Top ten FA Cup Final underdogs

1891: Blackburn Rovers

Result: Blackburn 3, Notts County 1

Rovers had lost 7-1 at home to Notts County in the league just one week before the final, albeit with a weakened team, yet they beat the same opponents after moving 3-0 ahead on the half hour.

1901: Tottenham Hotspur

Result: Tottenham 3, Sheffield United 1 (after 2-2 draw)

Tottenham were members of the Southern League yet, after trailing at half-time in the replay, they stormed back to defeat their top-division opponents.

1936: Sheffield United

Result: Arsenal 1, Sheffield United 0

Arsenal had won three successive league titles from 1933 to 1935 while Sheffield United were in the second tier but it was a surprisingly close game.

1949: Leicester City

Result: Wolverhampton Wanderers 3, Leicester 1

Leicester had only just escaped relegation from the second tier and they succumbed to one of the country’s strongest clubs. Sammy Smyth scored Wolves’ third goal after a 50-yard dribble that took him past three opponents.

1957: Aston Villa

Result: Aston Villa 2, Manchester United 1

United won the title by a mile that season but they could not secure the Double against their mid-table opponents, who benefited from an early injury to Ray Wood, the United goalkeeper, in the days before substitutes were allowed.   

1973: Sunderland

Result: Sunderland 1, Leeds United 0

Sunderland had failed by a distance to gain promotion to the top flight while Leeds had been one of Europe’s greatest teams for many years. But Ian Porterfield’s first half goal produced arguably the greatest FA Cup Final surprise.   

1976: Southampton

Result: Southampton 1, Manchester United 0

United just missed out on the title while Southampton pursued promotion to the top flight in vain. But Bobby Stokes scored the game’s only goal for Southampton eight minutes from time.

1982: Queens Park Rangers

Result: Tottenham Hotspur 1, Queens Park Rangers 0 (after 1-1 draw)

Tottenham finished fourth in the top division while QPR could not escape from the second tier, but the higher-ranked team prevailed only via a penalty by Glenn Hoddle in a replay.

1992: Sunderland

Result: Liverpool 2, Sunderland 0

Liverpool had begun their decline from perennial title challengers but they were still hot favourites against a team that finished eighteenth in the second tier. Sunderland were beaten by second-half goals from Michael Thomas and Ian Rush.

2004: Millwall

Result: Manchester United 3, Millwall 0

Dennis Wise’s team had finished tenth in the second tier and they were completely outclassed by a United side for whom Ruud van Nistelrooy scored twice.

BILL EDGAR

Comments

[Bill Edgar]

Thanks for everyone's comments. Firstly, Wimbledon's triumph has long been over-hyped so it's no surprise that this fairytale myth has been repeated here. People get confused between the extraordinary story of a recent non-league club beating a team who were recently regular European champions. When the 1988 final took place, Wimbledon were already established in the top flight and finished seventh in the table that year after coming sixth the previous year. Furthermore, the clubs' two league meetings that season brought a 1-1 draw at Plough Lane and a 2-1 win for Liverpool at Anfield, hardly one-sided stuff, and Wimbledon had won 2-1 at Anfield the previous season. Yes, the difference in class was great but not as large as has been stated. Secondly, I considered the West Ham-Arsenal final of 1980 long and hard. It almost made the list, but West Ham did have a decent team. Trevor Brooking had won almost 40 England caps at the time, Frank Lampard Snr and Stuart Pearson had also played for England, and Alvin Martin and Alan Devonshire would soon do so.

[Peter]

Surely Everton in 1995. Joe Royle took over in what was a bleak November 1994 with the club rock bottom of the league, having made the worst start to a season in its history. They were playing hopelesly bad football at the time, but Joe injected some fight into the club and began with a derby victory before slowly pulling the side out of the relegation zone. They were not finally safe until the last days of the season, but given how far adrift Everton were when Royle arrived 16th place was still a major achievement. The team was led by Duncan Ferguson, a superbly gifted, towering young centre forward in the traditonal Everton style who had arrived at the club, achieved cult status and been promptly sent to prison for GBH follow a fracas at his previous club, Rangers. A delegation of fans went to greet him upon his release from a Glasgow prison, and he received the longest and loudest standing ovation I have ever witnessed in front of a full house at Goodison when he made his first team return as sub against Newcastle. He was Royle's talisman, epitomising the spirit the manager had in mind when he dubbed his team 'The Dogs of War' - a slogan that struck a cord with the fans and said a lot for the toughness and character Royle had brought to the club. By Spring there was a buzz about Everton for the first time in years - they were embarking on a barnstorming cup run which saw them spank a highly rated Norwich side 5-0 before despatching Keegan's Newcastle in the quarters and, to everyone's surprise, thrashing Klinsmann's Spurs side 4-1 to upset the media's hopes of a dream final between Spurs and Manchester United. This was the United of Hughes and Ince, Giggs, Bruce and Schmeichel. They had narrowly lost out on the league that year to Blackburn and were without Cantona, but even so went into the final as red hot favourites. Everton took the game to United throughout but inevitably it still fell to Neville Southall to pull off a series of miraculous saves to secure the cup for Everton. Although they created few chances their deserved 1-0 win in the final was a massive performance against what was one of Ferguson's best sides. Fans celebrating in Liverpool on the night of the final could be heard singing, "Going down, are we f##k, we stayed up and won the cup!" Underdogs of war indeed.

[OMG]

Most of the people who've responded so far complaining at the lack of Everton and Wimbledon are missing the point. With the exception of Aston Villa in 57 the rest of the top 10 have teams from lower divisions in the final. It was about 'underdogs' not upsets. A completely different thing. Wimbledon in 88 were underdogs but they finished 7th in Division 1 (They beat Liverpool when finishing 6th in 87, so they weren't afraid of them). Everton in 95 were still a big name club, albeit rubbish at the time.

I agree West Ham in 1980 should be on the list.

[Tony]

How can Wimbledon,who finished 7th in the top division in 87/88, beating Liverpool be compared to Sunderland, West Ham & Southampton who were 2nd division teams at the time, winning the cup? Absolute nonsense!

It's nice to show how clever you are to be able to research back into the 1890's, but do save time to state the obvious: West Ham 1980.

[Scuddeto]

1983, a relegate Brighton taking on United.

1985, Everton going for the treble. United playing with 10 men. Whiteside's goal of the season.

1987, Coventry's great win.

1988, Wimledon's crazy gang.

1990, Crystle Palace's Ian wright (2 broken legs in the season)

[Micky]

I agree with both Wimbledon in 1988 and Everton in 1995. No one expected Wimbledon to get close. Also, Everton stopped United from getting 3 FA Cups in a row.

[JD]

Fulham 1975 anyone? Or how about Brighton nearly upending Man U in 1983?

[Ian Hart]

What about Manchester United in 1985? Coventry in 1987? Crystal palace in 1990? Everton in 1995? West Ham in 2006? and of course the greatest upset of all time Wimbledon in 1988?

As aforementioned, Wimbledon and West Ham are the first that come to mind?

West Ham after all, are the last club outside the top flight to win the FA cup, and should Cardiff prevail victors tomorrow, they shall be the last English team outside the top flight to win the FA cup!

[Brian]

Do your journalists actually do ANY research - or is it "let's just bang out a 'top 10' and anyone will read it"! Brighton were a massive underdog (in fact, I believe, the biggest underdog in betting terms) against Manchester United in the FA Cup final of 1983 - yet it isn't even in your list! Pathetic.

[Robert Pudge]

what a joke of a top ten. wimbledon´s triumph in 88 was arguably the greatest cup final upset of all time.

disgraceful.

[Nikolai]

What about Zenith tomorrow? Could anyone predict their victory month ago?

[john lyons]

What about Coventry 1987?

[Rick]

Ipswich Town 1978!!!

Arsenal were clear favourites but Ipswich dominated the game from the kick off and deserved the 1-0 victory.

[Roy Pinney]

Wimbledon '88 must be top of this list, and West Ham '80 should be in the mix as well. Also, Millwall 2004 should be deleted - they managed to reach the Final without ever having to play a team higher than them in the league.

[Rock]

I can't believe Wimbledon 88 are not in this list! Liverpool were arguably the best side in Europe at the time and Wimbledon turned the form book (and the bookies!) on its head!

[Peter Preca]

What about the 1980 FA Cup Final Arsenal finished 4th in the old divsion 1 79-80 season and West Ham were a second division side. The game is remembered for the Trevor Brooking bullet header from a Stuart Pearson shot cum cross and Paul Allen becoming the youngest player (beating Howard Kendall's record ironically set against West Ham for Preston North End in 1964) to play in the prestigous event. West Ham's change of formation to a five man midfield with David Cross as the lone front men saw the Hammers see of the men from Highbury who had reached the final on the back of monumental semi final marathon clashes with Liverpool

[Martin]

Are you kidding me?! Who is the greatest FA Cup underdog of all...........Wimbledon!

[Paul]

What about Wimbledon in 88?
Granted they were in the same division but Liverpool had just won that at a stroll.
I'm sure some fans were surprised that Wimbledon had the cheek to turn up on the day.

Paul, London

[Peter Furlong]

Everton 95!!!?