Eddie doesn’t expect a Gray day for Leeds
LEEDS UNITED’S FA Cup tie at non-league Sutton United this afternoon has all the aspects of David and Goliath that the FA Cup loves.
It also conjures up memories of one of the competition’s most-famous upsets.
It’s now 46 years since Don Revie’s side were stunned 3-2 by Fourth Division Colchester, inspired by two goals from Ray Crawford.
That result was sandwiched in between their FA Cup Final defeat to Chelsea the year before and victory over Arsenal in the 1972 Final – the only time Leeds have lifted the famous trophy.
Leeds legend Eddie Gray, now a club ambassador, missed that day at Layer Road, but he knows the mark it left.
“It always comes up,” he rues. “Ray Crawford is a name synonymous with giant-killing.
“He did other things in the game, especially during his time at Ipswich, but people remember him for that one match.
“Billy Bremner and I didn’t play that day. I was injured. I didn’t think it before the game, but I was the lucky one!
“To be honest, it dented our pride a bit. But we bounced back and won the competition the next year.
“Cup shocks are the things that make history. And that game has gone down in folklore, especially in Colchester.”
There was a gap of 72 places between Leeds and Colchester, but the gap is even greater between the current Leeds side and today’s non-league opponents.
The Yorkshire club are flying high in the Championship, while Sutton are below halfway in the Conference.
Remarkably, this is not the first time the sides have met. Gray recalls a trip to Gander Green Lane in the Fourth Round in 1970 when over 14,000 packed in to see Leeds run out 6-0 winners.
“This is the biggest tie of the round and it was the same all those years ago,” he says.
“But just like the Colchester tie, I was injured and missed Sutton. Yet I played in every other round on the way to reaching the Final.
“Allan Clarke scored four that day and they had no answer to him. We were League Champions and probably at our pinnacle.
“We were very professional and gave Sutton the respect they deserved, so there was never the threat of a shock that day.
“But Don Revie was so impressed with their centre-half, John Faulkner, we later signed him.
“There is always trepidation because upsets can happen.
“Sutton now have a plastic pitch, which will be different, but there are a few plastic pitches at our training ground.
“Garry Monk is very meticulous in his preparation, and the players will be well versed on how to play on it.
“In the right frame of mind, Leeds should win, and win comfortably.”