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For me, the all-time classic "day of the underdog" FA Cup final. High flying Leeds vs second division strugglers Sunderland. Jim Montgomery's amazing double save is etched in my memory as is the sight of the Sunderland players carrying manager Bob Stokoe on their shoulders at the end of the game. Wonderful stuff!
West Ham 3 Preston 2 in 1964 for me.
Not a bad Final yesterday it's a sign of a very good striker at the top of their game that you know he is going to score six or seven seconds before the ball hits the net and that's exactly the feeling I had with the winning goal.
The first one I remember watching was Wimbledon winning in 88 but as an event, the Merseyside derby a year later was the first time I spent most of the day glued to the TV hoping for an Everton win. In footballing terms that was probably overshadowed by a League match the following Friday evening in, for me at least, still the most exciting end of season title race of all time.
A year on and both semi finals were shown live for the first time in arguably what is still one of the greatest days of live football.
By the end of the 90s, the bigger clubs had got bigger and both Man Utd and Arsenal completed double doubles. Everton's win in 95 apart, there were few shocks and finals were generally stale affairs that were won relatively comfortably.
This is going to age me. My first FA Cup Final was Newcastle v. Manchester City 1955 (I think). Roy Paul captained Citeh, his younger brother Jim (my uncle through marriage watched the game with us - not everyone had TVs then). Newcastle scored early - a Jackie Milburn header from a corner. Game over basically, I think that was the game when Bert Trautmann the Man City keeper fractured a bone in his neck when colliding with a Newcastle player, he played on till the end although he appeared to be in a good deal of pain.
The Manchester side gained redemption the following year when, again captained by Paul, beat Birmingham City. Another Welshman Roy Clarke (outside left) played in at least one of the games as did a certain Don Revie (as a deep-lying centre-forward).
That's the end of today's history lesson - OI! wake up at the back.
Ok, I was going by memory and didn't check. 'Twas a long time ago.
1970 I think was my first memory of the FA cup final, Leeds 2-2 Chelsea.
Reason I remember that one because I wasn't allowed to stay up and watch the end of evening replay