Whitesideone: 1985 FA Cup Final

Norman Whiteside
1985 FA Cup Final

The Build-up to the Final

Norman went on to claim his first FA Cup final winners medal against Brighton in 1983, also scoring in the 4-0 replay win but it is the 1985 final for which he will be most commonly linked with the FA Cup.

United, down to ten men after the sending off of Kevin Moran were all but dead on their feet.

In the 2nd period of extra time United suddenly broke after an Everton attack and Hughes found Whiteside with a lovely curved pass out to the left. Wearing the number 4 shirt Norman almost cantered up to the edge of the box taking long strides whilst Pat Van Den Hauwe backtracked.

He swung his left foot over the ball in a stepover like motion as he entered the penalty area and this was enough to create the space he needed before using the same left foot to curl the ball beautifully around Van Den Hauwe and out of the reach of Neville Southall.

Its a goal that deserves to win any final. Southall, the best goalkeeper in the country at that time, had absolutely no chance. Cometh the hour, cometh Big Norm!

I genuinely cannot remember a big game between 1982 and 1986, when Norman was at the peak of his powers, where he did not perform. Hat-tricks, semi-finals, finals.