Hereford v Newcastle

February 5 1972  

Hereford v Newcastle has become an iconic fixture in Nonleague football history. 

February 5, 1972 is a date which most football historians and aficionados will recognise.  It was a day on which reputations were made, and in part shattered, legends were born and timeless images formed; a mud bath of a pitch, a 30 yard thunderbolt, fans in trees and then on the pitch.   

February 5, 1972 is also one of those ‘Where were you?’ days.  It is a day everyone still remembers.   

The day when tiny Nonleague club Hereford United shocked the football world by beating the mighty Newcastle United 2-1 at Edgar Street in the FA Cup.   

The day when Ronnie Radford, Rickey George and Fred Potter became household names.  And all captured for posterity by the Match of the Day cameras and a breathless John Motson making his debut for the BBC. 

Strangely for a day so imbedded in the nations hearts there are a couple of tricks the memory plays for some people.   

For example, it is often forgotten that this tie was a replay, the Nonleaguer’s having drawn 2-2 at St James Park nearly two weeks earlier .  Another misconception about the day is that people often remember Ronnie Radford’s goal-of-the-season strike as being the winner when in fact it was the goal which brought Hereford level. 

The replay had being postponed three times  but with the weather finally relenting the sides finally faced off at a packed Edgar Street.  The official attendance for the match was 16,100 but hundreds of fans got a free, if dangerous view, from the surrounding houses, trees and even the floodlight pylons.   

Unlike the first game when the Hereford broke the deadlock after just 17 seconds it was the First Division side which made the early running.  Fred Potter was in superb form between the sticks for Hereford and with Newcastle also hitting the bar twice before Malcolm McDonald missed an open goal after taking the ball around the prone Potter. 

With the quagmire pitch taking its toll on the players legs it looked increasingly likely that the first goal would be decisive.  And, after 82 minutes, Newcastle finally scored when MacDonald got on the end of Viv Busby cross to head past Potter.   

In a last gasp gamble Hereford flung on sub Ricky George.  With just five minutes left a loose ball sat up nicely for Ronnie Radford who struck a shot into the top of the Newcastle net.  The goal and the pitch invasion which followed would be replayed endlessly on TV through the years and become as much a part of FA Cup folklore as the cup itself.   

Radford’s amazing strike ensured extra-time and the he was also involved in the winner.  It was Radford who found the tricky Dudley Tyler.  Tyler, who had been a problem to the Newcastle defence throughout the match, hit a pass to Ricky George who juggled, turned and shot into the bottom corner leaving Newcastle skipper Bobby Moncur and keeper Ian McFaul sprawled in the mud as once again the ecstatic Hereford fans invaded the pitch. 

There was still the second half of extra-time to play but Newcastle never looked like getting back into the match and they were a beaten team as soon as george’s shot had hit the back of the net. 

It was an amazing victory for Hereford and arguably the greatest FA Cup shock ever and the first time a Nonleague club had beaten a First Division side since Yeovil’s 1949 triumph over Sunderland.