ARSENAL 0 CITY 0
League Division 1
28th October 1972
Attendance 45,536
Ref G Hill
City Corrigan, Book, Donachie, Doyle, Booth, Jeffries, Summerbee, Bell, Marsh, Lee, Carrodus – sub Pardoe(Unused)
Arsenal Barnett, Rice, McNab, Storey, McLintock, Blockley, Marinello, Kelly, Radford, George, Graham – sub Kennedy
FROM THE DAILY MIRROR 30TH OCTOBER 1972
FROM THE CITY PROGRAMME 4TH NOVEMBER 1972
Highbury highlights
Colin Bell summed it all up: “The best thing about the game was that we played well. We were all buzzing and fit. The choker was the penalty decision which wasn’t given. I was about twelve yards from the incident. Like the rest of the 45,000 there or whatever the gate was I saw Blockley handle it. I don’t expect to see anything quite like it ever again. Even the Arsenal players were almost embarrassed that he didn’t give a penalty.”
Some observers were of the opinion that the ball went into the net anyway, via Jeff BIockley’s hand. “l wasn’t sure about that” says Rod Marsh. “I thought it might have done but I can’t be definite.” “I couldn’t see” said Derek Jeffries and Tony Book. “Hit the bar” says Francis Lee. But when he adds, “l don’t get upset about these things any more, I just accept the referee’s decision and trust that justice will be done” you sense that there is something suspicious about those comments, and the roars from all corners of the dressing room confirm this.
Mike Doyle highlighted an important sequel to the incident. “They went straight down the other end and Radford’s shot hit Joe’s legs. What would have happened if they had scored then? But for ten minutes after that we really applied ourselves and worked even harder.This was certainly our best performance of the season.”
I was there. It was my first ever Arsenal match. My mate suggested we go to the Clock end so we waited and waited for a goal but alas it never came. Still I was rapt to see Charlie George and John Radford in action. Have been an Arsenal fan all these years.