FA Cup magic: When the Bulls charged Newcastle out of the 3rd round
In anticipation of the FA Cup third round, we take a look back at some of the best giant-killing stories from that stage of the competition.
A large chunk of the now dissolved Hereford United's support were country folk, spread over the beautiful hills of Herefordshire's vast greenery. Fans of rival clubs such as Shrewsbury Town labelled them as "carrot crunchers" and unfairly speculated of an incestual heritage. Even the club badge was a nod to its marked agricultural roots: a Hereford bull, looking at you in a rather slovenly manner.
(Courtesy: AB Stainless)
Despite the idyllic yet basic surroundings, there was certainly an appetite for football in Herefordshire, and particularly in the FA Cup. The club never topped the amount that packed into Edgar Street on Jan. 4, 1958 over its 90-year history; when the tiny club's FA Cup third-round meeting with top-tier Sheffield Wednesday was watched by 18,114. Hereford lost 3-0.
In both 1970 and 1971, Hereford had fallen just short of the prestigious third round, which in turn hurt its bid for election into the Football League. A 2-1 loss at Newport County first spelled its exit in 1970, with a 2-1 reverse at home to third-tier Brighton & Hove Albion turfing it out the year after.
In 1972, however, Hereford staged what is widely regarded as the greatest ever upset in FA Cup history. It took two matches to see off King's Lynn in the first round proper, and three to eventually beat Northampton Town and earn a meeting with Division One's Newcastle United in the third round.
By the deciding match on Feb. 5, under Edgar Street's peculiar-looking floodlights (built before many of the larger clubs, locals will point out) and on a heavy, sticky pitch, the two sides were very much acquainted.
"The tie wasn't a one-day affair, it was a saga that took five postponements, two games and three weeks to complete," former Newcastle and England forward Malcolm Macdonald told the Guardian's Jamie Jackson in 2007.
"We were called off at St James' Park twice for rain before we finally played on 24 January, a Monday evening. It was a 2-2 draw."
The constant postponements had less of an effect on Hereford's part-time players.
"We had our jobs - I was a carpenter - and so the postponements didn't bother us. We got on with our lives. It must have had an effect on them, though," midfielder Ronnie Radford said to FourFourTwo's Leo Moynihan last year.
When the reply finally went ahead in Hereford - when the rest of the clubs still in the competition played their fourth-round matches - 15,000 packed into the ground. Some fans unable to get their hands on tickets gained vantage points on the branches of nearby trees.
Despite being unsettled with the ever-changing fixture list, Macdonald eventually handed the illustrious visitor the lead with seven minutes remaining. Hereford had matched Newcastle for much of the tie, but the towering header at the back post looked to spell an end to its FA Cup adventure.
That was until Radford's screamer levelled things up late on:
"Both myself and Ronnie were going for it," player-manager Colin Addison said of the goal. "He can see me and he says something along the lines of - in his Yorkshire accent - 'Leave it t'me lad, get out t'way.'"
Grenville Smith, who was on pitchside duty with the local police force, talked of his reaction.
"When Ronnie scored the crowd ran on, but I was ahead of them, cheering. I threw my police hat in the air, caught it, then remembered myself and shouted: 'Off the pitch!'"
(Courtesy: Daily Mail)
In order to avoid another replay, the match went into extra time. Few neutrals were relishing the historic David versus Goliath bout as much as legendary commentator John Motson, who was covering the game for the BBC.
"This game is everything which is brilliant about the FA Cup," he told the Daily Mail last year. "The pitch was a bog and Newcastle's superstars such as Malcolm Macdonald had been spouting off in the press, but they got their comeuppance alright."
The Bulls topped the Magpies when Ricky George struck the ball beyond Willie McFaul on 103 minutes:
George reflected: "For me to regard the experience as less than the greatest moment of my life would be insulting to the dreams of millions of school kids. It changed my life."
Hereford United held on, reaching the fourth round for the first time in its history and earning Football League status the following season. After years of battling financial problems, the club dissolved in 2014 to be succeeded by Hereford FC. The memories of the historic FA Cup triumph didn't fade with the first incarnation though.
"Every day I walk through the town someone mentions it. I'm from Somerset, but I'm adopted here. They named a street after me, Addison Court. That was nice," Addison reflected nine years ago.
"Five years ago I went back to St James' Park for the first time. I saw Malcolm Macdonald. The fag fell out his mouth and he said: 'Fucking hell, not you again!'"
