Everton’s Great Escape: Altrincham Take Top-Flight Toffees to the Brink

On 4 January 1975, Altrincham came within minutes of one of the FA Cup’s great shocks, as Roy Rees’ side went toe-to-toe with First Division Everton at Goodison Park.

Thousands in Red and White

More than 34,000 supporters were in the ground, with thousands of Robins fans travelling to Merseyside in hope rather than expectation. Everton, one of the most successful clubs in the FA Cup, were expected to brush aside their non-league opponents.

But the script soon began to unravel.

Midway through the first half, John Hughes latched on to a ball in behind the Everton defence and calmly slotted past goalkeeper Dai Davies. For a moment, the Goodison roar was replaced by stunned silence — broken only by the jubilation of the Alty faithful packed into the away sections.

Everton pressed hard, but Altrincham stood firm. When Gary Jones was sent off for the hosts, the upset looked tantalisingly close.

Late Heartbreak

With the clock ticking down, Everton were handed a lifeline. A foul in the box gave the top-flight side a penalty, and Dave Clements converted to level the match at 1–1. The Liverpool Echo’s headline the next day said it all: “Everton’s Great Escape.”

The Old Trafford Replay

The huge interest in the tie meant the replay was switched to Old Trafford on 7 January. More than 35,000 supporters again turned out, and once more Altrincham gave everything. On this occasion, however, Everton’s quality told, with goals from Bob Latchford and Mick Lyons sealing a 2–0 win for the Toffees.

A Proud Performance

Though the Robins were ultimately knocked out, the first match at Goodison Park remains a source of pride. Altrincham had led one of England’s biggest clubs on their own turf, had them down to ten men, and came within minutes of an extraordinary win.

For those who travelled to Liverpool that day, the memory of Hughes’ goal and the sight of thousands of Alty fans celebrating at Goodison will never be forgotten.