Chelsea and Leeds United to renew FA Cup rivalry, 56 years after infamously brutal 1970 final replay

That game between Chelsea and Leeds United has gone down in football history for its unique nature.

Not for the result or any remarkable goals, but because of the brutality of some of the challenges on display, even for the time.

Played in Manchester, 18 days after the initial FA Cup final at Wembley ended in a 2-2 draw, Chelsea would go on to win 2-1 through an extra-time winner from David Webb.

Remarkably, it was watched by an audience of 28.5 million, which remains the sixth biggest for any broadcast in UK TV history.

The two games sparked a rivalry between the two clubs which has maintained its fierceness.

Now, 56 years on, the two sides will meet again at the business end of the Emirates FA Cup, this time at Wembley in this year's semi-final on Sunday, live on TNT Sports and HBO Max.

Leeds are aiming to reach their first FA Cup final since that memorable match in 1970, while Chelsea will be hoping to progress to their 14th final since then.

The Blues have interim manager Calum McFarlane in the dugout, following Liam Rosenior's sacking earlier this week.

And if Sunday's game lives up to the novelty of the 1970 final, we're in for a treat.

The uniqueness of the 1970 final - with the late tackles and scuffles regularly breaking out - has made it a fascination among refereeing circles for many years.

There were high tackles, stamps, punches thrown, and even a kung-fu kick, most of which went unpunished.

Despite the physicality on display, the referee on the day - Eric Jennings - only handed out one yellow card, given to Chelsea's Ian Hutchinson.

But since then, the game has been re-refereed by a number of top-level officials, all of whom came back with vastly different verdicts.

David Elleray, one of the Premier League's standout referees in the 1990s, said that he would have given six red cards and 20 yellows if he had been in charge when reviewing the game in 1997.

In 2020, Michael Oliver did the same process, and came to the conclusion that he would have awarded 11 red cards - two to Chelsea’s Eddie McCreadie - and 16 bookings, including three apiece to Webb, Hutchinson and Charlie Cooke.

"It’s amazing to watch them - not a single player ever appeals to the referee," Oliver told the Telegraph. "Eddie Gray just gets up. You didn’t get the reaction then that you do now.

"And what you also don’t get is 20 more players running into the situation in the aftermath. Which [nowadays] means you invariably end up with more hassle and more cards anyway."

Former Premier League referee Graham Scott also reviewed the game for The Athletic this month, saying he would have dished out 10 reds and 25 yellows.

Scott highlighted that Leeds manager Don Review would have been sent to the stands for lighting a cigar on the bench.

"To my modern eyes, the refereeing makes little sense, as free-kicks are awarded for minor shirt pulls and impeding an opponent, while fierce tackles and outright brutality go unpunished," Scott said.

"It’s the polar opposite of what we have come to expect today. Those who trot out the trope that refereeing standards have never been lower than they currently are would surely revise that view if they took time out to watch this game in its entirety.

"In the referee’s defence, there is minimal dissent, which suggests nobody on the field was particularly surprised at his tolerance level.

"Sure, players were more respectful then, but it is refreshing to see them just get on with the game. Indeed, in a match riven with unsporting behaviour, there is an underlying honesty to this encounter.

"Maybe it’s a case of honour among thieves, but at the end of the match, everyone shakes hands, some swap shirts, and you can imagine the players enjoying a drink together in the Old Trafford bar afterwards."

It is unlikely that it will be as fiery an encounter on Sunday when Chelsea and Leeds renew hostilities at Wembley, but that final in 1970 sowed the seeds of a rivalry between the two clubs which adds spice to any encounter between them.

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