{"id":832,"date":"2020-05-22T17:29:45","date_gmt":"2020-05-22T16:29:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=832"},"modified":"2020-05-29T11:06:18","modified_gmt":"2020-05-29T10:06:18","slug":"a-joy-shared-is-double-joy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=832","title":{"rendered":"A Joy Shared is Double Joy!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Frontispiece: Cup final programme and ticket. From www.pinterest.com<\/em><\/center><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Arsenal FC vs. Liverpool FC<\/strong> – 8th<\/sup> May 1971<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arsenal<\/span>: Bob Wilson; Pat Rice, Bob McNab; Peter Storey, Frank McLintock, Peter Simpson; George Armstrong, George Graham, John Radford, Ray Kennedy, Charlie George. Sub: Eddie Kelly. Coach: Bertie Mee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scousers<\/span>: Clemence; Lawler, Lindsay; Smith, Lloyd, Hughes; Callaghan, Hall, Toshack, Evans, Heighway. Sub: Thompson. Coach: Shankly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Attendance: 100,000<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A warm, sunny day greeted Arsenal and Liverpool to the 1970-71 FA Cup Final at Wembley Stadium. Both sides had been in excellent form, Arsenal winning 9 of their last 11 games, Liverpool losing only 2 of their last 15. The Gunners were buoyed by having clinched their first league title since 1953 in a rescheduled final league fixture at the Lane, only 5 days earlier. However, there were rumours of extended nocturnal celebrations in the White Hart pub in Southgate, although Charlie George claims he went home to bed! The Scousers had finished in 5th<\/sup> place, 14 points behind Arsenal but had had a few extra days rest since their final league game. Yet this Arsenal team had shown huge resilience throughout the season, playing away ties in every FA Cup round and recovering from 2-0 down to Stoke in the semi-final.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Figure 1: Bertie Mee (left) and Frank McLintock lead out the Arsenal team at Wembley Stadium, Charlie George demonstrating nonchalance and skill with the ball. Bill Shankly (right) leads out the supporting cast. From www.Arsenal.com<\/em><\/center><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Peter Storey had missed the match at the Lane due to an\nankle injury sustained in Arsenal\u2019s penultimate league fixture against Stoke but\npassed a late test and returned to the starting eleven to replace Eddie Kelly. Frank\nMcLintock, recently voted Player of the Year, captained Arsenal though his\nrecord of four defeats in four previous Wembley finals (2 for Leicester, 2 for\nArsenal) must have preyed on his mind just as two consecutive Wembley cup final\ndefeats in recent years must have cautioned even the most optimistic fan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Frank won the toss and elected to change ends. Liverpool started on the front foot and Arsenal found it difficult to get the ball. In the first 30 seconds Heighway, regularly lauded by commentators for being the only Irishman ever to gain a University degree, was brought down at the edge of our box. Brian Moore described this as \u201can almost violent\u201d challenge by Peter Storey, a player much beloved by the Guvna. Tommy Smith, the famously reticent Scouse captain gesticulated towards Peter Storey and earnestly but unsuccessfully encouraged referee Norman Burtenshaw to give him an early booking. The free kick sailed high and wide. Frank McLintock then immediately fouled Toshack near our right bye-line. That free kick also soared high and wide. Frank then clattered Toshack on our left flank conceding our third foul in the game\u2019s first 70 seconds. This free kick rebounded off George Armstrong and we immediately conceded our fourth free kick in the first 2 minutes when Peter Simpson bumped Evans. Brian Moore observed that \u201cArsenal were beginning to clatter in a bit!\u201d From this free kick there was brief panic in our box as Hall wriggled through but he was dispossessed. The clearance found Ray Kennedy unmarked. Ray ran unopposed into the opposition half but sent the ball past Clemence\u2019s far post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The game then settled down to fairly even possession and mutual\ncut-and-thrust with nice link-up play down our left between George Armstrong,\nBob McNab and George Graham and on our right between Pat Rice, Peter Storey,\nJohn Radford and Charlie George but neither team created a direct threat on\ngoal. Gradually Arsenal began to dominate possession encouraging Arsenal fans\nto be more vocal than the celebrated Scouse choristers. Peter Storey provided Arsenal\u2019s\nfirst threat, appearing in the 6-yard box on the end of a long ball from Bob\nMcNab but he was beaten to it by Lloyd. Play was scrappy for the next 10\nminutes, both sides repeatedly turning the ball over in midfield and achieving\nno meaningful penetration until Ray Kennedy pounced on a back-pass by Hall.\nSadly, he couldn\u2019t find the target. Peter Storey then played a long through ball\nto Ray Kennedy who found George Graham moving into Liverpool\u2019s box but Clemence\nand Lawler smothered the opportunity. Meanwhile Arsenal\u2019s defenders were effectively\nblunting Liverpool\u2019s attack who resorted to high balls into the box without\nthreatening Bob Wilson. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

George Graham was strolling elegantly past midfield challenges,\nrarely misplacing a pass. After 20 minutes he played a through ball for John\nRadford forcing Clemence to sprint out of his box to block the move. Midway\nthrough the first half co-commentator Jimmy Hill described Arsenal as \u2018almost\ncocksure the way they were strolling around in the middle of the field\u2019. Arsenal\nwere definitely the better team and the best chances so far had fallen to\nKennedy and Radford. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

John Radford then blocked a Clemence kick from hands which\nupset the Liverpool players a tad and it was deemed an unfair challenge. Seconds\nlater, a George Armstrong cross from the left was headed skywards by Ray\nKennedy giving Peter Storey a heading opportunity at the far post. Storey\ncollided with Clemence as he caught the ball which upset Liverpool\u2019s players\nagain. Scousers do outrage well. Seconds later a beautiful cross-field ball\nfrom Charlie George found John Radford on the left. Raddy hurdled a lunge from\nSmith to deliver a far post cross which Lindsay headed behind as Peter Storey again\ncame charging in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After 30 minutes the game reverted to alternate thrusts from\nboth teams, the biggest Liverpool threat being a deep cross from the left by Heighway\nwhich Toshack missed completely. From a George Armstrong corner, a Peter Storey\nshot from the edge of the box went just over. A few minutes later a Charlie\nGeorge shot from 40 yards also went just over. Sadly, a surging run from the\nhalfway line into the box by Pat Rice ended disappointingly with a tame ball.\nThe Arsenal defence had confined Liverpool to unthreatening long balls into our\nbox but a speculative shot from 30 yards by Smith forced Bob Wilson into his\nfirst save. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As half-time loomed, the best chance of the match fell to George Armstrong in the 6-yard box when he met a John Radford cross from the right but his header was blocked by a reflex save by Clemence. Liverpool were then awarded a centrally located free kick 20 yards out after Peter Simpson dispossessed Evans with a sliding challenge. Callaghan squared it left to Lindsay whose low left foot shot forced Bob Wilson into a full length save at his left-hand post to turn it wide. Wilson then followed the ball out to block Lawler\u2019s cross back in. The whistle went for half time as the resultant corner was taken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Half Time: Arsenal 0-0 Liverpool<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

First half possession had been fairly even but Arsenal had\nused the ball far better and created more goal threat. After the stormy first\ncouple of minutes the Arsenal defence had forced Liverpool to rely on punts\ntowards Toshack whom Frank McLintock and Peter Simpson had marshalled\neffectively. George Graham and Charlie George had looked very assured in midfield.\nHowever, our only attempt on target was George Armstrong\u2019s late header and we\nhad Bob Wilson to thank for an excellent late save to preserve status quo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGood Old Arsenal\u201d rang around the stadium before Arsenal\nkicked off the second half. The game then everted to end to end probing with\nlittle end product. From a long ball down the left by Bob McNab, John Radford neatly\nchipped Lawler inside the Liverpool penalty area. Raddy then clipped the ball\nto Ray Kennedy, unmarked in the six-yard box, but his left-foot shot hit\nClemence and went wide. From the corner a looping header by John Radford was grasped\nat his post by Clemence as Ray Kennedy challenged. Arsenal dominated the next ten\nminutes with silky midfield play and probing balls but only Charlie George\u2019s marginally\nwide drive from 25 yards threatened a goal. At the other end the Arsenal\ndefence looked extremely comfortable. Liverpool\u2019s principal tactic remained easily\nmopped up high balls towards Toshack. A few minutes later another Charlie\nGeorge shot from the edge of the box went just wide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After 63 minutes Eddie Kelly replaced Peter Storey who had\nbeen limping after an early second half knock. An exciting run from John\nRadford down the left ended in a neat turn and right foot shot inside the box straight\nat Clemence. A lovely chip into the box by Pat Rice was then cleared to George\nArmstrong whose shot from the edge of the box lacked power and direction.\nLiverpool were struggling to match Arsenal\u2019s threat. Another break down the\nleft by John Radford came to naught as his attempted cross was blocked by\nHughes at the edge of the box. John Radford\u2019s pace persistently troubled\nLiverpool\u2019s defence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Liverpool then substituted Thompson for Evans and with his\nfirst touch he beat Pat Rice and put in a cross to the far post for Toshack\nwhose knock down was cleared by Peter Simpson\u2019s spectacular overhead kick. Liverpool\nwere invigorated by Thompson\u2019s arrival and began to assert themselves but it\nwas the Arsenal who came closest as the last 15 minutes loomed. A low cross by\nJohn Radford from the right, was met at the near post by Ray Kennedy whose shot\nfrom 6 yards skipped just wide. Seconds later, Pat Rice ran onto a John Radford\nthrough ball but was sent tumbling in the box by Hughes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With under 15 minutes to go, a long throw from John Radford\non the right was met at the near post by George Graham who flicked the ball\ngoalward but Clemence touched it away and a panicking Smith turned it behind.\nFrom the corner George Graham met the ball 6 yards out and firmly headed it towards\nthe far post but it was cleared off the line by Lindsay. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A rare Liverpool breakaway through Heighway was comfortably\nmanaged by Bob McNab and Bob Wilson. Another high ball into the box from\nHeighway on the right was knocked off Toshack\u2019s head and gathered comfortably\nby Bob Wilson at the far post. A few minutes later Bob Wilson easily gathered\nanother Thompson high cross to the far post. Liverpool were being more\nassertive but remained somewhat predictable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With under ten minutes left a beautiful curling ball from Pat Rice found an unmarked Ray Kennedy in the middle of the Liverpool box – but he was offside. Another long throw from the right by John Radford caused a melee at the near post as the ball bounced across goal but ended with a free kick for a George Armstrong push. Then a cross from the right by George Armstrong was headed down by Ray Kennedy at the edge of the box to George Graham who shot straight at Clemence. At the other end Hall beat two Arsenal players to get sight of goal but his shot from the edge of the box soared well over. Liverpool then reverted to the high ball towards Toshack whose knockdown was cleared by Eddie Kelly. With 4 minutes left, John Radford picked up a loose ball outside the Liverpool box and slipped it to Ray Kennedy, clear in the box, but his left foot shot sailed past the far post. As full-time loomed, Liverpool roused themselves to throw several deep crosses into the Arsenal box, all cut out easily by Bob Wilson.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Full Time Arsenal 0-0 Liverpool<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arsenal had dominated the second half even more than they\nhad dominated the first, creating but spurning several more chances. Their\nefforts on this hot sunny day had seemed to take a toll in the last ten\nminutes. Don Howe vigorously encouraged exhausted players sprawled on the\ntouchline to one last effort. Could they find a second wind and rise to the\nchallenge?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Liverpool won the toss and chose to change ends to face the\nway they would have done in the first half had Frank McLintock not chosen to\nchange ends at kick-off. As Arsenal settled into extra time, \u201cGood Old Arsenal\u201d\nrang around the stadium but with less than two minutes played a speculative Peter\nSimpson punt from halfway was headed out to Thompson who fed Heighway on the\nleft. He drew Pat Rice then struck a left foot shot from a wide angle that skimmed\nbetween Bob Wilson and his near post. Disaster! Bob wouldn\u2019t be happy to watch\nthat again. Could tired Arsenal legs respond?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arsenal 0-1 Liverpool<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Liverpool tails were up. Bob Wilson had to look lively to\nsave a shot from Hall in the box from a Toshack knock-down from a corner. The\nLiverpool dirge rang out for the first time as George Armstrong was felled by\nSmith at the angle of their box. The free kick was blocked and Heighway\nsprinted away into our half only to produce a tragic \u2018dying swan\u2019 dive when\ntackled by Bob McNab. The Liverpool trainer came on and treated Heighway for\ncramp. Arsenal players were suddenly unable to hold onto the ball when they regained\npossession,. A Thompson dribble ended with Bob McNab blocking his shot. Frank McLintock\u2019s\ndiving header cleared a Hall cross. Then Frank had to make a game saving penalty\narea challenge on Hughes running onto a Smith through ball. We were under siege\nand Liverpool looked the better side for the first time since the first two\nminutes of the match. Nonetheless, Arsenal heads didn\u2019t drop. This was a team\nthat had recovered from 2-0 down to Stoke in the semi-final.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With ten minutes of extra time gone, George Armstrong\nrekindled Arsenal belief with a dribble into the Liverpool box from the right forcing\na desperate clearance by Lloyd. The corner was cleared for an Arsenal throw on\nthe left. Bob McNab threw the ball to Ray Kennedy in midfield. He played a\none-two with Charlie George then passed it forward to John Radford who was standing\ncentrally, about 30 yards out, with his back to goal. Unchallenged, Raddy\nflicked the ball up then lofted it over his head into the Liverpool box. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ball fell towards the penalty spot where Eddie Kelly and Hughes jumped for it. It squirmed between Eddie Kelly and Hughes and landed on the ground between their legs. Smith joined the pair and got in their way. Eddie got a toe to the ball first, nudging it towards Clemence\u2019s right-hand post. Now everything seemed to happen in slow motion until Gorgeous George ran in from the left and appeared to flick the ball into the goal past the onrushing Clemence from 6 yards. George continued his run celebrating as if he had scored. To this day, both Eddie and George claim the equaliser.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Figure 2: Running in from the left George Graham (top left) appears to stroke the equaliser past Clemence after Eddie Kelly’s toe poke towards goal. A screenshot from the www.footballia.net match video. A clearer picture may be seen in a Daily Mail article at https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/sport\/football\/article-4429884\/Charlie-George-Eddie-Kelly-beating-Manchester-City.html<\/em><\/center><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

At the post-match banquet, match commentators Jimmy Hill and\nBrian Moore revealed that slow-motion replays demonstrated that George hadn\u2019t\ntouched the ball at all. His run towards the ball had simply distracted\nClemence who otherwise looked set to smother it. A scrappy equaliser but they\nall count and who cares who scored? Game on!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arsenal 1-1 Liverpool<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Liverpool kicked off to trenchant cries of \u201cArsenal,\nArsenal, Arsenal\u201d and the Arsenal players were back on the front foot. Eddie\nKelly surged through midfield, found George Armstrong unmarked on the right and\nalmost met his high return ball to the far post but had it plucked off his head\nby Clemence. Spaces began to appear all over the pitch. Thompson raced down\ntheir left and squared to Toshack in our box but he was dispossessed by a\ntireless Charlie George. Liverpool then reverted to punting long balls forward\nmeanwhile Ray Kennedy won the ball in midfield slipped it to John Radford whose\ndrive from 30 yards was again straight at Clemence. Arsenal immediately\nregained possession and Ray Kennedy again set up John Radford who played a\none-two with George Armstrong on the edge of the box but was then tackled by\nSmith as he ran towards goal. As the first half of extra time came towards a\nclose Arsenal now appeared the fitter team and were again dominating possession.\nLiverpool were now struggling to retain the ball though Thompson did tee up Toshack\nwho sent it well over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ET HT Arsenal 1-1 Liverpool<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Arsenal players appeared eager to get on with the game\nwhereas the opposition were slow to resume for kick off. Most now had their\nsocks round their ankles. The first chance fell to Liverpool: a Toshack header\nfrom a Lindsay cross that went well wide. Ray Kennedy then shot wide after\npicking up the ball in midfield and driving at the Liverpool defence \u2013 he certainly\nstill had energy! Thompson was Liverpool\u2019s principal ball carrier but their\nstrategy remained high balls towards an increasingly immobile and easily\nmarshalled Toshack. Hall collapsed with cramp. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arsenal again clearly looked the more purposeful team,\nlinking up well with willing runners. Thompson provided Liverpool\u2019s only threat\nwith a far post cross from the right that skimmed off Toshack\u2019s head. George\nGraham then sent a long ball into the box towards Ray Kennedy but Smith leapt\nacross to clear. Clemence then had to collect an overhead kick from Peter\nSimpson after a long throw by John Radford. Arsenal kept regaining possession from\nClemence\u2019s goal-kicks and pushed forward into the wide-open spaces left by the\nLiverpool players. George Armstrong raced down the right but crossed into the\nside netting with an irritated Radford clear in the box. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With 111 minutes gone, George Graham headed Clemence\u2019s goal-kick to John Radford on the left. Raddy played a one-two-three with Charlie George who was ahead and to his right. Taking the return pass, Charlie then took a stride towards the edge of the box and fired the ball past Clemence\u2019s right hand. He turned and sprinted back a few yards then collapsed to the ground in his iconic celebration. Watch Charlie\u2019s equaliser here: https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=so_QY7IkYFc<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Figure 3: Charlie George watches his shot from the edge of the box fly past a despairing Clemence to win the FA Cup for Arsenal and complete a historic first double for the club. From www.pinterest.co.uk<\/em><\/center><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Arsenal 2-1 Liverpool<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unsurprisingly Liverpool\u2019s response was a high cross towards\nToshack that was easily taken by Bob Wilson. Lloyd then had to intercept a John\nRadford through ball to Charlie George in the box. Toshack finally nodded a\nhigh cross down to a team-mate but Lawler blasted over from the edge of our box.\nEddie Kelly now made several excellent challenges to snuff out Liverpool\u2019s\nmidfield as they tried to work an equaliser to force a replay three days later\nat Hillsborough. Arsenal then produced a multiplayer move to run down the clock\nand John Radford hit a piledriver from the right that was well saved by\nClemence. Another hopeful Liverpool punt was headed away by Peter Simpson for a\ncorner which Bob Wilson collected easily just before the referee blew\nfull-time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Full-time Arsenal 2-1 Liverpool<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arsenal had won their first double! Apart from the first two minutes and a short period after Liverpool\u2019s goal, Arsenal had been clearly the better team, dominating possession and creating but spurning many more goal-scoring opportunities. Every player had played his part with George Graham and John Radford vying for Man of the Match. Arsenal\u2019s superior fitness in extra time was a result of Don Howe\u2019s famous exercise programme which included carrying each other up the terraces on piggy back! Never was hard work better rewarded. There can be little doubt that celebrations again went long into the night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Figure 5: Frank McLintock borne on the shoulders of his triumphant team mates, finally holds the FA Cup aloft. From www.Arsenal.com<\/em><\/center><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On that sunny Saturday afternoon, it looked as if this was an\nArsenal team that might dominate English football for several years. Sadly,\nthat was not to be. Jon Sammels, an underappreciated scorer of key goals, who\nplayed no part in the final, was already half-way out the door. Don Howe left later\nthat summer to become manager of West Brom, taking two coaches and the critical\ncomponents of resilience and belief with him. The purchase of Alan Ball, a\nsecond consecutive cup final in 1972 and the club\u2019s failure to achieve\nsustained dominance are another story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Further sources:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ITV Big Match footage of this match with commentary by Brian Moore and Jimmy Hill is available on Footballia (https:\/\/footballia.net\/matches\/arsenal-fc-liverpool-fc<\/a>). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A very good interview with Eddie Kelly and Charlie George and a very good image of the equalising goal are available here: https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/sport\/football\/article-4429884\/Charlie-George-Eddie-Kelly-beating-Manchester-City.html<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Arsenal FC vs. Liverpool FC – 8th May 1971 Arsenal: Bob Wilson; Pat Rice, Bob McNab; Peter Storey, Frank McLintock, Peter Simpson; George Armstrong, George Graham, John Radford, Ray Kennedy, Charlie George. Sub: Eddie Kelly. Coach: Bertie Mee. Scousers: Clemence; Lawler, Lindsay; Smith, Lloyd, Hughes; Callaghan, Hall, Toshack, Evans, Heighway. Sub: Thompson. Coach: Shankly. Attendance: […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[12,6],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/832"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=832"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/832\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":878,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/832\/revisions\/878"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=832"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=832"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=832"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}