FA Cup Final Day. The showpiece of the FA callender. Well it use to be. What are you memories of final day?
For me; just an 8 year old, my first memory is the 69 final, but only Manchester City’s red & black kit, thought it looked smart. Don’t recall the next at Wembley, Chelsea v Dirty Leeds. But oh do I remember the reply. Arsenal v Liverpool was the first full 90 (120) minute Wembley showpiece I remember, Charlie George classic. I then watched everyone until the mid 90’s. Chelsea v Middlesbrough in 97 the last full match I watched. Since then, can’t even remember who played in any final since. Continually watered down by the FA themselves. Starting with allowing Manchester United to opt out, then devaluing the art of reaching Wembley by playing the semis there. Now it’s moving kick off to early evening to facilitate tv. No thought for any northern based clubs fans whom have no trains to return home on at weekends. And now, finally, just slotting it in on a normal weekend of league fixtures. So many people actually don’t even realise it is this weekend.
Is it now only relevant to the participating clubs? I know people will say why worry because Burnley don’t seem to give a toss, but this is the problem. The FA have devalued it so much, it’s not finically viable to risk injury by playing in the early round matches. So only the big clubs with 12 internationals in reserve stand a chance. Thoughts?

It died when it meant so little to big clubs. Still a great competition to look forward too if you're a lower or non league club though. Would be great if they changed it to spice things to a bit. Perhaps make it an English player only thing for the top clubs so they have to field their youth players more. Would open it up a bit to give lesser teams a more consistent chance of winning.

To be fair though, weren't Watford in last seasons final? No lower league team but you can bet their fans were buzzing after that run.

I’ll be honest, I had to Google it. Watford year before. Lost 6-0 to Man City. Last season. Arsenal v Chelsea. I would not have got that in a month of Sunday’s. That’s how it is now. Basically a nothing game unless your team is in it.

My earliest football memory was the 1982 replay and funnily enough it was QPRs red and black kit that sticks in my mind too.

My earliest football memory was the 1962 Cup Final. My Dad worked for Bob Lord and he got him a ticket. I remember seeing him on tv walking down Wembley Way waving at the cameras. I also remember the great feeling when Jimmy Robson equalised but being absolutely gutted when they restored their lead almost immediately.

We used to get a copy of the programme from the news agent on cup final day, we'd watch all the TV coverage, and there was lots, relive who we had gone out to.

Generally a very big day in a young lads year
.
Maybe we will be almost safe from relegation next season by Christmas and we can have a real go for the FA cup?.

UP THE CLARETS

I can't remember the last cup final I watched in full.

superdimitri wrote: ↑

Sat May 15, 2021 6:33 am

It died when it meant so little to big clubs. Still a great competition to look forward too if you're a lower or non league club though.

You’re right, it’s great for non league. Just getting through a couple of the very early rounds can be about six months worth of usual gate and bar takings. And on occasion, it can set teams up for 10 years (ie Marine after drawing Spurs).

Used to love the telly coverage on CF Day. Now it’s a 5:15 kick off most of the days gone. Should move it back to 3:00 and have it as the final game of the season.

And good luck to Leicester. They lost in the final three times in the 60s -hope they beat Chelsea.

Cup final Grandstand was fantastic. Talking you through all the players individually. Their Road to Wembley. Cameras at the team hotel. Cameras on the team busses to Wembley.
ITV went the other way with celebrity fans, I never enjoyed that.
I went off it mid-80s went they slanted it away from team v team towards star player v star player. Football is a team game and they all deserve their 5 minutes of fame.

Earliest FA Cup Final memory for me is the 1971 Arsenal v Liverpool one, watching it with my parents and late older brother who was a lifetime Arsenal fan.

The programming started the night before with 'Who's going to win the cup?" - a bunch of TV pundits and ex footballers sat around a dinner table smoking and drinking while they discussed the subject.

The day itself, TV following the teams from breakfast to kick off with a few fun features and It's a knockout in between.

It's a shame that an event that used to be a truly big deal for most footy fans everywhere is just another 'meh' game now for all the reasons already mentioned on this thread.

50 years on from watching that brilliant Final as an excited 10 year old on our first colour TV I'd genuinely forgot it was Final day today and who was actually in it.

hYWfW ......Let's not forget CF day It's A Knockout?!!

FA cup final day was third behind Christmas day and your birthday, brilliant build up and a live game nearly always crap but live. Family, friends and a buffet at our house.

1984 Everton 2 Watford 0 was my first memory of a final. I was 6 and taken to a packed out pub as my dad is an Everton fan.
Buffet food on. Great atmosphere.

The 80s were great for cup finals

huw.Y.WattfromWare wrote: ↑

Sat May 15, 2021 8:36 am

Cup final Grandstand was fantastic. Talking you through all the players individually. Their Road to Wembley. Cameras at the team hotel. Cameras on the team busses to Wembley.
ITV went the other way with celebrity fans, I never enjoyed that.
I went off it mid-80s went they slanted it away from team v team towards star player v star player. Football is a team game and they all deserve their 5 minutes of fame.

Just picking up the '5 minutes of fame' it has happened to a number of previously 'unsung' footballers on Cup Final day. Don't think I've watched a Cup Final for over 30 years now but previous to that some older posters might recall some of these players who left their mark on the showpiece of the season. Roy Dwight scored a goal for Forest then broke his leg in 1959; in 1961 Len Chalmers hobbled his way through a defeat for Leicester(no subs then). In 1966 Mike Trebilcock scored two goals to help Everton win and was never heard of again. Ian Porterfield scored the winner for underdogs,Sunderland v Leeds in 1973 and 3 years later the late Bobby Stokes had his moment scoring the winner for 2nd division Southampton v Man Utd. 1978 Roger Osborne scored the winner for Ipswich against Arsenal and never played for them again. A year later saw Alan Sunderland's exciting winner for Arsenal a minute after Man Utd. had drawn level.
In 83 a Brighton player,Alan Smith?, gained notoriety and a fanzine title, 'And Smith must score' for missing a 'sitters for Brighton near the end of their game v Man Utd. In 1987, Keith Houchen.of Coventry equalised v Spurs with a diving.header. Think it was 1992 when Liverpool turned up in cream suits for their final against Sunderland but I stand corrected on that one. And I don't think I've seen a Cup Final since then and won't be changing that habit today sadly.

Dick Malone of Sunderland is the one that stands out for me, Silky.
Playing RB against Eddie Gray and totally shut him down after all the predictions said he'd be toast.

The first I remember, via my gran's TV are the two ('57 and '58) Man U finals where, in each, their goalie got significantly barged and they lost. Aston Villa the opponents in the first (barge by McParland on Wood- carried off, down to 10 men); Bolton in the second (barge by Lion of Vienna on Gregg- knocked senseless over the line for a goal). I thought it was a CF tradition to barge a goalie
We got a tele by the next one and I recall watching the Forest v Luton final on our own little B&W box with a few neighbours round to see the novelty in action.
Never seen an FA CF live as I was deemed too young to go to London in '62 (ie. my dad fancied an unencumbered night on the town in t'smoke).

I doubt I'll even watch today's final live on TV; I've not watched most in the last 15 years or so. Ill pick up the highlights if its reported as a decent game.

This used to be the highlight of the season, indeed the whole week was devoted to the build-up, now it's sandwiched between CL and PL games, and it's almost becoming merely a sideshow alas.

I probably couldn't recall most of the FA Cup finals this century, but I could certainly recall the classics from the 70's and 80's in particular.

I was spoiled for cup finals in my youth.

86- Liverpool 3 Everton 1 in the first ever all Merseyside final surprisingly.
87-Covemtry 3 Spurs 2, and who will ever forget Keith Houchen's spectacular diving header, one of the classic cup final goals of all time.
88- Liverpool 0 Wimbledon 1, the crazy gang finally get their hands on major silverware, Lawrie Sanchez with a bullet header, after John Aldridge saw his penalty saved.
89-Liverpool 3 Everton 2 played in the shadow of Hillsborough and a very emotive occasion, yet despite that both teams produced a classic 5 goal thriller.
90-A 6 goal thriller to end on as Palace and United fought out an epic draw, and that of course followed Palace winning a 7 goal thriller to knock Liverpool out in the Villa Park semi-final.

And this is another classic tradition which ahs been lost now, the semi-finals being staged at a neutral venue that wasn't Wembley, playing the semi-finals at Wembley completely demeans the concept for me, Wembley should be exclusively for the final.

Most of the games in recent memory have been cagey affairs, the only one that springs to mind is the 2006 clash between Liverpool & West Ham when Stevie G blasted in a last minute equaliser to take it to penalties.

So whoever wins today, and as a neutral it'd be nice for Leicester to finally get their hands on the trophy, I just hope we get plenty of gaols and excitement, there will of course be some fans in the ground also, which will make a pleasant change after all these behind closed doors matches.

Silkyskills1 wrote: ↑

Sat May 15, 2021 11:13 am

Just picking up the '5 minutes of fame' it has happened to a number of previously 'unsung' footballers on Cup Final day. Don't think I've watched a Cup Final for over 30 years now but previous to that some older posters might recall some of these players who left their mark on the showpiece of the season. Roy Dwight scored a goal for Forest then broke his leg in 1959; in 1961 Len Chalmers hobbled his way through a defeat for Leicester(no subs then). In 1966 Mike Trebilcock scored two goals to help Everton win and was never heard of again. Ian Porterfield scored the winner for underdogs,Sunderland v Leeds in 1973 and 3 years later the late Bobby Stokes had his moment scoring the winner for 2nd division Southampton v Man Utd. 1978 Roger Osborne scored the winner for Ipswich against Arsenal and never played for them again. A year later saw Alan Sunderland's exciting winner for Arsenal a minute after Man Utd. had drawn level.
In 83 a Brighton player,Alan Smith?, gained notoriety and a fanzine title, 'And Smith must score' for missing a 'sitters for Brighton near the end of their game v Man Utd. In 1987, Keith Houchen.of Coventry equalised v Spurs with a diving.header. Think it was 1992 when Liverpool turned up in cream suits for their final against Sunderland but I stand corrected on that one. And I don't think I've seen a Cup Final since then and won't be changing that habit today sadly.

Keith Houchen's header was a beauty.

Think the cream suits was 1996 v Man Utd. That was a really **** game.

You could add Lawrie Sanchez, Dave Beasent and the Crazy Gang to that list. And Mark Robins arguably saving Fergie's career in 1990.

tiger76 wrote: ↑

Sat May 15, 2021 11:56 am

And this is another classic tradition which ahs been lost now, the semi-finals being staged at a neutral venue that wasn't Wembley, playing the semi-finals at Wembley completely demeans the concept for me, Wembley should be exclusively for the final.

This is it for me. The only reason the semi finals were moved there was to recoup the costs of building it.

Its an expensive day out once but those that make the final have to do it twice
I’ve know fans of other teams that have had to weigh up “miss out” on seeing their team at Wembley, so that they can go to the final should they make it

wilks_bfc wrote: ↑

Sat May 15, 2021 12:10 pm

This is it for me. The only reason the semi finals were moved there was to recoup the costs of building it.

Its an expensive day out once but those that make the final have to do it twice
I’ve know fans of other teams that have had to weigh up “miss out” on seeing their team at Wembley, so that they can go to the final should they make it

There's far too many games at Wembley full stop for me, and yes I know why it's too generate income to cover the costs, but playing at Wembley used to be an event, now a lot of players will play there at least once a season, and it's not the unique experience it used to be sadly.

Clearly the FA have the same regard for the fans as UEFA do, in other words they count for nowt, and it's all about the bottom line.

Fa Cup means nothing to me these days.

I didn't even realise it was on until I turned the TV on to watch todays game, doubt I will watch it

A quarter of midget gems, a Mars bar, a marathon and a can of Fanta orange. Watch the whole programme in my bedroom from start to finish. Probably the only live game I’d see all season on tv so it was a special game as a kid.

It's just great to finally have a genuine atmosphere at a footy game after so long viewing empty stands. And even with only 20k or so inside Wembley it's noisy.

Footy really is nothing without the fans

Its nice not to hear the constant noise of the ball being kicked , players shouting, fake crowd noise. Credit to both sets of fans. The 22000 in wembley are making it a better atmosphere than most other recent fa cup finals when theres been 90000 in !!!! Actually enjoying first cup final in years. Just needs a goal now

I know most on here down grade it.

But let's not forget it will be the most watched club football match of the year in the UK.

On another note. How the hell has Tammy Abraham not even made the matchday squad (and hes not injured) . Is he not there leading scorer in this years cup? The fact Tuchel has stuck with Kepa in goal as hes played every round ??????? Baffling decsion especially as its looking Werner is struggling now after his knock when he just got booked

Come on Leicester.

Tammy Abraham will probably be heading off to Aston Villa in the summer where he had great success when on loan. Cannot imagine Tuchel will retain him at Chelsea as he seems to have been frozen out completely.

Good to see fans back but boy have they amplified the crowd sounds ( not knew as sky been doing it for 20+ yrs but still )

goosebumps at that crowd noise, just waiting for VAR to screw it up

Great Goal.

What a goal. Come on Leicester!!!

Great goal. And great to hear real celebrations.

I thought that if the ball was handled in the lead up to a goal then the goal should be chalked off?

Wow

Great goal. Nearly Paterson esque!

Thats a goal worthy of winning a cup final for certain ...

Cracking save!!!!

yep proper save

What a save that was

2 world class saves from Kaspar

Oops oh dear Morgan

Lucky bstards 1-1

Hahahahahaha VAR rules it out

No it’s not

lol VAR gonna spoil the party

VAR!!!!!

Correctly too I must add

rofl