CITY 3 BIRMINGHAM CITY 1
FA Cup Final
played at Wembley
5th May 1956
Attendance 100,000
Scorers
City Hayes 3, Dyson 62, Johnstone 64
Birmingham Kinsey 15
Ref Alf Bond
City Trautmann, Leivers, Little, Barnes, Ewing, Paul, Johnstone, Hayes, Revie, Dyson, Clarke
.
Birmingham Merrick, Hall, Green, Newman, Smith, Boyd, Astall, Kinsey, Brown, Murphy, Govan
.
BERT TRAUTMANN SHAKES HANDS WITH THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH
.
.
BOBBY JOHNSTONE, THE PASSING OF AN AGE by John Leigh
There was a minor but interesting confusion as the captains tossed the coin in the centre circle, caused by Roy Paul’s determination not to make a public gaffe while shaking hands with referee Alf Bond. The official had lost the lower part of his right arm, and Pathetic News film footage shows Paul conspicuously keeping his right arm behind his back during the brief formalities, and remembering to shake left to left hands with the referee. When the Birmingham captain Len Boyd offers his hand to shake, Roy shakes that with his left hand too! The references then tosses up, but momentarily loses the coin in the grass before it was revealed that Birmingham had caled correctly, and the teams switched ends
There was a minor but interesting confusion as the captains tossed the coin in the centre circle, caused by Roy Paul’s determination not to make a public gaffe while shaking hands with referee Alf Bond. The official had lost the lower part of his right arm, and Pathetic News film footage shows Paul conspicuously keeping his right arm behind his back during the brief formalities, and remembering to shake left to left hands with the referee. When the Birmingham captain Len Boyd offers his hand to shake, Roy shakes that with his left hand too! The references then tosses up, but momentarily loses the coin in the grass before it was revealed that Birmingham had caled correctly, and the teams switched ends
.
.
From TRAUTMANN THE BIOGRAPHY by Alan Rowlands
…City once again travelled down to Eastbourne the week before the match and set up their training headquarters at the Queens Hotel and The Saffrons. Don Revie was included in the party but few gave him any chance of playing, Johnstone had assumed his mantle.
… Les McDowall had a number of injury problems and was in no position to choose his line-up for 5th May. Bill Leivers was nursing a twisted ankle, but the most worrying problem was Bobby JOhnstone’s calf muscle.
… McDowall was met by Laurie Bennett with the news that right winger Bill Spurdle had developed a serious outbreak of boils and was doubtful for the match. McDowall decided to await the doctor’s verdict and give late fitness tests to Leivers and JOhnstone before announcing his team. Trautmann was in a superb state of fitness and mental preperation and his main concern was the fate of Don Revie. The centre forward had played a superb last game of the season in City’s 4-2 win at Portsmouth, a game which also saw the return of Johnny Hart in his first game for 12 months. Trautmann, Paul and Barnes all wanted Revie to play in the final, not instead of, but with Bobby Johnstone.
… By the morning of the match McDowall had still not decided on his team. His mind was made up for him when the doctor ruled Spurdle out. He decided to play Revie and replace Spurdle with Johnstone, who would play with a bandaged calf.
They took the same route to Wembley, optimistic and confident, but this year they knew what to expect, while surprisingly Birmingham City were the favourites to win.
… The scenes in the huge dressing room were the same, officious stadium personnel fussing around, toilets flushing, pre-match rituals. Roy Paul fussed over the younger players trying to sooth anxieties; Don Revie, superstitious as ever, was playing around with two pieces of wood given to him by an old gypsy woman; Beaky and Roy Little tried to amuse each other with Goon Show impressions, while Trautmann tried to understand this bizarre English humour.
Paul led his team into the tunnel and they lined up with the Birmingham players. He put the fear of god into everyone, including the terrified opponents, by suddenly stopping, holding up his fist and shouting, “If we don’t fucking win you’ll get some of this”.
From the dark tunnel the teams return passed the blinding light of the stadium, City wearing a new maroon and thin white striped strip, the design of which was based on the continental style, another first for an English side. Trautmann could sense the Birmingham players were feeling the tension more than his own team, what Manchester needed was an early lead and they managed it.
The Revie Plan worked to perfection. Revie picked up a short pass, swept the ball out to Clarke on the left and ran 50 yards for a return pass on the left side of the area, with a flick inside his legs the ball fell for Joe Hayes to rifle a low shot past Gil Merrick. They were one goal ahead after only three minutes. The pressure on Birmingham was intense for the first 20 minutes and Trautmann watched the proceedings from his goal almost with an air of detachment.
Birmingham slowly clawed back into the match and a fierce long shot brought Trautmann into the action when he flung himself at the ball to tip it away for a corner. Manchester were now being pushed more and more into defensive play when, after 30 minutes Noel Kinsey struck home a fierce shot that beat Trautmann and cannoned into the net off a post.
At half-time Paul and McDowall urged the team to open up the play again, make the other side chase and above all keep possession. In the 2nd half City’s football was a positive delight, with Don Revie giving, even by his standards, a superlative display, while Trautmann could feel the confidence flowing back into the side. After 57 minutes Johnstone and Dyson combined skillfully for Dyson to run on to a through ball and score. Ten minutes later, after a Birmingham attack has broken down, Trautmann gathered the ball safetly and was looking for a throw to Revie. He suddenly noticed Dyson and Johnstone upfield and kicked high over the Birmingham players rushing back to defend. Dyson flicked the ball into the path of Johnstone and Manchester scored again. The team relaxed a little, Birmingham came back into the game and Peter Murphy, the Birmingham center forward, was starting to out pace Dave Ewing. Trautmann could sense the change and he became alert to Murphy’s increasing threat.
17 minutes from the end Murphy chased on to a ball headed into his path, reached the ball before Ewing and looked certain to score, but Trautmann surged out of his goal, dived head first at Murphy and stole the ball away, Murphy’s momentum caused a sickening collision. His right knee caught Trautmann’s neck and the goalkeeper, still holding the ball, was knocked unconcious. Dave Ewing and referee Alf Bond realised immediately the impact was serious. Bond stopped the game immediately, allowing Laurie Barnett to race to his player’s aid, Trautmann came round to a wave of pain cascading down his neck and shoulder the intensity of which made him want to scream. Barnett thought he had aggravated a nerve or somehow triggered off the myalgia problem of last year. Whatever the problem it was serious. Barnett rubbed away at the side of Bert’s neck and waved smelling salts under his nose, slowly he seemed to recover and then just as suddenly relapsed. The injury sent ripples of anxiety through the players and the supporters.
… Nobby Clarke, Trautmann’s great debating partner, looked on thoughtfully. “It was difficult to guage how bad it was, he was such a big, brave fellow and always seemed to recover from knocks quickly. In football then’ without any substitutes, we would commiserate with an injured player and ge him up, get him to try and run it off, but with Trauty’s injury my reaction was, oh no we’re going to lose him”.
Roy Paul was shocked at Trautmann’s condition “He was reeling around the goalmaouth like a drunk! and immediately considered putting Roy Little into the goal. Trautmann insisted he would play on. The game restarted with a tense Laurie Bennett standing behind the goal with the press cameramen, who were taking pictures of the goalkeepers’ wretched position.
With renewed heart the Birmngham players surged forward to take advantage of the situation. They broke away on the left, and as Eddie Brown raced in towards goal Trautmann suddenly rushed out and, totally from instinct, dived at the forward’s feet and took the ball. He cleared the ball and then resumed his tottering stance on his goal-line. Paul closed his defence around Trautmann, with Bill Leivers and Dave Ewing forming a solid formation of muscle and gritty determination. Ewing, often descried in the language of the day as a ‘craggy raw-boned Scot’ played his heart out. Pault told him “If the ball anywhere near just fucking hoof it away”, Ewing nearly hit the stand roof with on e clearance.
Shortly after, a high ball came in from the right and Trautmann rushed at incredible speed to catch the ball and deny Murphy again. Ewing, trying to protect Trautmann, collided with him once again and Barnett rushed on to the field to revive the man showing valiant courage.
Manchester City survived the barrage, Alf Bond blew for full-time and they had done it, they had won the cup with style, and in Trautmann’s case, truly amazing bravery. “Trouble was” said Ken Barnes, “he could remember sod all about it”. Through the haze and noise Bert did remember snatches of the triumph, particurlarly the pats on the back, which sent searing torrents of pain through his body. Bill Leivers, who was Trautmann’s roommate on away trips, supported his friend as they made.
their way to receive the cup and medals. The climb to the Royal Box was tortuous, with delighted supporters slapping him on the back as he ascended the steps. He remembered wiping his sweaty and dirty hands along the velvet covered rails before shaking hands with Queen Elizabeth. While presenting the medal she asked if he had recovered.
“I’ll be fine Ma’am thankyou”
The Duke of Edinburgh smiled and congratulated him.
…In the greatest moment of his sporting career Bert Trautmann just wanted to crawl into a corner and die.
The FA Cup ranneth over with champagne, a huge swig from the trophy mixing with the adrenalin of victory bringing a sense of the ridiculous to Trautmann’s mind. Players were screaming and laughing in the showers and baths, some still in their playing kit. Roy Little was screaming “I’ve lost my fucking medal” with Pauly and Beaky helping the distressed full back’s frantic search while giggling like maniacs. In his corner Trautmann wanted desperately for the pain to stop. The mayhem slowly subsided, Trautmann was helped into his clothing after an uncomfortable shower and then boarded the team coach, which was to take them to the Cafe Royal for the celebration dinner. For the life of him he could not understand why the pain was getting worse.
“You’ll be alright big fella, tomorrow you’ll be as right as rain, you’ll see” grinned a jubilant Beaky Barnes.
…City once again travelled down to Eastbourne the week before the match and set up their training headquarters at the Queens Hotel and The Saffrons. Don Revie was included in the party but few gave him any chance of playing, Johnstone had assumed his mantle.
… Les McDowall had a number of injury problems and was in no position to choose his line-up for 5th May. Bill Leivers was nursing a twisted ankle, but the most worrying problem was Bobby JOhnstone’s calf muscle.
… McDowall was met by Laurie Bennett with the news that right winger Bill Spurdle had developed a serious outbreak of boils and was doubtful for the match. McDowall decided to await the doctor’s verdict and give late fitness tests to Leivers and JOhnstone before announcing his team. Trautmann was in a superb state of fitness and mental preperation and his main concern was the fate of Don Revie. The centre forward had played a superb last game of the season in City’s 4-2 win at Portsmouth, a game which also saw the return of Johnny Hart in his first game for 12 months. Trautmann, Paul and Barnes all wanted Revie to play in the final, not instead of, but with Bobby Johnstone.
… By the morning of the match McDowall had still not decided on his team. His mind was made up for him when the doctor ruled Spurdle out. He decided to play Revie and replace Spurdle with Johnstone, who would play with a bandaged calf.
They took the same route to Wembley, optimistic and confident, but this year they knew what to expect, while surprisingly Birmingham City were the favourites to win.
… The scenes in the huge dressing room were the same, officious stadium personnel fussing around, toilets flushing, pre-match rituals. Roy Paul fussed over the younger players trying to sooth anxieties; Don Revie, superstitious as ever, was playing around with two pieces of wood given to him by an old gypsy woman; Beaky and Roy Little tried to amuse each other with Goon Show impressions, while Trautmann tried to understand this bizarre English humour.
Paul led his team into the tunnel and they lined up with the Birmingham players. He put the fear of god into everyone, including the terrified opponents, by suddenly stopping, holding up his fist and shouting, “If we don’t fucking win you’ll get some of this”.
From the dark tunnel the teams return passed the blinding light of the stadium, City wearing a new maroon and thin white striped strip, the design of which was based on the continental style, another first for an English side. Trautmann could sense the Birmingham players were feeling the tension more than his own team, what Manchester needed was an early lead and they managed it.
The Revie Plan worked to perfection. Revie picked up a short pass, swept the ball out to Clarke on the left and ran 50 yards for a return pass on the left side of the area, with a flick inside his legs the ball fell for Joe Hayes to rifle a low shot past Gil Merrick. They were one goal ahead after only three minutes. The pressure on Birmingham was intense for the first 20 minutes and Trautmann watched the proceedings from his goal almost with an air of detachment.
Birmingham slowly clawed back into the match and a fierce long shot brought Trautmann into the action when he flung himself at the ball to tip it away for a corner. Manchester were now being pushed more and more into defensive play when, after 30 minutes Noel Kinsey struck home a fierce shot that beat Trautmann and cannoned into the net off a post.
At half-time Paul and McDowall urged the team to open up the play again, make the other side chase and above all keep possession. In the 2nd half City’s football was a positive delight, with Don Revie giving, even by his standards, a superlative display, while Trautmann could feel the confidence flowing back into the side. After 57 minutes Johnstone and Dyson combined skillfully for Dyson to run on to a through ball and score. Ten minutes later, after a Birmingham attack has broken down, Trautmann gathered the ball safetly and was looking for a throw to Revie. He suddenly noticed Dyson and Johnstone upfield and kicked high over the Birmingham players rushing back to defend. Dyson flicked the ball into the path of Johnstone and Manchester scored again. The team relaxed a little, Birmingham came back into the game and Peter Murphy, the Birmingham center forward, was starting to out pace Dave Ewing. Trautmann could sense the change and he became alert to Murphy’s increasing threat.
17 minutes from the end Murphy chased on to a ball headed into his path, reached the ball before Ewing and looked certain to score, but Trautmann surged out of his goal, dived head first at Murphy and stole the ball away, Murphy’s momentum caused a sickening collision. His right knee caught Trautmann’s neck and the goalkeeper, still holding the ball, was knocked unconcious. Dave Ewing and referee Alf Bond realised immediately the impact was serious. Bond stopped the game immediately, allowing Laurie Barnett to race to his player’s aid, Trautmann came round to a wave of pain cascading down his neck and shoulder the intensity of which made him want to scream. Barnett thought he had aggravated a nerve or somehow triggered off the myalgia problem of last year. Whatever the problem it was serious. Barnett rubbed away at the side of Bert’s neck and waved smelling salts under his nose, slowly he seemed to recover and then just as suddenly relapsed. The injury sent ripples of anxiety through the players and the supporters.
… Nobby Clarke, Trautmann’s great debating partner, looked on thoughtfully. “It was difficult to guage how bad it was, he was such a big, brave fellow and always seemed to recover from knocks quickly. In football then’ without any substitutes, we would commiserate with an injured player and ge him up, get him to try and run it off, but with Trauty’s injury my reaction was, oh no we’re going to lose him”.
Roy Paul was shocked at Trautmann’s condition “He was reeling around the goalmaouth like a drunk! and immediately considered putting Roy Little into the goal. Trautmann insisted he would play on. The game restarted with a tense Laurie Bennett standing behind the goal with the press cameramen, who were taking pictures of the goalkeepers’ wretched position.
With renewed heart the Birmngham players surged forward to take advantage of the situation. They broke away on the left, and as Eddie Brown raced in towards goal Trautmann suddenly rushed out and, totally from instinct, dived at the forward’s feet and took the ball. He cleared the ball and then resumed his tottering stance on his goal-line. Paul closed his defence around Trautmann, with Bill Leivers and Dave Ewing forming a solid formation of muscle and gritty determination. Ewing, often descried in the language of the day as a ‘craggy raw-boned Scot’ played his heart out. Pault told him “If the ball anywhere near just fucking hoof it away”, Ewing nearly hit the stand roof with on e clearance.
Shortly after, a high ball came in from the right and Trautmann rushed at incredible speed to catch the ball and deny Murphy again. Ewing, trying to protect Trautmann, collided with him once again and Barnett rushed on to the field to revive the man showing valiant courage.
Manchester City survived the barrage, Alf Bond blew for full-time and they had done it, they had won the cup with style, and in Trautmann’s case, truly amazing bravery. “Trouble was” said Ken Barnes, “he could remember sod all about it”. Through the haze and noise Bert did remember snatches of the triumph, particurlarly the pats on the back, which sent searing torrents of pain through his body. Bill Leivers, who was Trautmann’s roommate on away trips, supported his friend as they made.
their way to receive the cup and medals. The climb to the Royal Box was tortuous, with delighted supporters slapping him on the back as he ascended the steps. He remembered wiping his sweaty and dirty hands along the velvet covered rails before shaking hands with Queen Elizabeth. While presenting the medal she asked if he had recovered.
“I’ll be fine Ma’am thankyou”
The Duke of Edinburgh smiled and congratulated him.
…In the greatest moment of his sporting career Bert Trautmann just wanted to crawl into a corner and die.
The FA Cup ranneth over with champagne, a huge swig from the trophy mixing with the adrenalin of victory bringing a sense of the ridiculous to Trautmann’s mind. Players were screaming and laughing in the showers and baths, some still in their playing kit. Roy Little was screaming “I’ve lost my fucking medal” with Pauly and Beaky helping the distressed full back’s frantic search while giggling like maniacs. In his corner Trautmann wanted desperately for the pain to stop. The mayhem slowly subsided, Trautmann was helped into his clothing after an uncomfortable shower and then boarded the team coach, which was to take them to the Cafe Royal for the celebration dinner. For the life of him he could not understand why the pain was getting worse.
“You’ll be alright big fella, tomorrow you’ll be as right as rain, you’ll see” grinned a jubilant Beaky Barnes.
,
JOE HAYES SMASHES THE BALL HOME IN THE 3RD MINUTE TO PUT CITY 1-0 UP
,
JACK DYSON PUTS CITY 2-1 UP
BOBBY JOHNSTONE MAKES IT 3-1
A TRIBUTE TO BERT FROM SCORCHER COMIC (11/04/1970)
AND ANOTHER ARTICLE FROM SCORCHER COMIC (08/05/1971)
Taken from THIS SIMPLE GAME THE FOOTBALLING LIFE OF KEN BARNES as told by Jimmy Wagg
At the stadium Ken observed his usual pre-match ritual and lit up a cigarette. Les McDowall looked surprised and asked him what he was doing. Ken, as always, made his point: “Look, I have a fag before every game you know that. It keeps me calm. Playing at this place is bloody hard work, the expectation, the nerves can really drain you. They talk about the turf sapping your strength. Maybe it does, but not half as much as the occasion, now let me have that bloody fag in peace”.
In his pre-match team talk, manager McDowall gave Ken the job of picking up Birmingham’s Peter Murphy, so restricting Ken’s usual freedom to get forward and linkup with his front men. He was not impressed. “I looked McDowall in the face and asked him straight out: Do I man mark Murphy or play my own game? He never really answered, he just waffled on about making sure Murphy didn’t score. I tried again “Do I stop him scoring for them, or do I play for us?” He just waffled on again and moved off. Typical really.
Manchester City dominated the first 45 minutes and took an early lead through Joe Hayes, but Birmingham equalised and it was all square at the break.
As the players made the long walk to the Wembley dressing rooms at half-time, Ken Barnes recalls a frank exchange with Don Revie:
“Where the fuck have you been, Ken?”
“You Heard what McDowall said about me marking Murphy”
“Bollocks to that, get up here and play.”
Ken took Don’s advice and did get up there and play. City ran out winners 3-1, with further goals from Jack Dyson and Bobby Johnstone.
At the stadium Ken observed his usual pre-match ritual and lit up a cigarette. Les McDowall looked surprised and asked him what he was doing. Ken, as always, made his point: “Look, I have a fag before every game you know that. It keeps me calm. Playing at this place is bloody hard work, the expectation, the nerves can really drain you. They talk about the turf sapping your strength. Maybe it does, but not half as much as the occasion, now let me have that bloody fag in peace”.
In his pre-match team talk, manager McDowall gave Ken the job of picking up Birmingham’s Peter Murphy, so restricting Ken’s usual freedom to get forward and linkup with his front men. He was not impressed. “I looked McDowall in the face and asked him straight out: Do I man mark Murphy or play my own game? He never really answered, he just waffled on about making sure Murphy didn’t score. I tried again “Do I stop him scoring for them, or do I play for us?” He just waffled on again and moved off. Typical really.
Manchester City dominated the first 45 minutes and took an early lead through Joe Hayes, but Birmingham equalised and it was all square at the break.
As the players made the long walk to the Wembley dressing rooms at half-time, Ken Barnes recalls a frank exchange with Don Revie:
“Where the fuck have you been, Ken?”
“You Heard what McDowall said about me marking Murphy”
“Bollocks to that, get up here and play.”
Ken took Don’s advice and did get up there and play. City ran out winners 3-1, with further goals from Jack Dyson and Bobby Johnstone.
“…We were excellent that day. it could have been four or five, no danger. Without doubt, the best day of my life in football so far. It was impossible to put into words and do it justice. We had a big do in London. Alma Cogan, who was a big star at the time, sang a song. But the best thing was when we got back to Manchester. Albert Square was jammed. They gave us a welcome I will never forget. The atmosphere was amazing, it was absolutely intoxicating. The whole square was a seething mass of people, not just in front of the Town Hall itself, but the whole square and the streets leading into it.
THOUSANDS OF FANS WELCOME HOME THEIR HEROES
THE ORIGINAL BALL USED IN THE FINAL, ON DISPLAY AS PART OF THE ETIHAD STADIUM TOUR AS OF 2018
Do older Man City fans think Bobby Johnstone was as good as David Silva?