• Football
  • Boxing
  • UFC
  • Home
  • Football
    • England
    • Transfer News
    • Premier League
    • Champions League
    • Lionel Messi
    • Cristiano Ronaldo
    • EA FC 25
    • Wrexham
  • Boxing
    • Tyson Fury
    • Anthony Joshua
    • Oleksandr Usyk
    • Mike Tyson
    • Jake Paul
    • Logan Paul
  • UFC
    • Dana White
    • Conor McGregor
    • Khabib Nurmagomedov
    • Jon Jones
    • Paddy Pimblett
    • Joe Rogan
  • Other Sport
    • Athletics
    • Formula 1
    • MMA
    • Motorsport
    • NBA
    • Darts
    • NFL
    • Snooker
    • Wrestling
    • Tennis
    • Cricket
    • Golf
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • UNILAD
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube
34 Years Ago Today, Vinnie Jones Produced The Most Brutal Tackle Ever Seen And Didn't Even Get A Yellow Card

Home> Football

Updated 13:02 14 May 2022 GMT+1Published 12:52 14 May 2022 GMT+1

34 Years Ago Today, Vinnie Jones Produced The Most Brutal Tackle Ever Seen And Didn't Even Get A Yellow Card

Vinnie Jones chopped Steve McMahon in half early on in the 1988 FA Cup final but didn't even get a yellow card.

Josh Lawless

Josh Lawless

34 years ago today, Vinnie Jones snapped Liverpool midfielder Steve McMahon in half in the 1988 FA Cup final and didn't even get a yellow card.

Underdogs Wimbledon, aptly nicknamed the 'Crazy Gang', produced one of the FA Cup's biggest ever upsets when they beat league champions Liverpool at Wembley courtesy of a Lawrie Sanchez header in the first half.

Goalkeeper Dave Beasant also saved a penalty from John Aldridge, but the game's most memorable moment happened minutes in.

Jones immediately set about leaving one on McMahon, who was Liverpool's hardman in the middle of the park.

Advert

It was completely premeditated, with Jones going right through the midfielder after he'd passed the ball.

In all truth it was more of an assault than a tackle. But remarkably, all that the referee awarded was a Liverpool free-kick.

There was no caution for Jones and McMahon didn't even make a meal out of it. Instead of rolling about, he got straight back up and play resumed.

Advert

In fact, when the two met again on the pitch the following season, McMahon levelled the scores.

Explaining his thought process on the tackle 30 years later, Jones told talkSPORT: "I'd watched a video and [Alan] Hansen or someone would knock the ball to [McMahon] who'd then let it come across him to open up so he could play it out the other side.

"The boys knew I was going to smash him because I'd told them that if I could early enough, the referee wasn't going to send me off in front of in front of about 100,000 people, but I didn't get too much of a response from the lads, so it was a bit of a gamble!

Advert

"So when the ball came into him, I started running. I was about 30 yards away and I kept thinking, 'just open up' and he did and I thought, 'Merry Christmas, BOOM!"

Wimbledon, under Bobby Gould, had a knack for roughing up other teams and it proved to be successful - particularly on that day in Wembley on 14 May 1988.

Image: PA
Image: PA

Jones, who has gone on to have a productive acting career in Hollywood, was sent off 12 times in his career.

Advert

He was once booked just five seconds from kick-off against Manchester City when playing for Sheffield United.

Featured Image Credit: Image: Twitter

Topics: Wimbledon, Liverpool, FA Cup

Josh Lawless
Josh Lawless

Josh is a sports journalist who specialises in football and WWE. He has been published by Curzon Ashton FC, Late Tackle, Manchester City FC, The Mirror, Read Man City and Manchester Evening News. He provides coverage of professional wrestling and has covered two WrestleMania events for SPORTbible.

X

@joshlawless_

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

an hour ago
2 hours ago
  • an hour ago

    Xabi Alonso has found the new Luka Modric for Real Madrid and it could be the signing of the summer

    The Real Madrid boss could be set to replace the veteran midfielder, who will leave the club later this summer.

    Football
  • an hour ago

    Odds slashed on Lionel Messi's next club as clear favourite emerges after huge news drops on Inter Miami star's future

    Lionel Messi has been linked with a move away from Inter Miami.

    Football
  • 2 hours ago

    Xabi Alonso's new formation for Trent Alexander-Arnold experiment could end one Real Madrid career

    The former Bayer Leverkusen boss is implementing some major changes at Real Madrid.

    Football
  • 2 hours ago

    Ollie Watkins has made his feelings clear on Man Utd as Aston Villa star targeted for stunning transfer

    The Aston Villa forward has been linked with a shock move to Man United this summer.

    Football
  • Vinnie Jones named his 'only rival' for the 'hardest man in football' and it's not Roy Keane
  • What Anthony Gordon's red card in the FA Cup means ahead of Newcastle United's Carabao Cup final
  • FA investigating yellow card picked up by Oxford defender against Arsenal
  • Casemiro produces horrific challenge on Manuel Akanji, doesn't even get a yellow card