POSH PREVIEW: Mighty Mac recalls the day Peterborough United beat Arsenal

It doesn’t sound a lot, but the left-winger winger, who is now a sprightly 80-year-old and still living in the city, wouldn’t swap his memories for the riches today’s stars enjoy.

McNamee’s goal earned Third Division Posh a 2-1 win over the First Division Gunners at London Road and that fourth round success - exactly 51 years ago on Saturday (January 30)- remains the only FA Cup win by the city side over top-flight opposition.

And the glory didn’t end with victory over Arsenal. Posh went on to beat Second Division Swansea in a replay before losing 5-1 against Chelsea in the quarter-finals at Stamford Bridge. It’s the best FA Cup run in Posh history.

“I had 11 years at Posh and they were all great years,” McNamee recalled. “It was non-stop success from winning the Midland League every season, to getting into the Football League and winning Division Four at the first attempt, and to great days in the FA Cup.

“We were watched by huge crowds compared to today’s team. We were getting 12-15,000 every week when the population of Peterborough was just 70,000.

“As a team and a city we enjoyed so many great days. We played in front of a packed Villa Park of over 60,000 in 1961 and I was lucky enough to score and earn a comparison with Stanley Matthews!

“But Arsenal was obviously one of the best days. We were losing 1-0 at half-time to a John Radford goal, but we kept going forward and eventually Derek Dougan equalised with about 20 minutes to go.

“And then with five minutes left Ron Barnes crossed and I side-footed the ball into the net first time. The Posh fans poured onto the pitch and I was carried back to the centre circle. It took a while to clear the pitch, but it was all good-natured.

“We saw the game out and enjoyed a great night in town when the players didn’t have to buy a drink all night.

“We drew with Swansea 0-0 at home in the next round and I told Dougan off for missing a couple of headed chances because it had cost us the chance of another £4 bonus.

“Anyway before the replay chairman Vic Grange came into the dressing room at Swansea and offered us £150 a man if we won. The winners had been drawn away to Chelsea so the club stood to make a lot of money.

“And we did win 2-0 and as we left the pitch Dougan came up behind me, called me a rude name, and said; ‘I knew what I was doing in the first game. I’ve just earned us all an extra £150!”

Don Howe, Frank McLintock, Joe Baker, George Armstrong, George Eastham and Ian Ure were in the Arsenal side. Posh were managed by Gordon Clark.

Posh: Duff, Cooper, Birks, Crowe, Rankmore, Orr, Barnes, Conmy, Dougan, Deakin, McNamee.

Arsenal: Burns, Howe, Clarke, McLintock, Ure, Court, Skirton, Radford, Baker, Eastham, Armstrong.

Goals: Posh - Dougan (72 mins), McNamee (86).

Arsenal - Radford (42 mins).

Attendance: 30,056.

The other 21 Posh v top division ties in the FA Cup have ended in defeat.

1954: Cardiff 3, Posh 1 (Martin).

1959: Sheff Wed 2, Posh 0.

1961: Posh 1 (Hails), Aston Villa 1; Aston Villa 2, Posh 1 (McNamee).

1965: Posh 2 (Dougan, McNamee), Arsenal 1.

1965: Chelsea 5, Posh 1 (Crowe).

1967: Sunderland 7, Posh 1 (Watson).

1972: Posh 0, Ipswich 2.

1973: Posh 0, Derby 1.

1974: Posh 1 (Cozens), Leeds 4.

1975: Posh 1 (Nixon), Middlesbrough 1; Middlesbrough 2, Posh 0.

1976: Manchester United 3, Posh 1 (Cozens).

1978: Posh 1 (Sargent), Newcastle 1;Newcastle 2, Posh 0.

1981: Posh 0, Man City 1.

1983: Luton 3, Posh 0.

1994: Posh 1 (Brissett), Spurs 1; Spurs 1, Posh 1 (Charlery). Spurs won on pens.

2001: Chelsea 5, Posh 0.

2002: Posh 2 (og, Farrell), Newcastle 4.

2009: West Brom 1, Posh 1 (Mackail-Smith); Posh 0, West Brom 2.

2010: Spurs 4, Posh 0.

2011: Fulham 6, Posh 2 (Tomlin, McCann).

2012: Posh 0, Sunderland 2.

2013: Posh 0, Norwich 3