GLORY DAY FOR BLUES BRUISER
BRUISE was the colour when Ron Harris lifted the FA Cup for Chelsea 50 years ago.
And dear old ‘Chopper’ thought his days of winning silverware were over until a surprise gift on the after-dinner circuit reminded him of the brutal final.
The Blues captain introduced himself to Leeds winger Eddie Gray in the replay at Old Trafford with a tackle so fierce it could have been referred to Her Majesty’s coroner.
Gray was reduced to a hobbling passenger by his close encounter with Harris and Chelsea won a violent sequel after extra-time.
But years later, it was Gray who enjoyed the last laugh.
“I did a corporate golf day with Eddie and afterwards he announced he wanted to make a special presentation,” recalled Harris. “He reached into his pocket, handed me one of those metal screw-in studs and said, ‘Chopper, you left this in my kneecap at the cup final – I thought you’d like it back’.”
Now 75, Harris – who still holds Chelsea’s record for appearances with 795 games – will pause before today’s Wembley showpiece to remember absent friends from the final in 1970. This year alone Peter Bonetti, Norman Hunter and Jack Charlton have passed away.
He will then settle down in his seat in a corporate lounge at Stamford Bridge to enjoy the youthful promise of Frank Lampard’s team. Say what you like about his tackles, but Harris remains a genial witness on the differences between modern football and the game he played.
“The thing I remember most about 1970 is that the pitch at Wembley was a disgrace,” he chuntered. “Whoever decided to stage the Horse of the Year show a few days before the FA Cup final needs locking up. And the other thing that stands out is the tackles that went on. In the replay at Old Trafford, Eddie McCreadie caught Billy Bremner on the back of his neck with a high tackle.
“If he did that today, he would have been banned for six months.
“Both teams dished it out, but both teams took it. I think there was only one player booked over the two games. If I was still playing now, I’d be lucky to get through the warm-up without a red card.”