18th May - Spurs in History

Gary Mabbutt with the FA Cup after Spurs win over Nottingham Forest

Spurs 2 Nottingham Forest 1

F.A.CUP FINAL at Wembley (aet).

Tottenham Hotspur had experienced a very difficult season with the very future of the club uncertain but it ended in glory with the club's 8th FA Cup win but at the expense of a serious injury to the star who had single-handedly brought the team to the Final.

Paul Gascoigne had been the talisman throughout the early rounds of the competition and inspired the team in the semi-final. However, he was so fired up for the Final that he appeared to be almost out of control and in fact lasted only 13 minutes when he was carried off injured.

Spurs were a goal down from the free-kick that had been awarded for his reckless challenge and he could have been sent off for an earlier indiscretion.

The rest of the team responded positively to these set backs and gradually pulled themselves back into the game. Lineker had a goal disallowed for off-side and then had a penalty saved after being pulled down.

Into the second half and Paul Stewart stepped forward and proved himself the hero by scoring the equaliser to take the game into extra time. From a corner, Des Walker deflected the ball into his own goal and Spurs had won their eighth F.A.Cup, a new record.

The future of the club was still in doubt and Gascoigne’s career never really reached the heights that had promised before his serious injury.

Team: Thorstvedt; Edinburgh, Van den Hauwe; Sedgley, Howells, Mabbutt (Captain); Stewart, Gascoigne (Nayim), Samways (Walsh), Lineker, Allen.