1956 FA Cup Final: Man City vs Birmingham City

Man City 3 - 1 Birmingham City

• Man City
  • Hayes 3'
  • Hayes 62'
  • Hayes 64'
• Birmingham City
  • Kinsey 15'

Wembley - Saturday 5th May

Attendance: 100,000

Match Referee: A Bond

Team Line-ups:

Birmingham were unable to produce the kind of football against Revie inspired Manchester City that had carried them to Wembley, and could only hold their rivals by employing methods which resulted in their tiring visibly in the last half‑hour. Manchester scored twice during this period to win the match.

Revie, a late inclusion for the injured Spurdle, was the key player as Manchester controlled the game with their ‘Hungarian style' play, which involved keeping the ball on the ground and building up attacks in a slow and deliberate way.

Within three minutes of the start Revie began the move near his own penalty‑area which led to the unmarked Hayes sweeping the ball past Merrick to put Manchester ahead. Birmingham's confidence was shaken, but they fought back to equalize in the fifteenth minute through Welsh international inside‑forward Kinsey.

Merrick Saves at the feet of Hayes

Both teams seemed to lose their touch immediately after half‑time, but then, after an hour's play, Manchester regained their stride and suddenly went two goals ahead. Following a bout of interpassing on the right wing, Dyson was put clean through to score. Three minutes later Johnstone grabbed a third from Dyson's pass.

An unexpected chance for Birmingham occurred when Manchester's German goalkeeper Trautmann was badly injured making a typically heroic save at Murphy's feet. He played out the last fifteen minutes in great pain, and examination later revealed a broken neck.

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Arsenal v BIRMINGHAM C 1‑3, Newcastle Utd v Sunderland 0‑2; MAN C v Everton 2‑1, Spurs v W. Ham 3‑3,2‑1

WBA v BIRMINGHAM C 0‑1 , Charlton Ath v Arsenal 0‑2, Sheff Utd v Sunderland 0‑0, 0‑1; Newcastle Utd v Stoke C 2‑1; MAN C v Liverpool 0‑0, 2‑1; Everton v Chelsea 1‑0, Doncaster R v Spurs 0‑2; W. Ham v Blackburn R 0‑0, 3‑2

Leyton Orient v BIRMINGHAM C 0‑4, WBA v Portsmouth 2‑0 Arsenal v Aston Villa 4‑1; Charlton Ath v Swindon T 2‑1, York C v Sunderland 0‑0, 1‑2, Bolton Wand v Sheff Utd 1‑2; Fulham v Newcastle Utd 4‑5; Leicester C v Stoke C 3‑3, 1‑2; Southend Utd v MAN C 0‑1 Liverpool v Scunthorpe Utd 3‑3, 2‑1, Port Vale v Everton 2‑3, Burnley v Chelsea 1‑1, 1‑1, 2‑2, 0‑0, 0‑2; Spurs v Middlesbro 3‑1; Bristol R v Doncaster R 1 ‑1, 0‑1; W. Ham v Cardiff C 2‑1, Barnsley v Blackburn R 0‑1

Torquay Utd v BIRMINGHAM C 1‑7; Leyton Orient v Plymouth Arg 1 ‑0; Wolves v WBA 1‑2; Portsmouth v Grimsby T 3‑1, Arsenal v Bedford T 2‑2, 2‑ 1; Aston Villa v Hull C 1‑ 1, 2‑ 1; Chariton Ath v Burton Alb 7‑0; Swindon T v Worksop T 1 ‑0; Sunderland v Norwich C 4‑2; Swansea T v York C 1‑2; Sheff Utd v Barrow 5‑0 Bolton Wand v Huddersfield T 3‑0 SheffWed v Newcastle Utd 1‑2; Notts Co v Fulham 0‑1; Exeter C v Stoke C 0‑0, 0‑3, Luton T v Leicester C 0‑4 MAN C v Blackpool 2‑1; Lincoln C v Southend Utd 2‑3; Liverpool v Accrington S 2‑0 Rotherham Utd v Scunthorpe Utd 1‑1, 2‑4; Everton v Bristol C 3‑1; Walsall v Port Vale 0‑1; Hartlepools Utd v Chelsea 0‑1; Bury v Burney 0‑1 , Spurs v Boston Utd 4‑0; Bradford PA v Middlesbro 0‑4; Doncaster R v Nott'm Forest 3‑0; Bristol R v Man Utd 4‑0; W. Ham v PNE 5‑2; Leeds Utd v Cardiff C 1‑2; Northampton T v Blackburn R 1‑2; Aldershot v Barnsley 1‑2