Sudden-death shoot-out’ may decide Cup final

Press, 13 May 1981, Page 44

Sudden-death shoot-out’ may decide Cup final

NZPA London The stalemated one-hun-dredth F.A. Cup final may eventually be decided by an American style sudden-death penalty “shoot-out.” If Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City are unable to establish clear superiority and again finish level after extra time in Thursday’s replay, it will be down to four men — the two goal-keepers and the respective penaltytakers of the two sides.

The prospect of an instant result has become a reality for the first time in British soccer after last Saturday’s .1-1 draw after 120 minutes of all-out soccer.

The sudden-death “shootout” has been used in Europe but never in Britain, and the Football Association said yesterday that it had decided on settling the issue this way

only “with extreme reluctance.” The decision does not mean the “shoot- out” will become an acL- cepted way of settling football stand-offs. It “was simply unavoidable in the circumstances,” the F.A. said. The association had examined “with the utmost care” the possibility that a second replay might be needed and decided that the final could not be allowed to drag on past the home internationals. “It was clear to the F.A. Cup committee that it was not feasible to contemplate a second replay in view of the already crowded fixture programme.” _•

Manchester City’s manager, John Bond, who called for an instant settlement after Saturday’s game, said

yesterday he had not meant a “shoot-out.” “I think there are better ways of doing it,” he said.

Meanwhile British commentators, who had made Spurs slight favourites before the kick-off last Saturday, yesterday believed that the prospect of a replay favoured the north London side much more than City.

The Manchester team successfully disrupted Spurs’ complex patterns on Saturday, and was also helped 1 by some outstanding saves from goal-keeper, Joe Corrigan, but yesterday the critics said that City’s tactics were now well known to Tottenham. The London team had come back into the game well in the second half and would go out on Thursday night knowing what to expect from its opponents