The FA Cup has long been one of the most famous cups in the sport. In the club game, few domestic cups can match the fervor of this one, which pits some of the best club teams in Europe against non-league teams in some third-round fixtures. The FA Cup final is the biggest game in English soccer, and these are some of its best-ever finals.
In 1953, Blackpool came up against Bolton. While most FA Cup finals only feature a few goals scored, typically one, two, or three, this cup final had plenty. The final had some terrific displays from two Blackpool stars, Mortenson and Matthews, which made this one of the best played at the Twin Towers.
Whilst Bolton started the stronger of the two teams, with an early goal to put them in front, Blackpool equalized later in the first half. At the interval, it was 2-1 to Bolton. In the second half, Bolton extended their lead to make the score 3-1. The game seemed over until Mortenson pulled one back with a little over 20 minutes on the clock.
The final minutes of this game were comparable to Utd’s Champions League final victory in 1999. Mortenson popped up to equalize and complete a hat trick with just minutes on the clock. With the game seemingly headed for extra time, Matthews cut back a diagonal pass, which found its way to Perry to shoot home the winning goal a minute or so before the final whistle was blown. The final score was Blackpool 4, Bolton 3.
Tottenham and Man City met in the 1981 final. This cup final was a replay, as the first match ended 1-1. In the replay, it was Tottenham that scored first when Villa put them one goal in front within 10 minutes. Their lead lasted barely three minutes, with Mackenzie’s sweet volley equalizing for City.
The game was 1-1 at halftime, and after the interval, the referee gave Man City a penalty, which they duly converted to make the score 2-1. They held their lead until the final 20 minutes when Crooks grabbed an equalizer. After this goal, Ardiles dribbled his way past the City defenders and turned the ball past the City goalkeeper to make it Tottenham 3, Man City 2. It was a great FA Cup goal, which sealed victory for Tottenham Hotspur.
In 1990, Man Utd wasn’t making much impact in the league (a bit like today). Their FA Cup run had taken them to the final, and against Palace, they were the favorites to lift the trophy. Yet, it was Crystal Palace that took the lead in this FA Cup final.
Two Utd goals from Robson and Hughes had seemingly put Utd on course for victory. Wright equalized for Palace, and the game ended 2-2. In the extra-time period, there were further goals, with Palace going 3-2 up before a late Utd equalizer ensured the final went to a replay. Palace had gone close to clinching the FA Cup, but in the replay, it was Utd that triumphed and won their first trophy of what would be a great decade for the club.
Liverpool and West Ham played out this 2006 final at the Cardiff Stadium, which was filling the interim before the opening of the New Wembley. It would have been a great first final at the New Wembley, as this was a classic FA Cup final. Liverpool were the favorites to lift the trophy, but West Ham almost nicked it.
West Ham went in front when Carragher put the ball in his team’s net. The Hammers extended their lead shortly after when Ashton poked home their second goal. The first half ebbed and flowed, and Liverpool pulled a goal back before the interval with the score at 2-1.
In the second half, Liverpool equalized shortly after the break when Gerrard put them back on level terms. With the scoreline all square, Liverpool began to press for the winner, but West Ham went in front again when Konchesky looped the ball into the back of the Liverpool net. It may have actually been a stray cross that landed in the back of Liverpool’s net. Within the final minutes of the game, Gerrard scored a late equalizer with a fantastic 30-yard strike.
This took the game into extra time, but neither team could break the deadlock during this period. The game ended 3-3 and went to penalties. During the shoot-out, Liverpool emerged victorious and lifted the FA Cup trophy again.
The FA Cup is the world’s best domestic cup because it has a certain magic many others cannot match. The four classic FA Cup finals discussed above truly showed the magic of the cup. They were matches that had lots of goals and plenty of drama.
If you love sports, download Stadium Rant from the Apple App Store and join one of the fastest-growing social sports communities. Be sure to follow us on socials too — you can find all our profiles on our Linktree.
