It's A Cup Final Knockout 1971
British Domestic Series

Presenters:
David Vine
Eddie Waring

Referee:
Arthur Ellis

Scoregirls:
Glynne Geldart
Susan Gresham
Jennifer Lowe

Production Credits:

Production Team: Keith Phillips, Malcolm Scrimgeour and Geoff Wilson (uncredited); Designer and Games Deviser: Stuart Furber; Engineering Manager: Geoff Lomas; Producer: Barney Colehan; Director: Ian Smith

A BBC Manchester Production

Key: Domestic Special ● = Winner of Special   ▲ = Promoted to Position / ▼ = Demoted to Position

GB

It's A Cup Final Knockout 1971

FA Cup Final Special

Event Staged: Sunday 18th April 1971
Venue: The Boating Lake, Eirias Park, Colwyn Bay / Bae Colwyn, Denbighshire, Wales

Transmission:
BBC1 (GB): Saturday 8th May 1971, 12.55-1.40pm (as part of Cup Final Grandstand)

Celebrity Supporters (non-participating):
Arsenal F.C. - Walley Barnes, Reg Lewis, Joe Mercer  (former Arsenal players who played in the 1950 Arsenal v. Liverpool FA Cup Final) and Pete Murray (BBC Radio 2 DJ);
Liverpool F.C. - William 'Billy' Liddell, Albert Stubbins, Phil Taylor (former Liverpool players who played in the 1950 Arsenal v. Liverpool FA Cup Final) and Anthony Booth (actor).

Weather Conditions: Overcast, Cold and Windy

Teams: Arsenal F.C.  v. Liverpool F.C.

Team Members included:
Arsenal F.C. - Barry Baker, Jennifer Chapman, Sylvia Green, Brian Hodges, Eddie Hodgson, Nick Miller, Clifford Pett, Robert Reeve, Colin Short, Ron Tabor;
Liverpool F.C. - Shay Brady, Dave Cochrane, Barbara Denham, Carol Denham, Ray Hughes, Steve Hughes, Ronnie Ireland, Jimmy Kent, Ray Shakeshaft.

Games: Pontoon Dribble, Target Soccer, Trampoline Football, Pole Down, Sharpshooters, The Ball Ring, Pontoon Stretchers.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard

1st
2nd

 Liverpool F.C. ●
 Arsenal F.C.

9
5

The Host Town

Colwyn Bay, Denbighshire

Colwyn Bay (Bae Colwyn in Welsh) is a town and seaside resort with a population of around 30,000 inhabitants in the county of Denbighshire. It overlooks the Irish Sea and is located 25 miles (40km) east of Caernarfon, 30 miles (48km) west of Birkenhead and 116 miles (187km) north of Swansea.

The town is predominantly dependant on the tourist trade, due mainly in fact to its famous beaches, and parks and gardens such as Eirias Park. The Welsh Mountain Zoo, opened in 1963 by wildlife enthusiast and nauralist Robert Jackson and covering an area of 37 acres (15ha), is located nearby.

The town once had a thriving pier which was first opened in 1900, but since 2009, the 227m (750ft) long structure has been closed to the public due to its owner, Steve Hunt, being declared bankrupt. In its heyday, the Dixieland Showbar sited on the pier hosted many live concerts and featured acts asdiverse as Motorhead, The Damned, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Elvis Costello, Slade, Madness, The Specials and the Cockney Rejects. In 2011, Conwy County Borough Council attempted to buy the pier from the official receivers, but this was denied. A National Lottery grant to save the pier was also denied in March 2012.

Today, the structure still lies in a bad state, with fencing blocking people from being able to pass under the pier for Health and Safety reasons.

At the time of transmission, Colwyn Bay was located in the county of Denbighshire. However, following the Local Government Act 1972, the town became part of the newly-formed county of Gwynedd on 1st April 1974. Following the Local Government (Wales) Act of 1994 when most of the original historic counties of Wales were re-established, the town returned to the reinstated enlarged county of Denbighshire on 1st April 1996!

The Visiting Clubs

Arsenal Football Club was founded in 1886 and plays its home matches at the Emirates Stadium and is located 194 miles (312km) south-east of Colwyn Bay.

Liverpool Football Club was founded in 1892 and plays its home matches at Anfield and is located 33 miles (53km) east of Colwyn Bay.

The Venue

Eirias Park

The games were played in and around the boating lake in Eirias Park (Parc Eirias in Welsh), a 50-acre (20 hectares) public park in Colwyn Bay. Whilst the park never had any fairground rides, during the 1960s it was home to a Guinness Clock. These timepieces were originally created for the Festival of Britain (1951) by the well-known Irish brewery and were larger-than-life clocks. Every fifteen minutes, a whole host of figures and cartoon animals would appear on parade from behind the clock’s doors. In the 1970s, the park made the most of the latest craze by installing a Space Hopper arena. Visitors could choose from the standard orange hopper or the larger blue ones and bounce around to their hearts’ content.

The Boating Lake as it appeared in the Cup Final Knockout of 1971

During the summer months, tourists were encouraged to ride the Miniature Steam Railway along from Colwyn Bay Pier to the Eirias Park Arches, where they could take the Welsh Ffargo (a pun on Wells Fargo) Land Train (registration number YCA 977) up into the park itself. This train would travel around the boating lake and then stop outside the Pavilion, amusements and exhibitions. Sadly, the Welsh Ffargo disappeared from service in 1988 as did the Miniature Steam Railway towards the end of the 1990s.

The Pavilion along with the bandstand and boathouse with 40 boats inside were all destroyed by a fire set by arsonists in August 1984, with only the latter building being replaced. Today, the boating lake is an overgrown mess and used as a dumping ground for plastic bottles, wooden planks, etc... A very sad end all around.

Situated within the park today is the Colwyn Leisure Centre, whose facilities include a six-lane 82ft (25m) swimming / leisure pool with various water features and a separate water slide. There is also a fitness suite, health suite, sauna, steam room and warm spa pool. Outdoor facilities include a sports stadium with grandstand and floodlit synthetic hockey / football playing area. Additional facilities include indoor and outdoor tennis courts, bowling greens, boating lake, children's playground and picnic area. Local football team, Colwyn Bay F.C. have played on three different grounds at Eirias Park during their history. The Arena was a temporary home during the early 1980s prior to the club's move to their present Llanelian Road home ground.

The Games in Detail

Game 1 - Pontoon Dribble

The first game - ‘Pontoon Dribble’ - was played individually in the lake over two minutes duration and featured two male competitors from each team and a 2ft (0.61m) wide floating wooden pontoon with three large hoops located along its 45ft (12.2m) length. On the whistle, the first competitor had to dribble a football along the pontoon and, on reaching the first hoop, had to get the ball through it to the other side. He then climbed through the hoop and repeated the process at the second and third hoops. Once he had accomplished this, he then dribbled the ball to the end of the pontoon and then the second competitor repeated the game. If at any point the ball dropped into the water, the competitors were permitted to retrieve it with their feet. However, if the ball had strayed too far from the bridge to be retrieved by foot, the competitors had to get into the water - which was only knee-high in depth - and retrieve it, but had to restart the game at the hoop that they had just negotiated. The team completing the greater number of crossing would be declared the winners.

The first heat saw the participation of Liverpool and, despite a few mishaps, they completed three complete runs plus one hoop on the third run.

The second heat featured Arsenal and their competitors adopted an unusual method to pass the ball through the hoops. Whereas their rivals had used their feet to chip the ball up and through the hoop, the Arsenal competitors held the ball between both feet and jumped up in the air with it and flipped it through. This appeared to be the better method and it gave them the edge on their rivals, but disaster was to strike at the end of the third run, when their competitor failed to make a clean run to the end of the pontoon and the ball strayed into the lake. Referee Arthur Ellis instructed the competitor to get in the pool and retrieve it and then restart from the third hoop to complete the run. This delay cost the team valuable seconds and with the time running out the second competitor commenced his second run. However, just as he jumped up with the ball to flip it through, the whistle was sounded to end the game. The team were deemed to have only completed three runs.

Game 2 - Target Soccer

The second game - ‘Target Soccer’ - was the first of only two to be staged on terra firma and was played individually over 1 minute 30 seconds duration and featured two male competitors from each team and a large target board. On the whistle, the competitors had to kick a maximum of 40 footballs and try to hit the large board whilst two opposition members stood underneath the board holding a net. There were three different ways of scoring, but the score achieved would be declared as the opposition’s. Firstly, any football that hit the board would not count towards the final score but, if it was caught in the net on the rebound by the opposition, it would. Secondly, any ball that missed the target completely and went into the crowd would be deemed as scoring. Thirdly, all balls that were not used would also count towards the final score. This meant that the teams had to be accurate and fast with their execution of the game in order to keep their rival’s score to a minimum. The team with the greater overall score would be declared the winners.

The first heat saw the participation of Arsenal and they missed the target on 19 occasions, had 6 of the balls caught by the opposition and 7 balls that were not used. This gave a total score of 32 to Liverpool.

The second heat featured Liverpool and they missed the target on 20 occasions, but only had 2 of the balls caught by the opposition and 2 balls that were not used. This gave a total score of 24 to Arsenal.

Game 3 - Trampoline Football

The third game - ‘Trampoline Football’ - was the second of the two games to be staged on terra firma and witnessed Liverpool presenting their Joker for play. The game was played individually over 1 minute 30 seconds duration and featured two male competitors from each team and a trampoline located behind some scaffolding. On the whistle, a female team-mate released a ball down a chute to a podium where it was then kicked by the competitor towards the scaffolding. However, the ball had to pass through a rectangular area at the top of the scaffold and then be caught in a net by the second competitor who was located at the other end of the course, tethered to the ground by an elasticated rope. A female opposition member was on the trampoline to block any balls that passed through the scaffold and prevent it from reaching the second competitor. The team scoring the greater number of catches would be declared the winners.

The first heat saw the participation of Liverpool and despite their kicking competitor getting six balls through the rectangle, only one was caught correctly by the second competitor.

The second heat featured Arsenal and after catching 1 ball at the very start of the game, it appeared that the game would end in a draw. However, two further balls caught during the latter stages of the game brought the final score to 3-1 in Arsenal’s favour and in the process had nullified their rival’s Joker.

Game 4 - Pole Down

The fourth game - ‘Pole Down’ - was played twice at the venue, though only the second run was seen on television. It was the first of four consecutive games to be staged in the lake and was played in unison over two minutes duration and featured a male competitor from each team. On the whistle, the competitor had to wade into the water and mount a team colour-coded circular pontoon, from which he had to throw a football - tethered to the floating pontoon - and dislodge a ball from the top of a tall pole. Once this ball had been dislodged, he had to wade to a second pontoon and dislodge a second ball from another pole, before boarding the final pontoon from which he had to try to displace the third and final ball. Once the third ball had been knocked off the pole, he had to get out of the water, signifying the end of the game. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

This proved all very well in theory, but was a disaster in practice. Neither of the two players was able to make the tethered balls reach the top of the poles, and after much frustration and splashing about in the water, referee Arthur Ellis declared the game a draw and awarded both teams 1pt each.

However, as neither team had made any progress up the course, the game appeared very tedious to watch and therefore it was decided to replay the game with some subtle tweaks. The revised game saw the tethered ball idea dropped and replaced with a floating barrel of balls. These balls would be handed to the competitor one at a time by a team-mate standing in the water. The revision to the game made all the difference, and Liverpool quickly knocked the first ball off, with Arsenal doing likewise five seconds later. As the players got the hang of the new format for the game, it progressed to a close finish. Arsenal then went 2-1 up, but Liverpool equalised once again within the blink of an eye. It would all be on the final ball - a beach ball in a hemi-spherical cage atop the final pole, with Arsenal managing to free it from its cage after 1 minute 1 second, a little more than a second before Liverpool did likewise.

Game 5 - Sharpshooters

The fifth game - ‘Sharpshooters’ - was played individually over 1 minute 30 seconds duration and featured a male competitor from each team located on the pathway surrounding the lake and a large football net in the lake itself. On the whistle, the competitor had to kick balls towards the net and score as many goals as possible. However, standing on podia in front of and to the left and to the right of the goal, there were two opposition members equipped with large caricatured hands attached to long wooden poles. These had to be used to block goals from reaching the back of the net. The team scoring the greater number of goals would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this straightforward game saw the participation of Arsenal and they scored a total of 5 goals.

The second heat featured Liverpool and their competitor was more accurate with his kicking and scored a total of 7 goals.

Game 6 - The Ball Ring

The sixth and penultimate game - ‘The Ball Ring’ - was played individually and witnessed Arsenal presenting their Joker for play. The game was played individually over two minutes duration and featured two male competitors from each team on a high scaffold and a further four male competitors standing on podia in front of poles of varying height in the lake. At the top of the scaffold, there was zip wire descending to the ground and attached to it was a large hoop on pulley wheels. On the whistle, the two competitors on the scaffold had to lower the hoop by releasing the rope and lining it up with the first and highest pole. The competitor standing on the podium then had to throw a ball through the hoop to dislodge a beach ball from a hemi-spherical cage at the top of the pole. If unsuccessful, a further two balls could be thrown. Successful or not, the hoop then had to be lowered to the next highest pole and the game repeated by the next competitor. Any balls that were still in their cages after all four competitors had completed their throws, could be retried if time permitted. However, the hoop had to be pulled back to the top of the scaffold before this could be attempted. The team dislodging all four balls in the faster time would be declared the winners.

The first heat saw the participation of Liverpool and after dislodging two of the balls, the pulley wheel jammed on the wire and the hoop was unable to be moved. Despite this, referee Arthur Ellis stated that it was the competitors’ error and it was their responsibility to ensure that the rope did not get entangled. The score for Liverpool was declared as 2.

The second heat featured Arsenal on their Joker game and, unfortunately for them, ended in disaster. Not only did the competitors on the scaffold fail to line up the hoop correctly with the poles, making it difficult for the podia-based competitors to hit the beach ball, but the throwing skills of those competitors were something to be desired. At the end of the permitted time, Arsenal had failed to score and their poor performance had also nullified their own Joker.

Game 7 - Pontoon Stretchers

The seventh and final game - ‘Pontoon Stretchers’ - was played in unison over 4 minutes 30 seconds duration and featured three competitors (two males and one female) from each team and eight floating pontoons. Above the course, there were six balls attached to a rope and at the end of the pontoons there was a large basketball net. On the whistle, the female had to kneel down on a litter and be carried across the pontoons by the two males. Before reaching the end of the course, the female had to pull one of the balls from the rope and then she had to score a goal by throwing the ball into the net. The game then had to be repeated with the female being transported backwards and forward along the pontoon to grab a ball on each attempt at goal. The team scoring the greater number of goals would be declared the winners.

Although this was a straightforward game, it witnessed both teams struggling to find their feet, balance and scoring and appeared that it would end in stalemate. Despite two early attempts from Liverpool, it was Arsenal that took the lead after 3 minutes 21 seconds of elapsed time. Liverpool equalised after 3 minutes 35 seconds and Arsenal regained the lead after 4 minutes 23 seconds. An Arsenal victory appeared to be on the cards until a final attempt by Liverpool saw them equalise two seconds later. The game ended with the scores at 2-2.

Team Personnel

Liverpool F.C. competitor Dave Cochrane has kindly shared his memories of this event and his other brush with It's A Knockout in 1974 in our Memories section.

Additional Information

Eagle-eyed viewers would see future It’s a Knockout director and producer Geoff Wilson at the start of Games 5 and 7 and during the two heats of Game 6 making an early appearance as a member of the production team. Geoff could be seen giving directions to presenter David Vine and also assisting the teams at the top of a ladder.

This first edition of It’s a Cup Final Knockout was recorded the day after the It’s a Knockout programme staged at the same venue (1971, Heat 1).

Several celebrity supporters of the teams were members of the opposing sides of the 1950 F.A. Cup Final between Arsenal and Liverpool some 21 years earlier. On that occasion, and with rain falling throughout the game, Arsenal ended up as victors by 2-0.

Liverpool F.C.'s win in It's A Cup Final Knockout was not repeated in the 1971 F.A. Cup Final at Wembley Stadium. The match, which kicked off at 3.00pm on Saturday 8th May, was won 2-1 by Arsenal after extra time had been played. All three goals came in the added half hour, with Charlie George famously scoring the winner.

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the BBC Archives

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