Wimbledon stayed in the Keirby Hotel the night before and me and a few mates wandered in for a bit of banter, after spotting them as we walked past.
Obviously I informed them they were in for a severe thrashing, but it was all good-natured stuff and how I laughed when one of them actually predicted a Wimbledon victory.
http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/spor ... _exploits/The romance of the FA Cup may be a well-worn cliche, but there are few teams with a greater claim to the phrase than Wimbledon.
Famous winners of the trophy in 1988, the ‘Crazy Gang’ epitomised all that is good about the grand old tournament.
But, as the third round rolls around again this weekend, those with longer memories may well find themselves reminiscing the feted day when Wimbledon truly announced themselves on the British football stage.
The date was January, 1975 and the then Southern League Dons were drawn away to First Division heavyweights Burnley.
With the Clarets riding high in the top flight, and containing international players such as Leighton James, few gave Allen Batsford’s men a chance - the bookmakers even quoting Wimbledon as 10,000-1 to lift the cup.
But someone forgot to tell the Dons, as goalkeeping hero Dickie Guy remembers.
“The thing was we really did not fear playing anybody”, he recalls “Allen had built up lots and lots of confidence in the squad and we went up there in high spirits.”
But Guy admits that the pre-match confidence was wobbled when the teams ran out.
He adds: “We were used to playing in front of 3-4,000 at Wimbledon, and that was on a good day.
“So when we ran out and there was 20,000 or so there it felt like we were playing at Wembley.
“But, to be honest, as soon as the game kicked off we realised that it was still only 11 men against 11.”
Burnley began strongly, and Guy had to be on top form as the favourites looked to kill off the minnows.
But, as the game went on, the Dons resolve grew, and when skipper Ian Cooke broke clear in the 49th minute, history beckoned.
Guy continues: “I remember Cooke having a shot which the keeper parried, and Mickey Mahon was there to score the rebound.
“It was incredible really.
“It was real backs to the wall stuff for pretty much the whole game - I was a lot busier in that match than when we played Leeds in Round Four.”
But Wimbledon held on, and the Dons celebrations were made even greater when the players found out, whilst in the Turf Moor baths, that they had drawn the mighty Leeds United, managed by Jimmy Armfield.
That was the famous occasion when Guy forever etched his name in FA Cup history, saving a Peter Lorimer penalty as the Dons earned a miraculous 0-0 draw at Elland Road, before narrowly losing a Selhurst Park replay.
But Guy reveals that the Burnley barnstormer has a bittersweet end.
He adds: “It is amazing that over 30 years on people still want to talk to me about it.
“But the sad thing is, no footage of the game has ever been shown.
“Bob Lord (Burnley chairman) felt there was too much football being shown on television, so refused to allow cameras in.
“But we found out recently a camera was there, and we are trying desperately to track down the film.”
