Even with its relatively spacious capacity today it is hard, when looking around Brunton Park, to think of the ground as a place that could hold upwards of 25,000 supporters.

The ground has, though, accommodated that number and more on five occasions: all in a period from 1956-71, when United’s burgeoning golden era was certainly under way.

Officially the stadium’s most packed-out occasion was the FA Cup visit of Middlesbrough on February 7, 1970. The attendance that day, formally calculated at 27,500, remains a Blues record and will not be surpassed without significant changes both to United’s status and their stadium in the future.

The sardine-like gathering some 51 years ago witnessed a cup tie which carried plenty of promise but ended in narrow failure – thanks, in part, to an old Blues favourites.

Hugh McIlmoyle had left United for Teesside earlier in the season after a second spell with the Blues. The prolific Scot had just turned 30 and was now an experienced spearhead for a Boro side that also included future Blues star Joe Laidlaw.

The two Second Division teams met in the cup’s fifth round, the furthest United had advanced in the competition to date, in a campaign which had also seen them reach the brink of the League Cup final, losing to West Brom in a two-legged semi-final.

Bob Stokoe’s side, containing talents such as Bob Hatton, Tommy Murray (a cup giantkilling scorer at Newcastle two years before), Chris Balderstone and George McVitie certainly fancied their chances against Stan Anderson’s Boro.

In front of Border Television cameras, filming for a special programme called “Shoot” which would go out the following day, United suffered a bruising start in a swirling wind. Frank Barton went off for treatment in the second minute after injuring his nose in a collision with a visiting player.

It came in what was often a scrappy beginning, but Carlisle produced the more composed play. An early attack saw Hatton narrowly fail to set up McVitie, while a great chance followed when captain Balderstone’s cross reached Murray in front of goal, only for the Scot to volley over the bar.

At the other end, Stan Ternent was alert to deny Derrick Downing, before a leg injury to Blues’ Derek Hemstead after a John Hickton challenge saw United a man down for a period. Hemstead eventually returned to cheers, but only lasted seven more minutes before being replaced, a hairline fracture later discovered.

Stokoe’s side continued to attack, and although they were playing into the stiff wind in the second half, the reorganised Blues had their fans in raptures when, on the hour mark, they scored.

Balderstone was again the creator, this time his free-kick finding the leap of defender Graham “Tot” Winstanley, whose headed finish was too good for keeper Willie Whigham.

The lead was, though, short-lived, and Brunton Park’s biggest audience was silenced only four minutes later. With some inevitability McIlmoyle was at the heart of Boro’s leveller, as he eluded Balderstone and Terry Caldwell out wide before pulling the ball back to Hickton, whose shot trickled past the unsighted Allan Ross.

An even tussle went on from here, Hatton going close for United before the decisive goal came seven minutes from time – alas, scored by the away side. McIlmoyle once more set it up, this time his cross headed home by Downing.

It was not the end of the drama and Carlisle came painfully close to levelling things right at the end when Barton, whose goals had taken United to the brink of Wembley in the League Cup, unleashed a piledriver at the Warwick Road End.

Keeper Whigham did not see the scorching attempt as it flew past him – but the ball crashed against the crossbar, Boro finally edging through with a 2-1 win.

It cost United progress, although there was a degree of pride in their performance in certain places. Winstanley had defended admirably against the classy McIlmoyle while Balderstone’s ball-playing had shone in a contest which did not always live up to its big-crowd billing.

At least the Cumbrians could count their ample gate receipts of £7,925, another club record, as they resumed a league season which brought a mid-table finish. Boro, who went out to Manchester United in the quarter-finals, ended fourth, and both they and the Blues remained rivals through to the momentous year of 1974, when both rose into the top flight.

United: Ross, Hemstead (Brown), Davis, Ternent, Winstanley, Caldwell, McVitie, Barton, Hatton, Murray, Balderstone.

Middlesbrough: Whigham, A Smith, Jones, G Smith, Gates, Spraggon, Downing, McMordie, McIlmoyle, Hickton, Laidlaw. Sub: Maddren.

Crowd: 27,500.