Arsenal, Leeds taste Fairs Cup glory

In the fourth part of the series about the performances of English and Scottish clubs in the UEFA Cup, we come across two more triumphs for British teams in the last two Fairs Cup tournaments before the event was renamed.

After the feats of Leeds (1968) and Newcastle (1969), it was the turn of Arsenal and Leeds, again, to inscribe their names on the trophy. Hence, for four successive years the Fairs Cup remained on English shores.

Overall, the Fairs Cup was played on 13 occasions and its winners were: 1958 – Barcelona; 1960 – Barcelona; 1961 – Roma; 1962 – Valencia; 1963 – Valencia; 1964 − Real Zaragoza; 1965 – Ferencvaros; 1966 – Barcelona; 1967 − Dynamo Zagreb; 1968 − Leeds United; 1969 − Newcastle United; 1970 – Arsenal; 1971 − Leeds United.

England may have won the trophy for four successive seasons but Spanish clubs dominated the honours’ list as, until 1971, they had won the silverware six times.

In the first round of the 1969-70 Fairs Cup, there were seven English and Scottish representatives. Two teams from the UK faced each other but the other six advanced.

With the increase in the number of entries, there were no byes in the first round, contrary to the previous season when 16 sides reached the second round without kicking a ball.

In the first round, Arsenal and Liverpool played against Irish clubs. The Gunners ousted Glentoran 3-1 (3-0, 0-1) and Liverpool thrashed Dundalk 14-0 (10-0, 4-0) on aggregate. The all-British clash was between Dundee United and cup holders Newcastle United. The Magpies went through 3-1 (2-1, 1-0).

In their debut on the continent, Southampton saw off Norwegian side Rosenborg 2-1 (2-0, 0-1).

Other results: Dunfermline-Bordeaux 4-0, 0-2 (4-2); Zurich-Kilmarnock 3-2, 1-3 (3-5).

Second round: Sporting Lisbon-Arsenal 0-0, 0-3 (0-3); Kilmarnock-Slavia Sofia 4-1, 0-2 (4-3); Vitoria Setubal-Liverpool 1-0, 2-3 (3-3 – Liverpool out on away goals); Porto-Newcastle 0-0, 0-1 (0-1); Vitoria Guimaraes (Portugal)-Southampton 3-3, 1-5 (4-8); Dunfermline-Gwardia Warsaw (Poland) 2-1, 1-0 (3-1).

Third round: Kilmarnock-Dinamo Bacau (Romania) 1-1, 0-2 (1-3); Newcastle-Southampton 0-0, 1-1 (1-1); Anderlecht-Dunfermline 1-0, 2-3 (3-3 – Dunfermline out on away goals); Rouen (France)-Arsenal 0-0, 0-1 (0-1).

Quarter-finals: Dinamo Bacau-Arsenal 0-2, 1-7 (1-9); Anderlecht-Newcastle 2-0, 1-3 (3-3 – Newcastle out on away goals).

Semi-finals: Arsenal-Ajax 3-0, 0-1 (3-1).

Final: Anderlecht-Arsenal 3-1 (Kennedy); Arsenal-Anderlecht 3-0 (Kelly, Radford, Sammels).

Arsenal formation: Wilson, Storey, McNab, Kelly, McLintock, Simpson, Armstrong, Sammels, Radford, George (Kennedy), Graham.

Arsenal fielded the same team for the return at Highbury and did not make use of the substitute.

Cup on away goals

Whereas in the previous season, the away goals rule was not the hallmark for English and Scottish clubs, the 1970-71 Fairs Cup was won by Leeds thanks to this same rule.

Five English teams and four from Scotland participated in the competition and two of them bowed out at the first hurdle.

First round: Coleraine-Kilmarnock 1-1, 3-2 (4-3); Dundee United-Grasshoppers 3-2, 0-0 (3-2); Sarpsborg FK (Norway)-Leeds 0-1, 0-5 (0-6); Hibernian-Malmo 6-0, 3-2 (9-2); Liverpool-Ferencvaros 1-0, 1-1 (2-1); Trakia Plovdiv (Bulgaria)-Coventry 1-4, 0-2 (1-6); Lazio-Arsenal 2-2, 0-2 (2-4); Bayern Munich-Rangers 1-0, 1-1 (2-1); Inter-Newcastle 1-1, 0-2 (1-3).

In the second round, Hungarian side Ujpest Dozsa, beaten in the final at home and away by Newcastle three years before, got their revenge as they progressed after a penalty shoot-out.

Second round: Hibernian-Guimaraes 2-0, 1-2 (3-2); Bayern Munich-Coventry 6-1, 1-2 (7-3); Sturm Graz-Arsenal 1-0, 0-2 (1-2); Leeds-Dynamo Dresden (East Germany) 1-0, 1-2 (2-2); Newcastle-Upjest Dozsa 2-0, 0-2 (2-2, 3-5 pens); Sparta Prague-Dundee United 3-1, 0-1 (3-2); Liverpool-Dinamo Bucharest 3-0, 1-1 (4-1).

Third round: Leeds-Sparta Prague 6-0, 3-2 (9-2); Arsenal-Beveren (Belgium) 4-0, 0-0 (4-0); Hibernian-Liverpool 0-1, 0-2 (0-3).

Quarter-finals: Arsenal-Cologne 2-1, 0-1 (2-2); Leeds-Setubal 2-1, 1-1 (3-2); Liverpool-Bayern Munich 3-0, 1-1 (4-1).

Semi-finals: Liverpool-Leeds 0-1, 0-0 (0-1).

Final: Juventus-Leeds 2-2 (Madeley, Bates); Leeds-Juventus 1-1 (Clarke).

Leeds formation: Sprake, Reaney, Cooper, Bremner, Charlton, Hunter, Lorimer, Clarke, Jones (Bates), Giles, Madeley.

For the second leg, Leeds kept the same formation with Bates coming on as a substitute for Madeley.