'The first time he saw snow': FA Cup chaos between Wrexham and West Ham revives as hilarious interview with Harry Redknapp resurfaces
As it snowed in North Wales, neither Wrexham nor West Ham United could have anticipated the ridiculous FA Cup scenes that would follow.
The hammers had made the 223 mile journey from Upton Park to The Racecourse for a third round tie.
But once the visitors, led by Harry Redknapparrived at the scene, they would have been forgiven for anticipating that the match would be abandoned.
The entire Hippodrome field was covered in snow, forcing ground staff to work overtime.
Surprisingly, the match went ahead with an impressive 9,747 fans cheering up and braving the elements to support their respective teams.
But a look at the countryside turned out to be a rather amusing sight.
The only areas of the field that were cleared of snow were the 18-yard boxers, the center circle, the halfway line and the sidelines.
Everywhere was a white sight as players struggled to negotiate the orange ball amid the conditions.
Passes on the ground forced the ball to bounce, clearances were missed and shots on goal flew wide.
Amidst the chaos at The Racecourse, two goals were scored which eventually sparked a replay at Upton Park.
Bryan Hughes scored for Wrexhamwho at that time were in the third division.
As for the Hammers, Portuguese striker Hugo Porfirio scored what turned out to be one of only two goals during their temporary stay in east London.
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However, Porfirio will not remember the game just because of the goal.
“First time (Porfirio) has seen snow,” Redknapp said.
“He'd never seen snow until this period of snow we've had. He'd never seen snow in his life.”
So what did Porfirio say to his former boss when he saw snow for the first time?
“Well, I couldn't believe the English were man enough to play football like that,” Redknapp said.
Not only that, but some players even donned short-sleeved shirts and shorts for the match.
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It's a look that seems unfathomable in today's football, where players opt for gloves, hats and base layers to stay warm in cold winter conditions.
The replay between Wrexham and West Ham at Upton Park was played in much more favorable conditions, but Redknapp may have wished for the snow to return.
Wrexham's Kevin Russell scored what proved to be the decisive goal as the Welsh side pulled off a major upset over the Premier League side who featured a young Fernando River and Frank Lampard on his starting team that day.
West Ham were not the only scalp Wrexham claimed in the FA Cup that season.
After a 4–2 victory over Peterborough United in the fourth round, Wrexham beat second division side Birmingham City 3–1 at St. Andrew's to qualify for the quarter-finals.
Unfortunately, the Welsh team did not advance further as they lost 1-0 to Chesterfield.
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However, Wrexham's run to the FA Cup quarter-finals during the 1996/97 season equaled their best finish in the tournament.
Unfortunately, the Hollywood-owned club will have to wait until next season to attempt another deep run in the tournament after were knocked out in the first round by Harrogate Town of League Two.
Wrexham peppered their opponents with 21 shots and had 63 per cent possession, but simply couldn't find a way past Harrogate as Jack Muldoon's 24th-minute goal proved to be the difference.
