CITY 3 SUNDERLAND 2
FA Cup 1st Round
6th February 1904
Attendance 23,000
Scorers Turnbull 2, Gillespie
City Hillman, McMahon, Burgess, Ashworth, Hynds, Frost, Meredith, Livingstone, Gillespie, Turnbull, Booth
An extract from FOOTBALL WIZARD THE BILLY MEREDITH STORY By John Harding
City had never advanced beyond the second round. But this season their supporters were expecting something different.
Sunderland were a powerful side. In the last four seasons they had finished third, second, first and third in the league. Thus an excited and noisy 23,000 crowd greeted the teams as they stepped on to Hyde Road’s greasy turf and in a fast and furious match, City won 3-2.
Surrounded by such an efficient well-balanced side, Meredith produced one of his finest performances. The Athletic News reported:
“The City captain was the raider-in-chief and undoubtedly the most dazzling forward on the field. Assiduously supplied, the famous Welshman hardly ever failed to respond to the calls made upon him. His command of the ball as he threaded his way through the maze of his adversaries commanded admiration.
Against a team of such class Meredith has not given a more dazzling display. R J Jackson, hard worker as he is, was quite unable to hold him in check and Rhodes, who has probably not seen Meredith before and knows not his wary antagonist, was altogether floundering about like an inexperienced schoolboy. I have no wish to be guilty of exaggeration but Meredith was the King of the Realm”
City had never advanced beyond the second round. But this season their supporters were expecting something different.
Sunderland were a powerful side. In the last four seasons they had finished third, second, first and third in the league. Thus an excited and noisy 23,000 crowd greeted the teams as they stepped on to Hyde Road’s greasy turf and in a fast and furious match, City won 3-2.
Surrounded by such an efficient well-balanced side, Meredith produced one of his finest performances. The Athletic News reported:
“The City captain was the raider-in-chief and undoubtedly the most dazzling forward on the field. Assiduously supplied, the famous Welshman hardly ever failed to respond to the calls made upon him. His command of the ball as he threaded his way through the maze of his adversaries commanded admiration.
Against a team of such class Meredith has not given a more dazzling display. R J Jackson, hard worker as he is, was quite unable to hold him in check and Rhodes, who has probably not seen Meredith before and knows not his wary antagonist, was altogether floundering about like an inexperienced schoolboy. I have no wish to be guilty of exaggeration but Meredith was the King of the Realm”