GAYLE FORCE

It was a night when Wimbledon’s giant-killing cup tradition struck once again! A great Manchester United side that had reached the FA Cup Final in three successive seasons were dumped out of the competition by Wimbledon in February 1997.



Tuesday 4th February 1997: FA Cup

Wimbledon 1: Gayle 63

Manchester United 0

On a night few present will ever forget, a Manchester United side with Roy Keane, Ryan Giggs and Eric Cantona in their pomp were unceremoniously dumped out of the FA Cup by the pumped up Dons. A Marcus Gayle goal, scored from a close range header in the 63rd minute, was enough to eliminate the holders, but the hosts were reliant on a string of brilliant saves from Neil Sullivan as they struggled to maintain their lead in the final minutes. 

“I have a helluva lot of respect for them,” United boss Alex Ferguson commented afterwards. “They are one of the best sides we’ve played all season. They have a fantastic quality of ball to their front two, good defenders, and they could win both cups. I have been impressed with the goalkeeping quality of Neil Sullivan and I am glad to say that now he is Scottish! His save from Pallister was amazing.”