The 3rd round of the F.A.Cup played, as it should be, on a Saturday - although here a touch later than the norm at 3.15 and at the end of January rather than at the beginning as the 2nd round wasn't played until the beginning of 1967.
Obviously with Millwall just coming off a record run of 59 home league games without defeat (see below), hopes were high that a shock could be recorded. But despite pushing Spurs close a 0-0 draw was followed 4 days later with Tottenham winning 1-0 at White Hart Lane. This began a run through to the 'cockney' cup final with Chelsea in May.
Millwall legend has it that a live cockerel was killed in the centre circle before the game and paraded around the touchline. Anyone have any knowledge of that?
The Managers comments (Benny Fenton) were naturally about the ending of the unbeaten run and the excitement generated by a game against Tottenham Hotspur.
More interesting is the 'Message from the Chairman' that sadly reinforces the stereotypical view of Millwall fans and showing that the 'lunatic' element have been around for some considerable time.
As you'd expect from the era, some wonderful names, from both clubs, can be seen in the team line ups. Eamon Dunphy who went on to even greater success as a journalist with blunt views, Harry Cripps who encapsulated everything Millwall in the 60s and 70s, the great Jimmy Greaves, the underrated Jimmy Robertson and, a personal favourite being a QPR fan, Terry Venables.
The story mentioned above is 100% true there are pictures and it mentions this incident in Alan Mullerys Biography, he played in the game , The cockerel story obvs i mean