Tottenham 3-1 Burnley
FA Cup final, May 5, 1962
Knocked out of the European Cup in the semi-finals and unable to retain the League Championship, the 1962 FA Cup final represented Tottenham's last chance of glory, as the experts looked forward to the 'Final of the Century'.
Jimmy Greaves (3)
Bobby Smith (51)
Danny Blanchflower (80 (pen))
Jimmy Robson (50)
FA Cup final,
May 5, 1962
Wembley,
Referee: Jim Finney ,
Att: 100,000
It didn't turn out to be the 'Final of the Century', but nor was it the cagey affair that some branded 'the Chessboard Final'. Spurs took an early lead through Jimmy Greaves, but Jimmy Robson equalised for Burnley just after the interval. Bobby Smith restored Tottenham's lead almost immediately, and Danny Blanchflower scored from the spot to wrap the FA Cup.
Key Figures
Jimmy Greaves
The artful goal poacher had joined Tottenham in November for the distinctive fee of £99,999, after an unhappy spell at AC Milan. He didn't waste any time in the final, giving Spurs the lead after just three minutes. "I wanted to jump 20 feet in the air," he said after the game.
Danny Blanchflower
He might have been 36, but the Tottenham skipper was still at the peak of his powers, inspiring his team to their second successive Cup win and effortlessly converting a penalty to make it 3-1. He shrugged off all talk of retirement, vowing to be back at Wembley the following May. It didn't happen, but he carried on playing for another two seasons.
Jimmy Robson
The Burnley forward put his side level after five minutes of the second half, but after his goal it took just 43 seconds for Bobby Smith to put Spurs back in front. It looked like Robson might have equalised again, but his goal was ruled out by the linesman's flag.
Did You Know...?
Dave Mackay ended up borrowing a dinner jacket from the restaurant manager of the Savoy Hotel for the Tottenham victory banquet. His brother Tommy had been denied admittance because he was wearing a sports jacket, so Dave loaned him his club blazer and borrowed a DJ from maitre d' Charles to wear himself.
When Jimmy Robson scored for Burnley in the 50t minute it was the 100th FA Cup Final goal at Wembley
Bobby Smith's goal took Spurs to 2-1 up and in doing so made him the only player for the next 40 years to net in consecutive finals - until Arsenal's Freddie Ljungberg managed it in 2001 and 2002.
What Happened Next
Spurs continued their rich vein of form under the stewardship of Bill Nicholson - in 1963 they won the Cup winners' Cup. However, after 1964 the double side earlier in the decade began to disintegrate due to age, injuries and transfers. But Nicholson rebuilt a second successful team with imports like Alan Gilzean, Mike England, Alan Mullery, Terry Venables, Joe Kinnear and Cyril Knowles and they beat Chelsea to win the 1967 FA Cup Final and finished third in the league.
Burnley lost legendary players Jimmy McIlroy (to Stoke City) and skipper Jimmy Adamson (retirement), the 1962 Footballer of the Year, and this sparked a decline in the club's fortunes. Without the midfield duo the Clarets were a different team and though they finished third in the league 1966 and reached the semi-final of the League Cup in 1968-69 the remainder of the decade was otherwise one of mid-table mediocrity. Relegation followed in 1970-71 ending a long unbroken top flight spell during which.
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