The FA Cup is the oldest and most prestigious knockout competition in the world. Of the finals since 1988, seventy-three took place at the old Wembley Stadium. The ‘Twin Towers’ has witnessed truly memorable occasions and this book tells the story of what it means to a footballer to win ‘the Cup’ at the competition’s spiritual home and fulfill a classic boyhood dream. It was a time when every football team boasted star players and numerous sides shared the two major domestic trophies. For every football fan, the FA Cup final was a magical match and the occasion of the year. It was live on television, a rarity at the time. In addition, the build up started mid-morning on terrestrial channels, BBC and ITV. Every conceivable angle about the two teams was analysed. There was Cup Final Mastermind, It’s a Knockout, cameras at the team hotels, on team buses and in the dressing rooms of the victors afterwards. It was compulsive viewing. It is in 1953 we begin to tell the tale when Blackpool, inspired by Stanley Matthews, roared back from a 3-1 deficit to claim a famous 4-3 victory with a last-minute Bill Perry goal. Not only was this an incredible comeback, but the entire nation celebrated, Bolton fans excepting, that Stan finally had win an FA Cup medal.
Historically, for the development of the Cup final as the most important football match in any year, this match was the first for which television sets were available to the mass audience of the British working class. Since the ‘Matthews final’, there have been many more iconic Cup final moments. Who could ever forget Bert Trautmann’s bravery for Manchester City in 1956, Tottenham Hotspur’s ‘double’ triumph in 1961 – the first for 64 years, Everton’s sensational comeback against Sheffield Wednesday in 1966. All are part of FA Cup folklore. Many of the finest players to grace the game though never walked the hallowed turf of Wembley for this final. Tom Finney, Bobby Robson, George Best and Johnny Haynes all failed to lift the Cup. But others did. Perry and Trautmann reminisce along with Jimmy Dugdale, Vic Keeble, Peter McParland, Tommy Banks, Chic Thomson, Norman Deeley, Dave Mackay, Bill Foulkes, John Bond, Ian Callaghan, Brian Labone, Pat Jennings, Tony Brown and Neil Young in this evocative book. There was a mythical and mystical status upon almost every aspect of the stadium from lucky changing rooms, to the tunnel end, the colour of coat worn by the guest of honour to the ability of the pitch to weary the legs of even the stoutest man, the singing of Abide With Me and that old quiz question about what is always taken to Wembley and never used. Wembley is the FA Cup final. The two are synonymous in a period of incredible finals, controversy, heartache and glory. It is why millions of fans fell in love with the Wembley Cup final.