The Magic Of The FA Cup (Part 1)

The most recent refereeing controversy in an FA Cup Final was probably in 2004 when Jeff Winter refused to call off Manchester United’s stroll against Millwall halfway through the second half. Either due to lack of interest or to save the insipid South Londoners from further punishment. The humane thing to do on a number of levels. But, sadly, not within Mr Winter’s remit…

We can certainly be thankful that THE Cup Final (and it is THE cup final) has rarely been disfigured by refereeing controversy. Back in ‘the good old days’ when the final was regarded as a genuine showpiece, being referee of it was regarded as something of a ‘reward’ for a lifetime’s service to the whistle.

That wouldn’t stop the likes of Graham Poll trying, of course (fortunately the 2000 final of which he took charge was so unremittingly dull that even he couldn’t add a talking point). But over the years, the best referees seemed to be on their best behaviour for cup final day – especially in front of royalty.

The Telegraph report of the 2004 bore-fest noted that FA Cup finals “tend to see referees at their most merciful”, the only explanation for Dennis Wise not being sent-off for his spiteful contribution.

Nevertheless, enough decision-making at a tangent to the laws of the game has ensued for a couple of articles.

The first Cardiff final, in 2001, saw Arsenal sawn-off by referee Steve Dunn, who must have been metaphorically staring out over Cardiff Bay when Stephane Henchoz slam-dunked Thierry Henry’s goalbound effort…for a goalkick, displaying better handling skills than Pepe Reina in last year’s final.

Mind you, it’s rarely been ‘lucky Arsenal’ in FA Cup Finals. Even when Willie Young should have become the first FA Cup final sending-off for his assault on a 17 year-old Paul Allen, Arsenal lost. To, of all things, a Trevor Brooking header.

Even as far back as 1932, ‘lucky Arsenal’ must have lost in the qualifying rounds. Having finished as league runners-up to Everton, they lost 2-1 to Newcastle (THAT far back) at Wembley, Jack Allen scoring the Toon’s equaliser from a right-wing cross by Jimmy Richardson, Richardson pulling the ball back from not so much ‘over the line’ (the final became known as the ‘over the line’ final) as lane three of the greyhound track. (Some claim that Arsenal, down to ten men and wracked with injury, had two players prone on the turf when Newcastle scored the only goal of the 1952 final and that the referee should have heeded captain Joe Mercer’s plea to allow the trainer on).

This controversy was stoked by early use of visual technology, with picture proof that the ball was over the line (like 1966 but REALLY over the line). Unfortunately, by the time the pictures had come back from Boots, the Cup had been presented, packed away and heading north-east. Even the Queen Mother had had her last gin and tonic for the occasion.

Poor decisions may not have often threatened the right result. But they have done since the competition’s formative years. However, in 1875, during the fourth-ever final, the laws themselves, rather than any loopy misinterpretations from egomaniacs with whistles caused the problem.

Back then, teams changed ends after every goal, not at half-time. Which left the Royal Engineers playing into Hurricane Henry for eighty-eight of the ninety minutes of their 1-1 draw with Old Etonians. Thankfully, holding on for a replay allowed Engineers to clinch the cup, 3-0, in calmer, fairer conditions.

A year later, the ‘umpire’ (as the referee was referred to in those days) found himself unable to award Old Etonians a goal because the posts “collapsed on impact” (goalnets were not introduced until 1892, invented by John Alexander Brodie). And even ten years later, the long-forgotten influence of the centuries-old game of cricket made itself felt on the fledgling game of association football.

Blackburn Rovers would have gone 2-0 up in their final replay against West Bromwich Albion. But they “made no appeal for a goal” because they thought the wonderfully-named goalscorer Sowerbutts was offside.

Presumably, appeals were required (as they still are in cricket). Because referee Major (!) Marindin later admitted he “would have been willing to allow the goal to stand.” Still, Rovers won 2-0 anyway, completing an FA Cup three-in-a-row (not achieved since).So, this time, the right result.

Not in 1901, initially. One of the best-known FA Cup facts is that Southern League Tottenham were the last ‘non-league team’ (try explaining that to American tourists – no fun, believe me) to win the Cup. But they wouldn’t have needed a replay if referee A.G. Kingscott hadn’t “surprised everyone” by awarding Sheffield United an equaliser while his linesman signalled a corner.

Kingscott, yards behind the play, ruled that Spurs keeper Clawley had been “charged” over the line with the ball in his grasp (such assaults were legal for years to come – as we’ll see next week) before putting it out for a corner. “A sad error of judgement” recorded a newspaper. But Tottenham strolled the replay. So, the right result again.

Roles were reversed in 1902 when Sheffield United conceded an ‘offside’ equaliser to Southampton but won the replay. And Billy Meredith, founder of the Professional Footballers’ Association (the players’ trade union), scored one of the earliest of approximately half a million offside Manchester United goals to win the 1904 Cup.

But the right result was avoided in 1922. After 89 minutes of a goalless ‘dire Stamford Bridge contest’ (a phrase still often in use), Preston’s Hamilton upended Huddersfield’s Billy Smith. But referee Mr. Fowler (good name for a ref) awarded a penalty, despite “marks on the pitch” suggesting “the foul may have been committed outside” – the pitch being more Baseball Ground in the 1970s than billiard table.

Smith blasted the penalty past bespectacled keeper Mitchell, whose glasses may have served a better purpose on the end of Mr. Fowler’s nose. The wrong result.

NEXT WEEK: WEMBLEY AND BEYOND. AND BACK AGAIN.

‘MotorMurph’ is written by Mark Murphy

Entry Filed under: MotorMurph Column

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