Portsmouth 2 Newcastle United 4 – 1952 FA Cup 6th Round
Saturday March 8, 1952. FA Cup 6th Round
Portsmouth 2 Newcastle United 4
Portsmouth: E.Butler, P.Gunther, H.Ferrier, J.Scoular, J.Froggatt, J.Dickinson, P.Harris, D.Reid, J.Henderson, L.Phillips, M.Gaillard.
Newcastle: R.Simpson, B.Cowell, A.McMichael, J.Harvey, F.Brennan, T.Robledo, T.Walker, B.Foulkes, J.Milburn, G.Robledo, B.Mitchell.
Match Report: The scene was undoubtedly set for a classic cup tie. Fratton Park was heaving for this quarter final FA Cup clash between the league leaders Portsmouth and the cup holders Newcastle United. United were also currently fourth in Division One.
The atmosphere was raucous with an estimated 8,000 supporters having travelled the length and breadth of the country to swell the attendance to 46,000.
Before the teams had even appeared there was a fierce competition underway as the Pompey Chimes tried to get the better of the Blaydon Races across the terraces.
The roars that greeted the arrival of the two teams and the kick off demanded action from the word go. There would be no sparring in this one, both teams came out looking to land a serious body blow.
It was the home side taking the early initiative, however, and the Geordies were immediately at full stretch in defence. Portsmouth swept down the left wing and Marcel Gaillard, their Belgian left winger, slammed over a dangerous centre that Bobby Cowell did well to put behind for a corner.
When this came across it was the other full back, Alf McMichael, who rose to head clear and the ball seemed destined for his left winger Bobby Mitchell until Jimmy Scoular, a Geordie legend of the future, charged across to claim possession.
Scoular strode away from Ted Robledo before slipping an astute ball down the side of McMichael for Peter Harris to centre. Gaillard stole a march on Cowell at the far post and his header put Portsmouth ahead with just four minutes played.
This was enough to send the home support into raptures of ecstasy but neither the setback of conceding an early goal or the tumultuous atmosphere was enough to daunt the visitors.
In response to going behind Newcastle roared onto the attack and Portsmouth were soon relying heavily on their half back trojans Scoular and Jimmy Dickinson and their accomplished centre half Jack Froggatt.
Scoular and Dickinson were as formidable as ever in midfield, snapping into tackles and displaying their incredible capacity for hard work to the full. Froggatt, despite his most diligent and committed efforts however, was having a torrid time trying to subdue Jackie Milburn.
“Wor” Jackie, the hero of the Geordie hordes, looked like a man on a mission, determined that the travelling thousands would have something to shout about.
Milburn was perpetual motion, dropping deep and moving out to both flanks in his hunger for the ball. Once in possession the Newcastle leader would either look to feed his wingers quickly or simply head for goal himself.
Bobby Mitchell swung over a centre from which Milburn grazed the crossbar with a soaring header. Heading was apparently Milburn’s weakness but there wasn’t much wrong with this effort.
Next Milburn was leading a lightening break out of defence which involved George Robledo and Billy Foulkes and ended with Foulkes all but clear of the Pompey defence before losing his balance under the desperate challenge of the last defender and the chance passed.
By now the Newcastle pressure was intense. Milburn hared onto a long ball from Foulkes and sent in a 25 yard drive which Ernie Butler was at full stretch to save.
Milburn was playing on auto pilot. Twice he received possession just over the halfway line and tore straight at the heart of the Pompey defence. Both times he tested Butler but on both occasions the keeper was up to the challenge.
The busy Portsmouth custodian was also called into action by George Robledo, Tommy Walker and McMichael. Still the equaliser refused to come.
Not that it was all Newcastle. Portsmouth were not playing badly and the inside left axis of Dickinson and Len Phillips was in especially fine working order. Overall they were not posing the same threat as the visitors, however.
Scoular had to lunge into a challenge to deny Foulkes a shooting chance but the loose ball was seized upon, inevitably, by Milburn who was again frustrated by Butler’s plunging save.
The next man in black and white to be left shaking his head was George Robledo. First he dived full length to send a header flying marginally the wrong side of the post and then, after another lung busting Milburn charge down the right, he sent a drive crashing into the upright.
Milburn needed treatment after this passage of play having taken a blow to the ribs and he returned to the action somewhat gingerly.
It was a case of the wounded animal being most dangerous, however, as he immediately supplied the long overdue equaliser.
Frank Brennan launched the ball into the box and Milburn took it adroitly on his chest, held of Froggatt and turned in an instant to slip his shot past Butler ahead of Ferrier’s lunging challenge.
The half time whistle barely dimmed the excitement on the terraces as the supporters eagerly discussed the pulsating action they had witnessed and eagerly anticipated more of the same in the second half.
Half Time: Portsmouth 1 Newcastle United 1
The interval did nothing to stop Newcastle’s momentum.
Straight away Milburn was terrorizing the Portsmouth defence with a searing run. He sped away from Froggatt and escaped the lunging Ferrier before being crowded out on the edge of the penalty area.
Shortly afterwards he tested Butler from 30 yards as his one man assault continued.
His next run paved the way for Bobby Mitchell to fire in a shot but this was charged down by the Portsmouth defence before it could trouble Butler.
Suddenly a neat move by Peter Harris and Duggie Reid threatened danger at the other end and although Newcastle escaped it laid the foundation for a ten minute spell of Portsmouth pressure.
Now it was blue shirts pouring forward but this spelled danger when Newcastle broke at speed into more space than they had been allowed previously.
Mitchell slipped Scoular with a typical body swerve and all but ignored the challenge of Phil Gunther before crossing perfectly beyond Froggatt. Milburn’s control was instant, he sidestepped a couple of desperately retreating defenders and sent a rising shot into the net via the underside of the crossbar.
Portsmouth responded in fine style to going behind both on and off the field. The home fans began belting out their anthem and Pompey certainly did begin to “play up”.
Jackie Henderson, Phillips and Harris all saw shots blocked and Ronnie Simpson was forced into two diving saves.
The goalkeeper then came to claim a high ball from Dickinson but lost possession under challenge from Phillips. The forward reacted quickest to the loose ball and was able to knock the ball sideways for Reid to belt home.
The excitement was too much for some fans who now spilled onto the pitch and the home side very definitely had the bit between their teeth.
The Newcastle defenders launched themselves at a series of Portsmouth shots to keep their goal intact and when Reid sent a piledriver screaming past Simpson Cowell rose to head the ball over his own crossbar.
The full back ended up crumpled in the back of his own net, manically shaking his head in an effort to clear it. I hope the lace hadn’t been facing him as he headed it.
Again Portsmouth were to leave themselves vulnerable to the counter attack as they pressed forward in search of goals, however.
With the clock ticking down a long clearance out of defence found Milburn who managed to shrug off Dickinson and the danger was immediately obvious.
Once again Froggatt was left in his wake, Gunther was not quick enough to cover and Milburn ended his dash from the halfway line by arrowing his drive into the right hand corner of Butler’s net.
Portsmouth had no option but to throw men forward in search of an equaliser in the few remaining minutes but almost immediately Milburn was racing away again and when he squared the ball inside George Robledo was able to pick his spot and finally decide an epic cup tie.
Jackie Milburn earned his right to be acclaimed as a true Geordie legend over a decade of sterling service. It is unlikely that he ever gave a finer performance in a black and white shirt than he did here, however.
Not only did his hat trick secure a famous victory it also helped Newcastle on the way to retaining the FA Cup.
No wonder the Newcastle public loved him. It’s a long way home from Portsmouth and as 8,000 supporters headed for their cars, coaches and trains they would have ample time to relive his astonishing performance before re-telling it over and over again to their friends and families when they arrived back on Tyneside. Happy days.
Full Time: Porstmouth 2 Newcastle United 4