FA Cup Final

As one of the most competitive football seasons for some years draws to a close, we await the most anticipated day in the sporting calendar. The 2024 FA Cup Final between Manchester City and Manchester Utd takes place on May 25th (kick off 3pm) and brings the English domestic season to an end. All the pre-match build-up and live coverage of this, the 153rd final, is available on both BBC and ITV.

Most football fans will have fond childhood memories of the excitement and anticipation on FA Cup Final day, but as a child it didn’t seem to matter too much if the team you supported was playing. Watching the extended build-up on TV, seeing the team buses arrive, and the players walking around the pitch prior to kick-off, Cup Final day remains very special for fans of all ages.

FA Cup trivia 

The first FA Cup Final was held at the Kennington Oval, which was Surrey’s international cricket ground. It was on the 16th of March 1872 and Wanderers beat Royal Engineers 1-0.

The first Wembley final was in 1923 when Bolton Wanderers (no relation to the Wanderers team of 1872) beat West Ham 2-0 in front of a crowd of, officially, 126,047, but believed to be nearer 300,000. The large crowd overflowed onto the field and a police horse named Billy was used to regain control. This became known as the “White Horse Final.” 

The 1927 final saw ‘Abide With Me‘ being sung for the first time at a Cup Final, which has since become a tradition.

Arsenal have lifted the FA Cup 14 times, more than any other team.

The record for the most FA Cup winning appearances by a player is held by Ashley Cole, who has won it seven times (with Arsenal in 2002, 2003 and 2005, and with Chelsea in 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2012).

The quickest goal in a Cup Final was scored after just 12 seconds by Ilkay Gundogan for Man City in 2023 against Man Utd.

Memorable finals

Everyone seems to remember the first FA Cup Final they saw, although it does seem to give away your age – mine was 1985 when a solitary goal from Norman Whiteside helped Manchester Utd defeat Everton 1-0. What was the first FA Cup Final you watched? And what was your favourite final? My favourite was 1987 when Coventry City beat Tottenham Hotspur 3-2 after extra time.

The 1953 final was a real classic. Blackpool 4 Bolton 3, and was dubbed the ‘Matthews final’ after the virtuoso performance of Blackpool winger Stanley Matthews. The game had been locked at 3-3 when Bill Perry’s 92nd minute goal won it for Blackpool in what is still their only triumph.

1981 saw Tottenham Hotspur beat Manchester City 3-2. After an initial 1-1 draw, this high scoring replay provided probably the most famous Cup Final goal from Argentinian Ricky Villa, after opening the scoring early on, Villa dribbled past 4 players to score the winner late in the second half.

1988 saw the unforgettable ‘Crazy Gang’ as Wimbledon beat Liverpool 1-0. It was the battle of Vinnie Jones vs Steve McMahon in midfield; Dave Beasant saving the first penalty in an FA Cup Final from John Aldridge; and Dennis Wise crossing for a Lawrie Sanchez winner.

1989 was memorable for many reasons. It was Everton 2 Liverpool 3. These two sides met at Wembley just five weeks after the Hillsborough disaster in which 96 Liverpool fans tragically died. Prior to kick-off, both sets of supporters took part in a rendition of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’. Stuart McCall’s last-minute equalizer took the game into extra time, only for Ian Rush’s second goal to finally secure victory for the red half of Merseyside.

Liverpool v Manchester United in 1996 was also memorable, with the Liverpool squad infamously parading round the pitch in their white suits and sunglasses before the game. Manchester United won 1-0 and the mercurial Eric Cantona had the last laugh – volleying home his goal just 5 minutes before the end.

This year’s Manchester clash is a repeat of last years final, which is the first time that this has happened since 1885.  United needed a penalty shootout to finally see off a plucky Coventry City after a dramatic 3-3 draw in their semi-final. Manchester City narrowly edged past Chelsea 1-0 thanks to a late Bernardo Silva goal.

The Great Debate: Is the Enhanced Games a good idea?

So, imagine the concept of being able to watch athletes compete legally when using dope. This highly controversial sporting event is rumoured to be taking place at some point next year.

It is the brainchild of businessmen Dr Aaron D’Souza, Peter Thiel (who co-founded PayPal) and AI/ crypto investor Christian Angermayer. Organisers claim that it will be a better version of the Olympic Games. The events are planned to be based around Athletics, Aquatics, Gymnastics, Combat and Strength. Australian swimmer James Magnussen, who is a 3-time Olympic medallist, has said that if they put up a million dollars for the 50-metre freestyle then he’ll sign up as the first athlete. “I’ll juice to the gills and I’ll break it within six months”.

The Enhanced Games Website states “Instead of steroid abuser they should be called an enhanced athlete.” 

A new documentary has been created by Ridley Scott Associates and Rob McElhenney’s production company. It will follow the journey of the first 10 athletes who sign up for the Enhanced Games.

So, should this go ahead?

YES

President Dr Aaron D’Souza said: “Let’s be clear. Drug testing is about fairness, not safety. Our games aim to be the safest sporting event in the world, we prioritise athlete safety.

“In partnership with top scientists and clinicians, we are developing a full system medical pre-competition screening protocol to protect the athletes.”

D’Souza believes: “There is no better forum for highlighting the centrality of science in our modern world than in elite sports.”

It is arguable that there are many athletes in a variety of sports who illegally use performance enhancement drugs to gain an advantage over their opponents, thus creating an uneven playing field. Roman Gladiators are believed to have used stimulants and hallucinogens, and Ancient Greeks used performance enhancements.

NO

From a health perspective it is surely worrying. Australian Olympic Committee chief Matt Carroll said:  “The concept of a drug-enhanced games is dangerous.” Australia’s Sport Integrity Director Lex Cooper – without referring specifically to the games – also raised concerns as many of the substances in use have not made it through clinical trials at all. They’re dangerous because of the side effects and we have no idea about the long-term effects.

Athletes who take part may face bans from mainstream sports. 

Another question mark is how or whether law enforcement will get involved if it involves illegality. The NHS stated that these types of drugs are addictive, as anyone who has been addicted to drugs will know.