THE DAY I BECAME A SPURS FAN !!!!!!

Classic FA Cup Finals: 1981

Tottenham Hotspur 3 - 2 Manchester City
Villa 8, 76 Mackenzie 11
Crooks 76 Reeves 50

FA Cup Final Replay
Wembley Stadium
14 May 1981

The one hundreth Cup Final became only the tenth to finish in a draw.

It had been the first since Chelsea and Leeds had fought out a 2-2 draw in 1970 and only the second since Barnsley drew 0-0 with West Bromwich Albion way back in 1912.

Manchester City's Scottish inside-forward Tommy Hutchison, a £47,000 signing from Coventry soon after John Bond had become City's manager during the season to mount a relegation rescue, was the most significant contributor to the entertainment provided in the first Wembley encounter.

In the thirtieth minute he lunged forward to head a superb goal from Ranson's short centre.

Then Hutchison, at thirty-three the oldest player on the pitch, deflected Hoddle's curling drive after a free-kick with his right shoulder and the ball flew into the opposite corner of the net for a Tottenham equaliser.

Poor Corrigan in the City goal had Hoddle's effort easily covered but had no chance at all once the ball had taken such a wicked deflection. Hutchison didn't even have a chance of getting a late winner, because he was substituted in extra time bu Henry, but he had achieved the dubious distinction of having scored for both sides in a Cup Final, the first player to do so since Bert Turner did it for Derby and Charlton in 1946.

The Final replay, on the following Thursday and again at Wembley, produced more goals and a generally more exciting match, not that the first had been without its moments.

Tottenham were ahead in eight minutes. Corrigan blocked Archibald's close range effort but Ricardo Villa, one of Tottenham's two Argentinian imports, followed up to score with ease.

Villa, in fact, had been well below par on Saturday and had left the field apparently in tears after being substituted. City levelled in spectacular fashion only three minutes later, Mackenzie's superbly-struck volley beating Aleksic's dive to his right, and the score remained 1-1 until half time.

Something fairly unusual, for a Wembley Cup Final, occurred four minutes after the break.

Bennett went down in the penalty-area following Paul Miller's challenge and thirty-six year old Sheffield referee Keith Hackett awarded a spot kick to City - the first in a Final since 1962 and only the fifth ever in a Wembley Final.

The four previous kicks had all been successful and Reeves, who none could have accused of consistency, shot confidently home to Aleksic's left. City led 2-1.

The last twenty minutes of the match belonged to Tottenham, appearing in their sixth Final.

Crooks' untidy goal made it 2-2, and then Villa dribbled his way brilliantly through the City defence and then turned the ball past Corrigan as the 'keeper came out to meet the onrushing Argentinian. The goal has been celebrated as one of the great Cup Final strikes and it certainly had everyone in the stadium on their feet - a truly spectacular way in which to decide a Cup Final and some contrast in fortunes for the player concerned - from being substituted in the first game to two goal hero and inspiration in the replay.

Match Details: The FA Cup Final, 14 May 1981

Tottenham Hotspur: Aleksic, Hughton, Miller, Roberts, Perryman, Villa, Ardiles, Archibald, Galvin, Hoddle, Crooks

Manchester City: Corrigan, Ranson, McDonald, Reid, Power, Caton, Bennett, Gow, Mackenzie, Hutchison, Reeves

Referee: K Hackett (Sheffield)

Attendance: 92,000

FA CUP HEROS

Ricky VillaThe bearded Villa, a World Cup winner with Argentina in 1978, experienced two contrasting FA Cup Final matches for Tottenham against Manchester City in 1981. He was substituted in the first after failing to make an impact but was outstanding in the replay five days later, scoring twice as Spurs won 3-2. His second, sliding the ball in after a mazy dribble, is still talked about.