1974 WFA Cup Final (lost footage of football match; 1974)
The 1974 WFA Cup Final (also known as the 1974 Mitre Challenge Trophy Final) culminated the 1973-74 WFA Cup season. Occurring on 28th April 1974 at Bedford Town's The Eyrie, it featured Fodens defeating Southampton 2-1, ending the latter side's unbeaten WFA Cup record.
Background
Heading into the Final, Southampton were the defending champions.[1][2] Its campaign from the Third Round onwards saw it defeat Crystal Palace, Amersham Angels, Chelles Belles, and 1973 WFA Cup Final rival Westthorn United.[3] Meanwhile, Fodens' campaign from the Second Round onwards saw it overcome Southport, Prestatyn, Preston North End, Suffolk Bluebirds, and Swindon Spitfires.[3] Since the WFA Cup's inception in the 1970/71 season, Southampton had yet to be beaten and were seeking their fourth consecutive WFA Cup.[1][2] Meanwhile, this was Fodens' first Final.[1][2]
While Southampton were deemed the favourites heading in, Fodens was maintaining a season-long unbeaten run.[2] Both clubs also boasted players who were selected to play for England, with the Southampton squad boasting five, and Fodens three.[4][2] Among the Fodens squad were Pat Firth and Alison Leatherbarrow, who both expressed in an interview with Our Game Magazine how they were deemed the underdogs heading in.[4][2] Firth stated "Fodens at the time was the team to beat in the north, but Southampton was the team to beat full stop." During the third-place play-off match between Westthorn United and Swindon Spitfires, most within the stands according to Leatherbarrow were downplaying Fodens. She recalled "I remember being in the stands and we could hear comments all around us. It was all, 'Who are Fodens?' and 'They’ve got no chance!' When we went into the changing room we just said to each other 'What have we got to lose?' and after that we had no nerves."[4]
With Football League clubs against disinterested in providing their grounds for the game, the WFA forged an agreement with Bedford Town to host the Final at The Eyrie for the second consecutive year.[5][2][4] The attendance was reported as being around 800.[2][5]
The Match
The Final itself occurred on 28th April.[5] Despite being deemed the underdogs, it was Fodens who took the lead courtesy of a 20-yard strike from Leatherbarrow into the top right corner.[2][4][5] Southampton would eventually equalise thanks to a goal from Pat Davies, and it seemed likely the game would enter extra-time.[2][5][4] However, a miscommunication between Southampton goalkeeper Sue Buckett and a defender led to the ball crossing the path of Firth. She passed it to Leatherbarrow, who converted the opportunity to make it 2-1 for Fodens.[2][5][4]
Fodens successfully defended the lead for the remaining four minutes to win its first and only WFA Cup, delivering Southampton's first loss in the competition.[4][2][5] Among sources like Our Game Magazine, the result is considered one of the biggest shocks in the history of the WFA Cup.[4] Firth nevertheless believes her team had a stronger chance than others suggested heading in, stating "I think it was classed as a shock. Southampton didn’t just beat teams, they thrashed them. Between the teams we could have fielded an international team, I think they had seven. It was a surprise to people, but secretly not to us, we knew we had good players."[4]
Availability
Footage of the Final is known to exist, with it being viewed by the authors of A History of the Women's FA Cup Final.[2][4] While it is unclear whether the footage aired on television,[6] at least one tape is known to be in the possession of Leatherbarrow, which contained clips of the goals.[4] However, the tape has yet to publicly resurface, and the extent of surviving footage remains unclear.
Gallery
Image
See Also
Football Media
- 1937 FA Cup Final (partially found footage of football match; 1937)
- 1938 FA Cup Final (partially found footage of football match; 1938)
- 1939 FA Cup Final (partially found footage of football match; 1939)
- 1947 FA Cup Final (partially found footage of football match; 1947)
- 1948 FA Cup Final (partially found footage of football match; 1948)
- 1948 Summer Olympics (partially found television coverage of London Games; 1948)
- 1949 FA Cup Final (partially found footage of football match; 1949)
- 1950 FA Cup Final (partially found footage of football match; 1950)
- 1951 FA Cup Final (partially found footage of football match; 1951)
- 1955 Scottish Cup Final (partially found footage of football match; 1955)
- 1966 FIFA World Cup Final (partially found original colour film of international football match; 1966)
- 1971 WFA Cup Final (partially found footage of football match; 1971)
- 1973 WFA Cup Final (lost footage of football match; 1973)
- 1976 WFA Cup Final (partially found footage of football match; 1976)
- 1977 WFA Cup Final (lost footage of football match; 1977)
- 1978 WFA Cup Final (lost footage of football match; 1978)
- 1979 WFA Cup Final (lost footage of football match; 1979)
- 1985-1986 WFA Cup (lost list of entries for football tournament; 1985)
- Arsenal 1-1 Sheffield United (lost radio commentary of football match; 1927)
- Arsenal 7-1 Hibernian (lost footage of charity football match; 1952)
- Arsenal vs Arsenal Reserves (lost footage of early BBC televised football match; 1937)
- Atlético Madrid 1-1 Real Madrid (lost footage of El Derbi Madrileño La Liga football match; 1958)
- Barbados 4–2 Grenada (partially found soccer match footage; 1994)
- Barnet 3-2 Wealdstone (lost footage of Athenian League football match; 1946)
- Brian Clough's Football Fortunes (lost DOS port of football management game; 1987)
- Charlton Athletic 1-0 Blackburn Rovers (lost footage of FA Cup match; 1947)
- England 0-1 Scotland (partially found footage of international football match; 1938)
- England 1-0 Scotland (lost footage of Schools' International football match; 1952)
- England 1-1 Scotland (partially found footage of international football match; 1947)
- England 1-3 Scotland (partially found footage of international football match; 1949)
- England 2-0 Italy (partially found footage of international football match; 1949)
- England 3-0 France (partially found footage of international football match; 1947)
- England 3-0 Rest of Europe (partially found footage of international football match; 1938)
- England 6-0 Switzerland (partially found footage of international football match; 1948)
- Falkirk 3-2 Newcastle United (lost footage of football match; 1953)
- FIFA Soccer 2002 (lost build of cancelled Game Boy Advance port of football game; existence unconfirmed; 2001-2002)
- Hallo! Bundesliga (lost GolTV series; mid 2000s-mid 2010s)
- Juventus 1-7 A.C. Milan (partially found footage of Serie A football match; 1950)
- Real Madrid 1-0 Barcelona (partially found footage of El Clásico La Liga football match; 1959)
- Real Madrid 3-0 Racing Santander (lost footage of La Liga football match; 1954)
- Scottish Universities 1-1 English Universities (lost footage of international football match; 1952)
- Serbia vs Albania (found footage of abandoned UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying match; 2014)
- United! (lost British soap opera; 1965-1967)
- Walthamstow Avenue 0-2 Queen's Park (lost footage of friendly football match; 1951)
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Women's FA Cup listing all the WFA Cup Finals. Retrieved 29th Jul '22
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 A History of the Women's FA Cup Final detailing the 1974 WFA Cup Final match and its surviving footage. Retrieved 29th Jul '22
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Women's FA Cup detailing the road to the Final. Retrieved 29th Jul '22
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 Our Game Magazine interviewing several Fodens players regarding the Final. Retrieved 29th Jul '22
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 Women's FA Cup detailing the result and statistics of the match. Retrieved 29th Jul '22
- ↑ Private correspondence between Chris Slegg and Lost Media Wiki user SpaceManiac888. Retrieved 29th Jul '22