FA Cup Final Win 1991

Lore & Background

Tottenham's triumph made them the first club to win the trophy eight times, though this record has since been surpassed by Arsenal and Manchester United. Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester City have since equalled Tottenham's eight victories. The 1991 final was Nottingham Forest's first appearance in the FA Cup final since winning it in 1959 and they have not reached the final since. It was also the only time that a team managed by Brian Clough reached the final; the FA Cup was the only major domestic trophy that eluded Clough. The match is also remembered for the performance of Tottenham midfielder Paul Gascoigne, who made two violent tackles on Forest players within the first 15 minutes, and was then carried off with torn cruciate ligaments, which kept him out of football for a year. It also gave Tottenham their first campaign in a European competition – the 1991–92 European Cup Winners' Cup – of the post-Heysel era.

In Their Own Story

The rain lashed down at Wembley as extra time stretched into the dying minutes. With Forest holding a slender lead, Gary Lineker found his rhythm in the final stages, scoring twice to level the match and force penalties. The tension was suffocating until the shootout ended 3-1 in Spurs' favor. As the final whistle blew, it wasn't just relief that washed over White Hart Lane's faithful; it was a collective release of emotion. Paul Gascoigne collapsed to his knees, tears streaming down his face—a Spud forever etched in the memory of football history.

Reader's Guide

Spurs were more than £20million in debt and had struggled in the league during the second half of the 1990-91 season, but Paul Gascoigne's goals throughout the competition helped them reach the final. Gascoigne was so pumped up for this match that he almost ended his involvement in the first few minutes. In winning the ball out on the right touchline, he followed through with his foot up and caught Garry Parker in the chest. Referee Roger Milford let him off with a lecture, but failed to calm Gascoigne, who scythed down Gary Charles as the Forest defender ran across the face of the Spurs penalty area. Forest were awarded a free kick on the edge of the box but once again Gascoigne was let off without further punishment from the referee. Before play resumed, Gascoigne received extensive treatment on his knee before standing up to join the defensive wall. Gascoigne paid for his rash challenge, which many thought deserved a red card, when Stuart Pearce delightfully curled home the subsequent free kick to give Forest the lead. Gascoigne had to leave the field on a stretcher shortly after the match restarted, as he could not put any weight on his leg. It was later revealed that he had torn his cruciate ligaments. Nayim – later notable for his winning last-minute goal against Arsenal in the 1995 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final – came on to replace him. Gascoigne's injury would rule him out for the entire 1991–92 season as well as the 1992 European championships. It would also prove to be the last game he played for Tottenham; he had been on the radar of Italian club Lazio during the 1990–91 season, and finally made his £6million move to Italy in the summer of 1992. After 25 minutes Gary Lineker had a goal disallowed for offside and then five minutes later he was in on Mark Crossley, when the goalkeeper brought him down in the box. Lineker stepped up to take the resulting penalty and placed the ball to the keeper's left, where Crossley dived and kept the ball out. Crossley became only the second goalkeeper to save a penalty in an FA Cup Final at Wembley, after Dave Beasant for Wimbledon in 1988. After the interval, Nayim cushioned a kick from Erik Thorstvedt into the path of Paul Allen, who put Paul Stewart in on the right-hand side of the box. Stewart drilled a low shot past Crossley into the corner of the net to put Tottenham on level terms. With the game finishing at

Did You Know?

• Tottenham's eighth FA Cup win was a then-record, later surpassed by Arsenal and Manchester United.
• Paul Gascoigne tore his cruciate ligaments in the match and was ruled out for the entire 1991–92 season and the 1992 European championships.
• Mark Crossley became only the second goalkeeper to save a penalty in an FA Cup Final at Wembley.
• The 1991 final was the only time a team managed by Brian Clough reached the FA Cup final.