In 1951, tiny Carlisle United, from the Third Divison North played the biggest game in their brief history when they were drawn to play the mighty Arsenal in the 3rd Round of the FA Cup. It was an event that has gone down in Carlisle folklore. The tie caught the imagination of the whole city and seven trainloads of fans travelled down to London to see their team take on the Cup holders. Incredibly, the Blues played out an honourable draw and brought the Gunners back to Brunton Park. The whole city reached fever pitch and the queue for tickets that stretched for two miles became legendary. It was the first major post-event for the city and is therefore a key part of Carlisle’s 20th century social history. United’s charismatic manager was a little known Scot called Bill Shankly. His unswerving self-belief rubbed off on the whole city who dared to dream of the biggest cup upset in history.
