Wembley, Saturday 26th April 1969
Featured here are the brave lads that almost won the FA Cup 45 years ago tomorrow. Furthermore they almost succeeded in their subsequent battle against relegation in the weeks that followed, finally succumbing at the final hurdle in mid-May.
This season, 2013/14, the pomp and ceremony arising from what has been a fabulous campaign (with the prospect of more victories ahead) has hardly died down and we have in our midst a squad full of heroes. But let us remember the hardy souls that fought before them so ably in bygone years in the great name of Leicester City. These are the men who laid the foundations for what we have today with all their endeavour and commitment. Here we had a team inherited from Matt Gillies and steadfastly prepared by the great Frank O'Farrell whose valiant efforts to keep City in the First Division heartbreakingly fell just short of what was required.
City: Shilton, Rodrigues, Nish (capt.), Roberts, Woollett, Cross, Fern, Gibson, Lochhead, Clarke, Glover sub: Manley
Manchester City: Dowd, Book (capt.), Pardoe, Doyle, Booth, Oakes, Summerbee, Bell, Lee, Young, Coleman
Ref: George McCabe
Att: 100,000
Warning: Contains upsetting scenes
http://youtu.be/IZiJUijpWnY
Lest(er) we forget-"The almost men"
posted on 25/4/14
Great article Downsouf - bringing all the memories flooding back, good & bad alike.
What sticks in my mind was the promise made by the Daily Express Football correspondent Desmond Hackett that, if David Nish ended up lifting the trophy at the end of the game, then he'd eat his trilby hat!
I was gutted that we lost the game but even more so that Hackett managed to get away with it!!
posted on 25/4/14
Housdens my bus from rawlins merged with Caldwells then called Tricentrol here ends the anorak news.
posted on 25/4/14
Gally, Nev, Filbs, Longtime & Thorney. Do any of you chaps recall the story of the black cat that wandered into Filbert Street a few weeks before the Final?
I've probably got my wires crossed but I somehow remember David Nish being photographed holding the cat. The picture appeared in one or more of the daily rags. I heard the cat was run over a few days before the match itself hence our spell of 'bad luck' to come was confirmed.
Put me straight gents.
posted on 25/4/14
Comment Deleted by Article Creator
posted on 25/4/14
...or perhaps you might remember this cityfox.
posted on 26/4/14
No I don't remember the black cat episode. If true the cat was probably introduced by a junior hack seeking a pre-cup final story! I think I'm correct that at the time, Nish was the youngest ever cup final captain at ?21 years of age.
posted on 26/4/14
I was at Old Trafford for the final match of that season that saw us relegated. If we had won Coventry would have gone down instead. Their manager at the time was Noel Cantwell who was seated a couple of rows behind me. We lost 3-2 and the smile on Cantwell's face at the end of the game brought me the closest to physical violence ever!!!
posted on 26/4/14
I remember our old song from the terraces- Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel, that is the name of that Bar-steward Cantwell !
posted on 27/4/14
Funnily enough I was just thinking of that cup final. I was reading an article debating whether Man U was a hire and fire club following the departure of David Moyes and there was a reference to Frank O'Farrell who was sacked as MU manager having left Leicester. This got me thinking about Frank's reign as manager which I remember with fondness (interesting to see the stats in another thread showing success stats for our managers). My abiding memory of the game was Andy Lockhead's miss.
Frank O'Farrell is thankfully still alive and this week must have been a bitter-sweet one for him with Leicester crowned champions but Torquay (which has a special place in his heart) having a less than happy time.
posted on 27/4/14
I rememer earlier this season or last season, the Birch brought Frank out onto the pitch at half time. It was wonderful to hear him speak, I thought he was long dead, it seems a lifetime ago that he was our manager.