1972 FA Cup Final

The 1972 FA Cup Final took place on 6 May 1972 at Wembley Stadium. It was the Centenary final (although only the 91st final due to world wars) and the 44th to be played at Wembley.

It was contested between cup holders Arsenal, who had won the English Championship and FA Cup the previous season, and Leeds United, who had won the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup and finished 2nd in the league the previous season. They had never won the trophy before.

Arsenal planned to make it the third decade for a club to return as Cup-holders and win again for the second successive year, as Newcastle had done in 1952 and Tottenham in 1962.

The final is also the origin of the song Leeds! Leeds! Leeds! (commonly known as Marching On Together) as the B-side of the Leeds cup final song, played to this day by United and several other Leeds sports teams.

Road to Wembley
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Leeds United
''Home teams listed first.

Round 3: Leeds United 4–1 Bristol Rovers

Round 4: Liverpool 0–0 Leeds United
 * Replay: Leeds United 2–0 Liverpool

Round 5: Cardiff City 0–2 Leeds United

Round 6: Leeds United 2–1 Tottenham Hotspur

Semi-final: Leeds United 3–0 Birmingham City
 * (at Hillsborough Stadium, Sheffield)


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Arsenal
''Home teams listed first.

Round 3: Swindon Town 0–2 Arsenal

Round 4: Reading 1 –2 Arsenal

Round 5: Derby County 2–2 Arsenal
 * Replay: Arsenal 0–0 Derby County
 * 2nd Replay: Arsenal 1–0 Derby County (at Filbert Street)

Round 6: Leyton Orient 0–1 Arsenal

Semi-final: Stoke City 1–1 Arsenal
 * (at Villa Park, Birmingham)
 * Replay: Arsenal 2–1 Stoke City
 * (at Goodison Park, Everton)


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Match summary
The Jones-Clarke combination produced a goal in the fifty-third minute. Jones sent across a hard, shoulder-high centre and 'Sniffer' Clarke headed powerfully past Barnett's left hand from fifteen yards.

A match that often fell below the highest level began badly with a foul by Clarke on Ball in the first five seconds and the first of four bookings — McNab bringing down Lorimer as early as the second minute. Neither side played consistently up to their capabilities, yet both had their moments. George's fierce volley cannoned back off the bar for Arsenal, and both Clarke and Lorimer struck the woodwork for Leeds.

Leeds' jubilation at the end was tempered by a last-minute injury to Mick Jones, who dislocated his elbow and had to be helped up the steps by Norman Hunter to receive his winners' medal.