Sixty Years Of Highlights In The Greatest Knockout Event

By Russell Plummer

Cardiff to Chelsea (first time round)

With the exception of the Second World War period when the competition was suspended and the year the club was formed, Peterborough United have hit the FA Cup trail every season and, along the way have claimed the scalps of some of the game's greatest names including Arsenal, Newcastle United and Leeds United.

There is still no competition that captures the interest of the fans like the now AXA sponsored FA Cup and, down the years, Posh have had their ups and downs but have quite consistently reached the all-important third round, the stage when the top clubs become involved.

The first occasion Posh went this far was back in the 1953-54 season when a side with player manager Jack Fairbrother in goal defeated Grays Athletic, Hitchin Town and Aldershot to be drawn away to Cardiff City, then a major force in the old First Division. A crowd of more than 38,000 packed Ninian Park to see Posh shock the star-studded City outfit when Freddie Martin grabbed an early goal and although Welsh international Trevor Ford equalised it was not until the closing stages that a further goal from Ford and another by Andy Northcott finally swung things Cardiff's way.

It was former Newcastle star Fairbrother's final game for Posh as he had already accepted the position of manager of Coventry City but delayed his departure to Highfield Road while Posh were still in the FA Cup. The Posh line-up was: Fairbrother, Ken Moody, George Hall, Johnny Anderson, Norman Rigby, Paddy Sloan, Dougald Campbell, Freddie Martin, Doug Taft, Barry Matthews, George Hair.

Arsenal's George Swindin, another top goalkeeper, succeeded Fairbrother at London Road and took his side to the third round and beyond in 1956-57. After overcoming fellow non-leaguers Corby Town and Yeovil Town in the early stages, a crowd of 18,618 enjoyed a comprehensive 3-0 home success against Bradford Park Avenue with Denis Emery (pictured above), Billy Hails and Andy Donaldson scoring the goals. Emery netted twice to give Posh the edge in a third round home meeting with Lincoln City before the celebrations of the majority of a 22,000 crowd were cut short when the Second Division outfit forced a replay thanks to a hotly disputed late penalty.

The replay at Sincil Bank rates as one of the most memorable Posh cup games of all-time. Two goals by Donaldson put Posh in charge only for Lincoln to force the tie into extra time with a late equaliser. Donaldson completed his hat trick and further goals by Emery and Ray Smith gave Posh a 5-2 advantage before Lincoln hit back with two goals to make it 5-4 with just a couple of minutes left. Posh hung on in a grandstand finish and their reward was a fourth round visit Huddersfield Town.

Huddersfield, a then second division side, were too strong and won 3-1. Their side included 16 year-old Denis Law who scored his first ever FA Cup goal that day. It was a tremendous day out for around 10,000 travelling fans in a Leeds Road ground crowd of 48,735 with the Posh consolation goal coming from half back Bernard Shaw. The Posh side was: Jack Walls, Bryan Douglass, Ray Barr, Bernard Shaw, Norman Rigby, Henry Cockburn, Billy Hails, Denis Emery, Andy Donaldson, Ray Smith, Jack Hogg.

Swindin had left Posh to return to Arsenal as manager and Jimmy Hagan was the man in the Posh hot seat when the third round was reached again in 1958-59 with an away tie at Fulham. There was another big contingent of Posh supporters in the Craven Cottage crowd when the high profile Londoners, with a side including Johnny Haynes, George Cohen and Jimmy Hill was held to a goal-less draw. There was a London Road crowd of 21,600 for a replay settled when Fulham grabbed the only goal of the afternoon.

The following season saw Posh hitting the high spots on an FA Cup trail that ended in a fourth round defeat against Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough. Earlier, Posh added to their collection of league club scalps by ousting Shrewsbury Town, Walsall and Ipswich Town, the latter bringing a fine 3-2 win at Portman Road with equalisers from Jim Rayner and Emery after Second Division Town twice took the lead and were finally eliminated by a second Emery goal.

More than 20 special trains and dozens of coaches carried an estimated Posh following in excess of 20,000 to Hillsborough where a crowd of 51,144 saw Posh hold out until the final quarter of an hour when Wednesday netted twice without reply. Posh's side was: Tom Daley, Ellis Stafford, Jim Walker, Roy Banham, Norman Rigby, Derek Chadwick, Billy Hails, Denis Emery, Jim Rayner, Ray Smith, Peter McNamee.

Posh's admission to the Football League in 1960-61 did not lessen the appetite for cup glory and after success away to Dover, Torquay and Portsmouth they landed a plumb fourth round home draw against Aston Villa and, leading with a goal by Hails, looked to be heading for victory until a controversial late penalty threw the First Division side as lifeline.

Four days later the replay saw 64,531 pack Villa Park with several thousand, including many Posh fans, locked out. Hagan's side gave another good account of itself with McNamee scoring in a 2-1 defeat when the Villa danger men were England striker Gerry Hitchens and Irish winger Peter McParland. Posh skipper Rigby missed both ties through injury with Banham deputising at the heart of the defence alongside Keith Ripley. For both games the team was: Jack Walls, Dick Whittaker, Jim Walker, Jim Rayner, Roy Banham, Keith Ripley, Billy Hails, Denis Emery, Terry Bly, Ray Smith, Peter McNamee.

There was again progress to round four in 1961-62 with the run culminating in meeting with Sheffield United, manager Hagan's club through a distinguished playing career. The run started with Posh needing three games to oust Colchester United, a task finally accomplished thanks to a George Hudson hat-trick in a second replay at Norwich, although much of the shine was taken off the occasion after Denis Emery was seriously injured in a car accident while travelling to London Road on the morning of the game.

Even the loss of inspirational forward Emery failed to halt cup progress and after a comfortable second round win at Torquay, Posh travelled north and Bly scored the only goal to set-up another notable win, this time over Newcastle United in front of 42, 782 fans at St.James's Park.

Three weeks later 28,174 were at London Road for the visit of Sheffield United who scored three in 21 minutes to make the result a formality despite Hudson pulling one back for Posh. In action for Posh that day were: Jack Walls, Dick Whittaker, Jim Walker, Jim Rayner, Ollie Hopkins, Keith Ripley, Billy Hails, Ray Smith, Terry Bly, George Hudson, Roy Senior.

Hagan was sacked the following October and Posh, with Jack Fairbrother back for a second spell as manager, saw his side reach round three in the 1962-63 competition when they were drawn away to Derby County. Then winter set in with a vengeance and the tie was postponed six times before it finally took place at the Baseball Ground on a frosty February evening with County winning 2-0. The one Posh boost was a first senior outing for Denis Emery since his car crash in November 1961. The team was: Brian Ronson; Dick Whittaker, Graham Sissons; Brian Jackson, Ollie Hopkins, Terry Simpson; Jimmy Sheavills, Denis Emery, George Hudson, Roy Horobin, Peter McNamee.

Gordon Clark was manager in 1964-65 season when Posh set off on what is still their best cup run, a campaign starting with a home defeat of non-leaguers Salisbury Town and ending with a quarter final defeat by Chelsea in front of a Stamford Bridge crowd of 63,635. In between, the Posh side captained by Vic Crowe and with charismatic Irishman Derek Dougan leading the attack, beat Queen's Park Rangers after a replay, won in the third round at Chesterfield and then drew Arsenal at home.

A record crowd of 30,056 saw Posh comeback after the blow of an early goal by John Radford to equalise through Dougan before McNamee grabbed the winner. Another home tie, this time against Swansea Town, was the fourth round prize and a new attendance record of 30,096 saw a 0-0 London Road draw set up a Vetch Field replay when a goal in each half by Peter Deakin saw Posh through.

At Chelsea, everything went wrong after just two minutes when skipper Crowe was stretchered off with a leg injury and although he returned to limp on the wing in the second half, by then Chelsea were 4-0 up, the gallant Crowe managed to make it 4-1 before Chelsea netted a fifth in the last few minutes. The Posh side at Stamford Bridge, and against Arsenal and in the first meeting with Swansea, was: Willie Duff; Ron Cooper, Tommy Singleton; Vic Crowe, Frank Rankmore, Harry Orr; Ron Barnes, Ollie Conmy, Derek Dougan, Peter Deakin, Peter McNamee.

Posh's appetite for FA Cup glory was certainly whetted by the achievements of the 1965-66 season and Gordon Clark's side reached round three again in 1966-67 when victories over Hereford, Colchester and Bedford Town set up a visit to Roker Park for a meeting with a Sunderland side bursting with talented players headed by Scottish international Jim Baxter and with support from John O'Hare, Bobby Kerr, Jim Montgomery and a youthful Colin Todd.

Sunderland were a class apart and raced to a 7-1 win, Tommy Watson putting in a token strike late on for a Posh side already trailing 6-0. For a tie watched by a crowd of 43,998 the Posh side was: Tony Millington, Peter Johnson, Ian Crawford, Ron Cooper, Brian Wright, John Kirkham, Tommy Watson, Mike Beesley, John Mason, Johnny Byrne, Ollie Conmy. Sub: George Adams (for Johnson).