FA Cup Final 1966: Everton 3 Sheffield Wednesday 2

The result of the main event on the day was more decisive and after Harry Catterick's men recovered from 2-0 to win 3-2 against his former side, a crowd of a quarter-of-a-million well-wishers filled Liverpool's streets for their triumphant homecoming as the Cup returned to the city for the second consecutive year after a first victory for Everton's Anfield neighbours.

Everton's win ensured it was another 'Mersey double' for the city this season with Bill Shankly's team crowned League champions - just like in 1906 when the Goodison Park outfit lifted the FA Cup for the first time.

Ahead of the game, ex-Wednesday manager Catterick sprung a major surprise against his old employers by leaving out prolific goalscorer Fred Pickering, who netted in all of Everton's first four rounds before missing the semi-final victory over Manchester United with a knee injury.

Although the big Lancastrian - Everton's leading marksman with 22 strikes this term - had subsequently returned to fitness since the game against Matt Busby's men and turned out in three First Division matches, Catterick, a former centre-forward himself, remained unconvinced.

He said: "Whilst Pickering appears to have fully recovered physically from injury, he has had insufficient time to recover his confidence and form for me to risk him in such a vital game."

Pickering's replacement for the final was hardly like for like.

Little-known fringe player Mike Trebilcock, a diminutive Cornishman recruited from Plymouth Argyle was handed the biggest game of his life - but boy did he take it.

It had all started so differently though as within five minutes, Everton conceded for the first time during their entire Cup run this season when a shot by Wednesday's Jim McCalliog was deflected off England international left-back Ray Wilson beyond Gordon West.

Everton's hard luck story continued as Alex Young had the ball in the back of the Wednesday net only for his effort to be ruled out for offside and then the Scottish centre-forward seemed to be up-ended by Owls' custodian Ron Springett only for referee Jack Taylor to wave play on.

Despite these forays into the Wednesday box, Everton were very much second best before the interval with the underdogs from Yorkshire's steel city well worth their lead.

That advantage was doubled 12 minutes after the re-start when David Ford netted from a rebound after West had parried a fierce shot by John Fantham and BBC commentator Kenneth Wolstenholme declared: "That's it - Wednesday's Cup."

But how wrong he was as a spectacular three-goal burst in an amazing 15-minute period saw Everton turn this game on its head.

Within 120 seconds of Wednesday netting their second, Everton pulled a goal back through Trebilcock, who fired home a loose ball from 12 yards out after a Derek Temple header had been blocked.

A further five minutes later, the Goodison Park outfit were on level terms as Trebilcock struck again, this time crashing in from the edge of the box after Sam Ellis had only half-cleared an Alex Scott free-kick.

The goal prompted a mini pitch invasion from some over-enthusiastic Evertonians were one supporter - believed to be a certain Eddie Cavanagh, a well-known 'character' racing almost the entire length of the field, slipping out of his jacket to evade one policeman before eventually being 'rugby tackled' by a younger officer.

Yorkshiremen are not known for giving away generous gifts but fortunately for Everton, Wednesday wing-half Gerry Young hails from Jarrow in County Durham.

With 17 minutes remaining, Young failed to control a long ball by Colin Harvey and Temple raced through to fire past Springett for the sucker punch that floored Wednesday.