Let's Wait Till We Win It at Stamford Bridge

[kushiro]

After a famous FA Cup victory over Manchester CIty in 1920, Sir Oliver Stoll invited the Leicester City team to a variety show at the Palace Theatre on Belgrave Gate. He was the owner. The players were greeted rapturously, and club chairman William Jennings and club captain George Jobey were invited on to the stage to say a few words. Jennings was happy to oblige, but Jobey still had his game face on. He told Sir Oliver, 'I'll reserve my maiden effort as a public orator until Leicester have lifted the Cup'. 

 

Jobey was born in Newcastle, and he played for his hometown club in the 1911 FA Cup Final against Bradford City. He was on the losing side. Now, nine years later, he believed he had the chance to put that right.  We were in Division Two, but that 3-0 victory against Manchester CIty was so impressive that fans and players were dreaming of the Final. This is what the London Daily News said: Leicester's attitude of seeing their opponents as only human will help them on the rough journey, which, exuberant supporters say, is as likely as not to end at Stamford Bridge.  

 

Stamford Bridge? That was the ground chosen to stage the final that year, the FA seeking a new venue after the owners of Crystal Palace had demanded too many of the best seats for themselves.  The Empire Stadium at Wembley was still at the planning stage, and wouldn't be ready for another three years.

 

In Leicester, Cup fever was building. The competition had been suspended for four years due to the war, and now fans were flocking to Filbert Street in record numbers.The Leicester Chronicle had a full page of pictures from that Manchester City game, and while the quality of the reproduction here leaves something to be desired, the pictures still offer a wonderful taste of the atmosphere that day:

 

This was the old Spion Kop:

 

 

On that roof was the huge advert for Sir Oliver's Palace Theatre.

 

Here's George Jobey leading the team out from the tiny old 'Main Stand':

 

 

A souvenir seller on what looks like Grasmere Street (as Burnmoor Street was then known):

 

 

Fans on the old Popular Side celebrate the first goal:

 

 

 

The Manchester City mascot was a fox! 

 

 

 

Among the Leicester supporters that day was nine year old Harold Lineker, watching his first big match. Forty five years later, when we drew Man City in the Cup again, he would tell the Leicester Mercury he'd been there back in 1920. His grandson would have to wait a few more years for his first mention in the paper.

 

That win took us into the last 16 of the competition. We were three victories away from Stamford Bridge. But then, guess what - in the draw for the next round we were given an away tie - at Chelsea. We'd be heading to West London a little earlier than planned. 

 

That day, February 20th, Leicester fans headed south in their thousands. This was the scene around lunchtime:

 

At Earl’s Court Station the spectacle was indescribable, supporters of both sides in a packed mass, vieing with each other in the amount of din they could create, not only by their voices but by every conceivable instrument.

 

This is George Jobey again, leading the side out:

 

 

Two weeks after meeting Sir Oliver Stoll, Leicester players were introduced to another VIP before kick-off. 

 

e's 

 

The man in the hat is King George V. 

 

Sadly, we couldn't repeat the heroics of the Man CIty game. We lost 3-0, so our journey did, after all, end at Stamford Bridge. And George Jobey would have to wait a little longer for that maiden effort at public oratory. 

 

At the end of the season, he left Leicester City to join Northampton Town. Later, as a manager, he led Derby County very successfully through the 1930s. But when he died in 1962, he had never lifted the FA Cup. And nor, of course, had Leicester City.

 

We would have to wait almost another half century. Our victory over Chelsea in 2021 was the eighth time we had faced them in the competition. The tie in 1920 was the very first.

 

Coming right up, a look at a few of the highlights in between

Edited 16 March by kushiro

[rugbyblue]

Great article.  I love stuff like this.  How times change.....I'm picturing haaland turning up in front of the TV cameras with a live fox under his arm 😂.

 

Although not everything changes ....I see the organisers have always demanded final tickets for themselves rather than the fans.  

 

Good read 👍

[Wolfox]

Loved that, but thanks @kushiro for giving us a story where we lost at Stamford Bridge!!!

[kushiro]

After they knocked us out in 1920 Chelsea were dreaming of playing in the Final at their own ground. They nearly made it, but were beaten in the semi-final. 

 

The next time we drew them in the Cup was, once again, in the first season after the war - in Round Three in 1946.  To boost clubs' income the FA decided to make every tie two-legged. We got a creditable 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge but then lost 2-0 at home. 

 

51 years after that Martin O'Neill's side were drawn at home to Chelsea in Round Five. At that time I was sending letters to a friend in America, an old City fan - keeping him updated on all things Leicester. Here's the report on that tie:

 

CUP DRAMAS!  The Chelsea game finished 2-2. It was live on TV - there was loads of trouble in the first half, and at half time Jimmy Hill had his usual disgusted face on. At the start of the second half, as the ball went out for a goal kick, the cameras zoomed in on a mother and young son to try and restore a family-friendly mood. But what happened? The cameras captured perfectly the moment as the mother and son shouted 'Ooooooohhh Twat!  You're ShIt AAAHHHH!!!'  Magnificent stuff. 

 

Then the replay. It was 0-0 with three minutes of extra time left. Then - remember 'Speedie dived'? - this was much worse. The worst penalty decision in history - cheating b****rd Erland Johnsen fell over, and here we are 11 days later and still the papers are full of it.

 

After the match, City fans attacked the ref's car, then chased him down the street and attacked it again when it stopped at traffic lights. That evening, Danny Baker called on fans to go round to the ref's house and sort him out. For his comments, he was SACKED by the BBC. Then two City fans sued the FA for 'missing two days work beacuse they were so upset'.

 

City took out their anger on their next two opponents.  The following Saturday they went to Wimbledon (who'd only lost at home to Man U all season) and were 3 up inside half an hour. Then they beat Villa and are now, yes, 9th in the table.

 

The media was full of calls for video replays to be introduced, FIFA even had a meeting to discuss the idea, but decided against it. The replay of the incident is still being shown on TV every five minutes (or so it seems). And to bring you right up to date, Danny Baker has been snapped up by Talk Sport - and the first callers on his new show were the two City fans who are sueing the FA.

 

Late News!  We beat Wimbledon in the semi-final of the League Cup! City fans outnumbered home fans, and were dead loud the whole match (including 'F*** Off Mike Reed' - the ref at Chelsea). So it's Middlesbrough at Wembley on April 6th! First Cup Final for 28 years! Europe beckons!!

 

 

Just three years later we drew them again at the same stage - and the only highlight of that game was Matt Elliott's marvelous Zidane impersonation:

 

 

 

 Let's skip over the three Quarter-Final defeats to Chelsea between 2012 and 2020 and finish with this:

 

 

Which surely makes up for the won 0 lost 7 record before that.

Edited 16 March by kushiro

[jayfox26]

25 minutes ago, kushiro said:

After they knocked us out in 1920 Chelsea were dreaming of playing in the Final at their own ground. They nearly made it, but were beaten in the semi-final. 

 

The next time we drew them in the Cup was, once again, in the first season after the war - in Round Three in 1946.  To boost clubs' income the FA decided to make every tie two-legged. We got a creditable 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge but then lost 2-0 at home. 

 

41 years after that Martin O'Neill's side were drawn at home to Chelsea in Round Five. At that time I was sending letters to a friend in America, an old City fan - keeping him updated on all things Leicester. Here's the report on that tie:

 

CUP DRAMAS!  The Chelsea game finished 2-2. It was live on TV - there was loads of trouble in the first half, and at half time Jimmy Hill had his usual disgusted face on. At the start of the second half, as the ball went out for a goal kick, the cameras zoomed in on a mother and young son to try and restore a family-friendly mood. But what happened? The cameras captured perfectly the moment as the mother and son shouted 'Ooooooohhh Twat!  You're ShIt AAAHHHH!!!'  Magnificent stuff. 

 

Then the replay. It was 0-0 with three minutes of extra time left. Then - remember 'Speedie dived'? - this was much worse. The worst penalty decision in history - cheating b****rd Erland Johnsen fell over, and here we are 11 days later and still the papers are full of it.

 

Atter the match, City fans attacked the ref's car, then chased him down the street and attacked it again when it stopped at traffic lights. That evening, Danny Baker called on fans to go round to the ref's house and sort him out. For his comments, he was SACKED by the BBC. Then two City fans sued the FA for 'missing two days work beacuse they were so upset'.

 

City took out their anger on their next two opponents.  The following Saturday they went to Wimbledon (who'd only lost at home to Man U all season) and were 3 up inside half an hour. Then they beat Villa and are now, yes, 9th in the table.

 

The media was full of calls for video replays to be introduced, FIFA even had a meeting to discuss the idea, but decided against it. The replay of the incident is still being shown on TV every five minutes (or so it seems). And to bring you right up to date, Danny Baker has been snapped up by Talk Sport - and the first callers on his new show were the two City fans who are sueing the FA.

 

Late News!  We beat Wimbledon in the semi-final of the League Cup! City fans outnumbered home fans, and were dead loud the whole match (including 'F*** Off Mike Reed' - the ref at Chelsea). So it's Middlesbrough at Wembley on April 6th! First Cup Final for 28 years! Europe beckons!!

 

 

Just three years later we drew them again at the same stage - and the only highlight of that game was Matt Elliott's marvelous Zidane impersonation:

 

 

 

 Let's skip over the three Quarter-Final defeats to Chelsea between 2012 and 2020 and finish with this:

 

 

Which surely makes up for the won 0 lost 7 record before that.

Great stuff. That Johnsen dive was disgusting. I was only young at the time and I remember my Dad was seething. That Elliott goal was magnificent and I'd forgotten about that one to be fair. 

[kushiro]

Here's the full page from the Leicester Chronicle, from where all those 1920 photos are taken:

 

 

 

Here's a close-up of one picture that I didn't include above:

 

 

The club flag being hoisted. That must be Filbert Street in the background, with trees by the canal visible on the left.

 

As far as I know, these pictures have never appeared anywhere, either in print or online, since they were first published back in 1920. Anyone know better?

 

[kushiro]

You might have noticed our towering beanpole of a centre-half Jimmy Harrold in the background of two of those pictures.

 

He's on the left here:

 

And I'm sure you can spot him here:

 

 

Between those two Cup ties against Man City and Chelsea he didn't play in the League, because he'd been heavily concussed in the first one. This hilarious line appeared in Daily News after that game:

Apart from two glaring mis-kicks and the fact that on one occasion he essayed to fill the outside-right position, beating three men in the attempt, there was nothing in his second half play to show that he was not mentally responsible for what he was doing.

 

 

[bovril]

Thanks @kushiro as ever.

 

I think the 2000 defeat is an underrated disappointment. We had a great team that year beset by injuries, and if we'd got past Chelsea we would've potentially had games vs Gillingham, Newcastle and Villa to win the cup. I think that and 97 were our best chances, much better than 2001 with Taylor. 

 

****ing Chelsea...

[bovril]

Christ just looking at that 1/4 line up in 2000. I think at that point we would've been the highest team still in it!

 

[BrummieFOX]

THIS is how you build up to an FA Cup Quarter Final. 

 

Great stuff, thanks OP. 

[justfoxes]

4 hours ago, Wolfox said:

Loved that, but thanks @kushiro for giving us a story where we lost at Stamford Bridge!!!

It’s an omen the fox 🦊 we’ll beat them now 😉

[kushiro]

A final word about George Jobey. After leaving Newcastle, and before becoming captain of Leicester, he was an Arsenal player. He scored the club's first goal at Highbury when they moved across the river from Woolwich. But it was not the very first goal at the ground - their opponents that day had already scored, so Jobey's goal was an equaliser. Those opponents? Leicester Fosse. Our opener was scored by Tommy Benfield, one of the many Fosse players who lost their lives in the war. His great-grand nephew Ben Swift became Leicester City's Retail and Merchandising Manager just a few years ago. 

[kushiro]

Jimmy Harrold seems to have been quite a character. 

 

After playing the whole second half in a daze against Man City in that famous 1920 Cup tie, the concussion story continued at Stamford Bridge in the next round, but this time he was the one dishing it out.

Chelsea's centre forward was Jack Cock. When King George was introduced to the teams before the start, he was told about Cock's England call-up, and the King 'congratulated him on the achievement of such a prestigious honour'.

Jimmy Harrold was less impressed:

Within five minutes of the start, Cock was badly laid out by Harrold. He was carried from the field in a semi-conscious state, struggling all the time to remain on, although unable to stand. Harrold was the object of a 'dead set' from the crowd, who hooted and booed whenever he touched the ball. It was not until the second half that Cock was his old self.

But then, with the game still goalless, he showed why he'd got that England call-up:

Cock emerged triumphantly from a sustained tussle with two or three opponents, then passed to Browning, who scored with a wonderful swerving shot from 35 yards.

Leicester's centre-forward was the sensation of the season, Jock Paterson, who we'd signed from Dundee just before Christmas. Today, he was kept quiet by Chelsea's centre-half Tommy Logan, who 'had him in his pocket'.

Six weeks later, Paterson made his Scotland debut against England at Hillsborough - the first Leicester player to win a Scottish cap. The England centre forward was Jack Cock. In an extraordinary game, England won 5-4, with Cock opening the scoring and Paterson drawing a blank.

[kushiro]

I can't stop thinking about Jimmy Harrold, It's the way he lurks menacingly in the background in those pictures. I was trying to think who that sinister presence reminded me of. Then I realised. It's Dot Cottan in Line of Duty. There's even a physical resemblance.

 

I'm going to fill the hours before the game today by finding out more about him. Watch this space.

[Pita]

🤞🤞🤞🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻