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1972 FA Cup Final
Old Wembley Stadium (external view)
EventFA Cup 1971–72
Date6 May 1972
VenueWembley Stadium, London
1971
1973

The 1972 FA Cup Final took place on 6 May 1972 at Wembley Stadium. It was the Centenary final (although only the 91st final due to world wars) and the 44th to be played at Wembley.

It was contested between cup holders Arsenal, who had won the English Championship and FA Cup the previous season, and Leeds United, who had won the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup and finished 2nd in the league the previous season. They had never won the trophy before.

Arsenal planned to make it the third decade for a club to return as Cup-holders and win again for the second successive year, as Newcastle had done in 1952 and Tottenham in 1962.

The final is also the origin of the song Leeds! Leeds! Leeds! (commonly known as Marching On Together) as the B-side of the Leeds cup final song, played to this day by United and several other Leeds sports teams.

Road to Wembley[]

Leeds United[]

Home teams listed first.

Round 3: Leeds United 4–1 Bristol Rovers

Round 4: Liverpool 0–0 Leeds United

Replay: Leeds United 2–0 Liverpool

Round 5: Cardiff City 0–2 Leeds United

 
 

Round 6: Leeds United 2–1 Tottenham Hotspur

Semi-final: Leeds United 3–0 Birmingham City

(at Hillsborough Stadium, Sheffield)
 
 

Arsenal[]

Home teams listed first.

Round 3: Swindon Town 0–2 Arsenal

Round 4: Reading 1 –2 Arsenal

 

Round 5: Derby County 2–2 Arsenal

Replay: Arsenal 0–0 Derby County
2nd Replay: Arsenal 1–0 Derby County (at Filbert Street)

Round 6: Leyton Orient 0–1 Arsenal

Semi-final: Stoke City 1–1 Arsenal

(at Villa Park, Birmingham)
Replay: Arsenal 2–1 Stoke City
(at Goodison Park, Everton)

Match summary[]

The Jones-Clarke combination produced a goal in the fifty-third minute. Jones sent across a hard, shoulder-high centre and 'Sniffer' Clarke headed powerfully past Barnett's left hand from fifteen yards.

A match that often fell below the highest level began badly with a foul by Clarke on Ball in the first five seconds and the first of four bookings — McNab bringing down Lorimer as early as the second minute. Neither side played consistently up to their capabilities, yet both had their moments. George's fierce volley cannoned back off the bar for Arsenal, and both Clarke and Lorimer struck the woodwork for Leeds.

Leeds' jubilation at the end was tempered by a last-minute injury to Mick Jones, who dislocated his elbow and had to be helped up the steps by Norman Hunter to receive his winners' medal.

Match facts[]

6 May 1972
15:00 BST
Leeds United 1–0 Arsenal Wembley, London
Attendance: 100,000
Referee: David Smith
Clarke Goal 53' (Report)
Kit left arm.svg
Kit body.svg
Kit right arm.svg
Kit shorts.svg
Kit socks long
Leeds United
Kit left arm redborder
Kit left arm.svg
Kit body whitecollarsimple
Kit body.svg
Kit right arm redborder
Kit right arm.svg
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Kit socks redtop whitestripe
Kit socks long
Arsenal
GK 1 Flag of Scotland David Harvey
RB 2 Flag of England Paul Reaney
LB 3 Flag of England Paul Madeley
MF 4 Flag of Scotland Billy Bremner (c)
CB 5 Flag of England Jack Charlton
CB 6 Flag of England Norman Hunter
RW 7 Flag of Scotland Peter Lorimer
FW 8 Flag of England Allan Clarke
FW 9 Flag of England Mick Jones
MF 10 Flag of Republic of Ireland Johnny Giles
LW 11 Flag of Scotland Eddie Gray
Substitute:
MF 12 Flag of England Mick Bates
Manager:
Flag of England Don Revie
GK 1 Flag of England Geoff Barnett
RB 2 Flag of Northern Ireland Pat Rice
LB 3 Flag of England Bob McNab
MF 4 Flag of England Peter Storey
CB 5 Flag of Scotland Frank McLintock (c)
CB 6 Flag of England Peter Simpson
MF 7 Flag of England George Armstrong
MF 8 Flag of England Alan Ball
FW 9 Flag of England Charlie George
FW 10 Flag of England John Radford Substituted off in the 73rd minute 73'
MF 11 Flag of Scotland George Graham
Substitute:
FW 12 Flag of England Ray Kennedy Substituted on in the 73rd minute 73'
Manager:
Flag of England Bertie Mee

Match rules

  • 90 minutes.
  • 30 minutes of extra-time if necessary.
  • Replay if scores still level.
  • One named substitute.

External links[]

FA Cup
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Template:1971–72 in English football

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