Poor old Bob Latchford.
With the Everton’s striker’s spectacular glancing header cancelling out Alan Devonshire’s extra-time strike after 113 minutes of 1980’s FA Cup Semi-Final replay at Elland Road (the first game had ended 1-1 at Goodison Park), those of Merseyside’s Blue persuasion must have thought the tide had turned.
They hadn’t banked on Frank Lampard (two years into becoming ‘Senior’).
Lampard's diving header
The FA Cup
Semi-Final replay
Elland Road, Leeds
16 April 1980
With two minutes separating the teams from a second replay, Trevor Brooking summoned up enough energy for one last surge.
His swinging left-foot delivery was flicked on by David Cross to find the veteran left-back perfectly placed to dive headlong and plant the ball into Everton’s net.
In a career spanning 551 games between 1967 and 1985, Lampard managed 18 goals – this was his first of the season.
Little wonder his corner-flag-jigging celebrations were so manic.
"I don’t know what I was doing up there, but I’ll settle for it," he told Sportsnight.
The boy from East Ham was soon immortalised in song, almost all of which can be printed here.
"I’m dreaming of a Frank Lampard/Just like the one at Elland Road/When the ball came over and Frank fell over and scored the winning goal!"
