Wilson’s excessive appealing to referee Clive Thomas had helped the decision to book him for his initial innocuous challenge on the goalkeeper. This proved expensive two minutes later as Morgan challenged for a 40/60 ball in favour of Wilson and ended up in the dressing-room after being sent off.”

Villa’s travelling fans were enraged, not least because the Gunners’ custodian had made quite sure he collected the ball before going down.

While Morgan headed for the bath, Wilson was – surprise, surprise – fit to continue and Villa’s ire only increased two minutes later when Ray Kennedy pulled Arsenal level.

‘That’s that then,’ thought the North Bank. Now, surely, the Second Division side, a man short for the last 25 minutes, would be steamrollered.

Not so. Villa, with Chris Nicholl, pictured right, and Ian Ross rocks at the back, held on. All back to Villa Park four days later – four days in which the pot of this spicy affair was kept bubbling nicely as Morgan and Wilson continued their spat via the papers.

Crowe did his best to keep a lid on the feud – “It’s being built up as a potential bloodbath but is nothing of the kind” – but by the time Wilson ran out for the replay he had full ‘public enemy number one’ status. His reception was not entirely friendly.

This was a poor season in a poor era for Aston Villa but, among the dying embers of Crowe’s waning reign, here was a great cup night.

A 2-0 win and, as the Mail put it, “Wilson was mercilessly barracked by the Holte End and, in the second half, the Witton End took over – and the customers in the stands were not silent either!”

The key moment arrived early. In the 12th minute Wilson, at the Holte End, prepared to clear a routine ball.

“As he came out, the barracking cascaded deafeningly from behind him,” said the Mail. “At the same time, Paddy McMahon ran in to harass him from the front. Wilson, obviously put off, cleared hastily, straight to Alun Evans.”

Evans crossed and Morgan headed home with Wilson scambling back in vain and Villa’s fans erupting in ecstasy.

The match was not all about Wilson, though. A strong, vastly-experienced Arsenal side, including Alan Ball, Peter Storey, Pat Rice and Bob McNab with the precociously talented Liam Brady on the bench, was superbly contained by a Villa team impressive all over the pitch.

John Gidman had winger George Armstrong in his pocket. When Armstrong switched flanks, Charlie Aitken did a similar job on him and Gidman was freed up to get forward. It was a night when Villa had all the answers.

“Arsenal simply could not cope,” reported the Mail. “They were not capable of living with Villa in a footballing sense.”

Midway through the second half, Bruce Rioch rode three tackles before pulling the ball back for Evans to make it 2-0.

Villa had breathing space and closed the tie out without alarm as the celebrations got underway. Jim Cumbes, in goal, was never stretched.

The chap at the other end, meanwhile, could not get out of Villa Park fast enough, albeit with dignity in tact. “There are no hard feelings,” Wilson said. “I expected the crowd reaction as the situation had been blown up out of all proportion.”

He had been a bit less composed two hours earlier with 15,000 Holte Enders on his case...