JJ Sefton
Live, Laugh, Love
1899
United travelled back to Nottingham on March 18th to play Liverpool in the semi-final. When the Liverpool keeper Storer was flattened by one of his own defenders Hedley took advantage to put United in front but George Allan returned to haunt United and grabbed an equalizer. By half time Liverpool were in the lead when a communication breakdown between Thickett and Foulke allowed Morgan to nip in and score. With time running out Needham burst up the left, crossed and Bennett reacted to hook it into the net and earn another replay.
On the following Thursday Liverpool and United faced each other at Bolton. The first half finished with Liverpool one up thanks to a goal from Walker who scored through Foulke’s legs. Six minutes into the second half United’s nemesis, George Allan, took a free kick which crept in to double their lead. United fought back to turned the tide of a thrilling game. Within two minutes Beer had pegged it back and Bennett pulled United level after the hour mark. This time it was Liverpool’s turn to attack and they raced back into a two goal lead with only eight minutes remaining after Allan completed his hat trick and Captain Alec Raisbeck scored. Needham looked at his dejected team mates and urged them “We have nothing to lose: if they score again we’ll be no worse off, but one last effort might save the day”. Needham recalled “I took the chance of having only one back, one half back, and thus eight forwards”. It soon paid off as Fred Priest scored with a long shot and the delirious crowd swept onto the pitch. No sooner had order been restored and the game restarted than Storer fumbled a shot and Priest popped up to peg Liverpool back to 4-4.
The third attempt to separate the two teams was held at Fallowfield in Manchester, the ground which had hosted the chaotic Cup final of 1893. It was totally inadequate for the 32,500 who turned up and play was frequently stopped because of the crowd spilling onto the pitch, one stoppage lasting 50 minutes while the fans had a game themselves. United had Bennett and Johnson out through injury and Tommy Morren was missing for a large part of the game. George Allan resumed his vendetta with Foulke and the Liverpool player was “laid out for a short time” but he carried on his phenomenal record against the Blades that season with a goal after six minutes. But when half time was reached (an hour and a half after kick off) it was apparent that the match could not continue in the circumstances. Worried that the fans would try and get their money back, the players were persuaded to go back onto the pitch while the match proceeds were whisked away for safe keeping.
Two thoroughly exhausted teams arrived at Bolton for the third replay on Thursday March 30th. Morren had not recovered from a knock he’d picked up at Fallowfield and Needham stepped into the centre half slot despite being taken ill in the dressing room before kick-off. Even so he kept George Allan quiet and for the first time he failed to score. Liverpool adopted tough tactics to take advantage of United’s tiredness by booting them whenever they could, indeed, after the match three Liverpool players were suspended and two severely censured. Like two punch drunk heavyweights the teams looked lead footed and the deadlock was only broken five minutes from the end when Billy Beer hit the long awaited winner. As a sad post script to this titanic clash George Allan was dead by the end of the year after contracting tuberculosis.
United travelled back to Nottingham on March 18th to play Liverpool in the semi-final. When the Liverpool keeper Storer was flattened by one of his own defenders Hedley took advantage to put United in front but George Allan returned to haunt United and grabbed an equalizer. By half time Liverpool were in the lead when a communication breakdown between Thickett and Foulke allowed Morgan to nip in and score. With time running out Needham burst up the left, crossed and Bennett reacted to hook it into the net and earn another replay.
On the following Thursday Liverpool and United faced each other at Bolton. The first half finished with Liverpool one up thanks to a goal from Walker who scored through Foulke’s legs. Six minutes into the second half United’s nemesis, George Allan, took a free kick which crept in to double their lead. United fought back to turned the tide of a thrilling game. Within two minutes Beer had pegged it back and Bennett pulled United level after the hour mark. This time it was Liverpool’s turn to attack and they raced back into a two goal lead with only eight minutes remaining after Allan completed his hat trick and Captain Alec Raisbeck scored. Needham looked at his dejected team mates and urged them “We have nothing to lose: if they score again we’ll be no worse off, but one last effort might save the day”. Needham recalled “I took the chance of having only one back, one half back, and thus eight forwards”. It soon paid off as Fred Priest scored with a long shot and the delirious crowd swept onto the pitch. No sooner had order been restored and the game restarted than Storer fumbled a shot and Priest popped up to peg Liverpool back to 4-4.
The third attempt to separate the two teams was held at Fallowfield in Manchester, the ground which had hosted the chaotic Cup final of 1893. It was totally inadequate for the 32,500 who turned up and play was frequently stopped because of the crowd spilling onto the pitch, one stoppage lasting 50 minutes while the fans had a game themselves. United had Bennett and Johnson out through injury and Tommy Morren was missing for a large part of the game. George Allan resumed his vendetta with Foulke and the Liverpool player was “laid out for a short time” but he carried on his phenomenal record against the Blades that season with a goal after six minutes. But when half time was reached (an hour and a half after kick off) it was apparent that the match could not continue in the circumstances. Worried that the fans would try and get their money back, the players were persuaded to go back onto the pitch while the match proceeds were whisked away for safe keeping.
Two thoroughly exhausted teams arrived at Bolton for the third replay on Thursday March 30th. Morren had not recovered from a knock he’d picked up at Fallowfield and Needham stepped into the centre half slot despite being taken ill in the dressing room before kick-off. Even so he kept George Allan quiet and for the first time he failed to score. Liverpool adopted tough tactics to take advantage of United’s tiredness by booting them whenever they could, indeed, after the match three Liverpool players were suspended and two severely censured. Like two punch drunk heavyweights the teams looked lead footed and the deadlock was only broken five minutes from the end when Billy Beer hit the long awaited winner. As a sad post script to this titanic clash George Allan was dead by the end of the year after contracting tuberculosis.
