1952 FA Cup Final

The 1952 Cup Final brought together the two previous winners and also gave The Gunners a chance to avenge the controversial United victory of 1932.

Arsenal had been one of the main runners in the Championship chase that season but eventually had to settle for third. Newcastle had a comparatively disappointing League season and finished eighth despite scoring more goals (98) than any other team.

Just as they had done the year before United rested key players between the semi and the Final. They had a heavy schedule in the four weeks before the Wembley visit during which they played eight League games.

The teams met at Highbury a couple of the weeks before the final from where a weakened Newcastle side returned with a 1-1 draw and a wadge of Final tickets that the Arsenal players couldn't sell. Newcastle had beaten Arsenal 2-0 at St James' earlier in the season.

Newcastle become the first club to the win the FA Cup two years in succession during the C20th, but the victory was tarnished by the early injury to Barnes.

So although United deservedly drew acclaim for their tremendous achievement most of the plaudits went to the losers who had put up such a magnificent rearguard action.

Newcastle failed to produce anything like their top form and their overall play and inaccurate shooting was as great a surprise as it was a disappointment. Only Mitchell and Milburn played anything like their true selves.

Indeed United's best performers were all from the back line: Harvey, Cowell, Brennan and McMichael.

But rather than criticise the Newcastle performance most people sought to praise the herculean efforts of the Arsenal players who almost nullified the most feared strikeforce in the game.