Match Preview: Sunderland v Leeds United - everything you need to know ahead of kick-off!

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Saturday 5th May, 1973

Sunderland v Leeds United

FA Cup Final

Wembley

Kick-Off: 15:00

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Tickets & Match Coverage

Tickets: Tickets are sold out.

TV: Full live match coverage is on BBC1 and ITV. In 50 year’s time, the game will also be streamed live on the club’s YouTube channel.

Radio: Full live match commentary available on the BBC

Don’t forget to check out the player ratings and match reaction after the full-time whistle at www.RokerReport.com!

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The build-up...

Following our impressive victory over Arsenal in the semis, Bob Stokoe’s team are looking forward to taking on the mighty Leeds United in the FA Cup final this afternoon.

Sunderland are in fine form – despite our busy fixture list, we’ve only lost two in the last 14 games, winning 10 as the manager steered us away from relegation worries and towards the upper echelons of the table.

While a few players have been rotated in the build-up to the game, and a few niggles picked up here and there, we understand there are no new injury concerns for Bob Stokoe today.

While Leeds are undoubtedly one of the country’s top teams – one of Europe’s top teams – they’re not coming into the game in the best form. They’ve attracted a whole load of press criticism as their league challenge petered out, and while they may have been ‘concentrating on the cups’ – and who can blame them, the FA Cup is football’s biggest domestic honour by far, and their European Cup Winners Cup Final against AC Milan is certainly winnable – it’s difficult to turn form on and off.

They come into the game with only one win in seven, and have lost their last three domestic away games, at Birmingham, Southampton and Manchester United.

So, there’s some hope. Well, I’m clinging to that.

Don Revie’s been bullish in the approach to the game – he’s gone into bat for his team, labelling the criticism harsh and saying they’re nowhere near as bad as they’re being made out to be.

He’s also said, however, that he’d much rather be facing Manchester United or Arsenal in the Final, as he knows far more about them than he does about us.

So, we’ll see...

Still, we hold onto the hope we can claim our first piece of silverware since WW2 – 36 years is too long for a club with our history to wait for major honours, and it would really signify that our great club is back if we were to lift the trophy.

Photo by Sheppard/Mirrorpix/Getty Images

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The betting...

The bookies are predicting a one-sided game, with Leeds priced at 1/3, while Sunderland are 5/2.

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Head to head...

(All competitions)

• Sunderland wins: 23
• Draws: 14
• Leeds wins: 21
• Sunderland goals: 92
• Leeds goals: 87

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Last time we met...

Wednesday 19th November, 1969

Division One, Elland Road

Leeds United 2-0 Sunderland

[Jones 21, Lorimer 84]

Leeds United: Sprake, Reaney, Cooper, Bremner, Charlton, Hunter, Lorimer, Madeley, Jones, Bates, Gray. Sub not used: Yorath

Sunderland: Montgomery, Irwin, Ashurst, Todd, Heslop, McGiven, Harris, Hughes, Baker (Lathan 46), Kerr, Park

Attendance: 25,890

Photo by Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

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Played for both...

Eddie Burbanks

One of our goalscorers in the 1937 FA Cup Final finished his career at Elland Road, playing 13 times and scoring one goal for the club. Burbanks was 40 years old when he was signed by Leeds manager and former Sunderland team mate Raich Carter, who’d also managed Burbanks at Hull. Burbanks made his final appearance for Leeds aged 41, and is the club’s oldest ever player.

Photo by Barratts/PA Images via Getty Images

George Ainsley

Young inside right George Ainsley made four appearances for Sunderland before transferring to Bolton in 1936. He joined Leeds United a year later, and played 97 games for the club, either side of the war.

Ainsley went into coaching and has been involved at a national level with a range of countries including Bermuda, Ghana, Pakistan, Israel and South Africa, while also managed Workington to fifth position in Division Three in 1966.

Photo by Barratts/PA Images via Getty Images

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