think we scored in the first 5 minutes and I was a deluded kid thinking we would trounce them.
Finished 1-1.
Then Tony Kellow destroyed us in the replay, a few days before we pulled off the unthinkable double against a legendary Liverpool team.
Football how bizarre.
 
Barnsley in the 3rd round in 93. Struck me how much more packed pen 3 was for this than the league game against Watford on the Satdy three days later. Shows how much more it meant.
 
Coatsworth said:
My first real experience of Cup Fever was Richard Smith scoring the winner against Palace in 1992. Loved it.
Click to expand...
All about Gary Mills goal line clearance for me.
Sat at the top of the double decker (first and only time) shat meself thinking I was going to fall off. I was 13 yet remember it like yesterday.
 
Brauny said:
It was a monkey off the back and the frill of doing it was fantastic.
That said it was tempered for me because of the severely restricted crowd.
How good would it have been if it had been a full house ?
Click to expand...
To win it after our history was the completion of football for me. I know the restrictions on the attendance were there but it was still so special for all Leicester fans either at Wembley or at home etc. At least there was a crowd as opposed to the 2020 final.
 
My FA Cup baptism was at Filbert Street, but it didn't involve Leicester. I had a paperround so I couldn't go to Saturday games but I went to those three Arsenal V Sheff Wed 3rd round replays in 1979. Wednesday were in Division Three at the time. The 3-3 was such a great game. Arsenal went on to win the Cup but they never had a tougher battle than that.

Here's a few Cup memories if you didn't catch them last year:

https://www.foxestalk.co.uk/topic/133771-hit-for-six-at-grace-road-then-total-domination/

https://www.foxestalk.co.uk/topic/133561-the-worlds-oldest-and-greatest-cup-competition/
 
68/69 Was my first season, I was 11 - 12 and could only go to the home games. I remember the excitement in Leicester after City beat Liverpool 1-0 at Anfield in the 5th round then had a tricky game at Mansfield who had knocked out West Ham that 3-0. The following day I cut out the report with the headline LAST OF THE GIANT KILLERS after City won 1-0, Rodney Fern I think. I also had a cutting from the mercury with Alan Clarke holding his boot after the 1-0 semi final win over WBA at Hillsborough. Sadly I did not go to Wembley but watched final on an old black and white TV with my Dad and our neighbour mr Sargeant who was a veteran of WW1. A month later Leicester were relegated along with QPR, Cov just stayed up, but I was hooked on LCFC from that time. I missed out on 1974 due to joining the Army in 73 but kept up with the scores on my little radio. Two of my all time memories are from the FA Cup - Jan 1979 Jock Wallace put out a very young side including 16 year olds Dave Buchanan and Andy Peake who were brilliant that day but it was the veteran Keith Weller wearing white tights who scored one of the most incredible goals in a 3-0 win over Norwich. Leicester were bottom half div 2, Norwich top 6 top flight team. The other incredible game was Leicester 5 Shrewsbury 2, 1982, both teams were div 2, this was the 6th round. A packed Filbert Street saw Wallington smashed by the Shrewsbury player and go off injured after they scored twice. There was no sub keeper in those days so Alan Young went in goal and he got knocked out for a few minutes in the second half Steve Lynex then went in goal but Young came back on and went back in goal. The City goals came from May Melrose 2 Lineaker and a og Cross. That game was just ......... unbelievable. The Semi Final at Villa Park against Spurs went the way most of the media had predicted but it still left a big empty gutting feeling again. The FA Cup these days is just a side event to the PL and CL and even Championship clubs prioritise promotion, it is a great shame, it was the big one to win.
 
The Wembley pitch for our 1969 FA Cup Final was in a poor condition. It had been used for the Horse of the Year Show just one week before. Joe Mercer called it a “pig of a pitch” and a “cabbage patch”. The Man City Chairman described it as looking like a “cow meadow”!
 
borebage53 said:
The Wembley pitch for our 1969 FA Cup Final was in a poor condition. It had been used for the Horse of the Year Show just one week before. Joe Mercer called it a “pig of a pitch” and a “cabbage patch”. The Man City Chairman described it as looking like a “cow meadow”!
Click to expand...

They used green dye to hide the damage apparently.

Also, the SF v West Brom was postponed for a week because the Hillsborough pitch was in such a state.
 
Gnasher65 said:
Growing up and before our relegation to L1 this was the weekend of football i looked forward to the most.
If we were in the top flight, a potential banana skin game against an underdog, or if in the second division a chance to bloody the nose of one of the big boys and the rare possibility of a good run (i started supporting in 1970 so missed the near-glory years of the 60s).
Sadly those days are long gone now, and i just have an overwhelming sense if ennui.
I just know either our team or the other or both will be weakened (because the league is more important moneywise (c) (tm)) and thus it just becomes a waiting exercise in between league games like an international weekend.
As excited as i was at our win to finally get that monkey off our back it still didn't feel like it would've done in 74 or 82.
Click to expand...
Definitely a dumbed down tournament now, even QPR will rest players Saturday. Similar to you my first full season watching was after relegation, Birmingham at home and Rodney Fern’s overhead kick! Funny how you remember games from that era but ask me any result from last season at home ( and I saw them all ) and I couldn’t tell you!
 
Of our 1969 6th Rd tie at Mansfield the Times correspondent reported that the match was played on a “glutinous,muddy,primeval swamp”. The crowd was packed in and a gate was broken open at one end with hundreds more people getting in. It resulted in the crowd spilling onto the pitch surrounds. There is the famous picture of Lenny Glover having to clear a path through the encroaching throng to take an early corner kick!
 
Brauny said:
It was a monkey off the back and the frill of doing it was fantastic.
That said it was tempered for me because of the severely restricted crowd.
How good would it have been if it had been a full house ?
Click to expand...
I found it unique and odd at first and only went as youngen was keen , thank god he did . He got our tickets for my birthday which was on that day , it was from ko though fantastic and the final whistle was as you say the monkey 🙊 gone . We could win it again so don’t give up and then be 90k in ground , I’ll gladly watch on tele next time 😊🦊
 
Brauny said:
Exeter at home was my 1st.
I think we scored in the first 5 minutes and I was a deluded kid thinking we would trounce them.
Finished 1-1.
Then Tony Kellow destroyed us in the replay, a few days before we pulled off the unthinkable double against a legendary Liverpool team.
Football how bizarre.
Click to expand...
👍👍Went at home and then down Exeter for replay and Liverpool on 31st jan strange week and typical of our team 😊 feel knackered now thinking about it , where does our energy go 🤭
 
Kushiro2 said:
My FA Cup baptism was at Filbert Street, but it didn't involve Leicester. I had a paperround so I couldn't go to Saturday games but I went to those three Arsenal V Sheff Wed 3rd round replays in 1979. Wednesday were in Division Three at the time. The 3-3 was such a great game. Arsenal went on to win the Cup but they never had a tougher battle than that.

Here's a few Cup memories if you didn't catch them last year:

https://www.foxestalk.co.uk/topic/133771-hit-for-six-at-grace-road-then-total-domination/

https://www.foxestalk.co.uk/topic/133561-the-worlds-oldest-and-greatest-cup-competition/
Click to expand...
I was at that 1961 Birmingham replay. My first FA Cup game. My Dad took me. Right down at the front on the Kop so must have got there early. The Mirror may have exaggerated the scenes outside. With about 40,000 in the ground before they usually closed the turnstiles it's hard to believe there was another 20,000 outside. Also, how did any of them get in without climbing big exit gates? Journalists eh?
 
Popside said:
👍👍Went at home and then down Exeter for replay and Liverpool on 31st jan strange week and typical of our team 😊 feel knackered now thinking about it , where does our energy go 🤭
Click to expand...
I did the same. Drove down to Exeter on the Wednesday and took the football special up to Liverpool on the Saturday. The things you did when we were younger. 😂
 
Bluekite9 said:
I did the same. Drove down to Exeter on the Wednesday and took the football special up to Liverpool on the Saturday. The things you did when we were younger. 😂
Click to expand...
Remember the discussion me and my mates had in the pub on Sunday after the Exeter 1-1. We couldn't afford to go to both away games (cash and time off work) so which was it to be?
Exeter - we will never go there again and we are bound to win.
Anfield - we can always go there and we will probably get battered.
Plans were made. What could go wrong?
 
Went by car to Exeter and viewed the Fleet Air Arm Museum at RNAS Yeovilton on the way. Didn’t realise how huge the Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers were until you get up close to one. Open cockpits, Sink the Bismarck, bombing of the Italian Fleet at Taranto. Feats of heroic “derring do” without regard for danger!
 
One of my first ever games was the replay vs Man City in 66. My mum mostly, took me then and I can clearly see the crush getting in and then climbing the stairs upto the DD. A cold March evening, we were knocked out by this v good 2nd division side. Can see Banks trying to keep warm in the 2nd half at the Kop end. I only missed 3 cup matches then from 67-70. The away 0-0 at MC in 68, Barrow and the Liverpool replay in 69 ( school night). Great times. Rotherham away , going into a local pub and sitting next to the mayor, a man around 50 but looked 80, drinking a pint of mild and smoking a strong fag! ‘Up here fer game a yu?’ Haha.
Barnsley, Hillsborough, Wembley and infamously my baptism of fire going to the old Den. Sitting in the new stand at Field Mill which they’d opened but not installed the seats. Sat on concrete blocks!!
74 was just fantastic for this 15 year old. Last min winner vs Spuds, that great day at Luton and one of my all time favourite games at QPR. SF was just devastating.
Was so relieved to see us finally win it sadly at a sparse Wembley but also as one of the 4000 for the SF. Just bizarre.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top