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1996 FA Cup final

For the women's event, see1996 FA Women's Cup final.

The1996 FA Cup finalwas the 51st to be held atWembley Stadiumafter theSecond World Warand was held between two of the biggestrivalsinEnglish football,Manchester UnitedandLiverpool.

1996 FA Cup Final
Event1995–96 FA Cup
Liverpool Manchester United
0 1
Date11 May 1996
VenueWembley Stadium,London
RefereeDermot Gallagher(Oxfordshire)
Attendance79,007
←1995
1997→

Build-up

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A few days before the final, Manchester United had secured their third league title in four years (1992–93, 1993–94 and 1995–96, coming second in 1994–95). The final was also their third in three seasons, having beatenChelsea4–0 in1994and lost 1–0 toEvertonin1995.

Liverpool, on the other hand, were going through a barren spell in terms of trophies, having not won the league title since1989–90or anFA Cupsince1992,although they had tasted success in theLeague Cupin1995.

Liverpool and Manchester United were the two top scoring sides in theFA Premier Leaguein this season, and entered the game as the most attacking sides in English football, with Liverpool winning their last meeting 2–0 atAnfield,and Manchester United equalising atOld Traffordto get a 2–2 draw in the reverse fixture, withRobbie Fowlerscoring all four of Liverpool's goals against Manchester United in both meetings.

Both clubs released cup final songs, as was common at the time:Pass & Move (It's the Liverpool Groove)(which reached number 4 in theUK Singles Chart)[1]andMove Move Move (The Red Tribe)(which reached number 6).

Match summary

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The match, despite the rivalry between the two teams, was a fairly unmemorable game, rarely sparking into life, with playmakersEric CantonaandSteve McManaman,marked and closed out byJamie RedknappandJohn BarnesandRoy KeaneandNicky Buttrespectively. Keane went on to stop virtually every attack the Liverpool midfield threw at Manchester United, and covering as commentatorPeter Brackleydescribed, "every blade of grass", to win the man of the match award.

The game started with a frenetic pace and Manchester United started with several positive chances before Liverpool came back into the game, but chances at either end were limited. Neither goalkeeper,Peter Schmeichelfor Manchester United andDavid Jamesfor Liverpool, was seriously tested throughout the majority of the game. However, with just five minutes remaining on the clock, David James tried to punch a corner clear. The ball landed just outside the penalty area, at the feet of Manchester United captain Eric Cantona, who had scored in his comeback game after a seven-month suspension at Old Trafford against Liverpool earlier that season in a game that ended 2–2. Cantona hit his shot goalwards, through the crowded penalty area and the ball nestled in the back of the goal, winning the game for Manchester United.[2]Cantona had been marked out of the game, but reflecting his form all season, managed another match-winning moment.

Match details

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Liverpool0–1Manchester United
Report Cantona85'
Attendance: 79,007
Liverpool
Manchester United
GK 1 David James
CB 12 John Scales
CB 5 Mark Wright
CB 6 Phil Babb 60'
RWB 4 Jason McAteer
LWB 2 Rob Jones 86'
CM 15 Jamie Redknapp 40'
CM 10 John Barnes(c)
AM 17 Steve McManaman
CF 23 Robbie Fowler
CF 8 Stan Collymore 74'
Substitutes:
GK 26 Tony Warner
MF 16 Michael Thomas 86'
FW 9 Ian Rush 74'
Manager:
Roy Evans
GK 1 Peter Schmeichel
RB 3 Denis Irwin
CB 6 Gary Pallister
CB 12 David May
LB 23 Phil Neville 69'
RM 24 David Beckham 90'
CM 16 Roy Keane
CM 19 Nicky Butt
LM 11 Ryan Giggs
SS 7 Eric Cantona(c)
CF 17 Andy Cole 64'
Substitutes:
DF 20 Gary Neville 90'
MF 5 Lee Sharpe
FW 22 Paul Scholes 64'
Manager:
Alex Ferguson

Match officials

Match rules

  • 90 minutes
  • 30 minutes of extra time if necessary
  • Replay required if scores still level, to be played at 19:30 on 16 May 1996
  • Three named substitutes
  • Maximum of two substitutions

Post-match

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The win was Manchester United's third FA Cup win underAlex Ferguson,having also won in1990and 1994. They became the first club to win the competition nine times, and also became the first club to win theleague championship and FA Cup doubleon two occasions.

After the match, the Manchester United team was presented the FA Cup trophy byThe Duchess of Kent,wife of the President ofThe Football Association,Prince Edward.As the Manchester United players climbed the steps to the Royal Box to receive their medals, captain Eric Cantona was spat at by a spectator wearing a Liverpool shirt, while manager Alex Ferguson evaded a punch thrown by another.[3]

For Liverpool, the match was the final appearance of goalscoring legendIan Rush,who had scored 346 goals for the club since joining them in 1980 (sandwiched by a one-season spell atJuventusin the late 1980s) and left at the end of the season to sign forLeeds United.[4]Neil Ruddockwas left out of the Liverpool squad despite having played in both the quarter and semi-final, as well as in each of the last six league matches of the season. Manchester United's two longest serving players,Steve BruceandBrian McClair,were dropped in favour of younger players for the final. Bruce never played for Manchester United again, as he was transferred toBirmingham City11 days later, while McClair remained at the club for a further two seasons. The only Manchester United player whose involvement with the club ended with this game was unused substituteLee Sharpe,who joined Rush at Leeds United just before the1996–97 seasonbegan, after eight years at Old Trafford.

The match gained notoriety for non-football reasons, having been picked up by theBritishtabloidsfor its pre-match formalities because the Liverpool team turned up in cream-colouredEmporio Armanisuits, outlandish striped ties, and whiteGuccishoes, the outfit reportedly being picked by goalkeeper David James who had recently signed on to model that fashion label. Manchester United players, by contrast, wore traditional navy suits with a full button vest, black and white striped tie, and redcarnationboutonnière.One commentator suggested that if Liverpool "won the cup, it would have been legendary, reminiscent of Italian flamboyance and audacity - the likes of which hadn’t been seen in English football before."[5][6][7]

References

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  1. ^Roberts, David (2005).Guinness World Records: British Hit Singles and Albums(18th ed.).Guinness World Records Limited.p. 301.ISBN1-904994-00-8.
  2. ^Smith, Alan (24 July 2015)."Golden Goal: Eric Cantona for Manchester United v Liverpool (1996)".The Guardian.Retrieved12 May2020.
  3. ^"Wembley to act over spitting".The Independent.13 May 1996.Archivedfrom the original on 1 May 2022.Retrieved14 September2019.
  4. ^"Ian Rush".Liverpool FC.Retrieved29 November2018.
  5. ^Turton, Jonathan (17 March 2016)."Were Liverpool FC's Spice Boys really as bad as their white suits suggest?".Liverpool Echo.Retrieved29 November2018.
  6. ^Wilkerson, Ian (16 February 2006)."FA Cup flashback".BBC.Retrieved29 November2018.
  7. ^"The FA Cup's 100 most memorable moments - Gazza to Giggs, Burton to Bradford, but what is No 1?".BBC.18 February 2017.Retrieved29 November2018.
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