MAY 6th: A DOUBLE DAY AND MORE

 

May 6th 1961 was the day in 20th Century Footballing history when Tottenham Hotspur completed the "Football League and FA Cup Double", by beating Leicester City 2-0 in the FA Cup Final at Wembley. A unique event in the 20th C. Goals were from Bobby Smith and Terry Dyson. I was supporting Spurs by then having seen them play at White Hart Lane a couple of times, with my "London Uncle" and my dad, when I was 9. 

Probably my last sighting of the Spurs centre forward Bobby Smith was at Queen's Street in 1966, the now defunct Horsham FC stadium, when Hastings Utd came to play in an FA Cup tie, Qualifying Rd4.

https://www.horshamfc.co.uk/matches/1966-67/11432/hastings-united/

Horsham had beaten Dorking away 0-3 in QRd1, Fleet Town 3-0 in QRd 2, Woking 2-1 in QRd 3, to get to meet an overweight Smithy, winning 2-1. The reward was Don Rogers and Swindon Town in Rd 1 Proper at Queen's Street, with temporary stands and a full house, including me. watching Horsham's 0-3 defeat. 

Don Rogers was in his pomp. Remember the League Cup Final? Horse of the Year Show pitch 1969? Div 1 Arsenal  v Div 3 SWTFC 

Swindon scored 35 mins: Bobby Gould 86...extra time....Swindon score 104, 119mins both Rogers.

https://www.horshamfc.co.uk/matches/1966-67/6793/swindon-town/

Then Swindon beat Ashford Town 5-0 in Rd 2,  drew with West Ham away 3-3 and beat them 3-1 in Rd 3. They then met Bury in Rd 4 winning 2-1, met Forest in Rd 5 0-0 at theirs, drawing 1-1 at home and losing 3-0 at Villa Park. Forest went on to beat Everton 3-2 in Rd 6, losing to Spurs 2-1 at Hillsborough in front of 55,000.

This was another memorable May 6th Final 0-1 to Leeds, 1972, the 100th year since the first final.

AND in 1978 Ipswich beat Arsenal in the FA Cup Final 1-0 on May 6th.

Mick Mills (capt)+ Roger Osbourne (goalscorer)