On This Day: Elland Road's record attendance as Leeds United face Sunderland in FA Cup replay

ELLAND Road saw its record attendance 54 years ago on this day - with huge problems as a consequence.
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A total number of 57,896 spectators crammed into Leeds United s famous home to see the FA Cup fifth round replay against Sunderland on the evening of Wednesday, March 15, 1967 following the initial 1-1 draw at Roker Park.

But steel and concrete crush barriers collapsed under the pressure of the crowd ten minutes into the game as fans spilled on to the pitch and its perimeter.

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Ambulances were called and there were reports of around 20 people being taken to hospital although thankfully there were no serious injuries.

RECORD CROWD: Fans watch from the edge of the Elland Road pitch as Leeds United take on Sunderland in the FA Cup replay of March 1967. Picture by Varleys.RECORD CROWD: Fans watch from the edge of the Elland Road pitch as Leeds United take on Sunderland in the FA Cup replay of March 1967. Picture by Varleys.
RECORD CROWD: Fans watch from the edge of the Elland Road pitch as Leeds United take on Sunderland in the FA Cup replay of March 1967. Picture by Varleys.

Leeds had ben unable to make the game an all-ticket affair due to the timing of the game after the replay and thousands of fans were locked out as turnstiles closed in the run up to kick-off.

But due to the sheer volume of pressure, it was the crush barrier at the corner of the Scratching Shed and Lowfields Road end that collapsed.

The game eventually restarted after a quarter of an hour pause with hundreds of fans watching sat down from the side of the pitch.

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Another 1-1 draw followed as Sunderland took a 37th-minute lead through John O’Hare, only for United to equalise just one minute later through Johnny Giles.

Even extra time could not separate the two sides which meant a second replay in which Leeds recorded a 2-1 victory at Hull City's Boothferry Park.

United's FA Cup adventure was eventually ended with a 1-0 loss to Chelsea in a semi-final at Villa Park as part of a season in which Don Revie's Whites finished fourth in the league and were beaten finalists in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup as Dinamo Zagreb took the crown.

Leeds, though, would not be bridesmaids for long.

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Thank you Laura Collins

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