The 1970 FA Cup final first match ended in a 2-2 draw, with the replay at Old Trafford watched by 28.5 million people on TV, the highest viewing figure for a domestic match ever. A referee recently said that if the 1970 final were played today, there would be eleven red cards.
Fan memories of the 1970 final include Neil Smith's father smuggling Double Diamond beer and an opener into Wembley. According to Daily Mirror - Main, Lord Mann watched the match on a black and white TV in Pudsey Labour Hall. He has supported Leeds United for 61 years and has a season ticket in the East Stand at Elland Road. After the replay, angry fans tipped cars into a canal.
We couldn't get tickets for the Wembley match. My dad, Jim Mann, was a huge Leeds fan and he was also a local politician - he stood for Labour in the election later that summer in the Pudsey constituency. We ended up watching the match in the Pudsey Labour Hall. It's still there. I remember it was on a black and white TV which was propped up on a chair in the middle of the room. There were about 20 of us there. They were mainly local councillors - I could even name most of them today! I remember the game clearly. We took Chelsea to the cleaners. We tore them apart but a mistake from our goalkeeper Gary Sprake cost us in the first half and then Chelsea got a late equaliser. We just couldn't believe it - we all thought we would win the cup. I was particularly upset at not getting a ticket as I'd been to the games away at Sutton in the 4th round - which we won 6-0 - and the quarter final game away at Swindon - which we won 2-0. I'd been to all the other FA Cup games as well apart from the semi-final replays. But there were not enough tickets given to both clubs for the final.
I was very upset and annoyed by this. It was the first - and certainly not the last time - I had a grievance with the FA!