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| Event | 1972–73 FA Cup | ||||||
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| Date | 5 May 1973 | ||||||
| Venue | Wembley Stadium,London | ||||||
| Referee | Ken Burns | ||||||
| Attendance | 100,000 | ||||||
←1972 1974 → | |||||||
The1973 FA Cup final was the 92nd final of theFA Cup. It took place on 5 May 1973 atWembley Stadium and was contested betweenLeeds United, thecup holders and one of the dominant teams in English football at the time, andSunderland, then playing in theSecond Division.
In one of the biggest shocks in the history of the competition, Sunderland won 1–0 to become the first Second Division side to lift the Cup sinceWest Bromwich Albion in1931. It was Sunderland's last Cup win for almost 50 years until the team won theEFL Trophy in 2021, and also their last major trophy as of 2025. Sunderland's team were the only FA Cup winners of the 20th century not to field any full internationals,[citation needed] although some of their players were capped later.
Leeds United
Round 4: Leeds United 2–1Plymouth Argyle Round 5: Leeds United 2–0WBA Quarter-Final:Derby County 0–1 Leeds United Semi-Final: Leeds United 1–0Wolverhampton Wanderers
| Sunderland
Round 4: Sunderland 1–1Reading
Round 5:Manchester City 2–2 Sunderland
Quarter-Final: Sunderland 2–0Luton Town Semi-Final: Sunderland 2–1Arsenal |
Sunderland established their tactics immediately from the kick-off and refused to be intimidated by their more illustrious opponents, tackling fiercely and defiantly with an unremitting determination. Leeds looked anxious, lacking their usual composure. The match itself was decided by two crucial moments that would be talked about for years to come.
After 32 minutes Sunderland took the lead whenVic Halom chested down a corner fromBilly Hughes. Assisted byDave Watson between two defenders, the deflected high ball was controlled byIan Porterfield who shot home from 12 yards. Leeds, shocked, battled back with predictable determination. Sunderland's goalkeeperJimmy Montgomery was outstanding, defying Leeds with a string of fine saves and preserving his team's lead.
The turning point of the match came midway through the second half. Montgomery dived to palm away a close range header from Trevor Cherry. It fell into the path of Lorimer who blasted goalward from 10 yards but Montgomery managed to divert the ball on to the underside of the bar and Malone scrambled the ball clear. The save is considered one of the greatest of all time and has been compared with that made byEngland'sGordon Banks in the1970 FIFA World Cup match againstBrazil.[1][2]
The North East team survived more pressure from Leeds to secure a notable upset.[3]
The 1973 showpiece is the last FA Cup final to be played with an orange ball.
Sunderland's FA Cup record, "Sunderland All the Way", was recorded by comedianBobby Knoxall.[4]
      Leeds United |     Sunderland |
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Match rules
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