For Everton and Tottenham, reaching the 1995 FA Cup semi-finals was an opportunity to redeem troubling seasons. The only problem was the venue: Elland Road, where neither team had fond memories. It had been five years since Spurs won in LS11, when Gary Lineker was still scoring goals and eating crisps up front. Everton had to go back even further, to 1985, for their last win at Elland Road, a distant era when the Toffees were one of the best sides in Europe and Peter Lorimer was still playing for Leeds.

Everton were now battling relegation after failing to win any of their first twelve Premier League fixtures and replacing manager Mike Walker with Joe Royle. Tottenham were not even meant to be playing in the FA Cup. Ahead of the season, they had been docked twelve points in the league and suspended from the Cup after an FA investigation into financial irregularities dating back to the 1980s. Chairman Alan Sugar campaigned to have the sporting punishments overturned, settling for an increased fine of £1.5m. In the interim, Sugar made his own managerial change, sacking Ossie Ardiles and hiring Gerry Francis.

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