Carlisle United’s FA Cup encounters with Arsenal in 1951 were among the most iconic games in the club’s three decades as a Football League club. It took the Blues another 22 years to face the Gunners – and again, in was in the cup.
By the time the north London club were back on United’s agenda, Carlisle had been upwardly mobile for some time. The 1972/3 season was their eighth in the second division, with Alan Ashman back as manager to lead the Blues to further unprecedented heights.
There was not, for the most part, obvious sign of the thrills that were in store for United fans as that particular campaign progressed. The cup, though, offered welcome diversion from their bottom-half efforts in the league.
Ashman’s side disposed of Huddersfield Town after a replay in the third round, and then accounted for Sheffield United at home, courtesy of Dennis Martin and Bob Delgado.
That meant a fifth round February tie against Bertie Mee’s Arsenal, who were riding high in the top flight with illustrious players such as Alan Ball and Frank McLintock.
Carlisle, at the start of the campaign, had added star performers like Joe Laidlaw and Martin, with Peter Carr joining midway through. The visit of Arsenal certainly revived memories of the 1951 meetings under Bill Shankly, meanwhile, and one of Brunton Park’s highest attendances looked likely from a long way out.
As cup fever gripped Brunton Park, Ashman took his players to a quiet corner of the Lake District to escape the mounting tension. “I’ll be glad to get away from it all,” the manager admitted, the team slipping to Keswick as fans snapped up tickets.
Come matchday, though, there was no avoiding the attention. The BBC cameras were in town, along with commentator Barry Davies, and Warwick Road swarmed with people from an early point in the afternoon.
A capacity crowd of 24,000 was ensured, nearly 5,000 Arsenal fans among that number, some travelling north on four special trains. With Gunners supporters packing the Waterworks End, United hosted their sixth largest all-time attendance. Mee’s players had stayed in the Crest Motel, Kingstown, and received a warm welcome from travelling fans when their bus arrived at Brunton Park.
Extra police were on duty and, at one stage in the tie, a fan was removed from the away end after some disturbances. A piece of rock was also found in the away terrace.
As for the game – Ashman’s Blues competed valiantly but couldn’t quite muster a cup upset.
After being cheered onto the pitch by a huge roar, Carlisle’s Martin had the first shot, saved by Geoff Barnett, and the Blues felt they should have had a penalty when Bobby Owen surged into the box and was sent sprawling by McLintock.
United were denied – and then were behind. In the sixth minute, Peter Storey’s floated ball into the box saw Blues defenders outnumbered, and when it dropped, World Cup winner Ball was there to turn it high into the net past Allan Ross.
Arsenal then tried to capitalise on this early lead. Ray Kennedy missed a good chance after being put through by Storey and later skipper Chris Balderstone was required to make a telling interception for the Blues.
Carlisle, to their credit, competed hungrily in midfield and this helped to change the balance of the game. Laidlaw was close to getting on the end of something, while Martin glanced a free-kick wide.
By the time they levelled, shortly before half-time, it was certainly deserved, and it was former West Brom man Martin who claimed the equaliser. He met a John Gorman cross with a well-aimed downward header, and the roof was raised at Brunton Park.
This teed up hopes of a famous result, but Mee’s visitors upped their own game in the second half and Carlisle’s task grew more challenging again. Ball and Eddie Kelly started getting to grips with United’s attacking ideas, and the Gunners forced their way forward through George Armstrong and the combative Kennedy.
Laidlaw and Martin had attempts for the Cumbrians, the latter almost seeing a shot squirm out of Barnett’s reach, and the game seemed well balanced when Arsenal forced a corner in the 70th minute.
Yet this proved the moment that would kill Carlisle’s hopes. Armstrong’s floated corner found McLintock in space, and his powerful header was too good for Ross.
Arsenal went onto the defensive to protect their new-found advantage, and their efforts proved enough. Les O’Neill was involved in United’s final salvos, and late on he came close to putting Ray Train in for an equaliser.
But Barnett saved at the midfielder’s feet, and there was to be no further chance for the Cumbrians to bring the country’s top team to their knees.
Arsenal went through 2-1, and progressed as far as the semi-finals, where they lost to eventual winners Sunderland, while in the league they came runners-up to Liverpool.
The fifth round remained the furthest Carlisle had reached at this point in their history, while the rest of their campaign reverted to the job of assuring Division Two survival.
That was duly achieved, United finishing fifth bottom – an unlikely precursor for what happened a season later, when they stunningly earned promotion to the First Division.
That meant that the next time they faced Arsenal, they were league rivals, and in December 1974 Ashman’s side recorded Carlisle's only win against the Gunners in seven meetings: Martin once again on target at the peak of the Blues’ greatest era.
United: Ross, Winstanley, Gorman, O’Neill, Delgado, Tiler, Martin, Train, Owen, Balderstone, Laidlaw. Sub: Wilson.
Arsenal: Barnett, Rice, McNab, Storey, McLintock, Simpson, Armstrong, Ball, Radford, Kennedy, Kelly. Sub: Nelson.
Crowd: 24,000.
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