Moran relives historic red card at Wembley

The Republic of Ireland centre-back was shown a straight red card by referee Peter Willis for up-ending Everton's Peter Reid in the Reds' 1985 triumph at Wembley.

Norman Whiteside scored a brilliant winner for the 10 men, against the much-fancied Toffees, to get our hands on the trophy for the second time in Ron Atkinson's reign.

The decision sparked controversy at the time and Moran was not even allowed to pick up his winner's medal afterwards.

Although in the context of today's game, it does look like a sending-off incident, at the time, most viewed the decision as harsh. Even Reid admitted as much after the game, saying it was the wrong call, after Moran remonstrated with the official and was distraught at making history in an unfortunate way.

"No I never did, honestly," the Irishman replied to David May on the UTD Podcast, when asked if he thought he would be sent off.

"I didn't even think it was a foul at the time and it was only afterwards, looking at it, I said; 'oh that doesn't look great'."

"But there was no intent on my behalf. Absolutely none. My foot was on the ground, I was going for the ball. I thought I'd got it. I thought I'd got a nick on it even. So when he turned around, I couldn't believe the red card and, when he pulled me back, I'm thinking: 'He's going to give me a yellow. I can't believe that!' He pulled out a red and, genuinely, I saw red.

"I think most people would say, every day of the week, it's a yellow but it's never a red card and, in those days, you didn't get sent off, and to do it in a cup final then as well. At the time, nobody was telling me this [that he was the first player ever to be sent off in an FA Cup final]. I only found that out afterwards."

Whether Moran should receive his medal was a major talking point at the time and one that was far from clear, as he explained in detail.

"I can always remember, at the end, Big Ron pulls me over and says: 'Oh, by the way, I've just been told you can't receive your medal'," recalled Moran. "'But you go up those steps, you deserve to go up those steps anyway'.

"So I went up the steps and, sure enough, as I went up, the guy goes to do it and I'm going: 'No, I'm told I can't take the medal'. So he just put it back again! Ron told me [I was not eligible to get a medal]. Now who made that decision, I'd love to know. It's not a rule now.

"I remember at the start of the following season, I still hadn't got it. So there was talk about me being presented with the medal on the pitch by Sir Matt [Busby], which I thought would be a nice gesture. But, for some reason, the FA didn't want that to happen or they ruled against it. So it was there you are, there's your medal. So I just got the medal."

Listen to the Kevin Moran UTD Podcast in full on ManUtd.com and the United App. It's also available from all the usual providers.