Cup Final Memories

Anybody over the age of say 40, will remember that the television build-up to the F.A Cup Final during the seventies and early eighties would begin on the Friday night at 10:30. That's when ITV would broadcast their "Who Will Win The Cup?" television programme.

Hosted by Brian Moore there would be a panel of four or five of the great and the good, usually it featured Brian Clough and Jack Charlton, who were joined over the years by the likes of Malcolm Allison, Terry Neill, Jimmy Hill (pre BBC days), Derek Dougan and Ian St.John. The panel would take half an hour to discuss the merits of both sides and then give their verdict on who they thought would win the Cup.

Cup Final morning usually began with a special edition of Ed 'Stewpot' Stewart's programme on the radio before switching the t.v on at just before 9:30 a.m. The television build-up for the next two and a half hours consisted of rubbish programmes that were prefixed by the words 'Cup Final'. So we had 'It's A Cup Final It's A Knockout', 'It's A Cup Final One Man and His Dog,' 'It's A Cup Final Songs of Praise' etc - okay I may have got the last two wrong but you know what I mean if you were around in those far off pre-digital times.

Grandstand would begin at noon. The great thing about Cup Final television is that it became so riddled with cliche that they ceased to be cliches and were accepted as the Acme of sports broadcasting. Frank Bough or David Coleman on the pitch, in the tunnel, in the glass fronted studio, would introduce the programme. There would be a 'meet the teams' feature, a 'how they got to Wembley' feature and a chance to see the teams at their hotel, on the team coach and then on the pitch itself. Even the coach arriving at the stadium was turned into a television event.

Most people chose ITV or BBC depending on whether they preferred the 'One-Nil' style of David Coleman or the more journalistic approach of Brian Moore. I found out a few years ago that there was actually a more subtle reason why people chose between the two channels but if I revealed the reason you really would think I was a geek.

In the pre Sky days ITV would follow one team from their hotel to the stadium whilst the BBC, usually in the form of Tony Gubba, would follow the other. Once the teams had got off the coaches there was the chance to catch a quick word with the more relaxed members and then it was time to listen to the brass band. At around a quarter to three, a well known celebrity would appear on the pitch and lead the singing of Abide with Me.

After the match there would be a brief summary of the days events and then you had to wait until Cup Final Match of The Day to relive the final and meet the teams. What was also interesting was that the T.V crews were allowed back on the coaches for the journey from Wembley back to the hotel. I remember Gary Lineker being asked on the Everton coach after the 1986 final how disappointed he was, Lineker was honest with his reply, he said he felt more sorry for those players who weren't flying out to Mexico for the World Cup. At least he, Gary Stevens, Trevor Steven and monkey head Peter Reid could get it out of their system by playing in the World Cup, the other players would have it on their minds all summer.

BBC would usually attend the winners dinner and talk to the manager, winning captain, goalscorer etc. As I've said elsewhere I remember as an 11 year old being absolutely horrified seeing Frank McLintock smoking a cigar at the winners dinner after they'd done the double. I also remember in 1987 Jimmy Hill making a complete arse of himself when Coventry City won, he seemed to think it was because he'd managed them twenty years earlier.

On Sunday lunchtime ITV broadcast 'How The Cup Was Won', an hour long highlights programme and interviews with the important players from the match itself.

And that was it.

My earliest memory of a Cup Final on T.V was the 1970 Chelsea v Leeds match. Again, as with the Springboks (see earlier post), Chelsea trained on our school pitch during a break in Bournemouth before the match. It was something that Liverpool (1974) and Coventry City (1987) also did - perhaps my old school pitches were lucky!

In the build-up to the 1974 Newcastle v Liverpool final I stupidly bet somebody that if Liverpool won by more than two goals I would wear a red shirt with a white tie. a la Bill Shankly, to school on the following Monday. Liverpool won 3-0! It was in the commentary for that match that David Coleman came out with one of his classic lines after Keggie Keegle made it 3-0 "Goals pay the rent and Keegan gets his share." - See I really am a footie anorak.

1975 and 1980 are special memories for obvious reasons, particularly 1980 as it was the first of two successive visits to the Old Stadium. I was ill with flu in the day's leading up to the 1980 game, however because I was playing for a Dorset F.A club I got a complimentary ticket for the match and I was determined to go. I can't remember much about the match itself other than the fact that when Trevor Brooking scored with his head, about thirty yards in front of me, I went absolutely mental and then suddenly realised that my complimentary ticket was in the Arsenal end! I slept in my mates car all the way home and spent all of Sunday asleep in bed.

After the 1994 final I didn't really watch the Cup Final again until 2004, apart from seeing Roberto di Matteo's record breaking goal. I was in London on Cup Final day in 2004 visiting my brother in hospital and started to watch Manchester United play Millwall even then I lost interest at half time and left the pub to walk back to Waterloo Station.

And so today a new era begins, new stadium but still Ryan Giggs on the left wing for Manchester United. If Manchester United can stop the ball getting to Drogba I think they'll win - if Chelsea score first they'll try and close the game down and then hit United on the break. If you are a neutral you hope it will be a good game like last year, if you support either side you'll settle for a repeat of the 1980 scoreline.

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Post match comment: Well once again Jose proved that professional sport is about winning trophies and not winning friends. Well done Chelsea.