FA Cup semi-final goals 1984-88

Ahead of FA Cup semi-final weekend, a look back at all the semi-finals played between 1984 and 1988. Includes memories such as Everton narrowly winning three successive semi-finals from 1984 to 1986, Manchester United, Coventry City and Wimbledon coming from behind en route to winning the cup, Liverpool moving towards the double in 1986 and 3rd Division Plymouth pushing Watford hard in the 1984 semi-final but losing out.
(I've had slight probs with the audio on a couple of matches so you might need to adjust your speakers slightly along the way, thanks).

[@SuperVinceybaby]

80s football different beast. If you are young now you missed atmospheres that aren't coming back.

[@mrflynn1205]

That delirious sound of the crowds in these games is truly a thing of the past.

[@mrjasondylan]

As an Evertonian back then I went to a league final and 3 FA cup final in 3 years twice against Liverpool then again 89 5 Wembley finals in 6 years fantastic memories we had a great team back then also won 2 league titles in 3 years. And all without billionaire Saudi owners.

[@1chrisperkins]

What a cracking video. Brought back many memories. That Coventry Leeds match was the definitive semi final for me. Could have gone either way right to the very end

[@xpat73]

back when the FA cup was VERY important!

[@JP-nb7tm]

Some great views of the Mighty Holte End at Villa Park before it was all seater

[@anthonykilgannon3443]

Jp the holte end was something else. The terraces were an amazing experience.

[@Wadworth6XLad]

Moving the semi-finals away from neutral club grounds is a betrayal of the FA Cup's traditions (I don't care if it means more fans can see the game). Some of the best Cup memories are the semis between Lancashire and London clubs at Villa Park, United vs Liverpoool at Maine Road/Goodison, etc etc. The wide open space of Wembley always used to suit the final, but the bearpit intensity of the club grounds was perfect for the semi-final. What if Newcastle end up playing Sunderland in a semi one year? It'd be absolute lunacy to drag their fans all the way down to Wembley for it. Of course, once Hillsborough was upgraded there was no practical reason not to return to using it as a regular semi-final venue (and it is very handily placed geographically). But superstition prevailed and the options were cut again, making it easier to push through this stupid all-Wembley approach.

[@scherben8870]

Absolutely correct.

[@craigeast3682]

Sorry got to disagree. Only Wembley can cope. P.s Hillsborough was used for several semis and even League Cup Final Replay after the disaster.

[@Jayfive276]

What a load of horsecrap. No-one except you cares. You're inventing things to complain about.

[@steveN111333]

The chances of a Newcastle and Sunderland FA cup semi-final are ZERO !

[@ElliosoMukka]

Jayfive276 he’s right. FA Cup semis were miles better before when they were played at neutral club grounds. The atmosphere was much more intense, and that led to more exciting matches! Instantly killed it when they moved games to Wembley to get more money. Modern Wembley has good facilities but is awful for atmosphere. No one’s gonna look back and reminisce about the facilities... 🤔 10 years later, are they? “Ooh remember those short queues!?” 😯

[@melanies9798]

I haven't watch this video yet but the simple concept of it excites me greatly

[@Duncan1974]

So sad to witness the decline of this once great competition. Anyone born after about 1990 will never know just how big the cup was back in the day. It’s no exaggeration to say it was as big then as the champions league is today, everyone wanted to win it, look at the joy on the players faces and the masses in the crowds. Neutral club grounds in the semis added to occasion, getting to Wembley was the ultimate prize...

[@kevinstoneham1245]

Look how jubilant the players were when they scored. It meant so much.

[@Jayfive276]

You mean in exactly the same way they do now?

[@robertmason6366]

I loved the classic number 9 strikers in the 80s as demonstrated in its full glory here with its very cute crop of talent. Regis, Rush, Hughes, Allen and a very underrated Graeme Sharpe. Cheers for the Upload!!

[@nickycotton6137]

Awe, Mottie's comments for that Ricky Hill CLASSIC + "Sheedy" & the rest will never forget. (Bless😳) ❤'d this season.🔥👏🔥 (nice1.👍)

[@Serfos1]

Wimbledon, what a squad that was, so much passion & character

[@mattchapman6807]

Great videos back in the days when the FA Cup meant something....

[@charliepeebles2531]

Wonderful memories of a time before the evil Sky Sports came along and killed our national game.

[@jonnymclaughlin477]

Now teams can't be bothered with the FA cup , great memories.

[@kevinstoneham1245]

The FA Cup was so exciting back then, played by mainly British players and players and that gave a shit.

[@Jayfive276]

Players very clearly give a shit now. If anything they celebrate more.

[@markw5420]

Kevin Stoneham British players with less quality also

[@simonjames1964]

Great to see the fantastic goal from Bryan Robson and what about the killer pass from Strachan , sublime stuff . MOT .

[@mikeduxbury]

Fantastic terraces...

[@kevinmunday5782]

Back in the Days when the Cup was still cherished, rather than an inconvenient hold up for the ridiculously Long European competitions. Now the f.a Cup has no replays, penalty shoot outs and the big Clubs winning it Every Year Apart from 2008, 2013 and 2021. The big 6 Sending out reserves in the Earlier rounds, playing in half Empty stadiums and still being too Good for the other Teams. Look at the Line ups in Cup Finals Down the Years, and where the squads Used to be Made up of Home grown Talent now the big Clubs are full of Top foreign internationals.

[@stevee6305]

This is superb and many thanks for uploading! Never realised how much of a cup team Luton were, getting to numerous semi-finals and whilst they never made the final of the FA Cup, they did reach wembley a few times in the League Cup if I recall. I was a kid in the 80's but I only remember the semi final between Palace and Liverpool being on the TV...were these games on also? I have clear memories of listening to the end of a garbeled radio listening to the Leeds/Coventry game...kicking myself many years later if it was actually on the telly!

[@scherben8870]

+Steve E 1990 was the first year that the semi-finals were shown live. Prior to that, they were played simultaneously on a Saturday. Something that was much better.

[@scottderry7224]

I vaguely recall the Coventry/Leeds semi final being on TV. It wasn't live, but was shown "as live" after the match had ended. Think it kicked off at 12.30 on a Sunday and was shown on ITV at 3 o'clock in the Central region. The scheduling was possibly due to it being such a big Leeds following and the reputation they had at the time. Also, the 1989 Liverpool/Forest match, rescheduled after the Hillsborough disaster, was shown live by the BBC.

[@scherben8870]

***** That is correct. The full 120 was shown, but not live; and the police did get the match switched to Sunday because of Leeds' support size and reputation.

[@alanmolyneux5957]

I well remember 1990. Liverpool v Palace at Villa Park kicked off at 12.00 despite both sets of fans having to travel 100 miles (I was still on the coach when the game kicked off due to roadworks on M6) while United v Oldham at Maine Road was 3.30 despite both sets of fans having less than 10 miles to travel. Even then there was no consideration for fans.

[@dessiemckenzie5857]

Forest and Luton losing the FA cup semi finals of ‘88 but the following season they would both face each other at Wembley in the League cup final. Both had good cup traditions from 85 until 90 reaching Wembley six times between the two clubs in the simod/league cup / fa cup

[@richardmelvin7411]

Moving the 5th Round matches to a damp Tuesday night is the final nail in the coffin of the FA Cup.......Yes the BBC will continue to hype it up but the reality is its been in decline now for 25 years and I feel sorry for the kids of today who have to contend with artificial hype and plastic supporters... There was a lot wrong with the 80's era for sure but there was also a lot right and it's gone for good sadly.

[@shockmeoff5505]

I was there at villa park with 🦉 and it so broke my heart as a kid but still very proud today of The Wednesday fans who are the best supported away from home in the country still. That home end off villa park was cursed by the way nobody ever won in it .

[@Buzzard1968]

Haha, Sheff Wendy best away support, you've got to be joking... and the home end at Villa Park was split in two so one team won in it every time.

[@dsd7004]

back when every round in the fa cup was important to all clubs and fans.

[@michaelmuldowney8]

Whoever can forget the Watford goalie in 1987, Gary Plumley. I think this was his only ever first time appearance.

[@RobCLynch]

I see the Smith family from Wimbledon made the trip for their semi-final? I could see them clearly behind the goal to the right.

[@XrpCookies]

lol, yeah ok, bullshitter

[@anthonykilgannon3443]

@@XrpCookies 😂😂😂

[@SirStoneyOfBow]

You can hear the monkey chants when John Barnes has possession in the first game. At least that’s not an issue any- oh wait.

[@iainjohnson4105]

After they changed the shape of the goals at Wembley in 1996 I lost all interest in the fa Cup. Before then the thought of getting to the Cup final was amazing.

[@user-oz3en3ey5n]

ゴール裏がすぐ観客席最高ですね！

[@shanewright2772]

Looking at those terraces and fences, it's just terrifying. It's amazing that a tragedy like Hillsborough hadn't happened long before.

[@ZeldaFitz]

Shane Wright The fences were the main reason Hillsborough happened. If they wouldn't have been there the people at the front could have gained easy access to the pitch and what unfolded in 89 would probably never have happened. They stopped playing semis at Highbury in 1984 because they didn't have fencing. Total madness!

[@SuperVinceybaby]

The authorities went over the top as part of the plan to gentrify (and kill) football. Think about all the games where there wasn't a tragedy ....

[@shockmeoff5505]

Football was terrifying back then the fences where there for a reason ...that same season Chelsea and West ham smashed the away end to bits it may have been part of the reason for the heavy handed south Yorkshire polices reaction to what happened .

[@mrbillhicks]

Clip fails to show that the goal scorer was fractionally off side.. Ah well, it's only a game and twenty years later George, by this time working as bricklayer, got his ear bit off by an ardent Argyle fan who whispered "Plymouth" into his good ear.. Clearly aggravated by the offside goal scorer too... Wonder if the linesman ever came in for the same treatment ?

[@dsd7004]

i saw Liverpool v forest @ Hillsborough 88, and thought, the match still went ahead after all that death & mayhem? checked and the 2 teams met again a year later.

[@pablojablo6371]

I think you maybe a bit confused there mate.

[@SuperBillKent]

So much passion, local pride and will to win, unlike today. Shame that the hooligans and the Thatcher 'prisoner of war' fences lowered the tone a little

[@Jayfive276]

Same passion, same will to win today. Try actually watching some football before complaining.

[@9and7]

100% Cheers

[@nenadcrnac3472]

Nothing is better than these crowds...nothing.

[@melanies9798]

The day the FA Cup became shit was when they played Chelsea v Luton at Wembley in front of 40k. Was dead from then on. Another thing to thank Chelsea for.

[@scherben8870]

Not Chelsea's fault at all. The first Wembley semi was in 1991; and Sheff Wednesday insisted that their derby semi in 1993 be at Wembley and not Elland Road like it should have been. Anyway, moving the matches fro Saturday to Sunday, and not having them simultaneous was the initial fuck up.

[@viallimcbeal]

60k, not 40k (the empty seats were in the Luton end) and 3 years after the first Wembley semi-final. Nice try though.

[@adamwestwood9775]

when the fa cup meant a lot to big clubs like man who everton liverpool than it does now plus semi finals should always be on a club ground and the cup final should always be a 3pm ko on the last day season stuff the so called champions league

[@9and7]

3:08 Where's the VAR on the handball?

[@thecockfather82]

Fuck you, assassin...

[@norbertholstein2604]

Monkey noises at John Barnes😵

[@Davesunflower]

seating ruined football for me x

[@garethfieldstead7547]

Could have held that Wimbledon semi in the local park. Must have been about 12 behind that goal. Horrible club, horrible players, no fans.