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7 unusual facts about FA Cup final


Band of the Grenadier Guards

The band also performs at other non-military events such as Henley Regatta, Royal Ascot, the FA Cup Final and international rugby matches and opened the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester.

FA Cup Final

With his goal in the 2012 Final, Chelsea's Didier Drogba became the first man to score a goal in four different Finals.

It is the culmination of a knockout competition among clubs belonging to The Football Association in England, although Scottish and Irish teams competed in the early years and Welsh teams regularly compete, with Cardiff City winning the Cup in 1927 and reaching the final in 2008.

Early FA Cup Finals were held at various venues including Fallowfield Stadium but were mainly in London.

The FA Cup Final is one of ten events reserved for live broadcast on UK terrestrial television under the Ofcom Code on Sports and Other Listed and Designated Events.

Lingdale

Birthplace of Bobby Smith, former Spurs and England centre-forward, who played in their double-winning side of 1961, and scored in the FA Cup Final, on two separate occasions.

Skelmersdale United F.C.

That year United won their way to the FA Amateur Cup Final at Wembley in front of 75,000 spectators (which, at the time, was the biggest Wembley attendance for any game other than an FA Cup Final, League Cup or International game).


1947–48 FA Cup

Stanley Matthews was playing his first season for Blackpool and they led the favourites 2-1 only to lose to United, who hadn't appeared in an FA Cup Final for 39 years, won 4–2, with two goals from Jack Rowley and one apiece from Stan Pearson and John Anderson.

1970–71 Liverpool F.C. season

One signing which took place a few days before they finished runners-up in the FA Cup Final was the signing of Kevin Keegan from Scunthorpe United for £35,000.

Arthur W. Barton

He was a top-class football referee: he refereed the Semi-final between Austria and Poland in the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, and was linesman in the 1936 FA Cup Final between Arsenal and Sheffield United.

Bert Freeman

The semi-final saw them come up against Sheffield United; the first match was again goalless, and in the replay at Goodison Park Tommy Boyle scored the goal (a long-range effort past the Sheffield keeper) that put Burnley into the FA Cup Final for the first time in their history, where they were to meet Liverpool.

Craig Hignett

In 1996–97 Hignett again suffered relegation with Middlesbrough and was part of the team that lost in the FA Cup final and League Cup final the same season.

Football programme

It is now quite common for a 1920's FA Cup Final programme to fetch in excess of £1000 at respectable auction houses such as Sotheby's or Bonhams with said sale receiving national press coverage.

Steff Gaulter

Gaulter joined Sky News as a weather forecaster in November 2002, particularly enjoying external broadcasts from the Cheltenham Festival, the FA Cup Final from Cardiff and from the Glastonbury Festival.

Teddy Wynyard

He centred the Old Carthusians' team at the FA Cup Final at Kennington Oval on 9 April 1881, and, 25 minutes into the match, he scored his team's first goal in a 3–0 win against the Old Etonians.

Thomas Bridges Hughes

His football career included appearances for Oxford University (when he played against Cambridge University in March 1874), Swifts and Old Wykehamists, but he achieved notability for his exploits with the Wanderers amateur club, who won five of he first seven FA Cup finals.

Vic Keeble

He moved to Newcastle for £15,000 and played for the Tynesiders in the 1955 FA Cup Final, he is the only surviving member of Newcastle United's famous 1950's FA Cup winning sides.


see also

1970–71 FA Cup

Steve Heighway scored for Liverpool first, before Arsenal equalised with a scrambled goal from substitute Eddie Kelly - the first time a substitute had ever scored in an FA Cup final.

1988 FA Cup Final

The Merseysiders were awarded a penalty on the hour mark following a foul by Clive Goodyear on John Aldridge, though replays showed that Goodyear won the ball cleanly, but Aldridge's penalty was saved by Beasant's diving save to his left, thus becoming the first keeper to save a penalty in a Wembley FA Cup final.

Chris Lawler

He again tasted the disappointment of defeat when he played in the 1971 FA Cup final defeat to Arsenal, but that was all put behind him when Liverpool earned a League title and UEFA Cup double in 1973, The Reds beat Arsenal by 3 points in the league and fought off a fightback by Borussia Mönchengladbach after The Reds had won the first leg 3–0 at Anfield Gladbach fell just short winning the 2nd leg 2–0 thus Liverpool gaining a 3–2 aggregate victory

Dickson Nwakaeme

During FA Cup semi-final second leg, Nwakaeme who scored the late extra-time winner to steer Kelantan to a 6-5 aggregate win over Terengganu at the Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah Stadium in Kuala Terengganu to reach the FA Cup final.

Hugh Mitchell

Hugh E. Mitchell (1849–1937), Scottish member of the Royal Engineers who played in the 1872 FA Cup Final

James Molyneux

Jim Molyneux, footballer who played for Chelsea in the 1915 FA Cup Final

Jim Leighton

However, his lack of confidence during 1989–90 let both his team mates and himself down as United finished 13th in the league, although they did reach the FA Cup final – their first major final in five years.

John Hawley Edwards

A week after the FA Cup Final replay, Edwards played for the Wales national team in their inaugural match, played at Hamilton Crescent, Partick on 25 March 1876.

Keith Gillespie

In his final full season at Newcastle, the 1997–98 season, Gillespie helped Newcastle to reach the FA Cup final.

Lochore Welfare F.C.

Among these are Willie Johnston, who could often be seen playing for Lochore before going on to play for Rangers and Scotland and Ian Porterfield, whose greatest moment of glory was scoring the winning goal for Sunderland in the FA Cup final.

Milford on Sea

David Peach (Gillingham, Southampton (FA Cup Final 1976), Swindon Town, Orient and England u/23 footballer).