BLYTH SPARTANS AFC V WREXHAM FC - FA CUP 5TH ROUND - 1978

[@ianrowley7735]

First match I ever went to …hooked with Wrexham, but still look for Blyth results. Great memories!

[@andrewthomas802]

What a great FA cup game. One of many I saw as a lad at Wrexham. Cold day, hard pitch, difficult to play on. Blyth fought so well for part timers. Wrexham had about 6 welsh internationals in the team and Dixie McNeil, what a player, what a great team.

[@charliepeebles]

As a Newcastle fan I always remember this tie with a sense of shame and embarrassment. This was when we let the whole of the North East down. I'll never forget the fifth round draw that year when Newcastle United or Wrexham v Blyth Spartans came out of the hat. For 48 hours the North East was buzzing. Newcastle v Blyth would have been the cup tie of the century in the North East, one they would have still been talking about today. The rest of course is history, we went out on the Wednesday night and got stuffed 4-0 by a Wrexham team who were two divisions below us at the time. Typically shambolic Newcastle, some things never change. The 42,167 that turned up for the Blyth v Wrexham replay was not only an indication of how huge a Newcastle v Blyth tie would have been it was also the biggest crowd at St James's Park for a generation. At the end of the 1977/78 season the large terrace at the Leazes End was knocked down, significantly reducing the ground capacity. It wasn't till redevelopment in 1999/2000 that the ground was able to accommodate larger crowds once more so it was another 22 years before St James's Park saw a crowd as big as the one for the Blyth v Wrexham game.

[@steviemac9055]

There were also 10,000 locked out of St James's at the replay, the crowd would have been over 50,000. I remember standing in the Gallowgate End listening to the public address announcements as the turnstiles were closing all around the ground. I live in Ireland now and I don't miss going to Ashley's NUFC but most Saturdays I would love to be at Blyth again.

[@StevenTilly]

Yeah, Wrexham were 2 divisions below Newcastle at the time but by the end of the season they were in the same league. Poor Toon team, fantastic Wrexham team, the gulf wasn't as big as it appeared.

[@quietman4742]

The Blyth team were a great set of boys, we were a bit lucky that day in Wrexham with that retaken corner! And then Dixie pops up, 3rd corner, 89th minute, wow. I was a kid that day, supporting Wrexham, Blyth fans loud and proud, good lads, respect always, to Blyth from Wrexham, Wales.

[@alansutton7046]

This isn't Blyth vs Wrexham (the replay) it is Wrexham vs Blyth (the first match). I was under the pigeon loft at our end - it was demolished and turned into a full covering just a bit later. When Dixie scored - still one of my favourite goals - the end went ballistic and I got thrown about halfway down. Great match and we should have beaten Arsenal in the quarter final as well

[@carlh429]

So was I. Was at the Newcastle 4-1 game as well...

[@brianbrown9512]

I was 15 and in the Kop on Crispin Lane, great atmosphere and fights all day Newcastle had a load of their lads come in the home end.

[@bluesmachine1006]

Here we go again! 👍🏻🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

[@deanlatimer2323]

was at both ties as a 10 year old. watching the scraping from a seat in the stand ! proper keepers without gloves 😀

[@MrPartridge37]

Is that Richard from Pointless at 3:10?

[@craigmcvay1]

No its not if it is then the years have been AWFUL

[@harrystratford3183]

Hello, I am currently doing a documentary on Blyth Spartans. Would it be possible to use this footage please ?

[@shanef8728]

as a chelsea fan I seem to remember always playing wrexham in the cup back in the 70s.. yes when we were shit I know!

[@StevenTilly]

That's Wrexham v Blyth, not Blyth v Wrexham.

[@ewanmacfarlane9195]

This is great pitch frozen solid.So what theres 20 thousand people here put a pair of trainers on and get out there.

[@deborahwinter337]

Blyth was ROBBED

[@sockington1]

1.1.5 - sorry Barry, but what the cup is all about is money just as it always was and stilll is