1972 FA Cup Final

The 1972 FA Cup Final took place on 6 May 1972 at Wembley Stadium. It was the centenary final (although only the 91st final due to world wars) and the 44th to be played at Wembley.

1972 FA Cup Final
Event1971–72 FA Cup
Date6 May 1972
VenueWembley Stadium, London
RefereeDavid Smith (Stonehouse)
Attendance100,000

It was contested between cup holders Arsenal, who had won the Football League and the FA Cup the previous season, and Leeds United, who had won the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup and finished second in the league the previous season, but had never won the FA Cup. Arsenal and Leeds became the first clubs to have faced one another in both English domestic cup finals: the two had previously contested the 1968 Football League Cup Final, which Leeds had won, 1–0.[1] Arsenal planned to make it the third successive decade for a club to return as Cup-holders and win for a second successive year, as Newcastle United had done in 1952 and Tottenham Hotspur in 1962.

This final is the origin of the song "Leeds! Leeds! Leeds!" (commonly known as "Marching On Together"), which was the B-side of Leeds's Cup Final record. The song is still played by United and other Leeds sports teams.

Road to Wembley

Leeds United

Home teams listed first.

Round 3: Leeds United 4–1 Bristol Rovers

Round 4: Liverpool 0–0 Leeds United

Replay: Leeds United 2–0 Liverpool

Round 5: Cardiff City 0–2 Leeds United

 
 

Round 6: Leeds United 2–1 Tottenham Hotspur

Semi-final: Leeds United 3–0 Birmingham City

(at Hillsborough Stadium, Sheffield)
 
 

Arsenal

Home teams listed first.

Round 3: Swindon Town 0–2 Arsenal

Round 4: Reading 1 –2 Arsenal

 

Round 5: Derby County 2–2 Arsenal

Replay: Arsenal 0–0 Derby County
2nd Replay: Arsenal 1–0 Derby County (at Filbert Street)

Round 6: Leyton Orient 0–1 Arsenal

Semi-final: Stoke City 1–1 Arsenal

(at Villa Park, Birmingham)
Replay: Arsenal 2–1 Stoke City
(at Goodison Park, Everton)

Match summary

The Leeds duo Mick Jones and Allan 'Sniffer' Clarke combined to produce a goal in the fifty-third minute. Jones sent across a hard, shoulder-high centre and Clarke headed powerfully past Arsenal keeper Geoff Barnett's left hand from fifteen yards.

A match that often fell below the highest level began badly with a foul by Clarke on Alan Ball in the first five seconds and the first of four bookings — Bob McNab bringing down Peter Lorimer as early as the second minute. Neither side played consistently up to their capabilities, yet both had their moments. Charlie George's fierce volley cannoned back off the bar for Arsenal, and both Clarke and Lorimer struck the woodwork for Leeds.

Leeds' jubilation at the end was tempered by a last-minute injury to Mick Jones, who dislocated his elbow and had to be helped up the steps by Norman Hunter to receive his winners' medal.

Match facts

Leeds United1–0Arsenal
Clarke  53' (Report)
Attendance: 100,000
Referee: David Smith
Leeds United
Arsenal
GK1 David Harvey
RB2 Paul Reaney
LB3 Paul Madeley
MF4 Billy Bremner (c)
CB5 Jack Charlton
CB6 Norman Hunter
RW7 Peter Lorimer
FW8 Allan Clarke
FW9 Mick Jones
MF10 Johnny Giles
LW11 Eddie Gray
Substitute:
MF12 Mick Bates
Manager:
Don Revie
GK1 Geoff Barnett
RB2 Pat Rice
LB3 Bob McNab
MF4 Peter Storey
CB5 Frank McLintock (c)
CB6 Peter Simpson
MF7 George Armstrong
MF8 Alan Ball
FW9 Charlie George
FW10 John Radford  73'
MF11 George Graham
Substitute:
FW12 Ray Kennedy  73'
Manager:
Bertie Mee

Match rules

  • 90 minutes.
  • 30 minutes of extra-time if necessary.
  • Replay if scores still level.
  • One named substitute.

References

  1. Rollin, Glenda; Rollin, Jack, eds. (2001). Rothmans Football Yearbook 2001–2002. London: Headline Publishing Group. pp. 584, 599–600. ISBN 978-0-7472-7260-1.
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