1976 FA Cup Final

1976 FA Cup Final
Event FA Cup 1975–76
Date 1 May 1976
Venue Wembley Stadium, London
Referee Clive Thomas (Treorchy)
Attendance 99,115

The 1976 FA Cup Final took place on 1 May 1976 at Wembley Stadium. It was contested between Manchester United and Southampton.

United had finished third in the First Division that season, and were strong favourites, while unfancied Southampton had finished sixth in the Second Division. In one of the biggest shocks in the history of the final, Southampton won 1–0 through an 83rd-minute goal from Bobby Stokes. It was the first time Southampton won a major trophy.[1]

Road to Wembley

Manchester United

Home teams listed first.

Round 3: Manchester United 2–1 Oxford United

 

Round 4: Manchester United 3–1 Peterborough United

Round 5: Leicester City 1–2 Manchester United

 

Round 6: Manchester United 1–1 Wolverhampton Wanderers

Replay: Wolverhampton Wanderers 2–3 Manchester United

Semi-final: Manchester United 2–0 Derby County (at Hillsborough Stadium, Sheffield)

Southampton

Home teams listed first.

Round 3: Southampton 1–1 Aston Villa

Replay: Aston Villa 1–2 Southampton

Round 4: Southampton 3–1 Blackpool

Round 5: West Bromwich Albion 1–1 Southampton

Replay: Southampton 4–0 West Bromwich Albion

Round 6: Bradford City 0–1 Southampton

 

Semi-final: Southampton 2–0 Crystal Palace (at Stamford Bridge, London)

Match summary

Manchester United started stronger, and missed several early goalscoring opportunities, with Southampton goalkeeper Ian Turner making a series of impressive saves to deny Gerry Daly and Gordon Hill. Southampton in turn began to create chances; Mick Channon was put through on goal before being denied by goalkeeper Alex Stepney. As extra time loomed, Southampton's Bobby Stokes received Jim McCalliog's pass and slotted the ball across Stepney and into the far corner to score a late winner and with it his side's first major trophy. Match referee Clive Thomas, who was the last Welshman to referee the FA Cup Final, admitted in later years that the goal may have been offside.[2]

Match details

Manchester United
Southampton
GK 1 England Alex Stepney
RB 2 Scotland Alex Forsyth
LB 3 Scotland Stewart Houston
CM 4 Republic of Ireland Gerry Daly
CB 5 England Brian Greenhoff
CB 6 Scotland Martin Buchan (c)
RM 7 England Steve Coppell
CM 8 Northern Ireland Sammy McIlroy
CF 9 England Stuart Pearson
CF 10Scotland Lou Macari
LM 11England Gordon Hill  66'
Substitute:
MF 12Northern Ireland David McCreery  66'
Manager:
Scotland Tommy Docherty
GK 1 England Ian Turner
RB 2 Wales Peter Rodrigues (c)
LB 3 England David Peach
CM 4 England Nick Holmes
CB 5 England Mel Blyth
CB 6 Scotland Jim Steele
RM 7 England Paul Gilchrist
CF 8 England Mick Channon
CF 9 England Peter Osgood
CM 10Scotland Jim McCalliog
LM 11England Bobby Stokes
Substitute:
MF 12Scotland Hugh Fisher
Manager:
England Lawrie McMenemy

Jasper Carrott immortalised the match in his song Cup Final 1976.

References

Print

  • Tim Manns (2006). Tie a Yellow Ribbon: How the Saints Won the Cup. Hagiology Publishing. ISBN 0-9534474-6-4. 
  1. "Lawrie McMenemy: ‘Southampton didn’t have a cat in hell’s chance’". Guardian. 25 February 2017. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  2. Abbandonato, Paul (13 May 2006). "Clive Thomas: Doc still gives me grief about Bobby Stokes goal". Wales Online. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
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