I'd love to hear more about South Shields heroics on FA Cup day - 55 years ago today

They reached the third round of the famous tournament and there to meet them was Queens Park Rangers complete with Terry Venables and Rodney Marsh in their side.

‘A great cup atmosphere in a compact ground’

The Mariners were drawn away and headed to Loftus Road in 1970 full of expectation.

Gazette reporter of the day, Dick Kirkup, said at the time: "The weather could not have been better for South Shields’ greatest ever match as a non-League club when they faced the £500,000, star-studded might of Second Division promotion challengers Queen’s Park Rangers.

"There was a nip in the air but the pitch, lightly sanded in places, gave a firm foothold, and at the kick-off a brilliant sun broke through a clearing sky.”

Shields at full strength

He described the ‘great cup atmosphere in this compact ground, with both sets of supporters trying to out do the other with chants and scarf waving.’

Shields were at full strength with Gerry Donoghue and Ken Ellis having fully recovered from their mid-week bout of flu.

Queen’s Park Rangers had glamour boy Rodney Marsh back in the side at inside left - his first senior team game following a four-week suspension.

‘Supplying the class in midfield was Terry Venables’

"Supplying the class in midfield was Terry Venables, a £70,000 signing from Tottenham Hotspur,” the Gazette report from the day added.

As early as the fifth minute, Shields were in trouble when keeper Garrow suffered a serious hand injury and had to leave the pitch.

But the Mariners battled back and had huge chances to go ahead in the 20th and 21st minute.

Golden chances to take the lead

First it was Smith beating two defenders on the edge of the penalty area before sending a perfect pass inside the full back for McCallum to run on to.

Kelly left his goal, found himself stranded, but from 12 yards McCallum fired a foot wide of a gaping empty net.

A minute later, centre forward Smith brilliantly beat the QPR defence and sent in a screamer of a shot which scraped the outside of the post.

Their big moment on the stroke of half time

The home team punished Shields with three goals before half time.

But South Shields had their own moment of glory just as the 45 minutes were up.

The Gazette report said: “ Gerry Donoghue beat man after man in a great dribble but he was finally hauled down well inside the area by Hazell, with the referee awarding the obvious penalty kick.

"Penalty king Len Smith lined up for the kick and sent in a thunderbolt shot into the corner of the net, sending Kelly the wrong way in the process."

A standing ovation at the end

The resolute Shields defence held firm until the 70th minute when Marsh added another.

At the end of the 90 minutes, the Mariners were given a standing ovation as they left the pitch.

But the result was more than just a 4-1 defeat. Four Shields players had to go to hospital.

Goalkeeper Bert Garrow dislocated the big finger on his right hand after only five minutes, yet bravely came back six minutes later to play out the match with his fingers strapped.

Were you there?

“Left half Dave Adams suffered a broken nose early on yet continued until he was struck full in the face by the ball in the second half which restarted the heavy bleeding,” said the Gazette report.

"Left back Bob McLeod had eight stitches put into a ripped shin after being carried off with 10 minutes left.”

"Inside right Kenny Ellis had a ‘mountainous black and red swelling on the left hip’ after a tackle.”

Tell us if you were one of the Shields fans who watched the heroic battle.

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