Saturday 14th May 2022 - 16:45, Wembley StadiumPART 1 (I've had to split the preview into two parts, as it was too big for one post - Enjoy!)On Saturday we play in our first FA Cup final in a decade, against the same opponents we faced in our last one. However a lot has changed in that 10 years. That day we were underdogs and reliant on Andy Carroll coming off the bench to score and almost save us. This time around we are without doubt the favourites going in, with arguably the strongest squad of players in European if not World football. Like last time we've also won the League Cup on penalties, but unlike last time we are facing the same team who pushed us and at times bettered us earlier this season, so we know it'll be no pushover despite the strength of our squad.So what's happened since the League Cup win.Well Chelsea actually responded quite well. After narrowly avoiding defeat in the FA Cup 5th round at Luton, coming back from 2-0 down they won the next five games, before a 4-1 home defeat to Brentford was followed by the 3-1 loss also at home to Real Madrid in the CL. Again they bounced back well with a 6-0 win over Southampton and winning their semi final against Crystal Palace, either side of their 2nd leg victory in the Bernabeu albeit despite the win a late capitulation saw them go out.Since then they've been patchy at best losing to Arsenal and Everton and drawing with Man Utd and letting a two goal lead slip to Wolves. There's obviously a lot of uncertainty at the moment with a number of players looking like they could be off in the summer, but it seems like they may be close to a new owner so perhaps they will stabilise. They don't appear to have any fresh injury concerns with Kante and Jorginho expected back against Leeds on Wednesday, and I still expect one last big effort from those who line up on Saturday and think we'll need to be at our best to win out.As for us, we've largely continued our march since the League Cup win, progressing both to this final and to Paris for a shot at winning our 7th European Cup, while still in with a shout of the league. Depending on how Fabinho is after coming off feeling the back of his leg against Villa we probably know most of the likely line up. Alisson, Trent, Robertson, VVD, Thiago, Fabinho (if fit), Salah & Mane are almost certain to start. So will we go with Matip or Konate alongside Virgil, If Fabinho is fit will Henderson lead us out or will Keita take the final midfield slot, and will it be Diaz, Jota or Bobby up front.Mane has largely been on fire since going through the middle so I think it's likely we'll continue with him there and Diaz has certainly been in tremendous form since joining so I think he'll start. Bobby has had his injury issues this season and Jota hasn't seemed as sharp as late, despite always seemingly being good for a goal so thats my thinking.Konate/Matip is a coin toss and I expect one will play in this final with the other lining up in the European Cup, I'd imagine we may see Matip here, as we need our high defensive line at it's best as it's something Chelsea have done well at getting behind (without ultimately scoring on most occasions). Konate's pace may be more essential against the Madrid attack. The most interesting decision will be between Keita and Henderson if Fabinho is fit. For me Keita's recent form makes him hard to leave out, plus he was excellent against them in the League Cup final when a late replacement for Thiago, and I think him starting ahead of Jordan in the FA Cup semi final against City may indicate he's now in our strongest 11, we'll know soon enough. It'd be tough on Jordan and sometimes we suffer without his on pitch drive and leadership, and this is the toughest call for me, but I've no doubt Jurgen will get it right. Obviously if Fabinho isn't ready then I'd expect them both to play with Henderson taking up the Fabinho role.Ultimately I see this being a close game, but we must try to avoid the slow start we made against them last time and have been guilty of in a few games recently. If we can perhaps get an early goal like against City then we may just be able to overwhelm them and win 2-0 or 3-1. Whatever the result, hopefully it won't be ten years before we're back again.So why has it taken us 10 years to return to the FA Cup Final?If you're able to challenge for the Premier League Title, and for the European Cup, the domestic cups seem to pale in significance to many both at the club and amongst the fanbase. So to be able to challenge on more than just two fronts, you need a great squad, but also a squad that is harmonious with players having to be patient and willing to play supporting roles. Thanks to our manager and the team behind the scenes over the last 6 and half years we've been able to gradually put that together, and now we're in a position of strength that not many of even our greatest sides of the past have been.Hopefully the way our club has worked these past few years means we'll be able to challenge for the domestic cups as well as the League & European Cup, for a good few years to come. Once upon a time the FA Cup was held in equal and sometimes more esteem than winning the league. When we finally won it for the first time 1965, Shankly felt it was the clubs and his greatest achievement, I'm not sure he changed his mind on that despite the other titles he and we won afterwards.For me, the FA Cup should be the last domestic game of the season as it always used to, no other game should be held on that day. The authorities really need to make it a big event like it used to be, to help re-establish its importance with supporters, particularly the younger ones, who probably don't recall the 6 hour FA Cup Final Grandstand marathons that used to precede the game and gradually build up to the kick off. Helicopters following the coaches from hotel to stadium, Question of Sport with ex pros from the sides in the final, a bit of Alas Smith & Jones to lighten to the mood, and before my time it appears there were even It's a Knockout contests! Back then there were only 3 or 4 channels, 2 of which usually showed the game, so it was much more difficult to escape it even if you wanted to. OUR HISTORY IN FA CUP FINALSI'm sure many of you know the history of both our club and the FA Cup, and if truth be known it's not a competition we've always done well in throughout our history. It took us 73 years to win it, and prior to that we'd only made the final on two occasions. The first of those finals was in 1914. It was the last final to be played at the old Crystal Palace ground, and was also the first to attended by a reigning monarch - King George V. We lost 1-0 to Burnley who were also playing in their first FA Cup Final. Our team that day was managed by Tom Watson our first great manager, who would sadly be dead just over a year later. We also had a couple of early Liverpool legends in Ephraim Longworth and Donald McKinlay playing that day, both of whom were part of our “Untouchables” - the league title winners in 21/22 & 22/23.We didn't reach another FA Cup Final for 36 years, and it's at this point I'd like to bring in some of our fellow RAWKites to share their memories and recollections to highlight what a special occasion Cup Final day can be. The 1950 FA Cup Final - Liverpool v ArsenalredtelI heard the score, Liverpool 2 Everton 0 at Maine Road. We were going to Wembley for the first time. I had just missed our first final at Crystal Palace in 1914 😝Liverpool fans were mocked as the club had never won the FA Cup, mainly because it was the only trophy a major club could win outside of the League Championship. The League Cup didn’t start until 1960 and European Competition in 1955.The thought of actually seeing this match never entered my head. As a little kid in short pants I’d never been to Anfield, I’d never seen a television and only knew the names of half our team. But I was a Red thank goodness.Two uncles then stepped forward like fairy godfathers!My Uncle George was an Inspector for Crosville buses based at The Pier Head and had many contacts there. He came up with two Wembley tickets and offered my Dad one. My Dad contacted his sister in London to stay there for two nights. Her husband,Bill, said he was going to watch the final as his friend had a new television set. He was an Arsenal fan and said if I came with my Dad he would take me with him.Thanks Uncle Bill, the dream was beginning.Uncle George booked us seats on the coach, so off we set from our flat in Tuebrook on the Friday night to catch the 10pm coach from the depot in Edge Lane. It set off down Edge Lane to the tunnel not up to The Rocket and the M62 as Motorways were still 10 years away. We did the old long route stopping at Chester, Stratford and Oxford before arriving at Victoria at 6am! Then my first tube journey up to Stoke Newington which is dense Arsenal fan territory. I think I must have had a short kip before Bill said we were going to Wickford in Essex by tube and train whilst my Dad rested before Wembley.We arrived at a small holding outside the town which had one of the first battery hen farms which I was shown around. As a city lad I don’t think I had seen even one live hen but there were thousands of them in cages in the sheds. Egg sandwiches for lunch probably! A controversial business even then. Big money in that game meant a new television set for the Cup Final with family and friends invited. In fact there was quite a crowd in his front room by 3pm as I got my first view of a small 12 inch black and white picture. Yes, 12 inch! I didn’t know anyone with a TV set at that time.The curtains were drawn to help see it and as the whistle started the match I realised I was outnumbered about 10-1.Both teams had to change colours back then and so we wore white shirts and black shorts which was our usual change colour back then.I’ve since learnt that Arsenal wore gold shirts and white shorts with yellow socks but only the shorts looked different on TV. Also Liverpool were made to play in blue and white socks which looked normal red on the black and white screen.This reminds me of that line many years later “For those watching in black and white, Liverpool are the team with the ball”.(While writing this and mentioning shirt colours I’ve just remembered that the same Uncle George who obtained the tickets, actually gave me one of the first junior size football shirts ever seen in Liverpool. It was a year later when Newcastle won the Cup and I proudly wore the small black and white striped shirt for “games lesson” at Dwerryhouse Lane! I never found out who gave it to him but pals still talked about it years later. 😂)Back to the Cup Final. Our team selected on the day contained a shock as Bob Paisley was left out even though he scored in the semi-final (he was even in the programme as playing too - see below). Laurie Hughes was selected at Centre Half(5) with Bill Jones moving from (5) to (6) to play in Bob’s position. Bob was distraught and even talked about leaving I believe. This must have affected our service to Liddell although I can’t remember how Jones played. The program actually had Paisley down to play at (6). I was familiar with only a few of Arsenal’s players. Denis Compton,of Brylcreem fame, was the left winger who was also an England Test batsman while his brother Leslie was Arsenal’s Centre Half. Joe Mercer, from The Wirral, was captain and later a successful manager with Man City. Joe still lived on The Wirral and actually trained with the Liverpool squad although I don’t know if he did in the period before the Final. Billy Liddell was our star man aided by Albert Stubbins at centre forward, ok, striker these days. Billy was a force of nature down the left wing and had been selected for the GB eleven to play Rest of Europe such was his class. The tone for the match was set very early on when Alex Forbes, a tough right-half, or DM, fouled Billy with a crunching tackle. Billy, who was a tough Scot, got up but he was in pain and these scything tackles continued for much of the first half. The referee had no cards in his pocket then, just a book to take names, and I later learnt that Billy had difficulty dressing himself the next day such was the pain and bruising.Arsenal scored through Ray Lewis mid-way through the first half, much to the delight of those around me, which didn’t upset me. That was to come later. As the half drew to a close it seemed we still hadn’t created a lot. Forbes had seen to that.The second half seemed to fly by as it does when your team is behind but we did attack more and I remember Baron, a small inside right, striking the angle of bar and post when it seemed we must score. Stubbins also missed a good chance to score. Then Lewis scored again and my hopes of seeing us win the Cup for a first time seemed to be disappearing. The fouls on Liddell had stopped but Arsenal had the lead and their defence kept us out. A disappointing result for me but not for the rest of the room as Joe Mercer received the Cup to much cheering and congratulations. It was now that I started to get a lump in my throat which grew to be the biggest I can remember!The curtains were then opened and I decided I didn’t want to have any more of this. I found my way into the back garden where the dam burst and floods of tears started. This was my first experience of the joys and sadness of being a football supporter. Joy at our next FA Cup final in ‘65 was also followed by despair at my first European Final in Glasgow a year later.My uncle found me and after some consoling he led me back into the room where they were all full of compassion and cries of you’ll win it next year!If only. The arrival of Shanks would sort that one.After a cuppa we were off back to North London and Bill asked if I would like to see the lights of central London after it went dark. I’m not sure if it was planned or if he felt it would cheer me up but after a meal we boarded the famous red bus and sat at the front upstairs. We passed through Piccadilly Circus which was ablaze with neon lighting of all the popular brands. I’d never seen anything like it as Liverpool city centre was still rebuilding on the many bomb sites. It left a big impression on me. How I stayed awake during this marathon I’m not sure but I’ve never needed a lot of sleep although I’m sure I did that night.We travelled back on the Sunday morning coach for another 8 hour trip but I did make it back to Roscoe school on Monday morning to relate my London trip and of actually seeing a television set. Youngsters now travel around the U.K. and often on foreign holidays while at primary school but back then we were lucky to have visited North Wales 😀Postscript- We lost to Arsenal again in 1971 FAC Final but when we played them in Cardiff I took my young grandson to his first final. Outplayed and losing 0-1 until two M.Owen goals near the end prevented history repeating itself.The margin between joy and sadness is still very narrow for us football fans.1965 FA Cup Final - Liverpool v Leedsrob1966Spoke to my Stepdad, here's his recollections.He'd been to every FA Cup final since 1957, he got tickets through the Lancashire FA due to a football team he played for in Southport. Every year he'd struggled to get a ticket, but for some reason, the 65 Final was really easy, he thinks it was because we hadn't been in the first division that long and that we weren't that big a draw. He managed to get 4 tickets, 2 from the Liverpool FA and 2 from the Lancashire FA.Previously he had gone to London on the train, but as there were 4 of them, they decided to drive, one of the 4, who my stepdad has no idea who he supported drove there and back, they went in a Mini.So we have an unknown qty, A PNE supporter (my Step dad) a Liverpool supporter and an Everton Supporter, all off to Wembley and all Supporting Liverpool. They set off from Southport Friday night for the long drive to London, arriving early Saturday morning. I asked him where they were staying, "oh we didn't have a hotel, we were just driving down and back".The morning was spent getting breakfast and having a look around London before they made their way up to Wembley. He tells me that the atmosphere was brilliant, he really enjoyed the game and that they were behind the goal where St John scored the winner and it was chaos when it went in. I can imagine the outpouring of joy at the end, my Mum watched the game at home with the Brothers in Everton and she told me they cried when we won the cup. After the match they went into the West End - he had done this after previous finals and it was always quiet. This time the West end was rammed with Scousers celebrating the win, there were taxis everywhere, people dancing on them, dancing in the streets, he said it was a wonderful night. They went to an Irish pub, opposite some fancy hotel and it was rammed with people singing, dancing and having a whale of a time.They then set off about midnight for the long drive back to Southport, with a very happy Liverpool fan in the car.1971 FA Cup Final - Liverpool v ArsenalGladbach73First season as a season ticket holder. Just about to leave school and start work. Dad and I went to the semi at OT when we beat the Ev 2-1, Brian Hall getting the winner. We qualified for the final, and as it’s my birthday in May, Mam and Dad bought a day return by train with breakfast and evening meal, all for £8! Hated Charlie George ever since, but met him at Arsenal a couple of years ago when as LFC tour guides we were taken down to see how Arsenal did their tours. Heighway scored but George’s goal won it. Amazed at two people per step width, and needless to say I didn’t feel like eating on the way back.scouse neopolitanI ‘ve been to numerous of our semi-finals over the years but I’ve only been to three Liverpool Cup finals, the FA Cup in 1971, the League Cup against Forest in 1978 and the European Champions League in Athens in 2007. I’ve never seen us win. I even saw Everton in the League Cup Final in 1977 but that ended in a boring draw as well.In the 1971 Final my Dad and his mates went down to London to stay with one of my uncles. Dad’s and my ticket were in the Arsenal end but that didn’t matter because we were up for the cup and I was an excited 9- year- old who knew I was a lucky so-and-so to be going.I’d seen Liverpool beat Everton at Old Trafford in the semi-final. The atmosphere that day was amazing. We were in the Stretford End and the come-back was to be the first of many . For one of those really odd reasons, one of my most vivid memories of the afternoon ,is day-dreaming at half-time and listening trance-like to Glen Campbell belting out Little Green Apples on the tannoy and me wondering whether we’d equalise and thinking of what life was like in America, where Glen Campbell lived. The 9-year-old in me can still remember the whole thing.But I digress. I don’t actually remember much about the Final at Wembley, though I do remember about fifteen of us scousers jumping up when Steve Heighway put us in front. And I remember the Arsenal supporters singing their song not long after. It rang right through my ears when they equalised and when Charlie George scored right in front of where we were standing, they sang it again. “ Good old Arsenal , we’re proud to sing that name,” and the memory of Frank McClintock is still vividly raw. He came right up to us with the Cup when he did the lap of honour. I could swear he was looking at me and smiling when he lifted the cup. And I hated him for it.The next day we went home to Liverpool and as if I hadn’t been through enough emotional distress, my wonderful Mum, a long time Evertonian from a big family of Evertonians had put a black tie on the front door and she’s stuck pictures of the Arsenal team all over the front windows.Dad wasn’t impressed and told her that I’d been through enough and she wasn’t funny. She thought she was and told me that I should support a decent team.Dad told me to take no notice and that it was only the start of great things. Dad was right. Those were the days when Liverpool families bantered about football and the beers and butties on Saturday night when the boozers closed were served with laughs and innocent piss-taking and nothing more. And that’s what I remember. I was 9. And I didn’t even have to do any homework that weekend.1974 FA Cup Final - Liverpool v NewcastleJohn CThe desperation to see the Reds win the FA Cup didn’t start with the commencement of the televised build-up on the morning of 4 May 1974, which if I’m correct included a mock-up of It’s-a-Knockout. It started on the evening of 8 May 1971 after I’d seen Liverpool beaten in a hard fought game involving extra-time against an extremely competent Arsenal A game in which Charlie George killed the hopes of me and my best mate, also called John, with a smash past Ray Clemence from outside the box.Like all Reds who had been desperate ahead of the famous 1965 cup win, which I was too young to know about, I became obsessed after the ‘71 defeat. A defeat which at the time was as disappointing to me as Kiev 2018 was to you. I was in despair, I can still remember sitting on my mums stairs inconsolable.John & I were gutted.Because Liverpool Football Club really were on the march as our golden era was developing, opportunity came quickly. Although at that age it seems a life-time, a 3-year wait had lapsed on that glorious morning in May 1974.I’ve mentioned before that a lot of my early memories and memorabilia of LFC came from a bloke my mum was seeing at the time, Bill Hughes. He wasn’t living with us, but I knew Bill had already set off for Wembley when I scrambled out of bed early in the morning as my mind buzzed with cup final day excitement. Looking out of the window every 5-minutes wondering what time John would arrive.I didn’t really appreciate at the time that Newcastle had quite a few decent players, I knew about MacDonald and Moncur, but Kennedy, McDermott and others were unknowns to me. As far as I was concerned the cup was won, we had Kevin Keegan. Our name is on it.Wembley was packed, there’s been few scenes like it. Liverpool fans made another indelible statement that day taking a sea of red and making a colossal noise.At last, the FA Cup final 1974 is finally underway. Newcastle frustrated the mighty Reds as the first half ended 0-0.I had no concerns, our team was packed with class. The unassuming Ian Callaghan had been player of the year previously. We the best goalie in the league, we had Emlyn Hughes, we had Heighway on the wing and the best attacking combination in Toshack and Keegan who had proven mind-reading skills.Alec Lindsay had a superb strike ruled out for off-side, it was an absolute travesty of a decision by the linesman.But we got at Newcastle in the second half and devastated them with clinical effect. After Keegan’s opener the travelling Kop bellowed “we shall not be moved” around the stadium.Stevie Heighway drove in a clever ball from inside the box to make it two and then Liverpool finished the job with a classic pass and move combination resulting in Keegan slotting in the 3rd from close range.We’d finally witnessed Liverpool lift the FA Cup, and in consummate style.And all goals were re-enacted in my back garden with my best mate John before he was called home to bed.Bill Hughes came round the following day, beaming with delight and his voice so hoarse he could hardly explain the day’s events.You all know I have little time for anyone that disparages the FA Cup and dilutes its importance. Look what it meant to Shankly, Paisley and the boot-room staff after that win. I understand our priorities, but these are memories and occasions we must cherish.Same with John, he still values it enormously. 51 years later he is still my best mate. We still park up and walk to the game together.It’s incredulous that Liverpool haven’t won an FA Cup since 2006. In fact, ’74 was probably the last cup final of any description that we eased to victory, we’ve done it the hard way in every final ever since.Good luck Jurgen’s Reds, continue making history.1977 FA Cup Final - Liverpool v Man UtdGladbach73Similar to this season, sweeping all before us. Won the league and ready to meet Dochertys United. The old Supporters Club we’re asked to provide a team to play the BBC’s “It’s a Cup Final Knockout” which I was in but although winning the joker game, we lost on the day. It was played at the old South Liverpool ground in Garston, where the Parkway station is.The game was one where the rub of the green didn’t go for us, and we lost 2-1. We went to the Wormwood Scrubs Prison Officers Club for the night and got absolutely smashed, setting the prison alarm off at midnight. Got home at 4:30 and was up at 7:00 to go and collect my plane tickets for Rome.1986 FA Cup Final - Liverpool v EvertonAllyouneedisRushI’ve been fortunate enough to see the mighty Redmen in a number of FA cup finals. ‘86 ‘88 ‘92 ‘96 and ‘06... Each one having their own tale,My first season match going was in 85-86 as a 9 year old. When we made the final I pestered my Dad to get a ticket, not really understanding that, even in normal circumstances, getting a ticket for the FA cup final was going to be tough, let alone the first Merseyside derby final.As time went by, I’d given up any hope until one day he came home from work and said he had got hold of a couple of tickets for the match. To say I was happy was an understatement! £6 a pop, I still have the stubs, a bit more expensive this year!The famous Merseyside squad poster adorned my bedroom wall and the countdown to the day had started.Wearing my 85-86 red Crown Paints replica top, we (my Dad and I) dropped my Uncles off at the Travellers Rest pub in Harrow (they always went to that pub pre-match at Wembley) and made our way to the ground. To be honest the day was all a bit of a blur, but I clearly remember seeing thousands and thousands of red and blue drinking all around Wembley on a hot sunny day, to the sounds of “Merseyside Merseyside”, and “We’re on the march with Kenny’s Army…”After soaking up the atmosphere for a while we grabbed a match programme and made our way to the turnstiles. It was packed! Some alternative ways of getting in were witnessed..When in the concourse I got sent flying by someone with 2 policemen chasing after him, I guess he was one of the aforementioned. The concourse in the old Wembley was big but very dingy and as we made our way into the stands the bright sunshine hit me, what a sight and the singing was already ringing around the huge bowl-shaped ground. We were behind the goal opposite to where all the goals were scored and for the first 10 minutes I didn’t see much, until we made our way back up the stand to get a better spec.Can’t say much about the game, but Lineker scores to make it 1-0 to the blues, we had a fair few of them around us from what I remember. I turned to my Dad at half time and told him “not to worry as we always play better second half”, there was absolutely no science to this statement, but it’s something I always believed in during my early years.Rush, Johnston and Rush again made us 3-1 winners and I’d seen us win the cup on my first outing. Jockey lifted the trophy in the stand to our left and a massive cheer went up. Double winners!During the next season I managed to get the team to sign the programme from that day, It still is my most prized bit of Liverpool FC memorabilia. In my collection I also have the ‘74 and ‘12 final programmes which my dad went to, he also went in '65 but I don't have that as he probably lost it on the day. He was on the midnight train to London the day before and ended up in Covent garden, started drinking at 6am, watched the game and us lifting the cup, then back that night... playing football for his team in Huyton the next day he fell asleep in goal...Kopite19713 of us drove to Wembley in a blue Cavalier that we'd try to cover in red and white ribbons, balloons scarfs and flags. We were all dressed totally in red. At the time I lived in Sheffield so i drove over to Liverpool with my wife and 6 week old daughter dressed in a red and white hand made dress in her red carry cot passing about 100 empty coaches on the M62 heading to Liverpool for the LFC/EFC fans and picking up one of my mates at the Rocket. Over to the Wirral before dropping wife and daughter off at her Mims and then picking up mate number 2 for the journey south. The journey was uneventful apart from my mate losing his hat in a traffic jam on the M1 and we stopping in the outside lane for him to run back and retrieve it.Arriving at Wembley in good time about middayish we saw the team coaches drive by and made our way to Turnstile E I think it was. Best part of an hour later we're still at the bottom of the steps and no ones moving. It's the famous turnstile where the guys climbed the tower and jumped getting caught by his mate and pulled through a window. Time is passing and now we worry will we get in as its nearly 2.30pm. So we decided to walk round to the main ticket office. Surprisingly we get through a door and meet a guy on reception. Some quick words pointing out that we'd bought all 3 tickets from Anfield carry out any check you want and WTF cant we get in through our turnstile. The guy looked at our tickets and said, here you are guys, lifted up the counter said go through this door and turn left and make your way in. Hey Presto there we were and git onto the terraces a few moments before the teams came out.the rest is history, apart from my 2 mates sitting on the roof of the car as we drove away from Wembley honking the horn to the Dalglish chant with a big flag at about 20mph. Thank goodness they didn't fall off....Drove back to Sheffield on the Sunday after the tour of the City, still one of the happiest days of my life and the little baby girl who was joined by a sister just after Hillsborough in 1989 celebrated her 36th birthday in March just gone. How time flies.TBC...
Salah down, looks like his groin….not good at all.
Comms said hip - either way he's been subbed off.
