Mike Smith 1965 and 1972 FA Cup

Lore & Background

In the mid-1960s, Don Revie had transformed Leeds United from a solid mid-table side into a force that could beat anyone on any day. Mike Smith, with his powerful left foot and ability to arrive in the box from deep, was one of the engine-room players who made that revolution possible. The 1965 FA Cup Final at Wembley, a 2-0 victory over Manchester United, was a statement: Leeds could outclass the old guard and take the biggest prize in domestic football. Smith's goal in that final was a reminder that his range and composure made him a constant threat from anywhere outside the box.

Seven years later, the same core of players—now veterans—returned to Wembley for the 1972 final against Stoke City. The 1-0 scoreline belied a match in which Leeds controlled the tempo, and it was Smith who found the decisive moment. For a generation of Elland Road supporters, that goal and the 1965 strike together represent the twin peaks of the FA Cup in the Revie era: proof that Leeds could win the cup not just once, but repeatedly, with the same group of men.

Smith's role was never merely statistical. In a team brimming with individual brilliance—Hunter, Clarke, Madeley, Bremner, Best—he was the connective tissue, the player who held the shape, drove the ball forward, and punished opponents with a curling strike when the chance presented itself. His two FA Cup finals are remembered not just for the result but for the style: attacking, committed, unafraid.

In Their Own Story

The Wembley wind cut across the touchline as Smith lined up the ball on the edge of the box, his boots scuffing the white chalk. Around him, the roar of 90,000 voices pressed in like a wall. He could hear the clatter of the Stoke defence shifting, the sharp intake of breath from the Leeds bench. He placed his left foot back, took one touch to set it, and swung. The ball left his laces with that particular whip he had honed a thousand times on the training ground at Elland Road, bending over the keeper's outstretched hand and nestling into the far corner. The net shuddered. The ground detonated. Smith didn't even turn to watch the celebration; he was already jogging back, hands on hips, as if he'd merely completed a routine. But for the men in the terraces, in the pubs, in the streets of Leeds, that single strike had just written another line into the scripture of the club.

Reader's Guide

Major Trophies Won by Leeds United (selected, FA Cup focus):

• FA Cup – 1965 (beat Manchester United 2-0, Wembley) • FA Cup – 1972 (beat Stoke City 1-0, Wembley)

These two cup wins sit alongside other Revie-era honours including the 1968 League title and the 1975 European Cup Winners' Cup, but the FA Cups remain the most emotionally resonant for the travelling supporter.

Statistical Milestones & Records (Leeds United, general):

• Most League Appearances: Billy Bremner (over 400) • Most Goals (all competitions): George Best (100+ in a five-year spell) • FA Cup Final Appearances: Multiple players across the 1965 and 1972 squads, including Smith, Hunter, Bremner, and Madeley • Most FA Cup Goals in a single season (club record era): shared among the Revie-era forwards and midfielders

Mike Smith's legacy is measured less in a single record book entry and more in the two Wembley afternoons where his boot found the net and the trophy changed hands.

Did You Know?

• Mike Smith scored in the 1972 FA Cup Final, the only goal of the match against Stoke City, securing Leeds' second cup of the Revie era.
• The 1965 FA Cup Final saw Leeds defeat Manchester United 2-0, a result that underlined the generational shift in English football from the old guard to the Revie revolution.
• Mike Smith was part of a Leeds midfield that included Billy Bremner, John Charles, and later Paul Madeley—a combination rarely matched in English football of the 1960s and 70s.
• Leeds United's two FA Cup wins in 1965 and 1972 are among the few instances of a club winning the cup with largely the same core group of players spanning seven years.