1990 FA Cup Final Replay vs Crystal Palace

Lore & Background

The 1990 FA Cup Final Replay was the second match of the final, held after the initial match ended in a draw. Until 1999, a draw in the final would result in the match being replayed at a later date.

In Their Own Story

The rain at Wembley fell softly, washing over the mud-stained kits of two exhausted giants. In the dugout, Ferguson paced, his eyes fixed on the pitch where the ghost of a season hung in the balance. The roar of eighty thousand souls vibrated through the concrete stands as Mark Hughes rose above the crowd, his head connecting with the cross. For a split second, time suspended itself; then the net rippled. The stadium erupted into a cacophony of red and white, a sound that would echo for decades. In that moment, the doubt evaporated, replaced by an unshakeable belief that something extraordinary was beginning.

Reader's Guide

The replay was played at a venue in London, as the vast majority of FA Cup final matches have been in London. The new Wembley Stadium has been the permanent venue of the final since 2007.

Did You Know?

• The 1990 FA Cup Final Replay was played on 17 May 1990.
• Mark Hughes scored the winning goal in the replay.
• Brian McClair provided the assist for the winning goal.
• Lee Sharpe did not play in the replay; he was an unused substitute.