Posted 8 months ago
Soccer
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1970 FA Cup Final: English Football's Brutal Match
As Eddie Gray takes control of the ball at the center circle, his eyes lock onto Chelsea's goal with determination. However, David Webb has a different plan in mind.
Still stinging from his previous encounters with the Leeds winger, Webb charges towards Gray with fierce intensity. Without hesitation, he launches into a tackle, both feet leaving the ground, showing no mercy. The impact is immediate.
In just two short minutes, the 1970 FA Cup final replay earned its reputation as a match not for the faint-hearted.
This iconic clash is etched in football history as a showdown fueled by sheer hostility between a resilient Leeds United squad known for their strength as much as their skill, and a triumphant Chelsea team boasting both flair and ferocity.
Back then, football was a different beast, with referees often more lenient towards bone-crunching tackles and their aftermath. Yet, even by those standards, this match was brutal.
Its notoriety is such that it's been re-examined twice by modern referees. In 1997, David Elleray suggested he would have issued six red cards, while in 2020 Michael Oliver went further, proposing 11.
On that unforgettable night, referee Eric Jennings only brandished one yellow card.
With both teams preparing to clash in the FA Cup for the first time since that memorable game over five decades ago, BBC Sport takes a nostalgic glance back at one of English football's most infamous showdowns.
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