1972 FA Cup Final Arsenal v Leeds United

[Beefy]

Leeds United 1 Arsenal 0

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. It was contested between cup holders Arsenal, who had won the English Championship and FA Cup the previous season, and Leeds United, who had won the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup and finished 2nd in the league the previous season. Arsenal planned to make it the third decade for a club to return as Cup-holders and win again for the second successive year, as Newcastle had done in 1952 and Tottenham in 1962.

Leeds were the better team all through. Their back four had no trouble in mastering the Arsenal attacks and negating the threat posed by strikers George and Radford. By contrast, the Leeds front runners, Clarke and Jones, continually harassed the Arsenal defence.[citation needed]

The Jones-Clarke combination produced a goal in the fifty-third minute. Jones sent across a hard, shoulder-high centre and 'Sniffer' Clarke headed powerfully past Barnett's left hand from fifteen yards.

1972-Leeds-United-2736c61a-b0f6-4799-b0fb-5b8466ac7bef.jpg

A match that often fell below the highest level began badly with a foul by Clarke on Ball in the first five seconds and the first of four bookings — McNab bringing down Lorimer as early as the second minute. Neither side played consistently up to their capabilities, yet both had their moments. 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 shoulder and had to be helped up the steps by Norman Hunter to receive his winners' medal.

LEEDS UNITED:

GK 1 Harvey
DF 2 Reaney
DF 3 Madeley
DF 4 Bremner (c)
MF 5 Charlton
DF 6 Hunter
MF 7 Lorimer
FW 8 Clarke
FW 9 Jones
MF 10 Giles
MF 11 Gray
Substitute:
DF 12 Bates
Manager:
Don Revie

ARSENAL:

GK 1 Barnett)
RB 2 Rice
LB 3 McNab
FB 4 Storey
CB 5 McLintock (c)
CB 6 Simpson
MF 7 Armstrong
MF 8 Ball
FW 9 George
FW 10 Radford 73'
MF 11 Graham
Substitute:
MF 12 Kennedy 73'
Manager:
Bertie Mee

[sportbilly]

1971?

[RedRedRobinSTFC]

Don Revie's Leeds. A force to be reckoned with.

[reprophil]

GK 1 Harvey - Suspect handling
DF 2 Reaney - Thug
DF 3 Madeley - Thug
DF 4 Bremner (c) - Thug
MF 5 Charlton - Thug
DF 6 Hunter - Thug
MF 7 Lorimer - Thug with pace
FW 8 Clarke - Snide Thug
FW 9 Jones - liked him!!!
MF 10 Giles - Thug
MF 11 Gray - Good player

No bias, just what I remember, from when I was 8.

[Beefy]

No Bias there then Phil

[reprophil]

You disagree then Beefy that Revie sent out a team of thugs every week?

[Beastly]

Well said beefy guess they have to be jealous some time cos we were the best team in that era

[RedRedRobinSTFC]

Thugs ? No. Football was a different game then. Players like Norman Hunter epitomised the hard tackling English Centre Half.

[Beefy]

Originally Posted by reprophil

You disagree then Beefy that Revie sent out a team of thugs every week?

I think you're talking out of your arse Phil. Bremner and Giles gave as good as they got in an era when players didn't dive like Ronaldo and Drogba. I'd call a thug a player who jumps into the Crystal Palace fans and attacks a supporter, or someone like Roy Keane who went out to end a players carreer. Listen to anyone who played in the 70's and they'll tell you how good the Leeds team were, and how they could play the game.

[Toffee]

Originally Posted by reprophil

GK 1 Harvey - Suspect handling
DF 2 Reaney - Thug
DF 3 Madeley - Thug
DF 4 Bremner (c) - Thug
MF 5 Charlton - Thug
DF 6 Hunter - Thug
MF 7 Lorimer - Thug with pace
FW 8 Clarke - Snide Thug
FW 9 Jones - liked him!!!
MF 10 Giles - Thug
MF 11 Gray - Good player

No bias, just what I remember, from when I was 8.

I would sooner see these type of players today rather than the pampy bastards we get to see.