Q. In 1990 Oldham Athletic beat West Ham United 6-0 in the first leg of the semi-final of the then Littlewoods Cup. Has there been a bigger winning margin in the final stages of a national cup competition?
A. There have been two such 6-0 defeats. In 1903 Bury beat Derby County 6-0 in the FA Cup final played at Crystal Palace, while in 1953 Pegasus, a team of former Oxbridge blues, defeated Harwich and Parkeston 6-0 to win the FA Amateur Cup.
In European competition, London were beaten 6-0 by Barcelona in the second leg of the first Inter-Cities Fairs Cup final, losing 8-2 on aggregate, while Milan lost 6-0 in the second leg of the European Super Cup in 1973, losing 6-1 on aggregate to Ajax. In 1977, Liverpool defeated Hamburg 6- 0 in the same competition, winning 7-1 overall.
Whether any of these teams had any valid excuses, such as injuries, I do not know. West Ham fans would claim their defeat was the result of having to play on a rainswept plastic pitch, especially as they won the second leg 3-0 on grass at Upton Park. - Bob Colley, Disley, Cheshire
ANSWERS PLEASE
Q. What is the most popular sport on the continent of Asia? - Kevin Maguire, Batley
If you know the answers to any of these questions or have a sporting question of your own, write to Q&A, Sports Desk, Independent on Sunday, 1 Canada Square, London E14 5DL. Fax: 0171-293 2894
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