1967/68
The big draw in 67/68 came in the second round as we faced top-flight Newcastle United. Having beaten them 2-1, we hoped for a big third round draw, instead getting Torquay United of the Third Division. We were a league below, but a 4-2 win was enough to set up a big fourth round tie against Derby County, ‘only’ Second Division side at the time.
It was still a game that attracted a huge crowd to the Bank, 23196, still a record.
Verdict: Winnable draw
1970/71
Two big wins in the early rounds set the scene in 1970/71. We beat local rivals Grimsby 2-1, then brushed aside Second Division Sunderland 2-1. We were still struggling at the wrong end of the Fourth Division, and the cash from a big home tie could have helped.
Instead, we got an away tie at top-flight side Crystal Palace. We were beaten 4-0 on October 7th, thus ending our cup interest. They might have been top-flight, but having faced them earlier in the decade in league action, they weren’t really big boys.
Verdict – Bad draw
1971/72
Two third round appearances in a row were unprecedented, and again, it took a big win to get to that stage. We beat Scunthorpe in round one, setting up a tie at the Bank against Third Division Blackburn Rovers. They were beaten thanks to Phil Hubbard’s hat trick, and once again, we went into the hat.
Again, it was a trip to West London, this time to QPR. We had faced them before, and they were Second Division, so it wasn’t a big draw as such. We gave a decent account of ourselves, going down 4-2.
Verdict – Bad draw