Cup Final days dawns with superb memories of ’64

CandH’s Allen Cummings enters his time capsule to recall a great, great day

Cup Final Day – and a chance for me to relive one of the most memorable days of my life!

Call me an old fool, a romantic – or both – but that magical day still holds a very special place in my heart and always will!

European finals might get all the modern-day hype, with their glamorous locations, and some not so glamorous of course (aka Azerbaijan), plus the lucrative financial rewards attached.

But a day out at Wembley, and a place in the final of the oldest cup competition in the footballing world, will always be number one in my book. I suspect a few other more ‘mature’ supporters like myself might well plump for the magic of THE cup, too.

Memories of my first ever trip to Wembley on Cup Final day 55 years ago still live vividly in my mind. The most amazing footballing day of my life. Even the European Cup Winners’ Cup Final, on another magical Wembley evening, takes second place in my book to that unforgettable day in May 1964.

Our cup adventure had begun with a 3-1 win over Charlton Athletic, progressed with victories over Leyton Orient, Swindon Town and Burnley, before that magnificent mud-bath at Hillsborough where we triumphed 3-1 over the mighty Manchester United.

Now only Preston North End stood in our way and our first ever Cup Final win. With my over-sized rosette and freshly painted claret and blue rattle (no half scarves in those days thankfully) I joined the thousands of other expectant West Ham fans on the Metropolitan Line to Wembley Park. The first glimpse of those famous Wembley twin towers – and finally stepping inside to see that hallowed Wembley turf.

As the pre-match excitement grew, the two sets of fans, at opposite ends of the ground, did their best to out-sing each other. None of the vile chanting and abuse now all too common inside grounds. Just straining your vocal cords to the limit in an effort to sing louder than the opposition.

Then it was time to sing ‘together’ the Wembley anthem – Abide With Me. It made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. As the First Division side we were favourites, but as all West Ham fans know, that’s not always a good omen.

So it proved as we went a goal down in 10 minutes. Johnny Sisson became, at that time, the youngest player ever to score in a Cup Final when he levelled on 12 minutes. But Preston finished the half ahead again at 2-1. A second equaliser shortly after the break from Geoff Hurst got us back on terms, before our semi final hero Ronnie Boyce popped up again in the 90th minute with the winner.

Cue for an East End knees-up like I’ve never experienced before. “We’ve won the cup. We’ve won the cup. Ee aye addio we’ve won the cup”. A chorus repeated in the ground, outside the ground and all the way home.

I was fortunate enough to share in West Ham’s Wembley triumphs in 1975 and 1980. Both wonderful occasions. But for me that very first Cup Final day out at Wembley will never be surpassed!

NB: Me too Al…my first Cup Final and close to the halfway line with a ticket for 17/6d in old money – 75pish today HS