On this day (9 April) in 1975 Fulham and Birmingham City met at Maine Road in a FA Cup semi-final replay. It was an evenly matched game until – with only around a minute of extra-time left – Fulham striker John Mitchell chased a hopeful ball into the Birmingham area. The Birmingham ‘keeper Dave Latchford blocked a shot which then rebounded off John Mitchell’s leg and into the net to give Fulham a 1-0 victory.
The attendance for this midweek replay was 35,205 with over 20,000 coming from Birmingham (according to their local press!). Although Maine Road was a regular and popular semi-final venue during most of its history, it does seem a rather strange choice for this tie considering the location of the sides taking part.
Gary James' Football Archive 