FA Cup Finals : Post WWII Trivia Quiz

Answer: The ball burst in both matches

The ball burst in both finals, an event which has not happened in any other final. The reason mostly attributed to this was the poor quality of materials available for manufacture of sports goods after the years of wartime hardship. It is unlikely that, even in the event of it happening today, it would cause any problem.

In 1946 and 47, only one ball was available. Today, up to twenty balls can be used in a major match, all checked out beforehand. This is intended to prevent delays at restarts when the ball may be booted out of the ground by over-vigorous defenders.

Answer: George Best

George Best, regarded by many as the greatest player of his generation, even (some argue) better than Pele, played for Manchester United in the 1960s and 70s. Manchester United reached the FA Cup final in 1963, before the start of Best's career and again in 1977, after he left. Shilton played for Leicester City in 1969 (lost to Manchester City 0-1). Keegan played for Liverpool in 1973 (beat Newcastle United 3-0, with Keegan scoring twice) and Charlton played for Manchester United in 1963 (Beat Leicester City 3-1).

Answer: Ricardo Villa and Osvaldo Ardiles

Osvaldo Ardiles and Ricardo Villa came to England after Argentina won the 1978 World Cup, to play for London club Tottenham Hotspur. The FA Cup Final of 1981 between Spurs and Manchester City ended in a 1-1 stalemate; Villa was a forlorn, lonely figure who substituted, having had a dreadful match.

However, in the replay he was transformed. He scored Tottenham's first goal in the match and later, with the score at 2-2, set off on a mesmerising run through the Manchester City defence before shooting home the winning goal.

This goal was voted by British football fans to be the greatest goal ever scored in a Cup Final at the old Wembley Cup before its redevelopment. From Zero to Hero or what?

Answer: Neil Young (Manchester City)

Neil Young scored the winning goal in the 1969 FA Cup Final for Manchester City against Leicester City. He died in February 2011, just three months before City won the Cup for the first time since then, in May 2011.

Stokes scored for Southampton in 1976, when that club won the cup for the only time in their history, beating Manchester United 1-0. Southampton reached the final again in 2003 but were beaten 1-0 by Arsenal. Stokes died in 1995 from pneumonia. Porterfield scored the goal which won the cup for Sunderland, beating Leeds United 1-0 in 1973. Sunderland reached the final again in 1992 but were beaten 0-2 by Liverpool. Porterfield died from cancer of the colon in 2007. David Webb scored in the 1970 final replay against Leeds United, but the next time Chelsea won the cup was in 1997, a gap of only 27 years. David Webb was still alive at that time.

Answer: Fulham

Moore played for West Ham United when they won the Cup in 1964 and made more than 500 appearances for them in his career. He is overwhelmingly associated with West Ham United to the extent that a grandstand in their Upton Park stadium is named after him, and his number 6 shirt is iconic to West Ham fans.

However, he was allowed to leave the club towards the end of his playing career and signed for Fulham, with whom he reached the Final in 1975 ... against West Ham! There was to be no fairy tale ending for Bobby Moore though, Fulham were beaten 0-2.

Answer: He broke his neck and played on

Bernhard "Bert" Trautmann was brought to England as a German prisoner of war during WW II, and was noticed playing in goal by his captors in the prisoner of war camp where he was incarcerated. When the war ended, he was offered the chance to remain in England and play for Manchester City, which he did with distinction for many years before retiring in 1964 having played more than 500 times for City.

In the 1956 FA Cup Final against Birmingham City, he made a diving save at the feet of a Birmingham forward and in the collision, a bone was broken in his neck.

There were no substitutes in English football at that time (not allowed until 1968 FA Cup competition) and he knew that if he retired from the match, an outfield player would have to take his place in goal and it could cost his team the match.

He carried on although in enormous pain; and at great risk to himself of possibly making his injury worse and maybe even suffering paralysis as a result, he carried on. Manchester City went on to win the match 3-1. Trautmann made a full recovery.

A statue stands at the Manchester City stadium in his honour.

Answer: They were the first to play in replayed finals on two occasions

Tottenham had replayed finals in 1981 and 1982. Manchester United had replayed finals in 1983 and 1990. Under the structure of the FA Cup at that time, if the scores were level in a match at the end of allotted time (90 minutes), a further 30 minutes of Extra Time were played to try to determine a winner. If the scores were still level after that time, the match would be replayed and so on and so on until a winner prevailed.

The 1993 FA Cup Final was the last one played where replays were required. From 1994 onwards, this system was overhauled and a new structure put in place -- if the scores are level after 90 minutes of regular time, and 30 minutes of Extra Time, the match is decided by a penalty shoot out. All FA Cup Finals are now decided "on the day" and replays are a thing of the past. Just one more chapter in the rich folklore of the FA Cup that has disappeared.

Answer: Millwall

Millwall is one of the oldest clubs in the area of London south of the River Thames. Charlton Athletic were the first South London club to make the final, in 1946 (losing to Derby County 1-4, although they returned in 1947 to beat Burnley 1-0)). Wimbledon came next in 1988 (beat Liverpool 1-0). Crystal Palace followed in 1990 (lost to Manchester United in a replayed final 0-1 after a 3-3 draw) and, finally, Millwall made it to the Final in 2004 (lost to Manchester United 0-3).

Answer: Sir Elton John (Watford)

Sir Elton John was born Reginald Dwight and is the nephew of Roy Dwight. He (Elton John) was the Chairman of Watford FC when they reached the Final in 1984 against Everton (lost 0-2). The other three alternate answers were never managers of those clubs, whose uncle played in an FA Cup Final.

Answer: Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea

Tottenham Hotspur beat Chelsea in the first ever FA Cup Final between two London teams (a "cockney" cup final) in 1967. Goals from Jimmy Robertson and Frank Saul gave them a 2-1 win. Fulham lost to West Ham United 0-2 in 1975, Tottenham Hotspur beat Queens Park Rangers 1-0 in a replayed final in 1982, and Arsenal beat Chelsea 2-0 in 2002. For some strange reason known only to themselves, the gods of football denied Londoners a cockney cup final during the 1990s!