The 50th anniversary of Wolverhampton Wanderers’ remarkable victory over Manchester City in the 1974 League Cup final on 2nd March holds a special place in football history. The epic clash at Wembley Stadium, where Wolves triumphed 2-1, remains etched in the hearts of fans worldwide.
As we commemorate this golden jubilee, it’s a moment to reflect on the legacy of that unforgettable match and the players who etched their names in football folklore. Join us in celebrating the 50th anniversary of Wolverhampton Wanderers’ triumph over Manchester City, a timeless tale of passion, courage, and the pursuit of glory on the football pitch.
Manchester City v Wolves League Cup Final 2nd March 1974 at Wembley Stadium
Wolves reached the final without having been in a major cup final since the 1960 FA Cup Final, where they beat Blackburn Rovers 3-0.
Manchester City hadn’t been in a League Cup final since 1970, when they played West Bromwich Albion and won 2-1 after extra time. This was their first of two trophies that season.
Before the final, the Wolves team had their share of injuries. Phil Parkes broke his ankle a month prior, Captain Mike Bailey broke his toe, John Richards suffered a pelvic injury three weeks before, Dave Wagstaffe pulled a thigh muscle three days before, and Frank Munro was initially suspended but successfully appealed. Gary Pierce replaced Parkes on his birthday.
In contrast, Man City only had one doubtful player, Francis Lee, due to a knee injury from Nottingham Forest. Despite this, manager Ron Saunders decided to play him from the start.
Wolves’ form leading up to the game was poor, with just one win in their last six league matches.
Both teams were outside the tunnel on a sunny day, getting ready for the game. The managers led their teams with the fans making a lot of noise. Ron Saunders was on the left, and Bill McGarry was on the right. Manchester City players wore sky-blue with red trim, while Wolves wore black and gold. This was the 8th League Cup Final at Wembley.
Manchester City won the toss and started the game.
Wolves were fired up for the game, with a lot of action happening on the field. Derek Parkin and Mike Summerbee were involved in a tough tussle, resulting in Parkin being warned for a hard foul early on. Willie Donachie had the first shot on target, but Gary Pierce in the Wolves goal kept it out. Both teams had early chances, with Mike Bailey’s long shot missing the target by a long way.
Wolves piled on the pressure, with a dangerous cross from Wagstaffe finding Dougan, who set up Alan Sunderland for a shot that was saved by Keith McRae. A corner kick by Wagstaffe found Frank Munro, but his header was saved by the City goalkeeper. Another corner, this time taken by Kenny Hibbitt, saw Munro’s header setting up Sunderland, whose shot hit the post with a deflection.
The game was back and forth, with chances for both teams, but the score remained 0-0. John Richards missed a chance, and Rodney Marsh’s free-kick was saved by Gary Pierce. Just before half-time, Wolves managed to score the opening goal. Alan Sunderland passed to Geoff Palmer, whose cross found Kenny Hibbitt to volley the ball into the net, putting Wolves in the lead 1-0.
Half Time: Manchester City 0 Wolves 1
Wolves started the second half strong with Kenny Hibbitt & Derek Dougan leading the way. Both teams had chances, but there wasn’t much flow like the first half.
Manchester City applied serious pressure, with Gary Pierce in the Wolves goal being tested.
Gary Pierce in the Wolves goal has been tested a lot in this second half of the game with some periods of crosses and balls into the box and preventing Manchester City the equaliser they needed.
But the period of pressure did give Manchester City the equaliser they needed when a cross by Rodney Marsh found Colin Bell unmarked in the Wolves penalty area and score pass Gary Pierce in the Wolves goal after a period of 20 minutes of pressure and it is 1-1 now.
Wolves launched another attack in the game as Derek Dougan passed to Kenny Hibbitt, who then crossed it to John Richards, but the referee blew for a foul, denying Wolves another chance to take the lead.
Manchester City’s Francis Lee attempted a chip shot on goal, but Gary Pierce tipped it over the bar for a corner kick.
With 20 minutes left, both teams were pushing for a goal, making the game intense.
Manchester City came close to scoring when Mike Summerbee set up Colin Bell in the box, but Bell’s shot hit the crossbar.
Despite playing with 10 men due to Dave Wagstaffe’s injury, Wolves wanted to bring on Barry Powell as a substitute, and they got the chance when they were awarded a corner.
As the game neared the end, Wolves finished strongly.
Wolves won a corner, taken by Kenny Hibbitt. The ball missed everyone and went straight to Alan Sunderland. He then passed it to Mike Bailey, who returned it to Sunderland. Sunderland crossed the ball into the box with a deflection, finding John Richards, who scored. This goal put Wolves ahead 2-1 with 6 minutes plus injury time remaining in the game.
Despite late efforts from Manchester City, Wolves held on to win the league cup final.
Full Time: Manchester City 1 Wolves 2
LINEUPS
Wolves Team: Gary Pierce, Geoff Palmer, Derek Parkin, Mike Bailey (captain), Frank Munro, John McAlle, Kenny Hibbitt, Alan Sunderland, John Richards, Derek Dougan, Dave Wagstaffe.
Substitute: Barry Powell
Manager: Bill McGarry
Manchester City Team: Keith McRae, Glyn Pardoe, Willie Donachie, Mike Doyle, Tommy Booth, Tony Towers, Mike Summerbee (captain), Colin Bell, Francis Lee, Rodney Marsh.
Substitute: Frank Carrodus.
Manager: Ron Saunders
WOLVES ROUTE TO win the league cup final 1974
Wolves Team: Gary Pierce, Geoff Palmer, Derek Parkin, Mike Bailey (captain), Frank Munro, John McAlle, Kenny Hibbitt, Alan Sunderland, John Richards, Derek Dougan, Dave Wagstaffe.
Substitute: Barry Powell
Manager: Bill McGarry
Manchester City Team: Keith McRae, Glyn Pardoe, Willie Donachie, Mike Doyle, Tommy Booth, Tony Towers, Mike Summerbee (captain), Colin Bell, Francis Lee, Rodney Marsh.
Substitute: Frank Carrodus.
Manager: Ron Saunders
ARTICLE BY KARL WHITEHOUSE
I’ve been a fan of Wolves for over 30 years. I’ve supported them at both home and away games in the 80s, 90s, and 00s. Nowadays, I enjoy delving into Wolves’ games stats in the Premier League and other stats if someone asks on the podcast. I’ve also visited all 92 football league grounds and will soon be working on an ebook about people’s favourite matches they attended, complete with a match report and stats if available.
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