1976 Football League Cup Final
And I can honestly say it was my favourite Wembley visit, even though, like the rest I've been to ... we lost!
It was 28 February 1976, Man City were the opposition, and we actually made a real go of it - unlike the other horror stories - Liverpool, Man Utd (twice) and Arsenal.
It was the sixteenth final and the tenth Football League Cup final to be played at Wembley.
Manchester City won the match 2–1 to win the competition for the second time, and the match is best known for its winning goal, an overhead kick by former Mackem winger Dennis Tueart.
But Tueart, despite his Sunderland history, was born in Newcastle.
CITY'S RUN TO THE FINAL -
The 1976 final was the third time Manchester City had reached Wembley in the competition after winning the competition in 1970 by defeating West Bromwich Albion, and finishing runners-up to Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1974.
Manchester City made a slow start to their cup run, the second round tie against Norwich City went to two replays, Manchester City winning the second replay 6–1 at Stamford Bridge.
A 2–1 home win against Nottingham Forest in the third round set up a Manchester derby against local rivals Manchester United. City beat their neighbours 4–0 to reach the quarter-finals.
A 4–2 win against Mansfield Town secured a two-legged semi-final against Middlesbrough. City lost the away leg 1–0, but a comfortable 4–0 win at Maine Road took them through to the final.
NEWCASTLE'S RUN TO THE FINAL -
1976 was Newcastle's first League Cup final appearance. Their previous best in the competition was reaching the quarter finals, achieved the preceding season.
Their 1975–76 League Cup campaign started with a 6–0 demolition of Fourth Division Southport in the second round. Newcastle required a replay to overcome Bristol Rovers in the third round, and then beat Queens Park Rangers 3–1 at Loftus Road to reach the quarter-finals.
A 1–0 win at home to fellow Magpies Notts County secured a semi-final against Tottenham Hotspur. The first leg of the semi-final resulted in a 1–0 defeat, but Newcastle overcame the deficit in the home leg by winning 3–1.
The opening goal was scored early in the match.
Newcastle's Glenn Keeley fouled Joe Royle in the middle of the Newcastle half. The resulting free-kick was hoisted into the penalty area by Asa Hartford, where it was headed across goal by Mike Doyle.
Teenage winger Peter Barnes then scored to give Manchester City the lead.
Newcastle equalised in the 35th minute, Alan Gowling finishing from a Malcolm Macdonald cross.
At the start of the second half a Manchester City attack led to the winning goal, scored by Dennis Tueart, who had supported Newcastle as a boy.
A ball by Willie Donachie to the far post was headed across by Tommy Booth. Tueart, with his back to goal, performed an overhead kick that bounced beyond Mike Mahoney into the bottom left corner of the net.
After the match Tueart described the goal as "the greatest of my career". No more goals were scored in the match, though Royle had an effort disallowed. City captain Doyle lifted the trophy, and Tony Book became the first man to win the competition.
MANCHESTER CITY
GK 1 Joe Corrigan
DF 2 Ged Keegan
DF 3 Willie Donachie
DF 4 Mike Doyle (c)
DF 5 Dave Watson
MF 6 Alan Oakes
MF 7 Peter Barnes
MF 8 Tommy Booth
FW 9 Joe Royle
MF 10 Asa Hartford
FW 11 Dennis Tueart
Substitute:
DF 12 Kenny Clements
Manager: Tony Book
NEWCASTLE UNITED
GK 1 Mike Mahoney
DF 2 Irving Nattrass
DF 3 Alan Kennedy
DF 4 Stewart Barrowclough
DF 5 Glenn Keeley
MF 6 Pat Howard
MF 7 Mickey Burns
MF 8 Tommy Cassidy
FW 9 Malcolm Macdonald
FW 10 Alan Gowling
MF 11 Tommy Craig (c)
Substitute:
FW 12 Paul Cannell
Manager: Gordon Lee