Manchester City v Stoke FA Cup 6th Round 1933/34
Date Published
CITY 1 STOKE CITY 0
FA Cup 6th Round
3rd March 1934
attendance 84,569
Scorer Brook(15)
Ref J H Whittle
City Swift, Barnett, Dale, Busby, Cowan, Bray, Toseland, Marshall, Tilson, Herd, Brook
Stoke John, McGrory, Spencer, Tutin, Turner, Sellars, Matthews, Liddle, Sale, Davies, Johnson This was probably the most historic Cup-tie ever staged at Maine Road, not because it was a classic in the football sense but for other notable reasons. Most people remember the game for the size of the crowd rather than the result. The gates were closed long before the kick-off with a record 84,569 jammed inside. It is still a record attendance for any game in England outside London, and with today's crowd restrictions it could remain in the record books for all time.
The Blues scored the vital winner in the 15th minute with an element of luck about it. Alex Herd sent Eric Brook away down the left wing with a perfect pass. Brook raced towards the corner flag and crossed a speculative centre. Stoke 'keeper Roy John misjudged the flight of the ball and it passed over his head into the net. It was not until an exultant roar from the Platt Lane end that many of the fans realised that it was a goal. That was the second stroke of luck for the Blues, they should. have been a goal behind. ln the first minute a cross from Johnson beat Frank Swift and flashed across the goal. The target loomed large with Swift off his line and both Matthews and Sale miskicked. A minute later Davies grazed the City crossbar. City's wingers, Brook and Ernie Toseland, were in tremendous form thanks to the admirable prompting of wing-halfs Jackie Bray and Matt Busby. Bob McGrory was a tireless worker for Stoke but he was at the veteran stage and unable to cope with the pace of City’s lively attack, particularly the impish Freddie Tilson. The expected threat from the famed Stoke wing pair of Matthews and Liddle was mastered by the solid defensive play of Bray and Billy Dale. Gate receipts for the game were £5,426 AN ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN THE CITY PROGRAMME 26TH DECEMBER 1979