How we feeling?

[RedRedWine]

It only came to me afterwards... ...of course, this is the second time Morecambe have played at a top flight club in the FA Cup. So today would have been my second time if we'd been allowed.

Who else attended on the first occasion?

No-one?

Waaaayyyyy before my time, but didn't we play at Maine Road in first round replay vs York City in the 60s? Manchester City would've probably been top flight at the time.

By the time we faced Ipswich at Portman Road in the FA Cup they had been relegated to the championship, or Division One as it was then... So it's not them.

[paulshrimp]

The York game was a second replay. York had enough of us playing football in the first two games and kicked lumps out of us at Maine Road

[Phoenix Shrimp 2017]

It only came to me afterwards... ...of course, this is the second time Morecambe have played at a top flight club in the FA Cup. So today would have been my second time if we'd been allowed.

Who else attended on the first occasion?

No-one?

Waaaayyyyy before my time, but didn't we play at Maine Road in first round replay vs York City in the 60s? Manchester City would've probably been top flight at the time.

By the time we faced Ipswich at Portman Road in the FA Cup they had been relegated to the championship, or Division One as it was then... So it's not them.

Yeah you may well be right! Ipswich's star had waned a bit since we played them at Christie in the first game.Wasn't sure if they were still in the top league when we played there.

[Phoenix Shrimp 2017]

The York game was a second replay. York had enough of us playing football in the first two games and kicked lumps out of us at Maine Road

Good answer. Maine Road was undoubtedly one of the top grounds in the country at the time. I went to the first game at York and we played brilliantly against a strong York City side to get a draw. As I remember it we should have had a replay at Christie Park but the ground was controversially deemed unfit to host such a game (no segregation at the time possibly). The replay therefore went straight to a neutral ground (Maine Road). I went but there were only just over a thousand fans, (Christie would have been rammed) which were housed in the massive main stand. No complaints York stepped it up a gear or two and comfortably beat us 2-0.

[marky No.1]

Yes, we played Ipswich in Jan 01 at home and Jan 03 away.

Ipswich were promoted in 2000 and relegated in 2002

[Wild Bill]

Still a great occasion today. First time we have ever played a Premier League team away from home and reading the Chelsea programme you realise that they really are one of the most successful and wealthy clubs of this generation.

We played OK today without creating too many chances. Perhaps things might have been different if that shot in the first half had gone over the line but otherwise Chelsea always looked comfortable.

No points in 'what ifs'. I missed our biggest ever game in the play off final and still enjoyed following from 7000 miles away. We've done well in the cups this year, made a few quid and hopefully we can do it again in the next few seasons.

[Lonesome Prawn]

The York game was a second replay. York had enough of us playing football in the first two games and kicked lumps out of us at Maine Road

Good answer. Maine Road was undoubtedly one of the top grounds in the country at the time. I went to the first game at York and we played brilliantly against a strong York City side to get a draw. As I remember it we should have had a replay at Christie Park but the ground was controversially deemed unfit to host such a game (no segregation at the time possibly). The replay therefore went straight to a neutral ground (Maine Road). I went but there were only just over a thousand fans, (Christie would have been rammed) which were housed in the massive main stand. No complaints York stepped it up a gear or two and comfortably beat us 2-0.

I remember going to all three FA cup 1st round games against York City in the 1966-67 season....from what I recall the first game was at York, which was a draw, the second was at Christie Park, also a draw, and the one we lost was a second replay at Maine Road

[Keith]

The one I was thinking of was 1985. York were a League club. We went to York, expecting to be beaten but got a draw. Christie Park wasn't up to standard so we hurriedly arranged to play at Main Road.

[Phoenix Shrimp 2017]

The York game was a second replay. York had enough of us playing football in the first two games and kicked lumps out of us at Maine Road

Good answer. Maine Road was undoubtedly one of the top grounds in the country at the time. I went to the first game at York and we played brilliantly against a strong York City side to get a draw. As I remember it we should have had a replay at Christie Park but the ground was controversially deemed unfit to host such a game (no segregation at the time possibly). The replay therefore went straight to a neutral ground (Maine Road). I went but there were only just over a thousand fans, (Christie would have been rammed) which were housed in the massive main stand. No complaints York stepped it up a gear or two and comfortably beat us 2-0.

I remember going to all three FA cup 1st round games against York City in the 1966-67 season....from what I recall the first game was at York, which was a draw, the second was at Christie Park, also a draw, and the one we lost was a second replay at Maine Road

Ah I was only 6 then. The York FA cup games I am referring to were much later, late 70’s early 80’s at a guess. Like I say the replay was at Maine Road because Christie Park at the time was deemed unsuitable. Gutted because we deserved to take them back to the Crusty Pie.

[Lonesome Prawn]

Ah yes I think I remember those games in the 80,s ...we also played York in round one in 1968 I think, but lost the first game at theirs 2-0

[RedRedWine]

The one I was thinking of was 1985. York were a League club. We went to York, expecting to be beaten but got a draw. Christie Park wasn't up to standard so we hurriedly arranged to play at Main Road.

The Shrimps have got a fair bit of History with York City in the FA Cup, no wonder there is slight confusion!

In answer to Keith's initial question, and after consulting Potted Shrimps, yesterday was actually the third time we have played at a top flight teams ground in the FA Cup. The other two previous occasions were both ties against York City almost 20 years apart, which, because of replays, were held at Manchester City's Maine Road:

1966 Round 1 - 2nd Replay/3rd game (Maine Road - neutral venue):
York City 1-0 Morecambe (4,283 attn). 1st game at York ended 0-0, return at Christie Park 1-1 (Lea, 6,237 attn). We also played York City at Botham Crescent in the 1968 FA Cup first round, losing 2-0.

1985 Round 1 - replay (Maine Road, Christie Park deemed not fit enough to host initial replay)
Morecambe 0-2 York City (1,305 attn). 1st game at Bootham Crescent had ended 0-0.

2021 Round 3 (Stamford Bridge)
Chelsea 4-0 Morecambe (0 attn)

For a bonus, we've actually lost three times at Maine Road in the FA Cup......

1992 Round 1 qualifying
Maine Road FC 2-1 Morecambe (Coleman, 180 attn)