1983: Brighton stun Liverpool

It was perceived by many as a bye. Another step for the red machine of Liverpool on their quest for an unprecedented quadruple. When the runaway Division One leaders drew rock bottom Brighton at Anfield in the last 16 of the 1983 FA Cup, the Seagulls road to Wembley was expected to hit a dead end.

Brighton's charismatic caretaker manager Jimmy Melia was trying his best to talk up his team's hopes. "There is no way this draw means the end of the line," the former Liverpool player protested. "We were the last side to win at Anfield, in March 1982." Yet not everyone shared his optimism.

"But the chances of lightning striking twice in that particular place are hardly likely to dim Bob Paisley's vision of his players handing over the trophy as a retirement present at Wembley in May," the Guardian's Patrick Barclay wrote. Liverpool's departing manager was expected to take another step towards the one trophy that had alluded him during his managerial reign.

History was not on the side of Brighton either. Four times the club had reached the FA Cup fifth round - the last time in 1960 - but they had never progressed past that stage. They may have impressively hammered Manchester City 4-0 in the previous round - City manager John Bond resigned a few days later - but their league form hardly suggested an upset was on the cards.

With just six wins in the league - five of those achieved under previous manager Mike Bailey - Brighton had not won a league match since December (Melia's first game in charge) and that run would continue to March. At least the FA Cup run provided a slight distraction, even if Brighton's odds of 9/1 to win at Anfield emphasised the task ahead of them.

The match was switched to 2.30pm on Sunday February 20, after Everton's opponents Tottenham refused to switch their FA Cup match at Goodison Park from the Saturday. "We believe that day should be kept free of football," Tottenham manager Keith Burkinshaw declared. His opinion had not softened by the time live football on the Sabbath arrived in October.

Over 4,000 Brighton fans made the journey to Merseyside, more in hope than expectation, but as the first half progressed it was evident that Melia's pre-match statement that his team would attack was not all hot air. With Jimmy Case sticking to Liverpool skipper Graeme Souness, and Michael Robinson, Gerry Ryan, and Peter Ward constantly hassling Liverpool's centre backs, Brighton were rocking.

In the 32nd minute came the first moment that would stun the crowd of 44,868 inside Anfield. A surging run from Robinson down Liverpool's left led to the opening goal, the Brighton forward driving into the penalty area, drawing out Bruce Grobbelaar, before cutting back to Ryan. In front of the Kop, Ryan side-footed home. 

Brighton's first moment of fortune had arrived before the visit to Anfield. Robinson had been handed a one match ban and given a £250 fine by an FA disciplinary commission for headbutting Watford's Steve Sherwood in January. Fortunately, the ban started the day after the Liverpool match. The future Liverpool player certainly made the most of his opportunity.

Liverpool full back Alan Kennedy almost equalised before half-time when he struck the post, but Robinson would hit the crossbar with a header in the second half and the side-netting with another header from a narrow angle. However, when Craig Johnston acrobatically flicked a volley past Perry Digweed in the 67th minute, it looked like normal service had been resumed.

But Brighton hit back immediately through a player familiar to many Liverpudlians. Tough-tackling midfielder Case had spent eight years at Anfield, lifting four league titles and three European Cups in his Liverpool career. A minute after Johnston's leveller, Case would come back to haunt his former club.

Case's volley from just over 20 yards out was struck truly, yet a deflection off Ronnie Whelan gave Grobbelaar no chance. Case, his teammates and the travelling fans celebrated wildly, the match winner ecstatic in the days when it was rightfully seen as acceptable to mark a goal against a former club.

Yet in a frantic spell of the match, Brighton's joy looked like being short lived. Five minutes after Case's strike, referee Alf Grey adjudged that Tony Grealish had brought down Kennedy in the box, the Brighton midfielder so infuriated that he talked his way into a booking. As Phil Neal placed the ball on the spot, Brighton's hopes were hanging by a thread.

But this would be Brighton's afternoon. Neal dragged his effort wide, justice done in the eyes of the Brighton players that had pursued Grey after his controversial decision. Liverpool inevitably laid siege to Brighton's goal; Kenny Dalglish lofted over from six yards; Chris Ramsey headed a Mark Lawrenson effort off the line; centre back Steve Foster superbly blocked a late Whelan effort. 

When the final whistle sounded, Melia and his players made their way to the swaying mass of Brighton fans in the corner of the stadium to celebrate the shock win. Possibly drunk with delight, Melia then tried to drag his players towards the Kop to applaud the home fans. He soon realised that his players were not too keen to join him.

"I think Liverpool will win three trophies this season - but not the FA Cup," a jubilant Melia joked afterwards. "I said we would play attacking football and we did just that. It was great for Jimmy Case to score the winning goal. I always knew we had a chance." 

"It was one of the greatest performances, perhaps the greatest in their history," Barclay noted in his match report, as Brighton stunned the 7/4 FA Cup favourites. 'THE SEAGULLS HAVE LANDED' trumpeted the Mirror headline. The Mail went for an adaptation of the well known hymn: 'Amazing Case'.

"I said it would be a dream if I got the winner," Case said. "The dream has come true. We knew we would be under a lot of pressure. We had a little bit of luck and it was great to score my goal just after they had equalised."

Paisley cut a frustrated figure after the defeat, with his last chance of winning the FA Cup now gone. "It was just one of those games," he said. "It was all helter-skelter: not too much football. There was no way we were going to win. I never liked playing on Sunday." Despite his disappointment, Paisley wished the winners well. "I hope Brighton go on to win the Cup."

"We don't care who we get in the quarter finals so long as we are at home," Melia said, as he revelled in the spotlight. His wish was granted, as Norwich were seen off in the quarter finals at the Goldstone Ground, before Second Division Sheffield Wednesday were beaten at Highbury in a memorable semi-final. And then Smith must score.

Just six days after their Anfield triumph, Brighton lost at home to Stoke in the league. There in a nutshell was the issue. Able to raise themselves for the big cup games, Melia and his players simply could not transfer these performances into their league displays. Relegation followed, and by October 1983 Melia was gone.

The 1982/83 season may not have ended well for Brighton fans, yet the cup run and that win at Anfield in particular provided a joyous experience. Inflicting Liverpool's first home cup defeat in 63 matches - going back to 1974 - Melia's seagulls soared on that memorable Sunday. Brighton destroying Liverpool's hopes for a quadruple. It could never happen again. Oh.