Saturday, 3 April 2021

BALLOONS AT WEMBLEY FOR OWLS AND BLADES

The city of Sheffield was deserted on Saturday April 3rd 1993, when both Sheffield clubs met at Wembley in the Steel City FA Cup Semi-final. The match was due to be played at Elland Road (Leeds) but was moved to Wembley, following protests from both clubs about crowd numbers. Over 75,000 saw Wednesday beat United 2-1, but the Owls celebrations were soon quashed in the Final when they lost to Arsenal, after a replay. Wednesday and Arsenal drew the first match 1-1 at Wembley again, on May 15th and the replay ended 2-1 to Arsenal on May 20th.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-kO6XlLryg  This is the highlight of the Semi-Final, after which a trophy was awarded to the winners of their own Sheffield Cup Final.

In the First Round Proper, Kingstonian FC from Surrey, managed a 1-1 draw with Peterborough United. In the replay, Posh's 9-1 victory over Kingstonian was declared void and the match was ordered to be replayed (behind closed doors) by the Football Association. A coin had been thrown from the crowd which hit Kingstonian keeper Adrian Blake who had to be substituted. As a result Posh's nine goals and Tony Philliskirk's individual five goals never made the record books. The Posh won the "replay" 1-0.

Another curious "Cup Final event" occured shortly after on April 18th 1993 at Wembley in the Football League Cup Final when Arsenal won 2-1 beating Sheffield Wednesday. 

Entering the 1992-3 competition in the Second Round, Sheffield Wednesday beat Hartlepool after a replay 2-2, 3-0. They then beat Leicester City 7-1, QPR 4-0, Ipswich 1-1, 1-0 and Blackburn Rovers 6-3 in the Semi-final.

Arsenal won through from Rd 2 beating Millwall after draws, 1-1. 1-1 and then 3-1on pens. Then they met in Rd 3 Derby 1-1 and 2-1, Scarborough in Rd 4 0-1, in Rd 5 2-0 v Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace 5-1 in the Semi-final.

The same two clubs meeting in the two major Cup Finals in England in the same year was unique. They of course met 3 times!











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