The Joy of Six: FA Cup final goals

1. George Mutch (PRESTON 1-0 Huddersfield Town, 1938)

The 1938 FA Cup final between Preston North End and Huddersfield Town was the first to be televised live by the BBC. In the commentary box, describing the first half of this historic and prestigious event, was George Allison, manager of Arsenal, who were busy elsewhere taking on Liverpool as they battled with Wolverhampton Wanderers in the race for the title. (Imagine Sir Alex Ferguson eschewing Manchester United's game at Blackburn in order to take the mic for ESPN. The past really is a different country.) Arsenal would win the league the following week, but Allison's luck wasn't in this particular day: the first half of the final, his showpiece broadcast, was a defensive non-event.

The second half was barely any better, save for a couple of speculative shots from Huddersfield's Pat Beasley and Preston's Bill Shankly. The game went into extra time. Describing the action, such as it was, since half-time was Lieutenant-Commander Thomas Woodrooffe, a former naval officer who had become one of BBC radio's top broadcasters. Woodrooffe was appalled at the dreary nature of events, and with the match entering the 120th minute, he announced to the viewing nation (which, in 1938, totalled about 17 toffs in the Alexandra Palace area of London) that "if there is a goal now, I'll eat my hat".

Sure enough, and right on cue, Preston's inside-right, George Mutch, picked up the ball and went on one last desperate sortie into the Huddersfield area. Alf Young, the Huddersfield captain, went over to cover. He stuck out a boot, with calamitous results. "Flat to earth went Mutch as though sudden death had overtaken him," reported the Manchester Guardian. "The Huddersfield team stood thunderstruck in all the sad variety of woe, all save the wretched Young, who threw up appealing arms before the referee. Preston put breath back into Mutch and, after some anxious conclave, nominated and unanimously elected him to exact the tribute for the affront that had been done to him."

Mutch nearly missed the penalty – it would be another exact half-century before that grim fate befell a player in the cup final – but the ball flew between Bob Hesford's arms, caught the underside of the bar, and rolled along the netting before dropping into the goal. There was just time for Huddersfield to kick off before the final whistle blew. So, not exactly a contender to rival Ricky Villa, Roberto di Matteo or Ray Parlour, but one of the most dramatic finishes to a cup final, and one with a surreal denouement. Woodrooffe – who was already infamous for his majestic drunken Fleet's Lit Up meanderings at a naval show a year earlier – bravely kept the promise made in the moments before Mutch sprawled over Young's leg, and tucked into a bowler hat live on BBC television. It was made of cake and marzipan.

2. Derek Temple (EVERTON 3-2 Sheffield Wednesday, 1966)

There wasn't much love for the 1966 final coming from the commentariat. Some things never change: they'd been desperate for a "dream final" between Matt Busby's Manchester United and Tommy Docherty's Chelsea, but Harry Catterick's Everton and Alan Brown's Sheffield Wednesday had bested the glamorous pair in the semi-finals. Wednesday had only just avoided relegation, while Everton were a shadow of the team that had won the league three years previously, their supporters disgruntled to such an extent that after a defeat at Blackpool, in which 16-year old Joe Royle had been picked for his debut ahead of crowd favourite Alex Young, three so-called supporters gave Catterick a mild shoeing on the way to the coach.

Accordingly, predictions were made that the game would be a drab affair and a juddering anti-climax to the season. But the game was a cracker. Wednesday were a young team, and came out of the blocks flying, Jim McCalliog scoring in the fourth minute. When David Ford made it 2-0 early in the second half, the BBC commentator Kenneth Wolstenholme announced that "it's Wednesday's cup". Oh dear. Still, he'd have better moments that summer.

Everton responded almost immediately with two goals from 21-year-old Cornish unknown Mike Trebilcock, who had taken the place of superstar striker Fred Pickering. The second, Everton's equaliser, was famously celebrated by spectator Eddie Cavanagh, who raced on to the pitch, cavorted with Trebilcock and goalkeeper Gordon West, and skittered across the pitch with two policemen in hot pursuit. He eluded capture by the first bobby by slipping out of his jacket, but was felled by a magnificent flying tackle by the second. Cavanagh was ejected from the ground, but simply paid to come back in and watched the remainder of the game in peace.

Trebilcock's double had been the game-changer, and is the defining memory of this final, but that does the winner a disservice. With 17 minutes to go, Wednesday's left-back, Gerry Young, miscontrolled a loose pass in the middle of the park. The last man, he let the ball slip under his foot and allowed the Everton winger Derek Temple to scarper clear. With too much time to think, Temple kept his nerve and smashed a low shot past Ron Springett. The keeper picked himself up and tousled the hair of the desperate Young, sprawled on the turf face down, having chased back in a futile bid to correct his error. Some sub-Cavanagh chancer came on to cavort after this goal, and he, too, was rugby-tackled.

Young would crumple in the centre circle in tears at full time, knowing what was destined to be the defining moment of his career. Temple's feat is less well remembered, obscured by the Trebilcock fairytale, though none the less impressive for that.

3. Kevin Keegan (LIVERPOOL 3-0 Newcastle United, 1974)

The bar was set high at the 1974 FA Cup final from the off. "Ladies and gentlemen, Mr Bruce Forsyth will now lead you in the singing of the traditional cup final hymn." And if there were any doubts that Brucie is the consummate pro, they were dispelled within seconds of him taking to the Wembley turf. Entering the arena to a cacophony of abuse, Brucie turns the catcalls into wild cheers within seconds. The band of the Royal Marines strikes up the theme to the Generation Game, Brucie hams it up by hammering a ball into the net, then mounts the podium and gets the Newcastle and Liverpool fans involved with that catchphrase.

The match was a one-sided nonsense. Liverpool had lost two of their three previous Wembley finals – against Arsenal, in 1950 and 1971 – while Newcastle had won the cup five times in five appearances at the old Empire Stadium, but the modern formbook held the clues: Liverpool had lost twice since Boxing Day, finishing five points behind the runaway leaders Leeds, while Newcastle had won three league games in the same period, ending the season two points off relegation.

"Newcastle's frail, fumbling challenge hardly amounted to a challenge at all," reported David Lacey in this paper. "It was always going to be the Kop's Cup, with Kevin Keegan no more obvious an executioner had he worn a black mask." The striker battered in the opening goal on 58 minutes, soon after Alec Lindsay's spectacular strike from a tight angle on the left had been questionably disallowed. "Goals pay the rent," babbled the BBC's David Coleman, beautifully, "and Keegan does his share." Steve Heighway added a second, then just before the end, the cherry on the cake.

"Liverpool's third goal will never be bettered as an example of their style," wrote Lacey. "Seven of the team were involved and there were 11 passes in the movement. The ball went from Ian Callaghan to Brian Hall to John Toshack and then to Tommy Smith on the right; Smith passed across the field to Lindsay, who found Keegan near the left-hand touchline; Keegan dodged away from two opponents and sent a high ball back to Smith who exchanged passes with Hall, then Heighway and finally sent a low ball back form the goal-line to the far post for Keegan to touch it over the line. Possession, positioning, accuracy of passing and finishing, they were all there. It was a most satisfying end to a largely predictable afternoon."

It had been predictable all right. Before the game, the astrologer from the TV Times magazine gave the ITV audience this analysis: "Jupiter is going into Pisces so I can assure you that Malcolm McDonald will be terribly depressed and will be overwhelmed afterwards with a desire to recount his troubles. Joe Harvey is in for emotional upsets, but Bill Shankly's Jupiter aspects look marvellous and Keegan's restless creative activity is just bursting to get loose."

The shocks were yet to come, Shankly announcing his retirement in early July. His reign had ended on a perfect high, though, a spectacular team goal scored in the vogueish Total Football style (Tommy Smith on the wing!), perhaps the most under-rated strike in all cup finals.

4. Bobby Stokes (SOUTHAMPTON 1-0 Manchester United, 1976)

Southampton and Manchester United had got themselves relegated in 1974, but only one team bounced back immediately. By 1976, Southampton had settled into a comfortable upper-middle existence in the Second Division, while United were up with the big boys, challenging for the title. Indeed, when United won their semi-final against Derby County, there was a very real possibility of the Double.

However, by the time the cup final came round, United had been beaten by Ipswich Town, Stoke City and Leicester City, their league hopes in dust. The capitulation was understandable, the Stoke and Leicester defeats coming during four games in eight games. Still, it ramped up the big-day pressure on United, who were hot favourites.

United failed to turn up. Southampton, meanwhile, boasting three former cup finalists in Jim McCalliog (Sheffield Wednesday 1966), Peter Rodrigues (Leicester City 1969) and Peter Osgood (Chelsea 1970), played to the top of their game.

Southampton held firm as United dominated the first half, and as the match progressed it became clear that if anybody was going to win the game, it was more likely to be the Second Division side, United quickly running out of ideas and becoming frustrated. And with six minutes to go, McCalliog – who had scored that early opener for Wednesday 10 years earlier – set up Stokes for the killer blow.

Lacey's Guardian report: "Mick Channon, lurking wide on the right, met a goal kick and turned the ball inside to McCalliog, one of those unspectacular but precise, sensible passes which he and Peter Osgood had been providing all afternoon. McCalliog caught a thinly-spread United defence lying square and Stokes, a yard onside when the ball was kicked, scored much as [erstwhile Saints striker] George O'Brien might have done, without delay or fuss."

United had no answer. According to Lacey, their fans didn't take it too well: "Saints boss Lawrie McMenemy had to wipe spittle from his suit as he walked to the dressing room." Ah the 70s, the FA Cup final's golden era.

The cup went south of London for the first time since Portsmouth had held the trophy during the second world war, having caused a similar shock by thrashing Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1939. Back in December, Stokes had been poised to move to Pompey, his hometown club, but the move fell through at the last minute. These little twists of fate.

5. Steve McKenzie (Tottenham 3-2 MANCHESTER CITY, 1981)

Ricky who?

6. Ian Wright (Manchester United 3-3 CRYSTAL PALACE, 1990)

As fairytale FA Cup goals, this one is up there. In January 1990, Ian Wright fractured a fibula in a league match against Liverpool. He missed seven matches and then, 10 days after returning in March, broke the leg in the same place during a fixture with Derby County. "I hope to be back in four or five weeks," said Wright. Three weeks later, after Palace stunned Liverpool at Villa Park in the semi-final of the FA Cup, Wright ditched his crutches and romped onto the pitch to celebrate, hobbling around at speed on his plaster cast. "Will I be fit for Wembley?" he jabbered. "You bet. I've still got five weeks in hand."

After a couple of hairy reserve-team run-outs, Wright was given a place in Palace's squad for the final. There was speculation that the striker would start the match, but Steve Coppell had made the decision a week previously to keep his star man on the bench. "He's an explosive player," explained Coppell, "but if his legs don't have that explosiveness then he's average."

Wright would be far from that. With Palace 2-1 down midway through the second half, Coppell, in the words of David Lacey, lobbed Wright "on to the field like a hand grenade". Within four minutes, Wright had picked up a clever flick down the inside-left channel from Mark Bright, evaded a desperate lunge by Mike Phelan, and sat Gary Pallister on his backside before, gliding over the turf on twinkletoes, stroking the ball into the bottom far corner.

Like all good fairytales, it was bittersweet. Wright volleyed what looked like an extra-time winner for Palace, but Mark Hughes equalised with seven minutes to go, securing United a replay they would win easily. But in an era when the FA Cup final could still catapult players into the national consciousness, Wright had at least made his name.