Exclusive: Chelsea and Leeds fans share vivid memories of the iconic 1970 FA Cup final as the sides prepare to meet again. Taking Double Diamond beer into the stadium and angry fans tipping cars into a canal are among the recollections of supporters who will attend Sunday's FA Cup semi-final.
Leeds Fan Lord Mann's Memories
Leeds supporter Labour peer Lord Mann, 66, will be at Wembley on Sunday and has vivid memories of the 1970 final. He watched the first match on a black and white TV in Pudsey Labour Hall and attended the replay, where he saw angry fans tip cars into a canal after the game.
Lord Mann said: "We couldn't get tickets for the Wembley match. My dad, Jim Mann, was a huge Leeds fan and also a local politician. 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 propped up on a chair in the middle of the room. There were about 20 of us there. They were mainly local councillors. 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."
He added: "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 and the quarter final away at Swindon. 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."
Mann saw his first Leeds game in 1964, a win over Newcastle at Elland Road. He has a season ticket in the East Stand, the same stand where he watched his first game at age four. In 61 years of supporting Leeds, he has only watched four games in the Main Stand.
He recalled: "It was much easier to get tickets for the replay. There were no neutrals at that game. We drove up from Leeds to Manchester. I remember Dad parking our car in the Trafford Docks. It was not a particularly safe area then. I remember cars being tipped into the Manchester ship canal by angry fans after the game. We stood on a massive terrace at the opposite end to the Stretford End. There must have been 15,000 Leeds fans on that terrace. The game was brutal. Both games were."
Chelsea Fan Neil Smith's Memories
Chelsea supporter Neil Smith, 69, will also be at the game. He recalled: "We started our journey to Wembley with seven of us crammed into my Uncle's car from near Maidenhead. My cousin, Linda, had tried to secure her blue and white teddy bear on the bonnet for the trip but it fell off soon after we departed. Needless to say we had our Chelsea scarves flying from the car windows. We then got the tube from Uxbridge to Wembley. As soon as we alighted and made our way to the stadium you could taste the atmosphere - the smell of hot dogs and tobacco smoke wafting through the air."
Smith remembered Chelsea fans in white butcher's coats with the club crest emblazoned on the back and players' names. He added: "Once through the turnstiles, Uncle John and my father quaffed a couple of cans of Double Diamond beer which they'd smuggled in. Indeed many had the same idea and my Uncle became very popular with those around us as he'd brought an opener with him - there were no ring pulls in those days!"
Smith, a retired banker from Iver, Bucks, saw his first Chelsea game in 1966, a 6-2 win over West Ham. Since then he has watched the Blues over 2,300 times. He said: "The week leading up to the final had been a fraught one in our household as we awaited the morning post waiting for our tickets to be delivered. There was great relief when the Registered Envelope arrived and all family members had been successful with our applications. It's hard to believe that with Wembley Stadium having a capacity of 100,000, the finalists' allocations were only around 17,000 each! Unlike this semi-final where both clubs will receive in excess of 30,000."
He added: "I can't believe it's 56 years since I last saw Chelsea play Leeds at Wembley. It's amazing it's been so long. It's one of those matches that has a special ring to it. It's been a difficult season for Chelsea fans but beating Leeds in the FA Cup at Wembley would give us all a great lift. Let's hope we can win."
The 1970 Final
The first match at Wembley ended in a 2-2 draw, and the replay at Old Trafford was watched by 28.5 million people on TV, the highest viewing figure for a domestic match ever. Recently a referee said if that game was played today there would be eleven red cards. Chelsea won the replay 2-1 after extra time.
