From Barry Stobart to Neil Young: When the FA Cup Really Mattered: Volume 1 - The 1960s

A wonderful book made up of stories told about the FA Cup Finals of "The Sixties" with a little help from the people who were there. It is true that these days The Premier League, Champions League and other European competitions have taken the glory away from the FA Cup but back then it was THE competition and gave the chance to unfashionable teams to share a little of the spotlight and so often a bigger share of the glory that their weekly position did not merit.Starting with the 1960 final between Wolves and Blackburn through to the 1969 Final between Leicester and Man. City, Matthew Eastley tells such wonderful stories and brings back so many memories. The title "From Barry Stobart to Neil Young" highlights two players who played a significant part in the finals to start then end the decade and as a Leicester supporter I know that both ended our involvement in the competition- in the 6th Round in 1960 when Barry Stobart played for Wolves and in the 1969 final where Neil Young scored the only goal for Man. City. Add to that our appearance in the 1961 and 1963 finals makes the book a catalogue of memories for Leicester supporters.They say if you remember the sixties, you were not there.but in the case of the FA Cup finals it is easy to remember if you were there. Some great teams and some of the great players are represented. Apart from Leicester making the trip to Wembley three times, Tottenham also made three finals, Burnley, one of the best footballing sides in the early sixties made it to the 1962 final, Manchester United's stars made the journey in 1963 and NOT as favorites having had a poor season only to find their form when it really mattered. West Ham in 1964 just made it count and the extra time drama in the 1965 final when the great Liverpool side got their hands on the silverware. 1966 saw a great come back by Everton and in 1967 Spurs won their third cup of the decade. In 1968 it was a close call when West Brom did the business and finally in 1969 the Man. City win over Leicester.It's all here, the fans stories, the players stories and the finals. All the memories of a now forgotten decade when true supporters followed their teams and took whatever the game threw at them. When players were approachable and "normal" people and money did not buy success. Many say it passed too quickly but then dreams always do and only leave memories of how it was. Getting to Wembley was the dream that many teams did not fulfill and winning there was sometimes too far out of reach for those who did make it there but who would swop a minute of those days whoever you supported.Enjoy those days again, especially if you were around and if you were not you can still enjoy true football stories of a great era.

Once upon a time, there was a striker called Cristián Montecinos, a slightly overweight Chilean with a dodgy Mohawk haircut. You won't find his name linked to the FA Cup. But you will find that he scored a superb free kick for Club Necaxa of Mexico in a 1-1 draw with Manchester United on January 6, 2000, in the FIFA Club World Championship in Brazil. Two days later First Division Bolton started their FA Cup run with a 2-0 win over Grimsby in the Fourth Round, a run that would take them to the semi-final before losing to Premier League Aston Villa in a penalty shoot-out. The romance of the Cup. And what romance: Sunderland beating Leeds in the final, Liverpool toppled by Wimbledon and Brighton one scuffed shot away from overturning United. Oh yes. United. They, having shown complete disdain for the oldest and best Cup in the world by withdrawing from the competition to play in Brazil, trousered $2.5 million for finishing fifth out of eight in the FIFA cup.So it’s no wonder that author Matthew Eastley contends that the FA Cup stopped mattering after the 1980s. And with United, the holders, choosing not to defend it in pursuit of cash and the spurious claim that they were helping England’s 2006 World Cup bid and clubs routinely putting out under-strength teams while saving their best for the League and European competitions, it’s impossible to argue with him. His wonderful book, From Barry Stobart to Neil Young: When the FA Cup Really Mattered: Volume 1 - The 1960s (and don’t miss his companion books From Ronnie Radford to Roger Osborne: When the FA Cup Really Mattered: Volume 2 - The 1970s and From Ricky Villa to Dave Beasant: When the FA Cup Really Mattered: Volume 3 - The 1980s) shows just how much the Cup DID matter in those decades. It gives a voice to the fans for whom a day out at Wembley in May was the absolute pinnacle of their season – the lengths they had to go to obtain tickets, their journeys, their celebrations, their despair, the all-consuming passion and emotion for this showpiece occasion all supported by the marvellously researched music, TV programmes and current affairs of the time.From Barry . . . is a warm, funny and touching journey through the decade. I defy anybody not to be moved by the tale of reserve Barry Stobart, who, after only four first-team matches, found himself in the Wolves line-up against Blackburn in 1960. His man of the match performance was the peak of his career and Eastley movingly interviews Barry’s wife Maureen about the striker’s descent into vascular dementia. It’s not the only touching story in the book, but these are leavened by the sheer joy of those who did manage to get hold of that elusive ticket.At this point, I should confess that for my first Cup Final (Luton v Nottingham Forest, aged 9) and second (the Wolves final the following year) my Dad managed to get two tickets from unknown sources, depriving at least four genuine fans of their chance to see a final. And in 1974 I attended the Liverpool v Newcastle match thanks to my connections with St Albans City FC. In mitigation, the following season I was able to present a ticket to the desperate Fulham-supporting father of a work colleague. He said it was the happiest day of his life, despite the defeat to West Ham. And Luton became MY team, with Wolves a close second. That's how much the Cup Final means to me -- and Matthew Eastley's book chimes perfectly with my feelings.

I was at the 1969 final and a few of my memories rate a mention in Matt Eastley's book. Matt has managed to weave together memories from a wide range of contributors into a coherent story for each final. A most enjoyable read.

For anyone who enjoys a bit of nostalgia, and it doesn't matter if you were around in the 60's or not, for this book encapsulates that era perfectly, with references to the music of the time as well as the recollections of the people who really matter. The fans.

First class