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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