1972 FA Cup Final

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. 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.

Match summary

Leeds were the better team all through. Their back four had no trouble in mastering the Arsenal attacks and negating the threat posed by strikers George and Radford. By contrast, the Leeds front runners, Clarke and Jones, continually harassed the Arsenal defence.Fact|date=February 2007

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 shoulder and had to be helped up the steps by Norman Hunter to receive his winners' medal.

Match facts

footballbox
date=1972-05-06
15:00 BST
team1=Leeds United
score=1 – 0
team2=Arsenal
report= [http://www.fa-cupfinals.co.uk/1972.htm (Report)]
goals1=Clarke goal|53
goals2=
stadium=Wembley, London
attendance=100,000
referee=David Smith

Road to Wembley

External links

* [http://www.fa-cupfinals.co.uk/1972prog.htm Match Programme] at fa-cupfinals.co.uk
* [http://www.soccerbase.com/results3.sd?gameid=258939 Game facts] at soccerbase.com
* [http://www.soccerbase.com/cup2.sd?competitionid=58&seasonid=101 Full Results from the 1972 FA Cup competition] at soccerbase.com