Football: Busby still in shock

Simon Turnbull talks to the man whose mistake set up a great FA Cup legend

IT HAS featured on the front page of the Bangkok Times and on the back page of the South China Morning Post. It has been the subject of a radio phone-in programme in Johannesburg. It has put Kenny Dalglish on the Newsnight agenda, accused by Jeremy Paxman of being "a big girl's blouse".

By Thursday afternoon it even caused a public betrayal of emotions by the normally inscrutable manager of Newcastle United. Dalglish, clad in manly brown suit, spoke disdainfully of "the hype and the garbage" that have engulfed the small matter of the fourth-round FA Cup tie to be played at Broadhall Way in Stevenage this afternoon. Even Hereford United's actual humbling of the not-so-mighty Magpies 26 years ago did not attract so much attention. Not quite so much, at any rate.

Ronnie Radford's goal, the right-foot thunderbolt that prompted the invasion of the Park and Newcastle's downfall at Edgar Street in February 1972, has been replayed ad infinitum on the small screen for more than a quarter of a century now. Even now it is strictly X certificate viewing on Tyneside. It probably is in Viv Busby's house too. "It comes on the television every year," he said, less than enthusiastically, "just to remind everyone of the biggest FA Cup shock ever." Busby would rather forget.

It is he who can be seen in the clip conceding possession to Ricky George in the right-back position. George scored the winner himself in extra time but Radford's screamer has become the familiar flashback of Hereford's famous 2-1 victory. The Newcastle players wore red for that third-round replay and Busby, who bore the No 7 shirt, can still feel the embarrassment.

"I can remember crossing from the right and Malcolm Macdonald heading us in front with not long to go," he said. "Malcolm had been saying before the game that we'd get 10 goals and we had the chances to score 10 goals. They just didn't go in. Then, Wallop! Ronnie Radford scored. It was unbelievable.

"The atmosphere in our dressing-room afterwards was something I've never experienced before or since. There was no shouting or screaming. Nobody could say anything. We just couldn't believe it had happened. It was the longest trip home from a match I've ever known."

It was longer than Busby even suspected as the Newcastle team bus headed back to Tyneside. His loan period from Luton was abruptly terminated, and with it his prospects of a permanent move to St James' Park. "I was sent straight back down to Kenilworth Road," he recalled. "That game was a real sickener for me."

Busby does not believe it will be quite the same today for Newcastle. He happens to be in a good position to assess the potential shock-factor, too, as coach of the Everton team beaten in the last round by Dalglish's side. "That Hereford tie showed what can happen in Cup football," he said, "but I can't see the same thing happening. I don't want to put the mockers on them but Newcastle have got too much class for Stevenage. The important thing is that their approach is right but with Kenny Dalglish in charge it should be.

"I'll never forget the attitude of the Arsenal team when I was assistant manager at York and we beat them with a Keith Houchen penalty. The pitch was icy and you could tell as soon as they looked at it that they just didn't fancy it. I can remember Paul Mariner saying to John MacPhail with five minutes to go, 'We'll slaughter you when we get to our place on Wednesday.' Then we got the penalty and Keith Houchen scored."

That was one of the good days on the FA Cup trail for Busby. So was the final in 1975, even if he was on the losing side. He had, after all, scored six goals to get Fulham there. He was also in the Stoke team beaten by Blyth Spartans in the fourth round in 1978. "Not a very nice experience," Busby recalled. Then again, no FA Cup defeat could be as painful as the nightmare Newcastle endured on Edgar Street - unless, that is, the ghost of the past catches up with the Toon Army at Broadhall Way this afternoon.