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5 Top FA Cup Final Upsets

Hull head to Wembley on Saturday hoping to cause a major upset in the FA Cup final as they take on Arsenal. The showpiece to the oldest cup tournament in the world does not often throw up a win for the underdog, but just occasionally it does. Here are five of the most memorable FA Cup final upsets for Hull fans to cling onto en route to London.

 

1994-95 Everton 1-0 Manchester United

United had done the double the previous season and were the dominant force in the English game. Blackburn Rovers may have just pinched their title, but few would have argued that United were the team to beat.

Everton had finished 15th in the Premier League so they were not supposed to be in the same class as the Red Devils. However, Paul Rideout struck after half an hour and United could not fight back, succumbing to a 1-0 defeat.

 

1986-87 Coventry 3-2 Tottenham Hotspur

Coventry City had never before won the FA Cup and they were coming up against a Spurs team who were in their pomp. Maybe they were not winning title, but they were challenging at the top on a regular basis, finishing third in 1987.

The Sky Blues were a solid enough mid-table team, but nothing more, however, they twice came from behind to take the final into extra-time. Then came a low point for Spurs legend Gary Mabbutt as he turned the ball into his own net, causing his team to go down 3-2.

 

2012-13 Wigan 1-0 Manchester City

Wigan were not quite relegated, but three days after this match they did go down to the Championship. City had assembled one of the most expensive and talented squads in world football, and had only recently relinquished their Premier League title. Surely there was only one winner?

City were the better team throughout although never really dominated. Their failure to score came back to haunt them in the dying minutes when Ben Watson rose to head home and give the Latics a famous victory. They became the first side in history to lift the trophy and be relegated in the same season.

 

1979-80 West Ham 1-0 Arsenal

This was the last time a team from outside the top flight won the FA Cup and it came at the expense of a side that finished fourth in Division One that year, whilst the Iron finished seventh in Division Two. To put that into context, it would be like Reading winning the cup this year having beaten…Arsenal.

Hammers hero Trevor Brooking scored the only goal of the game in the first half and people were blowing bubbles long into the night.

 

1987-88 Wimbledon 1-0 Liverpool

The classic cup final upset, the most famous of them all, when the Crazy Gang conquered the best team in the land.

Wimbledon had risen from the Fourth to the First Division in record time under Dave Bassett. He had departed the club to leave Bobby Gould in charge, and he went one step further, taking the Londoners to Wembley for the cup final.

They seemed to have no chance against the Reds at Wembley though. This was a side that had won four of the last seven league title, including the most recent. A team that had twice conquered Europe within the last decade. This was a team with a glorious past, not one by a dog track on Plough Lane.

However, Wimbledon triumphed on the day. Lawrie Sanchez scored the goal, Dave Beasant became the first man to save a penalty in a cup final and the rest is history.

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