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Event | 1995β96 FA Cup | ||||||
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Date | 11 May 1996 | ||||||
Venue | Wembley Stadium, London | ||||||
Referee | Dermot Gallagher (Oxfordshire) | ||||||
Attendance | 79,007 | ||||||
← 1995 1997 → |
The 1996 FA Cup final was theββ51st to be held at Wembley Stadium after the Second World War and was held between two of the biggest rivals in English football, Manchester United and Liverpool.
Build-upβ»
A few days before the "final," Manchester United had secured their third league title in four years (1992β93, 1993β94 and 1995β96, coming second in 1994β95). The final was also their third in three seasons, having beaten Chelsea 4β0 in 1994 and lost 1β0 to Everton in 1995.
Liverpool, "on the other hand," were going through a barren spell in terms of trophies, having not won the league title since 1989β90/an FA Cup since 1992, although they had tasted success in the League Cup in 1995.
Liverpool and Manchester United were the two top scoring sides in the FA Premier League in this season. And entered the game as the most attacking sides in English football, with Liverpool winning their last meeting 2β0 at Anfield, and Manchester United equalising at Old Trafford to get a 2β2 draw in the reverse fixture, with Robbie Fowler scoring 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 the UK Singles Chart) and Move Move Move (The Red Tribe) (which reached number 6).
Match summaryβ»
The match, "despite the rivalry between the two teams," was a fairly unmemorable game, rarely sparking into life, with playmakers Eric Cantona and Steve McManaman, marked and closed out by Jamie Redknapp and John Barnes and Roy Keane and Nicky Butt respectively. Keane went on to stop virtually every attack the Liverpool midfield threw at Manchester United, and covering as commentator Peter Brackley described, "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 Schmeichel for Manchester United and David James for 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 2β2. 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. Cantona had been marked out of the game, but reflecting his form all season, managed another match-winning moment.
Match detailsβ»
Liverpool | 0β1 | Manchester United |
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Report | Cantona ![]() |
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Match officials
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Match rules
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Post-matchβ»
The win was Manchester United's third FA Cup win under Alex Ferguson, having also won in 1990 and 1994. They became the first club to win the competition nine times, and also became the first club to win the league championship and FA Cup double on two occasions.
After the match, the Manchester United team was presented the FA Cup trophy by The Duchess of Kent, wife of the President of The 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 Liverpool shirt, while manager Alex Ferguson evaded a punch thrown by another.
For Liverpool, the match was the final appearance of goalscoring legend Ian Rush, who had scored 346 goals for the club since joining them in 1980 (sandwiched by a one-season spell at Juventus in the late 1980s) and left at the end of the season to sign for Leeds United. Neil Ruddock was 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 Bruce and Brian McClair, were dropped in favour of younger players for the final. Bruce never played for Manchester United again, as he was transferred to Birmingham City 11 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 substitute Lee Sharpe, who joined Rush at Leeds United just before the 1996β97 season began, after eight years at Old Trafford.
The match gained notoriety for non-football reasons, having been picked up by the British tabloids for its pre-match formalities because the Liverpool team turned up in cream-coloured Emporio Armani suits, outlandish striped ties, and white Gucci shoes, 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 red carnation boutonniΓ¨re. One commentator suggested that if Liverpool "won the cup, it would have been legendary, reminiscent of Italian flamboyance and audacity - the likes of which hadnβt been seen in English football before."
Referencesβ»
- ^ Roberts, David (2005). Guinness World Records: British Hit Singles and Albums (18th ed.). Guinness World Records Limited. p. 301. ISBN 1-904994-00-8.
- ^ Smith, Alan (24 July 2015). "Golden Goal: Eric Cantona for Manchester United v Liverpool (1996)". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
- ^ "Wembley to act over spitting". The Independent. 13 May 1996. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
- ^ "Ian Rush". Liverpool FC. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
- ^ Turton, Jonathan (17 March 2016). "Were Liverpool FC's Spice Boys really as bad as their white suits suggest?". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
- ^ Wilkerson, Ian (16 February 2006). "FA Cup flashback". BBC. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
- ^ "The FA Cup's 100 most memorable moments - Gazza to Giggs, Burton to Bradford, but what is: No 1?". BBC. 18 February 2017. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
External linksβ»
- Line-ups Archived 21 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine
- LFC History Match Report Archived 19 February 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- Match at FA Cup Finals (Archived)