Billy Bremner Kicked In The Head

The 1970 FA Cup Final Replay between Chelsea and Leeds United easily goes down as the most violent of all time. From minute one till the final whistle both teams set out with a mission of intimidation and physicality. Everyone was on the end of a bad tackle at some point during the match. The game was a disgrace and one infamous moment saw Leeds enforcer Billy Bremner kicked In the head by Eddie McCreadie. The referee didn’t even call a foul.

Leeds United in the 1970s was a force to be reckoned with. Talented players like Peter Lorimer and Eddie Gray were balanced out by the ferocity of Bill Bremner and Norman Hunter.

Dirty Leeds v Southern Softies?

All their attacking and defensive prowess was overseen by the mercurial Don Revie. Indeed for Revie, the moniker “Dirty Leeds” was seen as a compliment. Accordingly, his no-nonsense approach to football consisted of winning games by any means necessary.

Additionally Chelsea we’re no angels either. Eddie McCreadie and Ron “Chopper” Harris had both forged a reputation as being players you didn’t want to mess with. “Southern Softies” was not a name you could or wanted to call the Chelsea team of 1970.

So three weeks after the original fixture at Wembley finished 2-2, Leeds United and Chelsea reconvened. This time at Old Trafford to have another stab at the 1970 FA Cup Final. It was a fixture the watching public was keen to see. Could Chelsea overcome a resolute Leeds United outfit?

The Dark Arts On Show

As you might expect given the teams involved, both games proved to be exceedingly rough. From the start players were kicking lumps out of each other. It was the perfect night for Charlton, Harris, Bremner and Norman Hunter to show off the darker arts of professional football.

Furthermore, the replay was arguably the filthier of the two ties. A then record 28 million people tuned in to watch a final that never really made it beyond the ‘glorified pub car-park brawl’ stage. It was a far cry from the first FA Cup Final battle. At least there was a semblance of understanding that the FA Cup Final was the showpiece event of the season. As a result, the players honoured that with their discipline.

Billy Bremner Kicked In The Head

Despite the over-physical nature of the game referee Eric Jennings only showed one yellow card. And amazingly that didn’t come when Chelsea left-back Eddie McCreadie did his level best to actually kick Bremner’s head off his shoulders…

A ball crossed in by Terry Cooper was partially cleared to a waiting Bremner. Before he had a chance to attempt to bring the ball down out of the Manchester air McCreadie launched himself. Reminiscent of Bruce Lee straight into a karate kick. Straight into the waiting Bremner’s head. The crowd gasped at seeing Billy Bremner kicked in the head. It seemed certain a penalty was going to be given.

Kicked In The Head – Play On!

To everyone’s amazement, Jennings waved play on. The villain McCreadie immediately made a half-hearted attempt to check his Scotland teammate for signs of life.

Chelsea eventually won the final 2-1 in extra time. Surprisingly both teams were by and large commended for their fearsome dedication to the cause.

However, in 1997, Premier League referee David Elleray retrospectively reviewed the final replay. His judgement ultimately concluded that six red cards and 20 yellows would have been administered by modern-day standards.