Date: Saturday, 11th April 1970.

Venue: Wembley Stadium, London.

Competition: FA Cup Final.

Score: Chelsea 2 Leeds United 2

Scorers: Chelsea: Houseman, Hutchinson. Leeds United: Charlton, Jones.

Attendance: 100,000 (Receipts £128,272).

Teams:

Chelsea: Bonetti; Webb, McCreadie; Hollins, Dempsey, Harris (Hinton); Baldwin, Houseman, Osgood, Hutchinson, Cooke.

Leeds United: Sprake; Madeley, Cooper; Bremner, Charlton, Hunter; Lorimer, Clarke, Jones, Giles, Gray. Unused Sub: Bates

Referee: Mr E. T. Jennings (Stourbridge, Worcestershire).

Few FA Cup Finals could match this classic game for drama and excitement. For United it represented the last real opportunity for glory in a season that had promised so much. In the days leading up to the big game at Wembley, jaded United were forced to concede their League title to Everton and had seen Celtic win 1-0 at Elland Road in the first leg of their European Cup Semi-Final showdown. With Paul Reaney out of the Final after breaking a leg in a League game at West Ham United the previous week, many critics felt the enormous backlog of top matches had finally caught up with United and that the psychological advantage lay with Chelsea. Against Celtic in that European Cup semi-final, Leeds had looked lethargic, but against Chelsea at Wembley, the spring was back in their stride and they produced football of the highest quality, and yet failed to return back to Yorkshire with the FA Cup. Wembley looked more like Blackpool beach, with masses of sand spread over the pitch in an effort to patch up the damage caused by the recent Horse of the Year show at the stadium.

United, sensing the game was their last real chance of ending the season with a trophy, outplayed Chelsea for most of the match, with a sparkling display of attacking football with ‘Man of the Match’ Eddie Gray being in devastating form and totally dominating his opposing full-back, David Webb.Yet United could never convert their superiority into goals that would put the game beyond the reach of the resilient Londoners. Leeds scored first in the twenty-first minute with a curious goal. Eddie Gray took an in-swinging corner on the right, Jack Charlton headed towards goal with little power, but the ball eluded the swinging legs of two Chelsea defenders and trickled gently over the line. It looked as if the pitch was again the cause, with another freak goal twenty minutes later as Chelsea drew level. Houseman, deputising for the injured Alan Hudson, cut in from the left, put in a rather weak, if hopeful, long range shot, and Gary Sprake, seemingly mistiming his dive, allowed the ball to slither under his body.

Determined Leeds pushed forward and Eddie Gray rattled the cross-bar with a tremendous shot near the end before United scored the goal they thought would lift the Cup. An Allan Clarke header hit the post in the eighty-third minute and Mick Jones was on hand to smack home the rebound with a left-foot shot. The trophy looked destined for Elland Road but, four minutes later, the usually solid Leeds defence was caught napping following a free-kick and Ian Hutchinson headed in a second equaliser from Hollins’ accurate centre from a quickly taken Ron Harris free-kick.

Even as the sand sapped aching limbs in extra-time, United still carried the game to Chelsea. The dancing Eddie Gray skipped through the Chelsea defence for the umpteenth time to put over a cross which Johnny Giles volleyed towards goal but David Webb made his one positive contribution to the game as he got the ball away. As the first half of extra-time was approaching the elusive Allan Clarke hit a snap volley against the crossbar. Fine saves from Bonetti, the woodwork, defensive mistakes and chelsea’s determination had prevented United from winning the Cup.

At the final whistle two weary teams, who had become the first to fail to find a winner since the Final had moved to Wembley in 1923, shared a lap of honour knowing that battle would recommence eighteen days later to extend United’s marathon season still further.

Match Action:

Billy Bremner and Gary Sprake before the Billy Bremner greets Princess Margaret

kick-off

Billy Bremner, Gary Sprake, Paul Madeley, Johnny Giles, Norman Hunter, David Webb gets his kick in

Terry Cooper, Mick Jones, Eddie Gray, Peter Lorimer, Mick Bates, Allan Clarke

and Jack Charlton line up for the formal introduction

Jack Charlton watches as Eddie McCreadie and Ron Harris fail to stop his header

Allan Clarke’s header hits the post, but Mick Jones was on hand to score United’s second goal

Gary Sprake saves as Jack Charlton and Norman Hunter look on

Mick Jones wins a heading duel with David Webb as Allan Clarke looks on

Allan Clarke tries a diving header

Eddie Gray taunts David Webb Eddie Gray on the run

Jack Charlton takes on Tommy Baldwin

Eddie Gray skips past David Webb Jack Charlton takes the ball from Tommy Baldwin

Teams: