WHEN two really top sides reach the FA Cup final, there is an expectation they will produce a classic encounter. Too often, far too often in fact, the public, the fans, the TV pundits are disappointed. With two strong teams meet at Wembley, they often cancel each other out. On May 1 1965 Leeds United and Liverpool produced one of the less memorable finals of the 1960s, a dull clash with too many fouls and stoppages. Perhaps this was no surprise, because Leeds and Liverpool were both teams built from a solid back line, working with a system less uncompromising as Catenaccio, but difficult to penetrate.
Leeds United, under Don Revie, had won promotion to the first division in 1964 and in their first season back in the top flight, they adopted a precocious style that won them few friends. Leeds were raw and over-zealous at times and used aggression to keep pace with more talented teams. As time passed, Leeds became a brilliant team producing stunning football.
Bill Shankly’s Liverpool, league champions in 1964 and again in 1966, were spurred on by their passionate fans at Anfield and were capable of swift attacking play and solid defending. They were also tough and could “mix-it” with their opponents. Liverpool had developed a winning habit under Shankly but Leeds were still evolving and would eventually rely on players coming through their youth system. Revie created a fiercely tight-knit squad that had a burning desire to be successful. Leeds had never won a major trophy, but in 1964-65, they were runners-up in both the league and FA Cup.
Revie’s men were notoriously difficult to beat and they seemed to get under the skin of teams like Manchester United and Chelsea. United were the neutrals’ favourites, thanks to their much-celebrated triumvirate of George Best, Bobby Charlton and Denis Law. Chelsea were not unlike Leeds in that they had a batch of young players moulded together by their manager, Tommy Docherty. They too were sometimes criticised for their “take no prisoners” strategy.
Leeds finished runners-up in the league to United on goal average in 1965, while Chelsea – who had been in front earlier in the season – imploded and had to settle for third place. All three teams reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup, along with Liverpool. Leeds, who had beaten Southport, Everton, Shrewsbury and Crystal Palace, eventually beat Manchester United in the semi-final after a replay, with Bremner heading the winner. Liverpool beat Chelsea, who had run out of steam in the closing weeks of the season and had also had some player discipline issues on an away trip. Shankly’s side had disposed of West Bromwich Albion, Stockport, Bolton, Leicester City before disposing of Chelsea by 2-0 at Villa Park.
Liverpool’s team had youngsters who had graduated from the club’s youth team, such as Tommy Smith, Gerry Byrne, Chris Lawler and Ian Callaghan, but they had also bought skilfully in the market. The total cost of their FA Cup final line-up was £ 155,000 with the most expensive signings being Ian St. John (£ 37,500 from Motherwell), Geoff Strong (£ 40,000 Arsenal) and Peter Thompson (£37,000 Preston North End). Ron Yeats, their captain, was signed from Dundee United for £ 20,000 and others, such as Tommy Lawrence and Roger Hunt, were signed from junior clubs.
Leeds had players developed from within, such as goalkeeper Gary Sprake, Paul Reaney, Billy Bremner, Jack Charlton and Norman Hunter, as well as others that would come to the fore in the the late 1960s and 1970s. Their driving force was Scottish midfielder Bobby Collins, a robust but skilful midfielder who joined from Everton. Collins was named Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year in 1964-65. Leeds also had in their ranks South African Albert Johanneson, the first black player to appear at Wembley.
Collins was involved in one of the game’s talking points in the third minute when he crashed into Liverpool’s Gerry Byrne. It was the sort of foul that would warrant a red card in the modern game, but both Collins and Byrne played the entire game. It was later revealed that Byrne, a member of the 1966 England World Cup squad (along with Callaghan, Hunt and Leeds’ duo of Charlton and Hunter), had dislocated his collar bone.
The game failed to live up to its billing and ended goalless. Collins was preparing to walk off to contemplate the replay, forgetting there was another 30 minutes still to play. In extra time, both teams suddenly realised they were at Wembley to win a prestigious piece of silverware. Liverpool struck first in the 93rd minute when Byrne crossed for Hunt, who stooped to head past Sprake. Byrne, who was in pain for the entire game, forgot his discomfort and leapt for joy as the players congratulated Hunt. Seven minutes later, however, Bremner scored the equaliser, volleying into the net after Charlton had nodded-down a long ball by Hunter. Bremner, too, displayed his agility when celebrating his strike.
With three minutes to go, Callaghan sent a cross from the byline into the six-yard box and St. John – almost with balletic grace, met the ball with his head to score. “The goal yawned at me as big as the Mersey tunnel, I could not miss,” said St. John after the game. There was no comeback for Leeds but it was clear the best team on the day had won. Shankly was overjoyed as it was Liverpool’s first FA Cup triumph. For Leeds, the runners-up spot was something that would characterise their golden era under Revie. It was the first of three FA Cup final defeats (1970 and 1973 were the others) although they did win the trophy in 1972.
But the final had not impressed many people. One FA official commented: “If we go on playing this sort of stuff, we shall be out of work in five years. Systems are killing Soccer. No-one will pay to see it anymore.” Journalists such as Ken Jones and Peter Wilson, both highly respected pressmen, were concerned about the future of the game, asking “where is football going?”.
There would be better matches between Leeds and Liverpool in the years ahead and certainly better showpieces, but the 1965 FA Cup final was very much of its time.
Leeds United: Sprake, Reaney, Bell, Bremner, Charlton, Hunter, Giles, Storrie, Peacock, Collins, Johanneson. Manager: Don Revie
Liverpool: Lawrence, Lawler, Byrne, Strong, Yeats, Stevenson, Callaghan, Hunt, St. John, Smith, Thompson. Manager: Bill Shankly