1983 FA Cup final: Manchester United v Brighton

Manchester United and Brighton will soon meet at Wembley in the FA Cup semi-final. Forty years ago, the clubs contested a final that would live long in the memory.

It is possible that Gordon Smith has been contacted quite a few times recently by journalists willing to rake up his infamous last minute chance in the 1983 FA Cup final. But it would be unfair to remember Smith and the 1983 final for that moment alone. 

As with many finals during the glory days of the competition, that day in May was about so much more than the match itself. The cast of characters involved, the fairy tale of relegated Brighton reaching Wembley, the pain of Steve Foster, the team songs, banners, awful pitch, a helicopter. 'And Smith Must Score' is naturally the point where all roads lead to with this tale, yet dig deeper and there is so much more to enjoy.

There seemed little hope of Brighton reaching Wembley as they entered the competition in January. Hovering just above the Division One relegation zone under the caretaker management of Jimmy Melia, staying in the top flight was the main aim for the Seagulls. But away from the pressure of the league, Melia's men soared.

A replay win over Newcastle and a 4-0 thrashing of Manchester City got the ball rolling, although most expected the adventure to end at Anfield in the fifth round. But a stunning 2-1 win against Liverpool opened up the competition, with Melia's star rising as the twin towers drew closer.

Melia was a tabloid dream. The Liverpudlian may have been lacking in hair, but he made up for it in character. With his white shoes, ready wit, and celebrity girlfriend Val Lloyd, Melia was eventually appointed as permanent manager in March. Beating Norwich and then winning a semi-final against Second Division Sheffield Wednesday at a sun-drenched Highbury, Melia had made the dream a reality.

Sadly, there was a small snag, as midfielder Jimmy Case explained in his autobiography Hard Case. "The Cup run was brilliant, the fans turned out in their thousands. Everyone was lifted by the magic and the dream of Wembley, but against that background, it was difficult to get the team motivated for the never-ending struggle for League points."

Relegated on the penultimate weekend of the season, there was more anguish for the club and their captain Steve Foster. Booked against Notts County at the end of April, Foster would be suspended for the final, although farcically a red card would have seen his two-match ban reduced to one, thus making him eligible for Wembley.

Foster tried his best to pick up a second yellow. When that failed, the centre back then took the FA to the High Court to appeal his suspension. The five-hour case saw Foster's hopes dashed. "I can't say I enjoyed today," Foster admitted after the hearing. "It was like having all your teeth pulled out...slowly."

There would also be disappointment for an opposite number of Foster's. Sent off in controversial circumstances against Arsenal, Remi Moses would also miss out on the Wembley showpiece, manager Ron Atkinson suspicious that some opposition players were out for revenge after United's midfielder had been guilty of a nasty tackle on David O'Leary in the first leg of the Milk Cup semi-final.

United had fallen short in their previous appearance at Wembley, losing 2-1 to Liverpool in the Milk Cup after extra-time, yet understandably they were huge favourites to win on their return to the famous old stadium. Priced at 8/13 to win in 90 minutes and 3/10 to win outright, Manchester United were predicted to win with ease. Brighton were 7/2 and 5/2 to win in 90 and 120 minutes respectively.

Before the actual football, though, there was the small matter of the FA Cup final songs. Glory Glory Man United would reach number 13 in the charts with The Boys in the Old Brighton Blue only making number 65. An early advantage for the favourites, but Brighton would hit back with a late equaliser, as Case and Smith appeared briefly as presenters on Top of the Pops.

And of course there was the joy of FA Cup final day. As a young fan enjoying my first experience of all this, the build-up was a feast amongst the usual famine of television coverage of football. The battle between the BBC and ITV started at 11am, with the managers and players introduced, comedy provided by Jimmy Tarbuck and Dennis Norden, and the season reviewed before the main event.

A big part of the coverage was following the teams on their way to Wembley. Yet in 1983 there was a twist. Brighton, sponsored by British Caledonian, took the decision to take a helicopter flight to Wembley, covered by BBC One in their Up, Up and Away section. Who doesn't want to listen to David Coleman commentating on the progress of a helicopter flight through grey London skies?

As the match approached, the crowd of nearly 100,000 was scanned with another Cup final tradition ticked off: the effort made by those who had taken the time to produce a banner should be commended. Some were almost poetic:

"We'll put Whiteside on his backside"

"Bald is beautiful"

"It's our Case for Champagne"

"Even the Birdman of Alcatraz can't save the Seagulls"

"All things Brighton beautiful"

"The Seagulls flew here in a chopper when Robson scores they'll come a cropper"

After Abide With Me was belted out, the players emerged from the tunnel to a ear-shattering roar, deputy Brighton skipper Tony Grealish temporarily donning a headband in tribute to Foster. Although there was sadness for Foster and Moses, some of the other stories were what the FA Cup was all about.

Full back Graham Pearce appearing for Brighton a year after playing against them for non-league Barnet; 20-year-old Gary Howlett, released a year previously by Coventry on a free, completing the journey from scrapheap to Wembley; United winger Alan Davies making his FA Cup debut.

After all that build-up and anticipation, would the final be a let down? No chance. On a wet and boggy surface the tackles flew in: Case on Bryan Robson and Ray Wilkins, Norman Whiteside on Chris Ramsey. But between the battles in midfield there were genuine moments of quality.

Smith opened the scoring in the 14th minute with a fine header from Howlett's cross, a moment that is often forgotten due to how the match would end for the forward who had also played for Rangers in the Scottish League Cup final. But as the second half developed, it appeared as if United were justifying the bookies' odds.

Frank Stapleton equalised in the 55th minute, scoring in his second FA Cup final - in 1979, Stapleton had found the net for Arsenal against his current employers - and when Wilkins curled a beautiful left-footed effort past Graham Moseley with 18 minutes remaining, Brighton were on the ropes.

To their credit, the underdogs refused to go away. With just three minutes left, a clever corner routine saw the ball arrive at the feet of the excellent Gary Stevens, his thumping finish extending the match to extra-time. With both sets of players looking exhausted on a energy-sapping surface, a replay looked inevitable.

Unfortunately we really do have to talk about Gordon. As Case played Michael Robinson through and the forward cut inside Kevin Moran and Gordon McQueen, the ball was squared to Smith. He pulled back in his right foot in the 120th minute. Glory beckoned.

The excellent Peter Jones, commentating on Radio 2, described Smith's moment: "Robinson going forward strong. He's inside the Manchester United penalty area. He finds Smith. And Smith must score. And he hasn't scored. And Bailey has saved it."

"You don't get many chances to win an FA Cup medal and ours had come and gone," Case wrote about that incident. Smith's miss may have spawned a fanzine named after Jones' famous commentary, and it may be seen as a sporting tragedy. But when Case's mother died on the evening of the final it put everything into perspective.

Foster returned for the replay on the Thursday night, but it would be a damp squib compared to the first match. Brighton started brightly, yet two goals from Robson and another from Whiteside saw United take a 3-0 lead at half-time. "Stevie Foster, what a difference you have made," echoed from the United end, rubbing salt into the wounds.

Arnold Muhren would add another from the spot, as United won their first trophy in six years. "We'd put everything into that game and when the replay came round a few days later, we had nothing left," Case admitted. But what a part Brighton had played in the story of the 1983 FA Cup, and what great memories for their supporters.

"In their two hours of yomping across a sodden field, Brighton and United managed to create a montage of the images and emotions of several of Wembley's better finals," the Guardian's David Lacey wrote about that first match. It's good to know that the mind is not playing tricks. The 1983 final really was a memorable occasion, even if for some there are moments they would rather forget.