There was a similar scenario in 1962-63, the season of ‘The Big Freeze’, when Cup holders Tottenham Hotspur were drawn at home in Round Three to Burnley, the team they had faced in the previous season’s Final.
Burnley v Tottenham Hotspur
The FA Cup
Third Round Proper
7.45pm, Monday 5 January 2015
Turf Moor, Burnley FC
Winners receive £67,500 from prize fund
Spurs were outstanding in the early 1960s. Under Bill Nicholson they won the Double in ’61, The FA Cup in ’62 and the European Cup Winners’ Cup in ’63.
The Londoners retained The Cup with a 3-1 win over Burnley in what became known as ‘The Chessboard Final’. It was a mixture of patience and artistry, rather than fire and passion, and some thought that the match was strangely flat and lacking in excitement.
No team had lost a Wembley Final after winning there a year earlier, and Burnley’s hopes of forcing Spurs to become the first side to do so took a jolt as early as the third minute.
The great Jimmy Greaves found himself surrounded by defenders but stopped suddenly and checked back before brilliantly turning and shooting past Adam Blacklaw in the Lancastrians’ goal.
Jimmy Robson equalised five minutes into the second half, the one hundredth goal to be scored in a Wembley Final, but for a fatal moment Burnley allowed themselves a moment of relaxation. Within a minute they were behind again, Bobby Smith turning on John White’s centre and thumping his shot past Blacklaw.
Spurs ended any doubts ten minutes from time. Tommy Cummings handled on the line and skipper Danny Blanchflower sent the ‘keeper the wrong way with his spot-kick.
It was Spurs v Burnley at White Hart Lane in the following season’s Third Round and on a snow-covered pitch – eleven days after the scheduled date for the tie – the visitors pulled off a surprise 3-0 victory.
John Connelly, Andy Lochhead and Gordon Harris scored the goals but the Clarets went out to Liverpool in the next round.
