Phil Sumbler
It’s FA Cup Third Round week and no matter how much the “special” feeling around the FA Cup may have dipped over the years the Third Round always brings back many memories for football fans everywhere.
Over the course of the build up this week on Planet Swans we will bring you some special memories of the past – not always good ones – but some memorable Third round clashes none the less.
To open we take you back 33 years to the year we were drawn against soon to be Champions and FA Cup holders Liverpool – could the Swans spring a massive upset?
1990 – Liverpool Survive FA Cup Scare
When the Swans were drawn against Liverpool in the 3rd round of the 1989/90 competition it was easily the biggest draw we could have had. The Reds had won 9 of the previous 13 league titles in England and were the current holders of the FA Cup.
Of course that FA Cup triumph in 1989 – over Merseyside neighbours Everton – was achieved on the backdrop of one of football’s darkest days, the day that 96 football fans died at Hillsborough in their semi final the previous April. They had also been denied another league title on a dramatic day in May 1989 when Arsenal scored a stoppage time second at Anfield to steal the championship with just about the last kick of the season.
The Swans had reached the 3rd Round of the competition following an away win over Kidderminster in Round 1 and a home win over Peterborough in Round 2
First round highlights – Kidderminster 2 Swansea 3
6 January 1990
Swansea City 0 Liverpool 0
The Vetch Field, Swansea
More than 16000 packed into the Vetch to watch a gutsy display from the Swans who earned themselves a replay at Anfield thanks to some inspired goalkeeping from Lee Bracey and another impressive display from Andy Melville who was attracting plenty of plaudits of his own at the time.
Back in those days there was no luxury of 10 days before a FA Cup replay and Swans fans packed outside the Vetch the following morning to secure their tickets for the replay that was to take place on the Tuesday at Anfield.
9 January 1990
Liverpool 8 Swansea City 0
Anfield Stadium, Liverpool
Liverpool were a different class on their home patch, scoring three in the first half and five in the second to drub the Swans 8-0 but there was plenty for the travelling army to enjoy on the evening including one of their own scoring against Bruce Grobbelaar
Goals: Barnes 21′ 43′, Whelan 40′, Rush 53′ 77′ 83′, Beardsley 54′, Nicol 86′
Liverpool went onto make the semi finals in that season, losing 4-3 in an epic to Crystal Palace whilst they also won the league title.
