It is exactly 45 years since West Ham United reached the third FA Cup final in the Club’s history.
Sitting mid-table in the old First Division, John Lyall’s Hammers were considered outsiders to overcome Bobby Robson’s title-chasing Ipswich Town in the semi-finals.
The Tractor Boys arrived at Villa Park for the first meeting on 5 April 1975 on a ten-match unbeaten run and having beaten champions-elect Derby County in the sixth round.
A 58,000-strong crowd endured a goalless draw which was dominated by Robson’s in-form side, meaning the two clubs would meet again four days later at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge.
There, 45,000-plus fans saw Alan Taylor continue his fairytale rise from Fourth Division forward to Wembley hero with both goals in a 2-1 win, despite Ipswich again enjoying the lion’s share of the possession and chances.
Defender Kevin Lock, who started all eight ties in West Ham’s successful FA Cup run, recalled the build-up and events of that wonderful Wednesday night in west London.
“We went to a steakhouse in Green Street to listen to the semi-final draw, praying we’d get struggling Birmingham City or second-tier Fulham,” Lock explained. “Instead, we drew in-form Ipswich Town but Bonzo (captain Billy Bonds) urged us not to be too down-hearted because he reckoned we’d have better chances in the final if we got through.
“It ended goalless in an absolutely awful game at Villa Park but it was a different story in the replay at Stamford Bridge, where there was a great atmosphere under the floodlights.
“After Ipswich had an early goal disallowed, Alan Taylor put us ahead but they equalised right on half-time when Billy Jennings scored an own-goal, and then saw another one wiped out for offside.
“We were hanging on but that man Taylor got an 82nd-minute winner to follow up his quarter-final double with another two goals.
“My great friend, the late Kevin Beattie – who I’d known from England’s youth ranks – was running around like a man possessed trying to force extra-time but nobody was stopping us going to Wembley!”
West Ham, of course, went on to beat Bobby Moore’s Fulham 2-0 in the final with Taylor again scoring both goals, as the Irons won the FA Cup for the second time.
