When Football Turned To Penalties To End 'cruel' System

"I couldn't judge it, my beloved Hull City were up against Georgie Best, Bobby Charlton and Denis Law. That's for illustration having Messi, Ronaldo and Mbappe successful nan aforesaid team," Kelly recalled connected nan BBC's Sporting Witness programme.

Former Hull City subordinate Frankie Banks said: "It was a monolithic game, playing against Manchester United, who 2 years earlier had won nan European Cup.

"The ambiance was electrifying.

"The Man United players were our heroes. On insubstantial we didn't guidelines a chance. We wanted to win, we wanted to beryllium to everybody that though they were nan champion broadside astir apt successful nan world we could spell retired and springiness them a game."

And that is precisely what they did, taking nan lead connected 11 minutes done Chris Chilton earlier Law pulled 1 backmost for United successful nan 78th infinitesimal to nonstop nan crippled into other time. As nan clocked ticked down connected nan further half-hour, players realised they were astir to beryllium portion of thing historic.

"[Hull player-manager] Terry Neill evidently asked for volunteers and immoderate of nan lads were reluctant to measurement up and return nan penalties and immoderate were brave capable to measurement up and opportunity 'I'll return one, I'll return 1 and I'll return one'," said Banks, who was not connected nan squad expanse that time but was astatine nan game.

"Nobody wants to beryllium nan 1 that misses."

And, successful particular, no-one wants to beryllium nan first subordinate ever to miss successful a shootout.

However, Best was happy to spell down arsenic nan first subordinate to score, sending his right-footed changeable debased into nan near corner.

For Hull City, Neill became nan first player-manager to people successful a shootout, helping support nan people level astatine 3-3.

"It was still anybody's crippled and nan sound was deafening," said Banks.

But then, successful a infinitesimal that countless big-name players to travel would acquisition done nan decades, Law saw his debased changeable saved by a diving Ian McKechnie.

"For ever and ever, Law will spell down arsenic nan first man to miss successful a punishment shootout and McKechnie will spell down arsenic nan first goalkeeper to prevention a punishment successful a punishment shootout," said Banks.

Ken Wagstaff past missed for Hull and truthful erstwhile Willie Morgan scored for United, Hull knew they had to person their last kick.

And that was erstwhile McKechnie became nan first keeper to return a punishment successful a shootout.

"Please, not him," Kelly remembers thinking. "I couldn't judge it, my mum couldn't judge it, moreover Alex Stepney nan Man United keeper couldn't judge it and really asked him what he was doing up there. I had my caput successful my hands!"

McKechnie stepped up and blasted a powerful strike... against nan precocious broadside of nan crossbar. And pinch that, he became nan first keeper to miss a punishment successful a shootout.

"I still support that Ian McKechnie was nan correct prime – he had a saccharine near ft – and he had nan courage to do it. I'd person put money connected him to score," said Banks.

"Missing that punishment stayed pinch Ian for nan remainder of his life."