Maybe the Last Time - FA Cup winners 1955

How to Win a Cup

There is no doubt that the injury to Meadows had a major impact upon the result as they had to play with 10 men for three quarters of the match.

However United had dominated the match before he went off and both Milburn and White were virtual passengers in the second half due to injury thus cancelling out the advantage.

The Magpies kept their shape against City's tactics by marking Revie with the nearest man available.

Both teams had lost players to injury but United had more depth in their squad and had the more experienced replacements. The Revie plan relied on capable wingers and Fagan and Spurdle were not up to the challenge.

Newcastle had 4 players who had already played and won at Wembley (Cowell, Mitchell, Milburn and Simpson) and had greater experience within their ranks.

Newcastle had players who rose to the big occasion; Bobby Mitchell and Jimmy Scoular in particular were on top form on the day. Milburn said of his captain's performance "Scoular laid on his passes as if he'd used a slide rule. No other half-back in the could have improved upon his display".

Joe Harvey was now a coach at the club and he helped provide a buffer between the senior pros and their new manager whilst the directors intervention over the team line up ensured the presence of Milburn.

Epitaph

Newcastle held a celebration party at the Oxford Galleries and it was announced that all the players wives would receive a handbag as a present.

It was strongly rumoured that they would contain cash for the players and when the bulging bags were handed out the players hopes seemed to have been realised. The reaction was not good when they were opened and found to be stuffed with old newspapers.

The loss of Meadows once again prompted calls for the introduction of substitutes at least for major games; but it was to be another decade before they arrived.

The injury to Meadows ended his career. It also proved to be Bobby Cowell's last match as he suffered a serious injury on a pre season tour of Germany.

Manager Livingstone was relieved of his managerial duties within days of the success (try finding him in any of the after-match photos); although he remained at the club in an increasingly limited capacity. He eventually resigned in the New Year.

York had been involved in the promotion chase, but their Cup run caused such a pile-up of fixtures that they had to play six games in ten days, and they could only finish fourth. At least they made a huge profit that season and were able to extend the Main Stand.

Arthur Bottom's performances in the semi-finals would earn him a move to United in February 1958.

Ivor Broadis was not best impressed with being left out of the final line-up and that summer he moved to Carlisle United as player coach.

Both captains that day would become managers; but whereas Scoular never got "higher" than Cardiff, Revie enjoyed great success at Leeds before taking over as the England manager

Manchester City returned to Wembley the following year; emerging victorious this time after beating Birmingham although Spurdle who had such a bad day in 1955 missed out due to an attack of the boils! Newcastle have never won a major domestic trophy since.