Stoke was 1971. Dave Dewberry had taken enough names to fill 3 buses for the semi final after the second went in. Then a rush of blood to head let that ginger twat Conroy in just before half time. A goal from a throw in which should have been ours and was offside and Banks pulling the ball back from behind the line robbed us of a win. I will get over it given time.
My dad was relieved. My uncle was friends with a lot of the high ups at Leeds, used to play golf with Revie , a former chairman and two of the directors. He had booked first class on the Pulman for the final against Chelsea and a weekend in a swanky hotel for him and his wife . He then had a heart do and couldn’t go. He offered me the tickets but
I said I would only want to go to see City. He was managing director of a company and told union rep to put everyone’s name into a draw and pick out a winner. My dad said that if City ever got to the Cup Final he would organise the same for me. He said he was a very relieved man when I got home as he thought at 2-0 he was going to have to pay out.
We played Stoke at their place the following year but were well beat though Waggy put another past Banks. Bankside paid Waggy the compliment of saying he was a player he wouldn’t like to play against every week.
Many years ago, but well after his accident, I was sat next to Gordon Banks at a corporate do at Wembley for an England game. I introduced myself as a City fan and without missing a beat he said “I know, I know, it was your throw!”
