1970–71 FA Cup


The 1970–71 FA Cup was the 90th season of the world's oldest football cup competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup. First Division champions Arsenal won the competition for the fourth time, beating Liverpool 2–1 in the final at Wembley. In doing so, Arsenal were the fourth team to complete a double of League and Cup victories, following Preston North End, Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur.
Matches were scheduled to be played at the stadium of the team named first on the date specified for each round, which was always a Saturday. Some matches, however, might be rescheduled for other days if there were clashes with games for other competitions or the weather was inclement. If scores were level after 90 minutes had been played, a replay would take place at the stadium of the second-named team later the same week. If the replayed match was drawn further replays would be held until a winner was determined. If scores were level after 90 minutes had been played in a replay, a 30-minute period of extra time would be played.

Calendar

Results

First Round Proper

At this stage clubs from the Football League Third and Fourth Divisions joined those non-league clubs having come through the qualifying rounds. Matches were scheduled to be played on Saturday, 21 November 1970, with the exception of the Great Harwood–Rotherham United match, which was played the following Tuesday. Nine matches were drawn, of which one went to a second replay.

Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Enfield0–1Cambridge United21 November 1970
2Chesterfield2–0Halifax Town21 November 1970
3Darlington5–1Bangor City21 November 1970
4Barnet6–1Newport County21 November 1970
5Grantham2–1Stockport County21 November 1970
6Preston North End1–1Chester21 November 1970
ReplayChester1–0Preston North End25 November 1970
7Rochdale2–0Oldham Athletic21 November 1970
8Yeovil Town1–0Aveley21 November 1970
9Reading6–1Bishop's Stortford21 November 1970
10Walsall3–0Plymouth Argyle21 November 1970
11Notts County1–0Port Vale21 November 1970
12Grimsby Town0–1Bury21 November 1970
13Crewe Alexandra0–0Doncaster Rovers21 November 1970
ReplayDoncaster Rovers1–3Crewe Alexandra24 November 1970
14Lincoln City2–1Barrow21 November 1970
15Scarborough2–3Workington21 November 1970
16Tranmere Rovers1–1Scunthorpe United21 November 1970
ReplayScunthorpe United0–0Tranmere Rovers24 November 1970
ReplayTranmere Rovers0–1Scunthorpe United30 November 1970
17Wycombe Wanderers1–1Slough Town21 November 1970
ReplaySlough Town1–0Wycombe Wanderers25 November 1970
18Oxford City1–1Bournemouth21 November 1970
ReplayBournemouth8–1Oxford City25 November 1970
19Fulham1–2Bristol Rovers21 November 1970
20Barnsley1–0Bradford Park Avenue21 November 1970
21Brentford2–1Gillingham21 November 1970
22Great Harwood2–6Rotherham United24 November 1970
23Brighton & Hove Albion4–0Cheltenham Town21 November 1970
24Rhyl1–0Hartlepool21 November 1970
25Bradford City3–2Macclesfield Town21 November 1970
26Southend United7–0Weymouth21 November 1970
27Mansfield Town2–0Wrexham21 November 1970
28Minehead1–2Shrewsbury Town21 November 1970
29Southport0–2Boston United21 November 1970
30Torquay United3–1Aston Villa21 November 1970
31Hereford United2–2Northampton Town21 November 1970
ReplayNorthampton Town1–2Hereford United24 November 1970
32Tamworth0–0York City21 November 1970
ReplayYork City5–0Tamworth23 November 1970
33Peterborough United3–1Wimbledon21 November 1970
34South Shields1–1Wigan Athletic21 November 1970
ReplayWigan Athletic2–0South Shields23 November 1970
35Colchester United3–0Ringmer21 November 1970
36Walton & Hersham2–5Telford United21 November 1970
37Hendon0–2Aldershot21 November 1970
38Dagenham2–0Margate21 November 1970
39Crawley Town1–1Chelmsford City21 November 1970
ReplayChelmsford City6–1Crawley Town23 November 1970
40Swansea City4–1Exeter City21 November 1970

Second Round Proper

The matches were scheduled for Saturday, 12 December 1970. Six matches were drawn, with replays taking place later the same week or the week after. The Lincoln City–Bradford City match required a second replay, which was played on the 21 December.

Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Chester1–0Crewe Alexandra12 December 1970
2Chesterfield0–0Workington12 December 1970
ReplayWorkington3–2Chesterfield16 December 1970
3Darlington0–2Rochdale12 December 1970
4Bournemouth0–1Yeovil Town12 December 1970
5Bury1–1Notts County12 December 1970
ReplayNotts County3–0Bury21 December 1970
6Grantham1–4Rotherham United12 December 1970
7Lincoln City2–2Bradford City12 December 1970
ReplayBradford City2–2Lincoln City16 December 1970
ReplayLincoln City4–1Bradford City21 December 1970
8Shrewsbury Town2–2Reading12 December 1970
ReplayReading1–0Shrewsbury Town21 December 1970
9Brentford1–0Walsall12 December 1970
10Rhyl0–0Barnsley12 December 1970
ReplayBarnsley1–1Rhyl15 December 1970
ReplayRhyl2–0Barnsley21 December 1970
11Southend United1–0Dagenham12 December 1970
12Scunthorpe United3–0Mansfield Town12 December 1970
13Hereford United1–2Brighton & Hove Albion12 December 1970
14Aldershot1–1Bristol Rovers12 December 1970
ReplayBristol Rovers1–3Aldershot15 December 1970
15Wigan Athletic2–1Peterborough United12 December 1970
16Boston United1–2York City12 December 1970
17Colchester United3–0Cambridge United12 December 1970
18Chelmsford City0–1Torquay United12 December 1970
19Slough Town0–1Barnet12 December 1970
20Swansea City6–2Telford United12 December 1970

Third Round Proper

The 44 First and Second Division clubs entered the competition at this stage. The matches were scheduled Saturday, 2 January 1971, but ten were played at later dates. Seven matches were drawn and went to replays.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Blackpool4–0West Ham United2 January 1971
2Chester1–2Derby County2 January 1971
3Barnet0–1Colchester United5 January 1971
4Liverpool1–0Aldershot2 January 1971
5Rochdale2–1Coventry City11 January 1971
6Southampton3–0Bristol City11 January 1971
7Watford5–0Reading6 January 1971
8Yeovil Town0–3Arsenal6 January 1971
9Leicester City2–0Notts County2 January 1971
10Nottingham Forest1–1Luton Town2 January 1971
ReplayLuton Town3–4Nottingham Forest11 January 1971
11Wolverhampton Wanderers5–1Norwich City2 January 1971
12West Bromwich Albion0–0Scunthorpe United2 January 1971
ReplayScunthorpe United1–3West Bromwich Albion11 January 1971
13Sunderland0–3Orient11 January 1971
14Everton2–0Blackburn Rovers2 January 1971
15Newcastle United1–1Ipswich Town11 January 1971
ReplayIpswich Town2–1Newcastle United13 January 1971
16Tottenham Hotspur4–1Sheffield Wednesday2 January 1971
17Manchester City1–0Wigan Athletic2 January 1971
18Queens Park Rangers1–2Swindon Town2 January 1971
19Portsmouth2–0Sheffield United2 January 1971
20Manchester United0–0Middlesbrough2 January 1971
ReplayMiddlesbrough2–1Manchester United5 January 1971
21Hull City3–0Charlton Athletic2 January 1971
22Crystal Palace2–2Chelsea2 January 1971
ReplayChelsea2–0Crystal Palace6 January 1971
23Southend United0–3Carlisle United11 January 1971
24Huddersfield Town1–1Birmingham City2 January 1971
ReplayBirmingham City0–2Huddersfield Town5 January 1971
25Cardiff City1–0Brighton & Hove Albion2 January 1971
26Torquay United4–3Lincoln City2 January 1971
27Workington0–1Brentford2 January 1971
28York City2–0Bolton Wanderers2 January 1971
29Stoke City2–1Millwall2 January 1971
30Rotherham United0–0Leeds United11 January 1971
ReplayLeeds United3–2Rotherham United18 January 1971
31Oxford United3–0Burnley11 January 1971
32Swansea City6–1Rhyl2 January 1971

Fourth Round Proper

The matches were scheduled for Saturday, 23 January 1971. Seven matches were drawn, of which one required a second replay.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Liverpool3–0Swansea City23 January 1971
2Rochdale3–3Colchester United23 January 1971
ReplayColchester United5–0Rochdale25 January 1971
3Leicester City3–0Torquay United25 January 1971
4Nottingham Forest1–1Orient23 January 1971
ReplayOrient0–1Nottingham Forest1 February 1971
5West Bromwich Albion1–1Ipswich Town23 January 1971
ReplayIpswich Town3–0West Bromwich Albion26 January 1971
6Derby County2–1Wolverhampton Wanderers23 January 1971
7Everton3–0Middlesbrough23 January 1971
8Portsmouth1–1Arsenal23 January 1971
ReplayArsenal3–2Portsmouth1 February 1971
9Hull City2–0Blackpool23 January 1971
10Carlisle United2–3Tottenham Hotspur23 January 1971
11Chelsea0–3Manchester City23 January 1971
12Cardiff City0–2Brentford23 January 1971
13Leeds United4–0Swindon Town23 January 1971
14York City3–3Southampton23 January 1971
ReplaySouthampton3–2York City1 February 1971
15Stoke City3–3Huddersfield Town23 January 1971
ReplayHuddersfield Town0–0Stoke City26 January 1971
ReplayStoke City1–0Huddersfield Town8 February 1971
16Oxford United1–1Watford23 January 1971
ReplayWatford1–2Oxford United27 January 1971

Fifth Round Proper

The matches were scheduled for Saturday, 13 February 1971 with one fixture and two replays played three or four days later.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Liverpool1–0Southampton13 February 1971
2Leicester City1–1Oxford United13 February 1971
ReplayOxford United1–3Leicester City17 February 1971
3Everton1–0Derby County13 February 1971
4Tottenham Hotspur2–1Nottingham Forest13 February 1971
5Manchester City1–2Arsenal13 February 1971
6Hull City2–1Brentford13 February 1971
7Stoke City0–0Ipswich Town13 February 1971
ReplayIpswich Town0–1Stoke City16 February 1971
8Colchester United3–2Leeds United13 February 1971

Sixth Round Proper

The four sixth round ties were played on the 6 March 1971. There were two replays in the midweek fixtures of the following week.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Liverpool0–0Tottenham Hotspur6 March 1971
ReplayTottenham Hotspur0–1Liverpool16 March 1971
2Leicester City0–0Arsenal6 March 1971
ReplayArsenal1–0Leicester City15 March 1971
3Everton5–0Colchester United6 March 1971
4Hull City2–3Stoke City6 March 1971

Semi-Finals

The semi-final matches were played on Saturday, 27 March 1971 with the Arsenal–Stoke match needing a replay. Liverpool and Arsenal came through the Semi final round to meet at Wembley.

Replay

Third place playoff

Between 1970 and 1974, a third place playoff between the two losing semi-finalists was held.

Final

The 1971 FA Cup Final was contested by Arsenal and Liverpool at Wembley on the 8 May 1971. Arsenal won 2–1 after extra time, with all three goals coming in the added half-hour. Steve Heighway scored for Liverpool first, before Arsenal equalised with a scrambled goal from substitute Eddie Kelly - the first time a substitute had ever scored in an FA Cup final. Charlie George scored the winner in extra time.

TV Coverage

The rights to show FA Cup games were, as with Football League matches, shared between the BBC and ITV network. All games were shown in a highlights format, except the Final, which was shown live both on BBC1 and ITV. The BBC football highlights programme Match Of The Day would show up to three games and the various ITV regional network stations would cover up to one game and show highlights from other games covered elsewhere on the ITV network. The ITV region Anglia showed highlights of the Second Round tie between Colchester United and Cambridge United, it would be the last game from outside the third round covered by ITV until 1984. Highlights of replays would be shown on either the BBC or ITV.
RoundBBCITV
Second Round ProperColchester United v Cambridge United
Third Round ProperBlackpool v West Ham United
Manchester City v Wigan Athletic
Nottingham Forest v Luton Town
Yeovil Town v Arsenal
Chelsea v Crystal Palace
Leeds United v Rotherham United 		Crystal Palace v Chelsea
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Norwich City
Hull City v Charlton Athletic
Manchester United v Middlesbrough
Huddersfield Town v Birmingham City
Fourth Round ProperDerby County v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Portsmouth v Arsenal
Everton v Middlesbrough		Chelsea v Manchester City
West Bromwich Albion v Ipswich Town
York City v Southampton
Hull City v Blackpool
Watford v Oxford United
Fifth Round ProperColchester United v Leeds United
Liverpool v Southampton
Leicester City v Oxford United
Manchester City v Arsenal		Tottenham Hotspur v Nottingham Forest
Everton v Derby County
Hull City v Brentford
Stoke City v Ipswich Town
Sixth Round ProperEverton v Colchester United
Leicester City v Arsenal
Arsenal v Leicester City 		Hull City v Stoke City
Liverpool v Tottenham Hotspur
Semi-finalsEverton v Liverpool
Arsenal v Stoke City 		Stoke City v Arsenal
FinalArsenal v LiverpoolArsenal v Liverpool