Kelly recalled how surreal it felt to see his beloved Hull City lining up against George Best, Bobby Charlton and Denis Law—likening it to facing Messi, Ronaldo and Mbappé—while speaking on the BBC’s Sporting Witness programme.
Former Hull player Frankie Banks remembered it as a huge occasion: Manchester United had been European champions just two years earlier, the atmosphere was electric, and although United were their idols and clear favorites, Hull were determined to show they could compete.
Hull struck first through Chris Chilton after 11 minutes, and Law equalized in the 78th to force extra time. As the additional half-hour ebbed away, the players realized they were on the brink of something unprecedented: a penalty shootout. Player-manager Terry Neill asked for takers; some hesitated, others stepped forward. As Banks put it, nobody wants to be the one who misses—especially the first ever.
Best coolly opened the shootout, slotting low to the left to become the first player to score from the spot in such a decider. Neill replied for Hull—making him the first player-manager to convert—keeping it level at 3-3. Then came a turning point: Law’s low effort was saved by Ian McKechnie, making Law the first man to miss in a shootout and McKechnie the first goalkeeper to make a save.
Ken Wagstaff missed for Hull, and after Willie Morgan scored for United, Hull had to convert their final kick. Up stepped McKechnie, the first keeper ever to take a penalty in a shootout. Kelly and many others, including United’s Alex Stepney, were stunned to see him walk forward. McKechnie struck powerfully but smashed his effort against the crossbar—becoming the first goalkeeper to miss in a shootout.
Banks insisted McKechnie was still the right choice—he had a sweet left foot and the courage to take it—and said he’d have backed him to score. Even so, that miss stayed with McKechnie for the rest of his life.