1971 FA Cup Final: Arsenal vs Liverpool

Highlights from the 1971 FA Cup Final played at Wembley between Arsenal and Liverpool.

[@worldlyconcerns]

I watched this final live on telly with my dad when I was nine years old. I was then and am now an Arsenal supporter, and I remember nearly crying when Steve Heighway scored for Liverpool to take the lead. It was a different story half-an-hour later, though! Thanks for the memories, great upload.

[@jasenwright1178]

I was right behind the goal when George hit that beautiful winner! Great day out! Never will forget it!

[@yesihavereadit]

I was stoodcnext to you . George went to my school Holloway. I Remember the Graham/Kelly goal, just saw the net move, and a roar that went round the ground with them running back .

[@jasenwright1178]

@@yesihavereadit I think your right! We saw a crowd in the box at that end then the net move and the crowd erupt! Brilliant! Kelly or Graham, who cared !! COYG!

[@elijahtchilembe-mpovie2715]

Both BBC and ITV version were just legendary

[@RayJacksonbighmw]

Two legendary football clubs, both in their prime, Liverpool during their dynasty years (1960s-80s) and The Arsenal, a club that was coming off winning the League that year and hungry for a then-rare double (League title/FA Cup) and with guns (get the pun fellow Gooners!) like Charlie George (who got the winning goal late in extra time in that match), Eddie Kelly, John Radford, and George Graham, whom later on in the late-80s-early-90s would become our manager and win the League again for Arsenal in 1989 and complete a unique double in 1992-93 winning the League Cup and the FA Cup before getting sacked. Boy how English football was back in the 1970s, where fouls weren't ever called unless you broke a guy's leg (Andy Gray and Dave Whelan would both agree on that) compared to players now who take dives or flop more than a WWE Superstar just to get a foul call or booking to go their way, Yes English footy, where players had no allocated numbers and no names on their backs either, and where the club logo on their left chest meant more than merely how much money was in their bank accounts did like these spoiled brats in world football get now (seven-figure contracts and lucrative bonus incentives). I may have discovered this beautiful game back in the late 70s, mainly because of Pele's invasion of America in the NASL with the Cosmos, and also watching KCET (channel 28, Los Angeles) present First Division matches in a one-hour truncated form with Mario Machado calling it, but I would die to be in one of those terraces on either end of the pitch at old Highbury in North London or even the world-famous Kop at Anfield back then like the proper supporters were back then. COYG!!! Win the FA Cup this May and I will be recording it onto DVD, as it will be shown LIVE on FOX (on the air) here in the States. IN ARSENE WENGER WE TRUST!!!

[@Vintagevanessa99]

I was there. (Thanks dad ) My love affair with arsenal started ❤️ ♥️

[@Ryan_Giggs97]

This Arsenal team is the greatest ever in The Arsenal’s history. Winning the league in the final match of the season away at White Hart Lane against Tottenham with a 1-0 victory; Ray Kennedy scored the winner. It does not get better than that plus an F.A Cup final that ended in victory over the team that would dominate football in England and Europe, Liverpool. A really great Liverpool team I might add. Ray Clemence; Chris Lawler, Alec Lindsay; Tommy Smith, Larry Lloyd, Emlyn Hughes; Ian Callaghan, Alun Evans, Steve Heighway, John Toshack and Brian Hall with Peter Thompson coming on as substitute for Alun Evans. The Arsenal fielded Bob Wilson; Pat Rice, Bob McNab; Peter Storey, Frank McLintock, Peter Simpson; George Armstrong, George Graham, John Radford, Ray Kennedy and Charlie George with Eddie Kelly coming on as substitute for Peter Storey.

[@paulegan8882]

The legendary Brian Moore.

[@petermcdonald5909]

absolutely great commentator,. unlike today's commentators he actually calls the action. commentators today waffle on about anything but the actual game!

[@arthurreeder2474]

My brother gave me his ticket as he preferred to see it on TV. One of the best times I have ever had, and what a finale to an epic season. Frank McLintock was always a legend and he still is to me. We eventually lost him to QPR and got Henry Mancini as a replacement. A classic star defender for a clown, some things never change do they? Thanks for the memories of when we were a real British team and people wanted to play for the club.

[@thealgha]

"There will never be a girl who can take my heart away from the sight of Charlie George lying in the sunshine"

[@JohnJohn-zn8ib]

He certainly wasn’t a girl like players of today.

[@Kevin-j5c6j]

Never tire watching this, Charlie's goal, to me anyway the most iconic winning goal in FA Cup Final, might be bit bias thete

[@rjay1340]

What memories for a then ten year old boy sitting on my uncle's shoulders Charlie Charlie born is the king of highbury , coyg !

[@112sje]

Yes, a few years later Charlie got himself a nice perm and a move to the Rams. (Remember his left foot bullet against Real Madrid ?)

[@112sje]

That's the first time I have ever seen the behind the goal replay that proves that Eddie Kelly deserved Arsenal's first goal. 😀

[@johnfagan272]

Exactly 50 years ago today ... also Saturday 8th May. Memorable game between two great teams.

[@keyboarddancers7751]

This was back when the FA Cup actually meant something to the television audiences, the teams and the football authorities. By the way, when was concept of "pace" introduced into the English game?

[@tuckwatsellers]

Back in the day when both sets of fans would stay to see the cup being lifted .

[@attridge95]

The first time an 8 year old Liverpool fan from Portsmouth cried... I never forgot it..and one of the Arsenal results against or affecting Liverpool that took me about 40 years before I could even admire Arsenal (with exception of Liam Brady)

[@vordman]

Arsenal might have done the double in 71 but it turned out to be Liverpool's decade. This was such a memorable final in the Wembley sunshine.

[@peterh1353]

Great game. Emlyn Hughes blamed the Liverpool shirts which got too heavy! Strangely got arrested for drink driving outside my house. Never saw the incident but told the court that he thought he could drive to the hotel without using a public road. Which makes his shirt excuse sound plausible.

[@RayJacksonbighmw]

R.I.P. Brian Moore, a football LEGEND calling this match, but who is the color analyst working with him in one of The Gunners' moment of glory? I just wondered.

[@YeOldeFootballChannel]

Jimmy Hill.

[@csabakornelfulop7158]

It was a love game for me when I was 14. It happened to happen in Hungary in the town of Debrecen. I was enthusiastic about... And I am so now. For edinburghmacleod: I like it when someone is so sophisticated about one subject. And even more so when he/she has been alert for such a long time. (Although that is quite natural.) With kind regards to evryone

[@Clone68]

I think Graham did touch the ball with his right foot...his left foot swings over the ball and it makes it look like missed it completely. But just before that it looks like the ball changed direction just a bit as it moved past his right foot. Even watching in real time...it looks like the ball accelerates a bit as it rolls past Clemence.

[@LeeH688]

He definitely touches it

[@tommylucy4738]

Gunners at the double !!!

[@matelot95]

"Oh Charlie Charlie, Charlie Charlie Charlie Charlie shythouse George!" :-) Stupendous goal mind.

[@ThePonko92]

Georges goal was a pearler he was doing shots like that through the game blimey he could hit 'em lol

[@RobCLynch]

My uncle - a Liverpool fan - was at this game - in the Arsenal end lol. He was a student in London and his Arsenal mates convinced him to join them. They didn't have tickets and the means of entry to the Stadium was a bunch of newspaper cut to the size of five pound notes. Then with a real fiver wrapped around the wad, they took turns jumping the waste-high turnstiles and throwing the gate men a wad of cash. By the time the fellas realised the scam, the young lads were inside - that's a totally true story! My uncle was gutted to lose the final and is still haunted by Charlie George laying down after scoring lol. The only bonus is that his Arsenal mates felt sorry for him and bought him his ale all night!

[@112sje]

Well done to Arsenal, but I felt sorry for Liverpool's players; having to wear those heavy long-sleeved winter jerseys in that red hot May sunshine. Emlyn Hughes once said they were brand new for the final but were so heavy his skin couldn't breathe though them (but he didn't try to take any credit away from Arsenal).

[@mediastarguest4471]

The build for Graham´s equalizing goal for Arsenal at 4:22 is an example of how the "unpredictable" can cause chaos in the defending team. Absolutely nothing on except a mundane pass but suddenly out of nothing a hopefull pass sends the Liverpool defenders into panic. Coaches should that clip to their players. Barca would have passeded the ball about twenty-seven times and won a throw-in at most.

[@2005peasah]

Arsenal were a goal down but we should guts to win as well as winning the Double forty-eight years ago. Eddie Kelly who touch the ball instead of GG to make it 1-1 and then George let it fly to beat Clemence and we won the Doubles at long last. Our first before we won two Doubles in 97/98 and 01/02.

[@Ryan_Giggs97]

Was it really Eddie Kelly? Perhaps George Graham was being modest as it was actually him that scored the equaliser to make it 1-1. Steve Heighway scored the first goal of the match to make it 1-0 to Liverpool; George Graham equalised, 1-1; Charlie George won the match, scoring the winning goal for The Arsenal, 2-1.

[@FandiRyan]

Comeback, 0-1 1-1 2-1 . Wow!

[@offrampt]

3:38 That goal from Heighway is an all time great - firing one past the despairing Bob Wilson. Where did the FA Cup go wrong?

[@Deadeye1967]

No money in the FA cup compared to CL and not enough British Owners, Managers to respect it like before.

[@Mlaargaar]

Charlie George with a screamer!

[@grotgrusson5124]

No pictures of the referee falling down on his knees celebratin after the final whistle? 😁

[@jimmybalantyne5545]

There.

[@bernardmahoney6684]

typical Liverpool blow it when ahead as almost always .

[@alkerdham]

@UncleMikeNJ u was right man ;(

[@pallmagnussen1060]

back when arsenal fans actually were loud

[@miraclehesed8959]

So we had a rice then? Why am I not surprised?

[@cossie15manx]

we got revenge in for this in 01

[@dmlewey]

Revenge but still outplayed.

[@thespywholovedme1977]

Took yer long enough, didn’t it!!

[@pjwwp2011]

ER...... Liver ..who ??????

[@thespywholovedme1977]

Happy days when there wasn’t an unpronounceable foreign player on the pitch, just good old British ones slogging it out.