The Road to Wembley 1951
Round 3 -
Bury H - [6/1/1951] - Won 4-1 - [33,994]
Team: Fairbrother, Cowell, McMichael, Harvey, McNeil, Robledo E, Walker, Taylor, Milburn, Robledo G, Mitchell
Bury were struggling at the foot of Division 2 and they were blitzed by a four goal salvo in the space of only eight first half minute minutes. The goals came from Walker [11, 13], Robledo [16] and Taylor [19].
United were in total control in very poor playing conditions with a late thaw resulting in a surface of water over a concrete hard ground. A handball let Bury get a goal back from the penalty spot [35] .
Round 4 -
Bolton W. H - [27/1/1951] - Won 3-2 - [67,596]
Team: Fairbrother, Cowell, Corbett, Harvey, McNeil, Crowe, Walker, Taylor, Milburn, Robledo G, Mitchell
Another home draw against Lancastrian opposition followed but Bolton were a much tougher proposition; a record cup-tie crowd flocked to St James'. It was a thrilling match which was "so swamped in thrills almost to defy analysis". It was also a contrast of styles as United's brilliant attacking play was matched by a sounder, more orthodox Wanderers side.
Newcastle got off to a great start with Mitchell scoring after only three minutes and they were much the better side in the first period. But McNeil deputising again for Brennan was struggling to cope with Nat Lofthouse and Bolton went ahead after scoring twice through Moir [28] and [43].
United started the second period like they had the first and two Milburn goals [46 and 55] restored the advantage. However with McNeil injured (Lofthouse gaining revenge for some bad challenges from the 6' 3" Scotsman) United were effectively down to 10 men. Bolton bombarded the Newcastle goal and it took a tremendous team effort to hang on.
Unfortunately, two elderly supporters died at the match
Round 5
Stoke A [10/02/1951] - Won 4-2 - [48,500]
Team: Fairbrother, Cowell, Corbett, Harvey, Brennan, Crowe, Walker, Taylor, Milburn, Robledo G, Mitchell
A tricky tie followed against Stoke although United once again could look back on two previous victories during the season.
This time luck was on United's side as Mould - the Stoke right-back - was injured after only five minutes reducing the home side to ten men and causing them to reorganise. With The Potters trying to adjust United gained the ascendancy and scored twice through Robledo [22 and 40].
In the second half The Magpies started far too casually and after Brennan had kicked one goal bound effort off the line Bowyer deservedly pulled a goal back [57]. United responded well and Milburn [68] restored the two goal advantage.
To their credit City fought back again and Mountford reduced the arrears from the penalty spot after Brennan was penalised for obstruction. The game was finally put beyond Stoke's reach when Mitchell headed in [82] from a Taylor cross; the goal standing even though the little schemer seemed to have taken the ball out of play before he crossed.
Round 6
Bristol Rovers H [24/02/1951] - Drew 0-0 - [63,000]
Team: Fairbrother, Cowell, Corbett, Harvey, Brennan, Crowe, Walker, Taylor, Milburn, Robledo G, Mitchell
The quarter-final draw was kind to United as they came out at home to Bristol Rovers from Division 3 South; another huge crowd turned up to see United (who had won their last five home games and had scored in every match at SJ during the season) put The Rovers in their place. Blackburn were seeking to become only the second Third Division side to reach the semi-finals.
The West Country men fully deserved the draw; indeed they had the better chances to win the game although shots on goal were a scarcity from both sides.
Newcastle never got going with the forwards having an off day and only Taylor and Crowe any where near their true form. Even an injury to right-winger Pembridge, which left him as a passenger for the majority of the second-half, failed to tip the balance.
Bristol Rovers A [28/02/1951] - Won 3-1 - [30,724]
Team: Fairbrother, Cowell, Corbett, Harvey, Brennan, Crowe, Walker, Taylor, Milburn, Robledo G, Mitchell
Blackburn manager Bert Tann was confident of victory proclaiming that "we think we were the better team at Newcastle"; ominously the Bristolians had not been beaten at home for 15 months.
Joe Harvey promised better. "We made a hash of it on Saturday, know where we slipped up and one thing is certain when the game is over tonight we will have given it all we have".
Newcastle made a disastrous start on the Eastville mudbath when Bradford put the home side ahead after quarter of an hour; but they responded well to score three times in quick succession through Taylor - a shot deflected in by Fox - [16], Crowe [23] and Milburn [28].
In the second half United dropped back to defend their lead and despite almost constant pressure by the home side (it was 9-0 on corners) Harvey and Crowe marshalled the defence so well that Fairbrother had little to do.
There was a tremendous atmosphere during the match with both sets of fans trying to out-sing each other. Jackie Milburn said that it was the travelling Toon support that secured victory on that tough assignment
Semi-Finals
Wolves (Hillsborough) [10/03/1951] - Drew 0-0 - [62,250]
Team: Fairbrother, Cowell, Corbett, Harvey, Brennan, Crowe, Walker, Taylor, Milburn, Robledo G, Mitchell
With Milburn and Mitchell in superb form upfront and Corbett brilliantly putting the shackles on Wolves dangerman Hancocks United were the better side and unlucky not to win. It was a hard fought game, but Fairbrother barely had a save to make whilst his opposite number Williams was kept busy throughout.
Both sides had early goals chalked off for offside, Milburn's effort a particularly close call. The Magpies ran riot in the first twenty minutes without breaking through before the game settled into a more even contest.
Milburn became increasingly isolated in the second half, but still managed to force Williams into three commendable saves. Then at the death Wolves wasted a couple of glorious chances to win the tie.
There were approximately 20,000 United fans at the match, half of them travelling down in 17 special excursion trains; many spending over five hours in the ground. St John's Ambulancemen had to deal with more than 200 fainting cases and one spectator died of a heart attack. At one stage the game was interrupted as the crowd spilled onto the pitch.
First supporter home was Joseph Williams of Scotswood Road who declared that it was "the finest game I've ever seen; the end to end play was a treat". Another disembarking group brought howls of laughter in Central Station when they formed a circle and sang a special composition of United's song sung to the strains of 'Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer'.
The other semi-final between Blackpool and Birmingham was also goalless - the first time that had happened since 1912.
Wolves Leeds Road [14/03/1951] - Won 2-1 - [47,349]
Team: Fairbrother, Cowell, Corbett, Harvey, Brennan, Crowe, Walker, Taylor, Milburn, Robledo G, Mitchell
Six excursion trains ferried 3,000 down to Huddersfield with two having restaurant cars, the fare was 17s 6d. A limit of 50,000 was put on the capacity with each team being given an allocation of a third.
For a while it looked like the match might be postponed due to a waterlogged pitch but the water was pumped away and the match was on. The pipes that were left at the side of the pitch would later collide with Brennan's head. Not many defenders got the better of Brennan but the heavy metal pipes left him requiring smelling salts to carry on.
Wolves went ahead after 17 minutes and were dominating the play; then suddenly United had one of their "mad minutes". A magic bit of play by Taylor set up Milburn for a tap-in [33] and thirty seconds later Mitchell added a second with a sweet left footer.
Illustrations by Tommy Canning from Ha'way the Lads"
In the second period The Wanderers were well on top territorially as United opted to defend their advantage. The defence - Brennan and Harvey in particular - were outstanding and despite almost constant pressure they held the ravenous Wolves at bay.
The best performance of the day was from little Ernie Taylor who provided the bullets for Milburn, Mitchell and Robledo to shoot.
After the game thousands of jubilant Geordies poured into the public houses which had been opened an hour earlier whilst in Newcastle flags were hoisted around the city. By the time the players arrived back at Central Station at 9.40pm a huge crowd had gathered and the terminus echoed to a cacophony of rattles and bells. Only the taxi drivers - who couldn't get in or out - were not enjoying the event.