1956 FA Cup Final

Birmingham began with manager Arthur Turner requiring his team to match their Third Division opponents Torquay United for fighting spirit, and to produce a "90-minute performance". The players complied; 4–0 up at half-time, they finished as comfortable 7–1 winners. [cite news |url=http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:AWNB:BEMB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=10F03C507338AFA8&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=0D0CB57AB53DF815 |title=Football: It was 50 years ago today |author=Halford, Brian |work=Birmingham Mail |date=2006-01-07 |accessdate=2008-07-29] In the fourth round, Leyton Orient potentially posed more of a problem, having beaten Birmingham at the same stage four years previously, [cite book |author=Matthews, Tony |title=Birmingham City: A Complete Record |year=1995 |publisher=Breedon Books |location=Derby |isbn=978-1-85983-010-9|pages=p. 187] but in the event the win was equally comfortable, Eddy Brown adding two goals to his hat-trick at Torquay.cite news |url=http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:AWNB:BEMB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=100C28CB49836265&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=0D0CB57AB53DF815 |title=Football: Boys of '56 make case for defence |work=Birmingham Evening Mail |author=Halford, Brian |date=2004-02-14 |accessdate=2008-07-16] A tight local derby game followed on a snow-covered frozen pitch at The Hawthorns. In the first half, Gil Merrick and his defence did well to keep West Bromwich Albion out, with Trevor Smith having to clear an Ronnie Allen header from under the crossbar. In the second half, Birmingham wasted several chances before a one-two with Brown allowed Peter Murphy to score from the edge of the area. [cite news |title=Birmingham prevail. Rugged defence holds out |work=The Times |page=4 |date=1956-02-20]

Against Arsenal on a muddy pitch, after first-half goals from Gordon Astall and Murphy, Birmingham went 3–0 up through Brown with 20 minutes left; two minutes later, Arsenal scored from 30 yards, Birmingham were unsettled, and Merrick needed to make a fine save from Vic Groves. [cite news |title=Birmingham worthy victors |work=The Times |page=4 |date=1956-03-05] Manager Turner used to encourage the players to sing on the way to important matches in order to relieve the tension. Scotsman Alex Govan's contribution, Harry Lauder's rousing "Keep right on to the end of the road", was adopted by his team-mates, and as the team coach approached Highbury with the windows wound down, the fans joined in, continuing their rendition during the game. Turner felt the motivation from such a powerful song played a significant part in the day's victory. [cite book |year=2004 |month=May |chapter=Keep Right On |title=Blues: The official magazine of Birmingham City FC |pages=pp. 48–49 |publisher=Ian Drew and Eric Partridge |location=Birmingham]

Semi-final opponents Sunderland found Birmingham without "hard-man" left-half Roy Warhurst, who had injured a thigh against Arsenal, but in Jack Badham they had an effective replacement.cite news |title=To-day's football |work=The Times |page=14 |date=1956-04-18] cite news
title=Teamwork beats Sunderland |work=The Times |page=5 |date=1956-03-19] The club's official history describes this as "probably the finest team performance against top class opposition ever produced" by a Birmingham team.cite book
author=Lewis, Peter (ed.) |title=Keeping right on since 1875. The Official History of Birmingham City Football Club |chapter=10 memorable matches |pages=pp. 43–45 |year=2000 |publisher=Arrow |location=Lytham |isbn=1-900722-12-7] They attacked from the kick-off, Noel Kinsey scoring early, and nullified Sunderland's pressure and the threat of Len Shackleton. The second goal came from a passing move down the left side finished by Astall, and as Sunderland threw everyone forward, leaving themselves open at the back, Brown picked up a long through ball and lobbed the goalkeeper. Astall said afterwards that he was surprised they had not scored five, [Matthews, "Complete Record", p. 28.] and Brown wrote in his newspaper column:

Now Sunderland found out how hard it is to score against this terrific defence of ours. Not for nothing have we scored 18 goals against two (both of them freaks) conceded in five ties all away from home. What can I say to do justice to that brilliant goalkeeper Gil Merrick, to wonderful young Trevor Smith and to the matchless Jeff Hall and Ken Green? Once again they mixed the old cement and constructed that brilliant wall of a defence. Sunderland would have needed to call in a firm of demolition contractors to destroy it.

In reaching the final Birmingham City achieved a feat which had never been previously accomplished, as they did not play a single tie at home.cite news |title=Every Prospect of a Good Final |work=The Times |page=4 |date=1956-05-05]

Build-up

The 1956 final was the second time Birmingham had reached the showpiece match, having lost 2–1 to West Bromwich Albion in the 1931 final. Manchester City were appearing in the final for the sixth time, and for the second consecutive year. They had two previous wins (1904 and 1934), and had been beaten in the final three times (in 1926, 1933 and 1955). Though Birmingham had less previous pedigree in the competition, among the press they were viewed as favourites. The "Daily Telegraph" contrasted Birmingham's "dazzling Cup run" with the manner in which Manchester City "scraped through", describing the Midlanders as "firm favourites". [cite book |last=James |first=Gary |title=Manchester – A Football History |publisher=James Ward |location=Halifax |date=2008 |isbn=978-0-9558127-0-5|pages=p. 204]

During the 1950s the FA Cup final was the only football match to be televised nationally, resulting in heightened media attention for the players and clubs involved. The Birmingham players signed an exclusive contract with the BBC committing them to appear only on BBC programmes in the weeks leading up to the final. [cite news |title=Cup Final team's B.B.C. contract |work=The Times |page=10 |date=1956-03-28] Manchester City spent the week preceding the final at a training camp in Eastbourne. Two days before the final Bert Trautmann was named FWA Footballer of the Year.Rowlands, "Trautmann: The Biography", p. 177.]

For Manchester City, eight players who had played in the previous year's final were selected. Press speculation in the run-up to the match pondered which of Don Revie and Bobby Johnstone would be selected, as Johnstone had been suffering from a calf problem, but an injury to Billy Spurdle meant both appeared in the line-up, Johnstone switching to outside-right. Bill Leivers was also an injury doubt due to a twisted ankle, but was passed fit for the final.

Birmingham also had doubts over their selection. Wing half Roy Warhurst injured a thigh in the sixth round at Arsenal and played no further part in the season. Len Boyd had for some time been suffering from a debilitating back problem, and relied on injections to keep him playing;cite book |author=Matthews, Tony |title=The Legends of Birmingham City |publisher=Breedon Books |location=Derby |year=2006 |isbn=978-1-85983-519-7] he missed five of the last seven games of the season, [Matthews, "Complete Record", p. 191.] and was sufficiently doubtful for the final that manager Turner named four half-backs in his 13-man squad on the eve of the game. [cite news |title=Birmingham's F.A. Cup decision |work=The Times |page=14 |date=1956-05-04] In the event, Boyd played, in Warhurst's position at left-half. Badham, who had proved an able deputy in the semi-final, was omitted, and the inexperienced 22-year-old Johnny Newman came in on the right. [Matthews, "Complete Record", pp. 114, 191.]

As the teams prepared in the dressing rooms, the crowd was led in communal singing, including songs with resonance for each of the two teams, "She's a lassie from Lancashire" and "Keep right on to the end of the road",Ward, "The Manchester City Story", p. 49.] and the traditional hymn "Abide with Me".

Match

ummary

Both teams employed the formation typical of the era: two full-backs, a centre-half, two wing-halves, two outside-forwards, two inside-forwards and a centre-forward. However, their tactical approaches differed. Birmingham, described by "The Times" as using "iron determination, powerful tackling and open direct methods", [cite news |title=F.A. Cup Clash of Styles |work=The Times |page=14 |date=1956-03-06] used the traditional English approach of getting the ball to the outside-forwards as quickly as possible, whereas Manchester City used tactics inspired by the Hungarian team which had soundly beaten England at Wembley three years before. The system involved using Don Revie in a deeper position than a traditional centre-forward in order to draw a defender out of position, and was therefore known as the "Revie Plan".

The first attacking move of the match resulted in the opening goal. Within three minutes of the start Revie began the move, exchanging passes with Roy Clarke, and back-heeling for the unmarked Hayes to sweep the ball past Gil Merrick to put Manchester City ahead. Birmingham's confidence was shaken, resulting in a series of Manchester City corners and a chance for Hayes,cite book |last=James |first=Gary |title=Manchester City - The Complete Record |publisher=Breedon |location=Derby |date=2006 |isbn= 1-85983-512-0|pages=p. 122] but they fought back to equalise in the fifteenth minute when Brown received the ball from Newman's long throw-in and flicked it back to Welsh international inside‑forward Noel Kinsey who fired home via Trautmann's far post.cite news |title=Manchester's New Triumph: F.A. Cup Attacking Plan Succeeds |work=The Times |page=14 |date=1956-05-07] For the remainder of the first half Birmingham had most of the play, exerting pressure on Manchester City full-back Leivers, but were unable to make a breakthrough.cite news
title=The Revie Plan |work=The Guardian |author=H.D. Davies |date=1956 Reprinted in cite book |last=Kelly |first=Stephen (ed.) |title=A Game of Two Halves |publisher=Mandarin|location=Derby |date=1993 |isbn=0-7493-1596-2|pages=pp. 123–126] Though Birmingham put the ball in the net twice, Brown was adjudged to be offside on both occasions. With Warhurst missing and Boyd out of position and not fully fit, Birmingham's strength and balance was disrupted, leaving them particularly vulnerable to Manchester City's unconventional style. [cite news |title=Manchester's New Triumph: F.A. Cup Attacking Plan Succeeds |work=The Times |page=14 |date=1956-05-07 |quote=Time and again, Hall, Green, Newman, Smith and Boyd found themselves out of alignment and cleverly pierced by the skilful Manchester approach.]

During the half-time interval, a row erupted between the Birmingham manager and some of his players about their fitness;cite news
url=http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:AWNB:LTIB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=0F91EC9CB17D3CEE&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=0D0CB57AB53DF815 |title=Wembley dream rekindles Birmingham spirit |work=The Times |author=Shaw, Dennis |date=1991-05-24 |accessdate=2008-05-18 |quote=There was a furious dispute in the dressing room at half-time between the manager, Arthur Turner, and players over their fitness. With internal arguments still simmering the demoralised team simply did not perform in the second half.] over in the Manchester City dressing room, a heated exchange took place between Barnes and Revie. Barnes had played defensively in the first half to counter the threat of Peter Murphy, but Revie urged him to play further forward. [Wagg & Barnes, "This Simple Game", pp. 58–59, "'Where the fuck have you been, Ken?' 'You heard what [Les] McDowall said about me marking Murphy.' 'Bollocks to that, get up here and play.'"] Sensing an advantage in condition, manager Les McDowall exhorted his players to keep possession and make their opponents chase the ball. [Rowlands, "Trautmann: The Biography", p. 178.]

The period immediately after half‑time saw few chances, but then, after just over an hour's play, Manchester City regained their stride and suddenly went two goals ahead. A throw-in to Revie led to interplay on the right wing involving Barnes, Dyson, and Johnstone, resulting in a through-ball which put Dyson clear of the defence to score. Two minutes later, Trautmann collected the ball at the end of a Birmingham attack and kicked the ball long to Dyson, over the heads of the retreating Birmingham players. Dyson flicked the ball on to Bobby Johnstone, who scored Manchester City's third,Rowlands, "Trautmann: The Biography", p. 179.] becoming the first player ever to score in consecutive Wembley finals in the process.

in goal instead. [Whittell, "Manchester City Greats", p. 21.] However, Trautmann, dazed and unsteady on his feet, insisted upon keeping his goal. He played out the remaining minutes in great pain, with the Manchester City defenders attempting to clear the ball well upfield or into the stand whenever it came near. Trautmann was called upon to make two further saves, each of which caused him to reel in agony.

No further goals were scored, and the referee blew for full-time with the final score 3–1 to Manchester City. As the players left the field, the crowd sang a chorus of "For he's a jolly good fellow" as a result of Trautmann's bravery. Roy Paul led his team up the steps to the royal box to receive Manchester City's third FA Cup. Trautmann's neck continued to cause him pain, and Prince Philip commented on its crooked state as he gave Trautmann his winner's medal.cite news |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article501385.ece |title=OBE for the German hero who stuck his neck out |work=The Times |date=2004-11-01 |author=Boyes, Roger |accessdate=2008-10-02] Three days later, an examination revealed that Trautmann had broken a bone in his neck.

Details

footballbox
date=5 May 1956
time=15:00 BST
team1=Manchester City
score=3 – 1
report= [http://www.fa-cupfinals.co.uk/1956.htm (Report)]
team2=Birmingham City
goals1=Hayes goal|3
Johnstone goal|62
Dyson goal|64
goals2=Kinsey goal|15
stadium=Wembley Stadium, London
attendance=100,000
referee=Alf Bond

Post-match

Trautmann attended the evening's post-match banquet (where Alma Cogan sang to the players) despite being unable to move his head, [cite news |url=http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/body_and_soul/article1937331.ece |title=Broken Dreams |work=The Times |date=2007-06-16 |author=Crompton, Simon and Naish, John |accessdate=2008-10-02] [Wagg & Barnes, "This Simple Game", p. 59.] and went to bed expecting his injury to heal with rest. As the pain did not recede, the following day he went to St George's Hospital, where he was told he merely had a crick in his neck which would go away.cite web |url=http://football.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1768973,00.html |title=05.05.1956 Bert Trautmann breaks his neck |work=The Guardian |date=2006-05-06 |accessdate=2008-10-02] Three days later, he got a second opinion from a doctor at Manchester Royal Infirmary. An X-ray revealed he had dislocated five vertebrae in his neck, the second of which was cracked in two.Rowlands, "Trautmann: The Biography", p. 184.] The third vertebra had wedged against the second, preventing further damage which could have cost Trautmann his life.

When Manchester City's train from London reached Manchester, the team were greeted by an open-top bus, which embarked on a journey to Albert Square, Manchester.Rowlands, "Trautmann: The Biography", p. 182.] After the reception, the bus headed to Belle Vue Pleasure Gardens, near the club's former home of Hyde Road in east Manchester, where the "Manchester Evening Chronicle" held a function. [James, "Manchester – A Football History", p. 381.]

On their return to Birmingham, the Birmingham City team also went on an open-top bus around the city and received a civic welcome.Lewis (ed.), "Keeping right on since 1875", p. 61.] Boyd told the thousands gathered outside the Council House that the team felt they had let the supporters down. Though the crowds roared "No!", [Matthews, "Complete Record", p. 29.] there were recriminations concerning Birmingham's team selection. The row at half-time did little for second-half morale, but speaking fifty years later, Gil Merrick placed the blame less on Boyd's questionable fitness than on a failure to discuss how to stop Revie. [cite journal |year=2004 |month=May |title=An Evening With Gil Merrick |journal=Blues: The official magazine of Birmingham City FC |pages=p. 46 |publisher=Ian Drew and Eric Partridge |location=Birmingham |quote=The reason why we lost, in my opinion, was nothing to do with Boydy who some claimed was unfit. Why we didn't perform in the second half was mainly because nothing was said in the dressing room at half time about stopping the damage caused by Don Revie. He was a good player and ran the game but at half time we should have talked about stopping him. Tackles should have been talked about, but they weren't. It was a lack of tackles that caused us to fold in the second half, and that's all I'm going to say. Don't put all the onus on Len Boyd. Len was a good player and a bloody good captain.]

Alex Govan, convinced that "if Roy Warhurst had been fit then there would only have been one winner", [cite web
url=http://www.blues.premiumtv.co.uk/page/WhereAreTheyNowDetail/0,,10412~1037468,00.html |title=Alex Govan |publisher=Birmingham City F.C. |date=2007 |accessdate=2008-07-25] blamed "bad team selection", saying that even without Warhurst he firmly believed "that if Badham had been in we would have won that game. He would never have given Don Revie the room to run the match." [Lewis (ed.), "Keeping right on since 1875", p. 63.] Warhurst himself believed the selection of Newman "meant the team had to adapt its style and in the end we used different tactics to those that had been successful all season".

References

External links

* [http://www.soccerbase.com/results3.sd?gameid=258917 Game statistics] at soccerbase.com
* [http://www.bbcmotiongallery.com/Customer/SearchResults.aspx?searchText=1956+FA+Cup+Final&type=Simple Film clips] at BBC Motion Gallery
* [http://archive.timesonline.co.uk/tol/viewArticle.arc?articleId=ARCHIVE-The_Times-1956-05-07-14-002&pageId=ARCHIVE-The_Times-1956-05-07-14 The Times Match Report]