61 years ago today saw the biggest giant killing in the FA Cup, after disposing of 2nd division Bury in the 3rd round, Yeovil played Sunderland, who were in the top six of the First Division. The Rokerites were the biggest spenders of the day, having signed top England International Len Shackleton with a shed load of cash, earning them the nick-name – “The Bank of England Team”.
YEOVIL IN – AND POMPEY!
http://www.britishpathe.com/embed.php?archive=26434
Seb White’s article for the BBC.
CiderSpace history
Sunderland had bit of a dip in form after that and lost their next four league games.
Yeovil drew away to Manchester Utd in the next round, who were playing at Maine Road due to Old Trafford having not returned to normal use after the war.
By this time my dad had been called up for his National Service and was at Didsbury telling all the Mancs to watch out as Alec Stock’s boys were coming to get them.
In the end, with their ‘keeper injured early on and no subs in those days, the Glovers were soundly beaten 8-0 (a familiar margin), but yet another FA Cup record was broken and still stands to this day – it was the biggest FA Cup crowd outside of the Final ever – 81,565 surpassed the expected 55-60,000, and not all of them were local!
GIANT KILLER GO OUT FIGHTING
http://www.britishpathe.com/embed.php?archive=26454
Ulnike other one-hit wonders, Yeovil’s FA Cup exploits show that they deserve the title of giant-killers, in their non-league days the Glovers knocked out 20 League teams.
However now the boot is on the other foot they’ve been knocked out themselves by a few non-league teams in recent years – the giant-killers being “giant-killed” themselves.
Ah the FA Cup, there’s nothing quite like it.
“Giants” killed:
1924/25 Bournemouth & Boscombe
1934/35 Crystal Palace
1934/35 Exeter City
1938/39 Brighton & Hove Albion
1948/49 Bury
1948/49 Sunderland
1958/59 Southend United
1960/61 Walsall
1963/64 Southend United
1963/64 Crystal Palace
1970/71 Bournemouth & Boscombe
1972/73 Brentford
1987/88 Cambridge United
1991/92 Walsall
1992/93 Torquay United
1992/93 Hereford United
1993/94 Fulham
1998/99 Northampton Town
2000/01 Colchester United
2000/01 Blackpool
Not to mention several near misses, and replays, and a few since winning promotion to the football league on merit.
Here’s the full stats from CiderSpace & PrideOfSomerset.
Brakes Videos 