Fifty years on, Ronnie Radford’s iconic winner typifies the FA Cup

In 1972, Hereford stunned Newcastle in an FA Cup third round replay for the ages. Richard Edwards relives one of English football’s most famous upsets with the man who made it happen

Hereford celebrate their stunning upset against Newcastle in 1972 (Getty)

The commentary from the then 26-year-old John Motson is almost iconic as the strike itself, but 50 years on from the FA Cup tie that changed his life, Ronnie Radford – who celebrated with a double arm raise celebration which would soon be barely visible among the throng of Hereford fans who ran on the pitch to celebrate with him - still likes to downplay a Third Round replay goal which remains perhaps the most iconic in the competition’s 150-year history.

“Sometimes they go in, and sometimes they end up in the car park,” he tells The Independent.

Luckily for Radford his 30-yard smash, on an Edgar Street pitch that resembled a mudbath, flew past Willie McFaul and into the top left-hand corner, equalising Malcolm McDonald’s opener for the visitors, and laying a platform for an extra-time winner from Ricky George, who had travelled down with Motson from London the day before the game.