FA Cup final day

As another FA Cup final approaches, my mind cannot help but drift back to a happier time for the competition. An era when trying to win the famous old trophy was not seen as a major distraction for clubs involved in multiple competitions, or others trying to stay in or gain entry to the top flight.

We all know money is the root of all evil, and that the Premier League, Champions League and too much live football has destroyed the magic of the cup. But some of us more mature members of the football family can at least hark back to our formative years and remember what it was like to wake up on FA Cup final day with the prospect of hours of television coverage to look forward to.

Cup final songs

In truth, the build-up to the cup final would start in the week leading up to the match. Column inches would be dominated with countdown features to the final, as speculation grew about which unlucky players may miss out on the big day. And there would often be features on Sportsnight whetting your appetite for the main event.

But the first signs of FA Cup fever setting in came in the recording studios. The FA Cup final song - sadly no longer with us - would be a standard part of the preparation for the final, with awkward players from the teams involved often shuffling about uncomfortably on our screens in the weeks before the big day.

 

 

Famously Chas and Dave plus the Tottenham squad would appear on Top of the Pops in 1981 and 1982; there was the Everton team on Wogan; Coventry and Tottenham donning their tracksuits on Blue Peter; Brighton players on Top of the Pops; the Anfield Rap reaching number three in the UK charts. Admittedly the songs were painful. But it was all part of the package back then.

BBC v ITV

The only tricky decision on Cup final day was which channel to choose for the build-up that would often start in or around midday (as Andy Townsend may say). Personally, I was a BBC man, opting to go for the channel with no adverts. But once a remote control entered our household then there was an annoying temptation to flick between the two.

With hosts such as David Coleman, Dickie Davies, and Des Lynam anchoring the day, there would be comedy contributions from the likes of Freddie Starr, Jimmy Tarbuck, Smith and Jones, and Michael Barrymore (the nightmare of his John Barnes impression curling my toes as I type this). But fortunately the main focus would be on the players and managers involved.

Hotels

I'm not sure why the sight of footballers walking around hotel gardens was so exciting, but it was an important part of Cup final day. Managers and players would be interviewed as the final neared, and often comedians would be wheeled in again to relax the players, with Bob "The Cat" Bevan entertaining Brighton and Starr visiting the 1984 Everton squad. 

It may not sound gripping, but it just worked. And who doesn't want to see Greg Downs on a diving board, or Brian Kilcline take a bride's garter on her wedding day? Just me then.

On the coach

Soon everyone would be on the coach as the journey to Wembley started. More interviews followed, as the players waved to the fans lining the roads and down Wembley Way. And then the coach would disappear into the guts of Wembley and the anticipation grew.

 

 

There was one exception. In 1983 Brighton decided to make their way to Wembley in a helicopter before travelling the final mile in a coach. This was big news, although sadly for Gordon Smith it is not the main thing people remember about that particular afternoon.

Meet the players

Finding out the various nicknames of the players involved and who the characters were in the squads was also an integral part of the day. In 1987 Kilcline informed us that Brian Borrows liked to stuff his face, Dave Bennett was a sharp dresser, and Cyrille Regis was not the greatest golfer in the world.

 

 

Insights like these were priceless. But the features involving the players was also a highlight of the day. Watching Glenn and Chris visiting the Top of the Pops studios to perform Diamond Lights, and the snooker match between Gary Lineker and Mark Lawrenson were two examples of seeing players outside of their normal environment.

The Road to Wembley

A simple concept, this section of the BBC coverage would plot a course through the previous rounds of the competition, showing highlights of key moments along the way. Amongst all the fun and games it was good to see some football action.

The 1987 celebrity match

The football at Wembley was not just limited to the showpiece occasion. In 1987 two celebrity teams took part in a 14-minute match on a smaller section of the beautiful Wembley pitch, as Jimmy Tarbuck's Sky Blues went toe-to-toe with David Frost's Tottenham Frostspurs.

Look at some of the names involved. Steve Davis, Dennis Taylor, Bobby Moore, Nick Owen, Steve Cram, Lloyd Honeyghan, Nick Berry, Adam Woodyatt, Kevin from Corrie, Damon from Brookside, Dennis Waterman, Ray Winstone, Greg Dyke, and Daley Thompson. 

 

 

Thompson proved to be the star of the match, scoring twice for the Frostspurs, his second a stunning volley. John Birt struck in reply, yet it would be Frost who lifted the prestigious Kaliber Challenge Trophy. But celebrity football was the real winner.

On the pitch

Another element of the day that on the face of it sounds dull, the sight of footballers in suits walking around the Wembley turf somehow added to the importance of the event. Pitchside interviews were a key component too. Who knew that Steve Perryman supported QPR between the ages of 12 and 14?

Banners

Strictly not a crucial part of the FA Cup final day experience, but as the cameras panned around the terraces, there were always a few homemade banners that stood out. Here is a selection of a few I spotted during my research, but I'm sure there are plenty of others that some of you will recall.

Hoddle's got more spice than Currie (1982)
Miller grinds Hazell's nuts (1982)
Simon Stainrod eats three Shredded Wheat (1982)
Our Currie's hotter than vindaloo (1982)
Currie gives Spurs the shits (1982)
Bald is beautiful (1983 - a Brighton fan's tribute to manager Jimmy Melia)
Look out Elton - Hair we go (1984)
Sorry Elton, I Guess That's Why They Call Us The Blues (1984)

Aftermath

The day didn't just end at the conclusion of the final. Watching the winning captain climb the 39-steps to lift the trophy, we would also see the team celebrate in that familiar section of the Wembley pitch, many of the photos taken ending up in the newspapers, Shoot and Match. After the lap of honour, the players would then be interviewed in front of a curtain, often supping a bottle of milk in celebration.

Once the Scottish Cup final highlights were shown, the show sadly had to end. But as the great closing theme tune played on the BBC, there was always the chance to stand up for the first time in five hours and go down the local park to try and recreate the key moments.

There was still one FA Cup hit to come. Coverage of the open-top bus parade on the Sunday would be the one for the road, the sad farewell after a memorable couple of days. Just like Christmas, the sense of anticipation and excitement then morphed into an overwhelming feeling of anticlimax. But it would only be a year and we could do it all over again.