1971 FA Cup Final
Encyclopedia
In the finale to the 1970-71 FA Cup season
, the 1971 FA Cup Final was contested by Arsenal
and Liverpool
at Wembley on the 8 May 1971.
Arsenal won 2–1 after extra time, with all three goals coming in the added half hour. Steve Heighway
opened the scoring for Liverpool with a low drive past Wilson on his near post. However, Arsenal equalised with a scrambled goal from substitute Eddie Kelly
- the first time a substitute had ever scored in an FA Cup final. The goal was initially credited to George Graham
, but replays showed that the decisive touch came from Kelly after Graham had struck the shot. Charlie George
then scored a dramatic winner late in extra time, when his long range effort flew past Ray Clemence
. This prompted George into a famous celebration - lying on his back on the Wembley turf waiting for his team mates to pick him up.
The game was the second half of Arsenal's first League and FA Cup double, the first double achieved by any club since Tottenham Hotspur
's double in 1961. The first half had been achieved through Arsenal's league victory over Tottenham at White Hart Lane
on the Monday of the same week. The trophy was presented by the President of The Football Association
, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent
.
Due to the clash of Liverpool's red strip with Arsenal's red and white colours, Arsenal wore their away strip of yellow shirt and blue shorts.
won the toss, and he chose to play towards the southern end for the first half, meaning that Arsenal would have the low late afternoon sun at their backs in the second period.
Early play was dominated by Liverpool, who mounted several attacks on the Arsenal goal but found difficulty breaking through Arsenal's defence. As the half progressed play became for the most part evenly balanced, with Arsenal mounting more counterattacks on the break and Liverpool's best chances coming largely from free kicks deep in Arsenal's half of the field. The best opportunities to break the deadlock came late in the half, with Ray Clemence
forced to make a reflex save of a header from George Armstrong
in the 41st minute, followed in the 44th minute by a similarly fine diving save by Bob Wilson from Alec Lindsay
, the result of a free kick. Earlier in the half, Ray Kennedy
had caused several problems for the Liverpool defence, and a long range effort from Charlie George
also narrowly failed to find the net.
Neither side had total dominance during the second period; Arsenal started strongly, with Liverpool coming more into the game as play progressed. Arsenal finished more strongly with a spell of concerted pressure in the latter stages of the half as the game opened up. The first few minutes of the second half consisted of the teams sizing each other up, with no clear chance coming until an opportunity for Arsenal in the 51st minute when Kennedy failed to get his foot to an effort from close range. Play was largely uneventful from then until the 56th minute, when Charlie George again shot wide from long distance. Liverpool's style of play largely consisted of slow, patient attacks, with their first major foray of the half coming in the 58th minute, ending when John Toshack
failed to link up with Alun Evans
. Eddie Kelly
replaced a limping Peter Storey
in the 64th minute. Three minutes later, Evans was replaced for tactical reasons for Liverpool by Peter Thompson. He was to have a part in a strong attack by Liverpool less than two minutes later, halted when the ball was cleared by McLintock. The game was briefly paused immediately after this attack, owing to Emlyn Hughes
receiving treatment after being hit in the face by the ball. Liverpool were now having more of the possession, though the next clear chance, in the 74th minute, fell to Ray Kennedy when he received a John Radford
cross within the goal area. The game opened up considerably from this point, and a George Graham
header from a Radford long throw hit the crossbar in the 77th minute. The resulting corner led to a scrambled goal-line clearance by Lindsay. Steve Heighway
mounted an instant counter-attack, but it came to nothing. In the next three minutes, Wilson was forced to make two saves in response to further attacks by Heighway and Thompson. A further solo effort by Brian Hall came five minutes before the end of the half, followed shortly afterwards by a shot from Kennedy at the other end.
deep within Liverpool's half found Heighway in space on the left flank. He sent a low ball from the edge of the penalty area which went behind the advancing Wilson and into the Arsenal net. Two minutes later John Toshack
almost made it two, with a sharp reflex save required from Wilson to prevent further damage to Arsenal's cause. Liverpool continued to dominate for the next ten minutes, but without any clear chances. This pressure left some holes in Liverpool's defence, however, and in the eleventh minute of extra time an overhead kick from John Radford into the Liverpool penalty area led to a scrambled attempt to clear the ball which saw the ball end up in the net. Initially, it appeared as if Graham had got the final touch, but later replays showed that it was Kelly, who became the first substitute ever to score in an FA Cup final. Clemence was forced to make a brave save two minutes from the end of the half after a centring cross almost found Kelly deep in the Liverpool area. The last chance of the half came from a strong shot from distance by Radford which went straight to Clemence.
By the start of the second period of extra time, the hot conditions and pace of the match were starting to take their toll, with several players (notably Brian Hall and George Graham
) suffering from cramp. As such play was more broken, with fewer successful attacks, as crosses frequently failed to find their targets. Liverpool had the first clear chance after five minutes, when a cross from Thompson deep on the right flank narrowly failed to find Toshack. An immediate counterattack required Tommy Smith
to tackle Kennedy deep in his own penalty area after Kennedy had received a long ball from Graham.The winning goal was to come moments later in the seventh minute of the period, when a ball from Radford found Charlie George just outside the Liverpool penalty area. His powerful strike beat Clemence to hit the top left of the Liverpool net. He followed this up with his famous celebration, lying on his back with arms outstretched until he was picked up by other members of his team. Liverpool were not to give up, however, and the first opportunity to reply came from Chris Lawler
, who defied his cramping legs to attempt a flying kick at a pass from Toshack within the Arsenal area. This was one of the few remaining instances to really threaten in the dying minutes, however, although Radford produced a powerful long-range shot some two minutes before the final whistle.
The match was played in a great spirit of sportsmanship by the players and was responded to as such by the fans. When Liverpool's Lawler was floored with cramp late in extra time, he was helped to recover by two Arsenal players. Arsenal's victory - and double win after a gruelling 64-match season - was greeted with an ovation by both their own and Liverpool's fans at the stadium, and Liverpool were also cheered by both sets of fans as they took a lap of honour after the presentation of the trophy and medals.
style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center">
ARSENAL:
|
GK
1
Bob Wilson
RB
2
Pat Rice
LB
3
Bob McNab
CM
4
Peter Storey
CB
5
Frank McLintock
(c)
CB
6
Peter Simpson
LM
7
George Armstrong
CM
8
George Graham
ST
9
John Radford
ST
10
Ray Kennedy
ST
11
Charlie George
Substitutes:
MF
12
Eddie Kelly
Manager:
Bertie Mee
as part of their FA Cup Final Classics series as part of a double-DVD set (BBCDVD 1681) along with Arsenal's win over Manchester United in the 1979 FA Cup Final
.
FA Cup 1970–71
The 1970–71 FA Cup was the 90th season of the world's oldest football cup competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup. First Division champions Arsenal won the competition for the fourth time, beating Liverpool 2–1 in the final at Wembley...
, the 1971 FA Cup Final was contested by Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
and Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
at Wembley on the 8 May 1971.
Arsenal won 2–1 after extra time, with all three goals coming in the added half hour. Steve Heighway
Steve Heighway
Stephen Derek "Steve" Heighway is a former footballer who was part of the hugely successful Liverpool team of the 1970s.-Life and playing career:...
opened the scoring for Liverpool with a low drive past Wilson on his near post. However, Arsenal equalised with a scrambled goal from substitute Eddie Kelly
Eddie Kelly
Edward Patrick "Eddie" Kelly is a Scottish former football player.Kelly played for local side Possilpark, before moving south to join English club Arsenal as an apprentice in July 1966; he turned professional 18 months later...
- the first time a substitute had ever scored in an FA Cup final. The goal was initially credited to George Graham
George Graham (footballer)
George Graham is a Scottish former football player and manager. He is best remembered for his success at Arsenal, as a player in the 1970s and then as manager from 1986 until 1995.-Early life:...
, but replays showed that the decisive touch came from Kelly after Graham had struck the shot. Charlie George
Charlie George
Charles Frederick "Charlie" George is an English former footballer. He played as a forward in the Football League and he was also capped by England.-Arsenal:...
then scored a dramatic winner late in extra time, when his long range effort flew past Ray Clemence
Ray Clemence
Raymond Neal "Ray" Clemence, MBE is one of English and European football's most decorated goalkeepers ever and was part of the Liverpool team of the 1970s.-Scunthorpe United:...
. This prompted George into a famous celebration - lying on his back on the Wembley turf waiting for his team mates to pick him up.
The game was the second half of Arsenal's first League and FA Cup double, the first double achieved by any club since Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
's double in 1961. The first half had been achieved through Arsenal's league victory over Tottenham at White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Tottenham, London, England. Built in 1899, it is the home of Tottenham Hotspur and, after numerous renovations, the stadium has a capacity of 36,230....
on the Monday of the same week. The trophy was presented by the President of The Football Association
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent
Prince Edward, Duke of Kent
The Duke of Kent graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst on 29 July 1955 as a Second Lieutenant in the Royal Scots Greys, the beginning of a military career that would last over 20 years. He was promoted to captain on 29 July 1961. The Duke of Kent saw service in Hong Kong from 1962–63...
.
Due to the clash of Liverpool's red strip with Arsenal's red and white colours, Arsenal wore their away strip of yellow shirt and blue shorts.
The play
The game was played on a hot sunny day, and cramp and stamina were both to be of concern by the end of the match. Arsenal captain Frank McLintockFrank McLintock
Francis "Frank" McLintock MBE is a Scottish former football defender who played for Leicester City, Arsenal and QPR.-Leicester City:...
won the toss, and he chose to play towards the southern end for the first half, meaning that Arsenal would have the low late afternoon sun at their backs in the second period.
Early play was dominated by Liverpool, who mounted several attacks on the Arsenal goal but found difficulty breaking through Arsenal's defence. As the half progressed play became for the most part evenly balanced, with Arsenal mounting more counterattacks on the break and Liverpool's best chances coming largely from free kicks deep in Arsenal's half of the field. The best opportunities to break the deadlock came late in the half, with Ray Clemence
Ray Clemence
Raymond Neal "Ray" Clemence, MBE is one of English and European football's most decorated goalkeepers ever and was part of the Liverpool team of the 1970s.-Scunthorpe United:...
forced to make a reflex save of a header from George Armstrong
George Armstrong (footballer)
George "Geordie" Armstrong was an English football player and coach, primarily associated with Arsenal.Born in Hebburn, County Durham, Armstrong had trained as an electrician while playing in youth football, and was rejected by both Newcastle United and Grimsby Town. Nevertheless, he succeeded in...
in the 41st minute, followed in the 44th minute by a similarly fine diving save by Bob Wilson from Alec Lindsay
Alec Lindsay
Alexander 'Alec' Lindsay was a strong full back who played in The Football League for Bury, Liverpool and Stoke City.-Life and playing career:...
, the result of a free kick. Earlier in the half, Ray Kennedy
Ray Kennedy
Raymond Kennedy is an English former football player who won every domestic honour in the game with Arsenal and Liverpool in the 1970s...
had caused several problems for the Liverpool defence, and a long range effort from Charlie George
Charlie George
Charles Frederick "Charlie" George is an English former footballer. He played as a forward in the Football League and he was also capped by England.-Arsenal:...
also narrowly failed to find the net.
Neither side had total dominance during the second period; Arsenal started strongly, with Liverpool coming more into the game as play progressed. Arsenal finished more strongly with a spell of concerted pressure in the latter stages of the half as the game opened up. The first few minutes of the second half consisted of the teams sizing each other up, with no clear chance coming until an opportunity for Arsenal in the 51st minute when Kennedy failed to get his foot to an effort from close range. Play was largely uneventful from then until the 56th minute, when Charlie George again shot wide from long distance. Liverpool's style of play largely consisted of slow, patient attacks, with their first major foray of the half coming in the 58th minute, ending when John Toshack
John Toshack
John Benjamin Toshack OBE is a Welsh former footballer and manager. He is currently the manager of Macedonia. He has also managed several others clubs including Swansea City, who he took from the Fourth Division to the First in four seasons.As a player, he is remembered for being part of the...
failed to link up with Alun Evans
Alun Evans
Alun William Evans is an English former footballer who made his name as a centre forward in the Liverpool side rebuilt by Bill Shankly at the start of the 1970s. He was born in Kidderminster, Worcestershire.-Career:...
. Eddie Kelly
Eddie Kelly
Edward Patrick "Eddie" Kelly is a Scottish former football player.Kelly played for local side Possilpark, before moving south to join English club Arsenal as an apprentice in July 1966; he turned professional 18 months later...
replaced a limping Peter Storey
Peter Storey
Peter Edwin Storey is an English former football player.Storey spent most of his career at Arsenal, joining the club as an apprentice in 1961 and turning professional the following year...
in the 64th minute. Three minutes later, Evans was replaced for tactical reasons for Liverpool by Peter Thompson. He was to have a part in a strong attack by Liverpool less than two minutes later, halted when the ball was cleared by McLintock. The game was briefly paused immediately after this attack, owing to Emlyn Hughes
Emlyn Hughes
Emlyn Walter Hughes, OBE was an English footballer who captained both the England national team and the much-decorated Liverpool F.C. team of the 1970s.- From Blackpool to Liverpool :...
receiving treatment after being hit in the face by the ball. Liverpool were now having more of the possession, though the next clear chance, in the 74th minute, fell to Ray Kennedy when he received a John Radford
John Radford
For the Canadian broadcaster see John Radford John Radford is a former English football player....
cross within the goal area. The game opened up considerably from this point, and a George Graham
George Graham (footballer)
George Graham is a Scottish former football player and manager. He is best remembered for his success at Arsenal, as a player in the 1970s and then as manager from 1986 until 1995.-Early life:...
header from a Radford long throw hit the crossbar in the 77th minute. The resulting corner led to a scrambled goal-line clearance by Lindsay. Steve Heighway
Steve Heighway
Stephen Derek "Steve" Heighway is a former footballer who was part of the hugely successful Liverpool team of the 1970s.-Life and playing career:...
mounted an instant counter-attack, but it came to nothing. In the next three minutes, Wilson was forced to make two saves in response to further attacks by Heighway and Thompson. A further solo effort by Brian Hall came five minutes before the end of the half, followed shortly afterwards by a shot from Kennedy at the other end.
Extra time
The first period of extra time began with Arsenal kicking off facing the same way as in the second half, with the low sun at their backs. Within a minute, a move which began with Larry LloydLarry Lloyd
Laurence Valentine Lloyd was a footballer, a burly and tough central defender who won honours for both Bill Shankly's Liverpool and Brian Clough's all-conquering Nottingham Forest side of the late 1970s....
deep within Liverpool's half found Heighway in space on the left flank. He sent a low ball from the edge of the penalty area which went behind the advancing Wilson and into the Arsenal net. Two minutes later John Toshack
John Toshack
John Benjamin Toshack OBE is a Welsh former footballer and manager. He is currently the manager of Macedonia. He has also managed several others clubs including Swansea City, who he took from the Fourth Division to the First in four seasons.As a player, he is remembered for being part of the...
almost made it two, with a sharp reflex save required from Wilson to prevent further damage to Arsenal's cause. Liverpool continued to dominate for the next ten minutes, but without any clear chances. This pressure left some holes in Liverpool's defence, however, and in the eleventh minute of extra time an overhead kick from John Radford into the Liverpool penalty area led to a scrambled attempt to clear the ball which saw the ball end up in the net. Initially, it appeared as if Graham had got the final touch, but later replays showed that it was Kelly, who became the first substitute ever to score in an FA Cup final. Clemence was forced to make a brave save two minutes from the end of the half after a centring cross almost found Kelly deep in the Liverpool area. The last chance of the half came from a strong shot from distance by Radford which went straight to Clemence.
By the start of the second period of extra time, the hot conditions and pace of the match were starting to take their toll, with several players (notably Brian Hall and George Graham
George Graham (footballer)
George Graham is a Scottish former football player and manager. He is best remembered for his success at Arsenal, as a player in the 1970s and then as manager from 1986 until 1995.-Early life:...
) suffering from cramp. As such play was more broken, with fewer successful attacks, as crosses frequently failed to find their targets. Liverpool had the first clear chance after five minutes, when a cross from Thompson deep on the right flank narrowly failed to find Toshack. An immediate counterattack required Tommy Smith
Tommy Smith (footballer born 1945)
Thomas "Tommy" Smith MBE was a long-serving footballer with Liverpool, known for his uncompromising defensive style. Manager Bill Shankly once said of him: "Tommy Smith wasn't born, he was quarried."-Life and playing career:...
to tackle Kennedy deep in his own penalty area after Kennedy had received a long ball from Graham.The winning goal was to come moments later in the seventh minute of the period, when a ball from Radford found Charlie George just outside the Liverpool penalty area. His powerful strike beat Clemence to hit the top left of the Liverpool net. He followed this up with his famous celebration, lying on his back with arms outstretched until he was picked up by other members of his team. Liverpool were not to give up, however, and the first opportunity to reply came from Chris Lawler
Chris Lawler
Chris Lawler is a former footballer who enjoyed much of Liverpool's success of the 1960s and 1970s.-Life and playing career:...
, who defied his cramping legs to attempt a flying kick at a pass from Toshack within the Arsenal area. This was one of the few remaining instances to really threaten in the dying minutes, however, although Radford produced a powerful long-range shot some two minutes before the final whistle.
The match was played in a great spirit of sportsmanship by the players and was responded to as such by the fans. When Liverpool's Lawler was floored with cramp late in extra time, he was helped to recover by two Arsenal players. Arsenal's victory - and double win after a gruelling 64-match season - was greeted with an ovation by both their own and Liverpool's fans at the stadium, and Liverpool were also cheered by both sets of fans as they took a lap of honour after the presentation of the trophy and medals.
Match details
| style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> | LIVERPOOL: | |||
| GK | 1 | Ray Clemence Ray Clemence Raymond Neal "Ray" Clemence, MBE is one of English and European football's most decorated goalkeepers ever and was part of the Liverpool team of the 1970s.-Scunthorpe United:... |
||
| RB | 2 | Chris Lawler Chris Lawler Chris Lawler is a former footballer who enjoyed much of Liverpool's success of the 1960s and 1970s.-Life and playing career:... |
||
| LB | 3 | Alec Lindsay Alec Lindsay Alexander 'Alec' Lindsay was a strong full back who played in The Football League for Bury, Liverpool and Stoke City.-Life and playing career:... |
||
| CB | 4 | Tommy Smith Tommy Smith (footballer born 1945) Thomas "Tommy" Smith MBE was a long-serving footballer with Liverpool, known for his uncompromising defensive style. Manager Bill Shankly once said of him: "Tommy Smith wasn't born, he was quarried."-Life and playing career:... (c) |
||
| CB | 5 | Larry Lloyd Larry Lloyd Laurence Valentine Lloyd was a footballer, a burly and tough central defender who won honours for both Bill Shankly's Liverpool and Brian Clough's all-conquering Nottingham Forest side of the late 1970s.... |
||
| CM | 6 | Emlyn Hughes Emlyn Hughes Emlyn Walter Hughes, OBE was an English footballer who captained both the England national team and the much-decorated Liverpool F.C. team of the 1970s.- From Blackpool to Liverpool :... |
||
| RM | 7 | Ian Callaghan Ian Callaghan Ian Robert Callaghan MBE is a former Liverpool footballer who holds the record for most appearances for the club.-Life and playing career:... |
||
| ST | 8 | Alun Evans Alun Evans Alun William Evans is an English former footballer who made his name as a centre forward in the Liverpool side rebuilt by Bill Shankly at the start of the 1970s. He was born in Kidderminster, Worcestershire.-Career:... |
||
| LM | 9 |  Steve HeighwaySteve Heighway Stephen Derek "Steve" Heighway is a former footballer who was part of the hugely successful Liverpool team of the 1970s.-Life and playing career:... |
||
| ST | 10 |  John ToshackJohn Toshack John Benjamin Toshack OBE is a Welsh former footballer and manager. He is currently the manager of Macedonia. He has also managed several others clubs including Swansea City, who he took from the Fourth Division to the First in four seasons.As a player, he is remembered for being part of the... |
||
| CM | 11 | Brian Hall |
||
| Substitutes: | ||||
| MF | 12 | Peter Thompson |
||
| Manager: | ||||
| Bill Shankly Bill Shankly William "Bill" Shankly, OBE was a Scottish football player and manager, most noted for managing Liverpool between 1959 and 1974. One of Britain's most successful and respected football managers, Shankly was also a fine player whose career was interrupted by the Second World War... |
||||
Bob Wilson Pat RicePat Rice
Patrick James "Pat" Rice is a former Northern Irish football player and coach. As a player he made over 400 appearances for Arsenal, winning the Double, and later made a hundred more appearances for Watford. He also won 49 caps for Northern Ireland...
Bob McNabBob McNab
Robert "Bob" McNab is an English former footballer.McNab started out at his local club, Huddersfield Town, playing nearly seventy times in three seasons...
Peter StoreyPeter Storey
Peter Edwin Storey is an English former football player.Storey spent most of his career at Arsenal, joining the club as an apprentice in 1961 and turning professional the following year...
Frank McLintockFrank McLintock
Francis "Frank" McLintock MBE is a Scottish former football defender who played for Leicester City, Arsenal and QPR.-Leicester City:...
(c)
Peter Simpson George ArmstrongGeorge Armstrong (footballer)
George "Geordie" Armstrong was an English football player and coach, primarily associated with Arsenal.Born in Hebburn, County Durham, Armstrong had trained as an electrician while playing in youth football, and was rejected by both Newcastle United and Grimsby Town. Nevertheless, he succeeded in...
George GrahamGeorge Graham (footballer)
George Graham is a Scottish former football player and manager. He is best remembered for his success at Arsenal, as a player in the 1970s and then as manager from 1986 until 1995.-Early life:...
John RadfordJohn Radford
For the Canadian broadcaster see John Radford John Radford is a former English football player....
Ray KennedyRay Kennedy
Raymond Kennedy is an English former football player who won every domestic honour in the game with Arsenal and Liverpool in the 1970s...
Charlie GeorgeCharlie George
Charles Frederick "Charlie" George is an English former footballer. He played as a forward in the Football League and he was also capped by England.-Arsenal:...
Eddie KellyEddie Kelly
Edward Patrick "Eddie" Kelly is a Scottish former football player.Kelly played for local side Possilpark, before moving south to join English club Arsenal as an apprentice in July 1966; he turned professional 18 months later...
Bertie MeeBertie Mee
Bertram "Bertie" Mee OBE was an English football player and manager, noted for managing Arsenal to their first Double win in 1971. He was the younger brother of fellow footballer Georgie Mee.-Early life:...
DVD release
Television coverage of the match has been released on DVD by the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
as part of their FA Cup Final Classics series as part of a double-DVD set (BBCDVD 1681) along with Arsenal's win over Manchester United in the 1979 FA Cup Final
1979 FA Cup Final
The 1979 FA Cup Final was a football match played on 12 May 1979 at Wembley Stadium. The match was contested by Arsenal and Manchester United. It is widely regarded as one of the greatest-ever finishes in an FA Cup final. For over 85 minutes the game had been unremarkable, with Arsenal taking...
.