FA CUP

FA CUP 

So on Sunday 18^th March 2012 Leicester City travel to Stamford Bridge to take on the might of premiership Chelsea and to hopefully get us a place at Wembley in the semi-final of the FA Cup(when some of you read this our fate will have been sealed)

In past years Leicester have been known to be a good cup team and indeed in the 1960’s we reached the final three times to add to our 1949 appearance but unfortunately never got the chance to bring the cup back to Leicester having lost  all four finals we appeared in.

In 1949 which was just a little before my time Leicester started their cup campaign away at Birmingham in round 3 and Don Revie scored for Leicester in a 1-1 draw. In the replay at Filbert Street the score finished 1-1 again, with Griffiths scoring for us, and so the tie went to a second replay (unheard of these days) and Harrison and Revie saw us through to the 4^th round in a 2-1 win. Preston was the visitors to Filbert Street in the 4^th round and goals from a Lee penalty and Griffiths gave us a 2-0 win to earn us a 5^th round tie at Luton. At Luton there were goals galore with the game ending 5-5 Lee scored four and Griffiths again for Leicester. In the replay there was another goal fest at Filbert Street and Lee 2 Griffiths 2 and Chisholm scored the goals that saw us through 5-3. In the 6^th round we were away at Brentford and they were swept aside 2-0 Lee and Griffiths the scorers. The semi-final against Portsmouth was played at Highbury and City won 3-1 with goals from Revie 2 and Chisholm. Sadly at Wembley we lost 3-1 to Wolverhampton with Griffiths our scorer.

Leicester had to wait until 1960 before they reached Wembley again and the cup run started at Filbert Street with a 3-1 win against Oxford (Walsh, Leek, Riley) setting up a 4^th round home tie against  Bristol City and Leicester were comfortable winners 5-1 ( Wills, Leek 2 , Walsh2 ). We travelled again to Birmingham in round 5 and drew 1-1 ( Riley) and once again as in 1949 a replay was needed to see Birmingham off (only one this time though) and Ken Leek scored both Leicester goals in a 2-1 win. In round 6 Barnsley were the visitors to Filbert Street and drew 0-0 but in the replay at Oakwell goals from Riley and Leek earned City a 2-1 win and a semi-final place. At Elland Road - Leicester faced Sheffield United and the game ended 0-0 taking the tie to a replay at Nottingham Forest’s City ground, where the score once again finished 0-0 and so to a second replay at St Andrews and Leicester finished the job 2-0 with goals from Jimmy Walsh   and Ken Leek. And so to Wembley and yet another heartbreak as we crashed 2-0 to Tottenham.

Leicester didn’t have to wait long before returning to Wembley to try again to win that elusive trophy and in 1963 we set off in round 3 with a 3-1 win at Grimsby( Gibson 2, Keyworth) and in round 4 another 3-1 win this time against Ipswich at Filbert Street ( Cross, Keyworth 2 ) Leyton Orient were the hosts in round 5 and a goal from Ken Keyworth was enough to earn Leicester a quarter final  tie away at Norwich which Leicester won with goals from Stringfellow and Gibson. The semi-final beckoned again and at Hillsborough Mike Stringfellow scored the only goal of the game to send Leicester to their third Wembley appearance. The final saw Leicester have the honour of being favourites with Manchester United still rebuilding their team and also being involved in a relegation battle all season. Unfortunately on the day Leicester froze and United blossomed and the cup went to Manchester with United winning 3-1. Keyworth scored for Leicester

And so to 1969 and Leicester’s fourth and to date, last FA Cup Final appearance. The foxes also had the distinction of getting relegated to division 2 as well as reaching the FA Cup Final.

The road to Wembley started at Barnsley with a 1-1 draw and Lenny Glover scored the Leicester goal. In the replay at Filbert Street City won 2-1 with Fern and Glover scoring. Millwall away in round 4 and Glover scored again in a 1-0 City win. In round 5 Leicester played Liverpool at Filbert Street and the score ended 0-0 but in the replay at Anfield Andy Lochhead scored the only goal of the game to put Leicester into the 6^th round. Mansfield away beckoned and Rodney Fern scored the only goal of the game to put City into the semi-final against West Bromwich Albion at Hillsborough and Alan Clarke scored the winner for Leicester in a 1-0 win. Unfortunately in the final it was once again a case of what might have been as Leicester crashed to Manchester City 1-0

On Sunday 18^th March I will be one of the 6000 foxes making the trip to Chelsea hoping to see us progress to the semi-final of the FA Cup and you never know- it just may be 5^th time lucky.

I am sure that we all have our own memories of the FA Cup with Leicester over the years; I know I have loads of them. And I am sure that whatever the outcome at Chelsea we will have some more memories to treasure with Leicester City and the FA Cup

Leicester till I die