Goals Of The Season 3 - The Ossie Volley

The Match of the Day's Goal of the Season award for 1972-1973 went to Chelsea legend Peter Osgood for the first goal in the FA Cup Quarter Final with Arsenal on 17 March 1973.

'Ossie' was one of the greatest goalscorers of the time, and is best remembered as part of the colourful Chelsea team of the late 60s and early 70s. Surprisingly only capped four times by England, he also made a name for himself at Southampton as well as a stint with Phildephia Fury. He died in 2006 of a heart attack, aged 59.

This game finished 2-2 with Arsenal winning the replay 2-1, before themselves losing to eventual winners Sunderland 2-1 in the semi-final.

Note David Colemans' characteristic 'one nil'.

FA Cup Semi Final Day

Semi-final day was another day of FA Cup excitement. Four teams left, two to go to Wembley.

Previously semi-finals were played at neutral grounds – Villa Park, Highbury and Hillsborough were frequent hosts. However, in my view, one of the lowest points of FA Cup history was the 1991 semi-final between Arsenal and Tottenham – as, for the first time, a semi-final was played at Wembley.

We were told that this would be a one-off. But then in 1993 and 1994, both semi-finals took place at Wembley. And now it is the norm - since 2008, both semi-finals have taken place at the great stadium. I am informed this is to help pay for Wembley’s rebuilding work, but I think this lessens the importance of the final itself.

For television, in the 1970s and 1980s, both games were played at the same time – and the TV channels would show highlights of one each. As ever, fans would be crowded round the radio to listen to progress.

My first memory of an FA Cup Semi Final is the controversial match of 1977 between champions Liverpool and their old rivals Everton at Maine Road which was on Match of the Day that evening. A great game reached 2-2 and, in the final minutes, a cross from Ronny Goodlass was deflected into the goal by Bryan Hamilton’s hip – but disallowed by referee Clive Thomas for reasons unknown to this day. We can only assume he thought Hamilton had handballed it or that he was offside (although there was no flag) but Everton fans have been aggrieved to this day – and Liverpool won the replay 3-0.

In 1990, for the first time, both games were shown live and on a Sunday, and they were two crackers with Crystal Palace beating Liverpool 4-3 and, after an hour break for the EastEnders omnibus (only two episodes a week in those days!) we saw Manchester United and Oldham drawing 3-3.

The semi-finals of 1978, our featured year were:

Saturday 8 April 1978 – Match of the Day
Ipswich 3-1 West Bromwich Albion (at Highbury)

Sunday 9 April 1978 – The Big Match
Arsenal 3-0 Orient (at Stamford Bridge)

When It Was 'Up For Grabs Now'

Last season, 2011-12, produced one of the most exciting finishes in football league history, when Manchester City produced two very late goals to win at home and clinch the title on goal difference. However, TV wise, there was one large snag – you could only see the game on Sky. Listening to the game on radio, or watching Garth Crooks jump up and down on the sofa on Final Score, does not have the same effect at all.

For this reason, therefore, we go back to the real winner of the ‘most exciting finish to a season’ award – that of 1988-1989 – not only because the denouement was so unexpected, but precisely because it was something we could all share.

The evening of Friday 26 May saw me take my seat in a crowded common room of Ceredigion Hall, a student hall on the sea front in Aberystwyth. It was the last game of the league season and the big match was live on ITV.

My team, Norwich City, had had a good season, up among the top contenders for the league and getting to the FA Cup semis, but alas a bad April with no wins had seen us fall back out of the race. So two teams emerged from the pack.

The all-conquering, all powerful, Liverpool team were there of course. In the preceding 16 years, Liverpool had won ten league titles, two FA Cups, four League Cups, two UEFA Cups and, the big prize, four European Cups. Managers and players had changed – yet mercilessly the Anfield machine had rolled on.

Meanwhile, Arsenal had also put in a challenge. George Graham had put together a good team based on a solid defence with the famous back four and offside trap. For much of the season they had led the way. Hopes were raised of their first title since 1971.

The game was originally scheduled for April – but was postponed following the Hillsborough disaster, which of course hung a shadow over the rest of the season. Because of fixture congestion, the game could only be fitted in, right at the end – unusually to take place on a Friday.

On 13 May, Arsenal were five points ahead of Liverpool with three games to play and home games against Derby and Wimbledon to come. Liverpool had four to play.

But, shock, first, Arsenal lost to Derby 2-1 with Liverpool beating Wimbledon 2-1 - and then Liverpool beat QPR 2-0, before Arsenal drew 2-2 with Wimbledon. Points and goal difference were equal but Liverpool had one game in hand.

On Saturday 20 May, I was in that same common room watching Liverpool beat Everton 3-2 in a dull FA Cup final which only livened up in extra time. Tuesday 23 May, I was in the pub down the road (The Sea Bank – sadly no longer with us) as I heard the news that Liverpool had beaten West Ham 5-1. Using peanuts (well, we were students) we calculated, as the rest of the country knew, that Arsenal had to beat Liverpool at Anfield by two clear goals to win the title on goals scored. We all thought Arsenal had blown it. Liverpool simply did not lose at home! They rarely lost at all! And they had hit form while Arsenal had lost theirs. 

The game started, the cans got opened. A dull first half before Alan Smith scored early in the second. Suddenly we all sat up – Arsenal might do this! The game opened up, both sides created chances, Liverpool scored but disallowed for offside. The game wore on, eventful but without many events - if you see what I mean.

As the TV clock ticked past 90 minutes, Kevin Richardson was on the ground being treated for an injury. In those days we did not have the board to tell us how much injury time there would be, and so the whole room – possibly much of London as well – shouted ‘get up!’ at the top of our voices.

Lukic to Dixon, long ball to Smith, it’s with Mickey Thomas, he’s through, and, as Brian Moore so memorably said, ‘It’s up for grabs now’ as Thomas slots the ball away. 2-0 to Arsenal.

As the final few seconds were played out, and the Liverpool fans in the room sat in stunned silence, the rest of us partied as the whistle blew and we watched Tony Adams lift the trophy at Anfield before we were off to catch last orders . Truly the most magical TV moment of the 1980s.

FA Cup - The Sixth Round

Then as now, in most years every quarter final of the FA Cup was televised by someone. Now we are spoiled by live coverage of all four games – but before it was, of course, just the highlights.

The first quarter final to be shown live was on BBC One on Sunday 11 March 1984 – ending in a rather tepid 0-0 draw between Sheffield Wednesday and Southampton.

Not surprisingly that match does not appear to have been put on YouTube so instead here is a sixth round game from our featured year of 1978 when Nottingham Forest, going for a domestic treble, came up against West Bromwich Albion, managed by the young Big Ron.

FA Cup televised games that weekend:

Saturday 11 March 1978 – Match of the Day

West Bromwich Albion 2-0 Nottingham Forest

Millwall 1-6 Ipswich

Sunday 12 March 1978 – The Big Match

Wrexham 2-3 Arsenal

Middlesbrough 0-0 Orient

TV Legends (2) - Jimmy Greaves

There are essentially two people called Jimmy Greaves, depending on your generation. To some, he is the greatest goalscorer this country has ever produced, breaking records for Chelsea, Spurs and England. To others, he is a kind avuncular figure with his bald head and moustache not out of place in front of a log fire with pipe and slippers telling you stories of the old days.

The transformation of Greaves via his two careers has been remarkable. Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer were also both great goalscorers in their day, but when you compare old footage of them to their current appearances on Match of the Day, you can see that basically they are the same characters albeit a bit greyer and thinner on top. Greaves, on the other hand, went through a complete reinvention – the young fit goal machine of the 60s with the keen eye and aggressive forward manner became the warmer softer pundit of the 80s, always with an anecdote or two to tell.

I first knew of Jimmy through reading articles in Shoot magazine in the 70s through which he occasionally contributed. I was also aware of his achievements, especially with a mother who supported Spurs, and that, at the time, he was a regular player for Barnet.

And then I recall asking who was that person on ITV’s World Cup panel 1982? This world cup I had keenly looked forward to, as it was, for me, the first with England in. I devoured much of the coverage but could not place the calm gentleman with the soothing voice who sat with people like John Bond and Jack Charlton. By now, even though he was only 42, Jimmy had the balding head and the bushy tache which became his trademarks. I soon warmed to him, with his comments and stories aplenty.

He was a considerable success on the panel but completely unlike one’s image of a ferocious goal poacher, and remained a pundit and personality appearing on chat shows, quiz programmes and daytime television.

His reinvention came complete with his teaming up with Ian St John on the legendary ‘Saint and Greavsie’ show – starting in 1985 and broadcast Saturday lunchtimes. Preview shows have never been my cup of tea – for example, Football Focus and On The Ball – but Saint and Greavsie seemed to be something different, very informal, chatty, St John’s straight man presentation skills superbly balanced by Greavsies’ witty asides and his catchphrase ‘it’s a funny old game’.

I was at university from 1988 and the common room was always packed at 12 noon on Saturdays. No-one could start their Saturday afternoon until we had seen Ian and Jimmy discuss the day’s footy and present various features.

Of course, they were open to mockery – Baddiel and Skinner providing several sketches portraying the two in a variety of guises – although Jimmy did appear on the ‘Phoenix From The Ashes’ segment for a (sort of) recreation of the moment from the Brazil v England world cup quarter final in Chile, 1962, when a dog invaded the pitch and urinated on Greavsie.

It was a sad day when the Saint and Greavsie show was axed in 1992 following Sky obtaining the Premiership TV rights. At the final scene, we saw our two friends cycling off into the sunset singing ‘this could be the last time’, as indeed it was.

Jimmy is now 73 years old and currently works on live shows and after dinner speaking. His latest show ‘Jimmy Greaves Live’ is this summer, details on jimmygreaves.net.

Jimmy, not only English footballing legend, but also television legend - we salute you.

The Blyth Spartans Cup Run

A correction to my last piece. I started by saying that all the teams in the fifth round of the FA Cup had won two games. This should of course have read ‘at least’ two games. For those from the third tier and lower, it would have been more than that.

By way of clarification and apology, and as I featured Blyth last time, here is a record of the Spartans cup run of 1977-1978. As you can see, they won eight games in that memorable season.

1st Qualifying Round

17 September 1977 – Shildon 0-3 Blyth Spartans

2nd Qualifying Round

8 October 1977 – Crook Town 1-1 Blyth Spartans

12 October 1977 – Blyth Spartans 3-0 Crook Town

3rd Qualifying Round

22 October 1977 – Consett 1-4 Blyth Spartans

4th Qualifying Round

5 November 1977 – Bishop Auckland 0-1 Blyth Spartans

1st Round

26 November 1977 – Blyth Spartans 1-0 Burscough

2nd Round

17 December 1977 – Blyth Spartans 1-0 Chesterfield

3rd Round

7 January 1978 – Blyth Spartans 1-0 Enfield

4th Round

6 February 1978 – Stoke City 2-3 Blyth Spartans

5th Round

18 February 1978 – Wrexham 1-1 Blyth Spartans

27 February 1978 – Blyth Spartans 1-2 Wrexham

FA Cup Fifth Round Day - The Spartans Are Coming

It is the fifth round of the FA Cup this weekend and this was when it got exciting. The weather is now warmer (most years!) so games less likely to be called off. All the teams had won two games and were just three more away from Wembley. (Now, of course, it is two wins away from Wembley but that is an argument for another time).

My earliest memory of fifth round day was in 1977, completing my Roy of the Rovers wall chart and noticing that Southampton were paired up against Manchester United – a repeat of the previous year’s final. I recall that the boxes to put the scores in were very small and so if a game went to a replay, as this one did, you had to write tiny numbers.

But it is the following year which provides the clearest memory with the cup run of the wonderfully-named Blyth Spartans. To a ten year old, the name conjures up images of viking hoards, angry bearded warriors stampeding over the mountains, swords in the air, wild shouts, run for your lives ... ahem.

Blyth had beaten Stoke City 3-2 to get to the fifth round, an unusual achievement for a non-league team, recently matched by Crawley and, this year, Luton. They symbolised ideally the romance of the cup and were drawn away to Wrexham, then on their way to the third division title.

With Blyth one up with a minute to go, seemingly heading for the quarter finals, Wrexham had a corner which was safely gathered by the goalkeeper. Because the corner flag had fallen over, the corner was retaken – and headed home. Harsh justice perhaps. Wrexham won the replay 2-1, went on to lose to Arsenal, and Blyth bowed out to enter the great book of FA Cup stories. (Highlights of the game are below in two parts).

On TV that year, following our featured year of 1978.

Saturday 18 February 1978 – Match of the Day – BBC1

Wrexham 1-1 Blyth Spartans

QPR 1-1 Nottingham Forest

Arsenal 4-1 Walsall

Sunday 19 February 1978 – The Big Match - ITV

Orient 0-0 Chelsea

Bristol Rovers 2-2 Ipswich Town

Thank goodness for Arsenal giving the viewers somebody who had gone through.