Nancekivell on his Emirates FA Cup love affair
There are few people to whom the FA Cup means more than it does to Kevin Nancekivell.
To many young people growing up in the 1970s and 80s, there are few topics that elicit excitement to such a degree for Nance even now.
If you know Kevin, you may know of his almost encyclopaedic knowledge of cup finals, their scores and scorers. And when you know all this, watching him celebrate Argyle’s 1-0 win at Brentford, in the third round of this year’s competition, was even more gratifying.
On the eve of Argyle’s latest Emirates FA Cup chapter, we spoke to Nance about his love affair with the competition, as well as his one with Argyle, and how they have intertwined since 1984…
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On 14 April, 1984, third-tier Plymouth Argyle had their biggest day out. The Pilgrims met Watford in the semi-final of the FA Cup, the culmination of an extraordinary run.
The Greens played ten times, beating Southend United after a replay, followed by Barking, Newport County (another replay), Darlington, West Bromwich Albion and Derby County, the latter being another tie to go to a second encounter.
The Derby away tie is the odd one out for Kevin. It’s the only game he did not get to.
He was there at Villa Park, for the semi-final, the memories as vivid in his mind as the colours on show that day.
“Obviously, we were there in ‘84, which was the day that everybody should be really proud of at this football club,” said Nance.
“It was a wonderful run. Looking back, the fact that we were drawn against a First Division team like West Brom, and we were a Third Division club not having the best of seasons, that was a big day out.
“The fact that we were playing West Brom suddenly lit the imagination and got everyone talking about the FA Cup. To go there and win 1-0, Tommy [Tynan] scoring that goal, suddenly everyone got a little bit excited: ‘crikey, we're in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup’.
“Then to get a home draw against Derby here, the atmosphere that day. There was 30,000 here, and it felt like 50,000.
“It was congested. It was tight. It was a fantastic day; I remember it vividly. I remember the game. I could take you back to recollections of what happened. Obviously, everyone knows Stani (Gordon Staniforth) hit both posts at the Devonport End. We battered them, really, played really, really well on a dry, bobbly pitch.
“We had to go away for a midweek replay and we won with that well-executed corner routine from Andy Rogers! Then all of a sudden, you're in the semi-final.
“We drew Watford, and what day that was. One of my favourite ever days as a football fan. Again, I can picture it so well, the sun shining bright, the ticket tape, Villa Park, the green of the Argyle fans and the bright yellow and red of the Watford fans, either end of the Holte End; we had half of it each. The colours just hit you, it was just magical. My friend and I made a banner.
“We played really, really well, but John Barnes produced a bit of magic and George Reilly stuck it in to score the winning goal. After that, we were the better team, but it was not to be.
“It as a surreal day as a fan, who knows what it must've been like to play in.
“I can remember getting home, and Match of the Day was just finishing, but we were on. It was John Motson commentating, and Plymouth Argyle were on Match of the Day. For the modern generation, you can watch Argyle on TV every other week, or on Argyle TV, but back then, to be on Match of the Day for the quarter-final, and then at Villa Park, was mesmerising.
“In those days, three games were live on TV. You'd have the European Cup final, the FA Cup Final, and you'd have Scotland v England, the British Championship in the Home Nations, and that was it.
“Otherwise, you would wait for Match of the Day, or the Big Match on a Sunday. The FA Cup Final really was a huge thing, and on in everyone's home.
“You would sit down at 11.15am and that was it. You just locked yourself in the front room, shut the doors, drew the curtains and you came out at about half past five.
“I’ve got a little recollection of watching Southampton v Man United, in 1976, but 1979 stands out, Arsenal v Manchester United, 3-2, Alan Sunderland scoring. I can remember, as a kid, watching the last five or six minutes of that game in particular.
“I loved the Tottenham v Man City ones in 1981. It was 1-1 – Tommy Hutchinson at both ends – and then a replay. I would have been about 10. The memories are so clear.”
Argyle have not reached the heights of reaching the final four since ‘84, but spasmodically have managed to rekindle the cup flame with various encounters with major opposition. Nancekivell has often been part of these, from the terraces to the dugout.
“Everton at home, here, in 1989, stands out,” he said. “Sean McCarthy scored at the Devonport End, but we drew. They got a penalty right at the end, then we went to Goodison and lost in the replay.
“Everton, at that time, were a top, top side. They had recently been league champions.
“I can remember taking my daughters to Arsenal, at the Emirates, in 2009 when I was working with the Academy, that was great too.”
Getting closer to present day, Argyle drew Liverpool eight years ago, and caused a stir when, in the fourth tier, they drew 0-0 with a Liverpool team, admittedly far from full strength, but still with several internationals and future stars.
Nancekivell’s coaching star was rising, and he was shortly about to be subsumed into the first-team coaching staff, where he has remained since.
On that occasion, though, he was a fan like us all, in Anfield’s away end, alongside his family and the much missed commentator, Gordon Sparks.
“In 2017, I was working in the Academy and taking the reserves for Derek Adams,” said Nance. “I wasn’t part of the travelling first-team party, but we had tickets in the away end, and went up as a family. I was actually sitting next to Sparksy, I remember walking in with him.
“They are great memories. It was a good draw, and financially that enabled us to really go and strengthen the squad, in order to get promotion later on in the season.
“It’s disappointing that we don’t have replays anymore, but it’s certainly done our football club well. If we didn’t have replays in 1984, we might not have got to the semi-finals.
“It was good to have the best of both with Liverpool, to have a day at Anfield then have them at Home Park. It was a fantastic atmosphere, cracking that night, absolutely buzzing. It was a great night.
“And then there was Chelsea. That was better for me than Liverpool.”
Ah, yes, Chelsea. Away from home, in 2022, with football – well, the world – in the midst of recovering from the height of the Covid pandemic, Argyle headed to Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea were – get this – the reigning European Champions. And there was no softening of the squad, either. The Blues sent out a basically full-strength side, playing 10 of the 11 players that hard started their most recent Premier League tie.
Argyle led, through Macaulay Gillesphey, took the game to extra-time, and nearly went to a penalty shoot-out. In front of around 6,000 traveling Pilgrims, League One Argyle nearly caused a splash, and for Kevin, now a first-team coach, the day has special status.
“Until we beat Brentford, Chelsea away, for any Argyle fan, was some day,” he said. “I can remember finishing the warm-up, at our end, where two tiers were taken over. The noise as we went to salute the fans, after the warm-up for the game, was humbling and quite emotional. It was a bit special.
“I can remember walking in thinking: ‘we need to give this a right good go for the supporters’, because they were up for it, big-time.
“The game couldn’t have started any better, Macca scored with his head, and suddenly we are leading against the European Champions.
“We did great. We went to extra-time, finished with young, Academy lads like Adam Randell on the pitch, Ryan Law on the pitch. And it was a day Michael Cooper was projected into the national spotlight.
“It was a really, really proud day. That was the feeling of Chelsea away – how proud we were of Argyle at its best.
“At the time, I used to go with the captain to hand in the team sheets, handing in a written piece of paper. But, in the FA Cup, it changed that year, and it was all done digitally and electronically. We had to sit and wait for the teams to pop up on the computer.
“I can remember, I was with Jimmy Dickinson, who was the analyst at the time, and the Chelsea side popped up. We looked at each other, and took a big gasp of air.”
Three years later, and Argyle were back in West London, back at the home of a Premier League team. Although being at Brentford was not strolling into the yard of the Champions League holders, it was the team bottom of the Championship going to the team with the second-best home record in the top flight.
After a turbulent year, to say the least, Nance was, by now, top dog, even if just temporarily. Wayne Rooney’s departure led to Nancekivell, aided by club captain Joe Edwards, becoming caretaker boss for the fifth time in his life.
The Greens had drawn two previous league games, and took to the field at Brentford knowing that their next Head Coach, Miron Muslic, was watching from the stands.
Perhaps part of the display that day was the knowledge of the new boss keeping an eye on things, but surely there was part of the team doing it for their coach, Nance, a man who they respected, and to whom it meant the world.
His two footballing loves, Argyle and the FA Cup, came together in the perfect manner, with Argyle winning 1-0, ending 41 years without a win against a top-flight team in the competition, and giving temporary reprieve from a difficult league campaign.
The Green Army celebrated wildly, but Nancekivell, pushed reluctantly to the fore by ecstatic players, topped the lot. The emotions as he swung a celebratory fist skyward will be on Argyle highlights packages for years to come.
He has calmed down now. Just.
“I'm not as emotional as I was a few weeks ago, but it still comes back, because I think we've had a tough 12 months,” said Nancekivell. “Anybody who's working inside of the football club understands it and sees it every day.
“We’ve had lots of changes of manager, and I’ve had to step up – and I’ve been pleased and proud to do it.
“But there's a lot goes on, a lot of pressure to be under for that 12 months; it just seems to be continuous. There didn't seem to be a respite.
“The scenario was that going into Brentford, we're not having a fantastic time in the league. We've conceded a few too many goals. Part of you is thinking: ‘this could go badly wrong’ and it felt like it was all on my shoulders.
“And then we go and win like we did, in front of our supporters right in the corner.
“I could see Jo (Kevin’s wife) and my two girls there as well. A lot of emotion came out - and it’s still there now, really.
“It was a really, really proud day, but I think the whole 12 months leading up to that probably had an impact on my celebration and emotion. People who are close to me will understand what it all meant, and where the emotion was coming from.
“It's not about who takes the credit in the glory, it’s about everyone pulling together.
“The performance the lads put on, on the pitch; the subs that came on, the staff that stood with me and Joe; everyone involved with the football club showed what we are capable of. I think we made the city and the supporters really proud.”
And so to Sunday. It is the team top of the Premier League against the side bottom of the Championship. The teams are 43 places apart. One club has reached one semi-final, the other 25.
Topping all of the previous FA Cup days with a win over Liverpool feels unlikely but, ultimately, it is possible.
“It’s the FA Cup, we’re playing Liverpool at home. If you can't enjoy these sorts of occasions, then you probably shouldn't be in football,” said Nance.
“It’s come on us really quickly. We’ve had five games since Brentford, have welcomed some new members of staff, which has been fantastic to get to know and to work with them.
“The league is still our be-all-and-end-all. We’re still preparing and trying to get everything right for that – but we want to be in the FA Cup draw for the fifth round. Why can’t we be a giant-killing team, and take on Liverpool?”
