Iconic Moments In Football No.8
“And Smith must score………”
Gordon Smith lines up to shoot in the last few seconds of the 1983 FA Cup Final
Brighton fans look away now! This iconic moment in football comes from the 1983 FA Cup Final between Brighton and Hove Albion and Manchester United.
With the score tied at 2-2, Brighton’s Gordon Smith suddenly finds himself in space in the Manchester United penalty area with only United’s goalkeeper Gary Bailey to beat.
Smith’s strike partner Michael Robinson had laid the ball off to him from his left and he had enough time to control the ball, look up and decide where to put the ball.
The Brighton striker hit the ball low and on target, but straight at Gordon Bailey who had dived down and somehow stopped the ball in between his legs. The ball came loose but Bailey grasped it at the second attempt. As soon as the chance had come for Brighton to win the game, it had gone.
BBC Radio’s Peter Jones came out with the immortal line of “and Smith must score…” as the Brighton forward lined up to shoot. This line became the title of a Brighton fanzine and perhaps unfairly, is what Gordon Smith will always be remembered for.
After all, it was he who scored with a header to give Brighton the lead. They held onto the lead into the second half before Manchester United scored twice, from Frank Stapleton and Ray Wilkins.
Gary Stevens scored a late equaliser for Brighton and moments later Smith had a great chance to win the Cup. He didn’t and the fame was replayed a few days later.
Manchester United won the replay by a convincing 4-0 victory. Brighton had been relegated in the League down to Division Two and were left thinking of what could have been. 36 years on, their fans still think back to that May afternoon and think “what if?”.
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