PREVIOUS FA CUP FINALS

[The Knowing One]

Worst 2 cup final memories were my first 2, 1978 & 1980 (the old man couldn’t get tickets for 1979 and yes I’m still bitter)

Being a 10 year old in 1978 was super excited to be going to my first Wembley final and of course super confident, I been to the semi final where Orient were brushed aside at Stamford Bridge 3-0, two madly deflected goals from Supermac and a sublime one from Rix, the media such as it was then (remember the Evening Standard and Evening News Specials) were all predicting an Aresnal win and on the way to the game it seemed to be Arsenal everywhere, my first worry was when I noticed we didn’t have the tunnel end, which was known as the lucky end back then and also we weren’t playing in Red and White as I assumed we would be what followed was the most one sided final I’ve ever seen as Ipswich absolutely battered us hitting the woodwork numerous times then with about 10 mins to go just when you thought we might sneek one they eventually scored and that was that.

1980 was even worse if that was possible after coming through a four game marathon in the semi final against the then might Liverpool, it was surely going to be a comfortable final against 2nd divison West Ham, the day started to go wrong after getting off the tube from Southgate on which there was a fair few gooners and changing onto the Met line out to Wembley it was totally West Ham on our train and having listened to their neanderthal fans taking the piss all the way to Wembley was bad enough but even when we got out of the station and walking up Wembley Way was like being at an away game, as for the game we all know what happened, Arsenal look knackered and just never got going, more heartbreak was to follow four days later losing to Valencia on pens in the Cup Winners Cup.


Well that’s the bad out the way, I’ll post later with my favourite 2 later (98 & 02).

[MK Gould]

I think I got over 1980 fairly quickly as I was going to Brussels for the Cup Winners Cup Final only a few days later. That said, maybe I'm still in denial as I've managed to avoid ever seeing Brooking's winning goal...

And I think it also helped that it was our 3rd successive FA Cup final so maybe there is a bit of complacency, thinking that we'd be back again soon enough. Never crossed my mind that it would be 13 years before our next appearance!

As for 1993, I work with a Wednesdayite and (over 20 years on) he still has an intense dislike of Arsenal for beating them in two cup finals in the same season... And I recall the media at the time suggesting that we'd made a mistake by winning the League Cup as if it was inevitable that we would then lose the FA Cup... Bit like this season when they were interviewing Nigel Winterburn about whether he wanted us to finish in the top 4 OR win the FA Cup.... and he said both!

[StuartL]

Well last year turned out ok in the end didn't it after making very hard work for ourselves by being complacent and not giving Hull the respect all cup finalists should get.

2 goals down, could have been 3, before we even got started.

Took a fantastic free kick from Santi to bring us back into it and from then on was confident of winning it.

Think the strength of our subs last year was significant (could be this year too) and we could / should have added a 4th to seal it before the final whistle.

[StuartL]

A little trip down memory lane courtesy of Arsenal.com

http://arsn.al/ie5SYo

[olgitgooner]

I have a 100% record at Wembley

I only got a ticket for the 1971 final which was fanbloodytastic

[VoiceOfReason]

Have to say, I'm quite surprised that some folk on this thread thought it was 'embarrasing' to celebrate the 2005 cup win.

It definitely wasn't our finest achievement, and we absolutely didn't deserve to win, but it's right up there amongst my favourite Arsenal games - purely because it was so tense, and the win came from absolutely nowhere.

Also, that was the season after we'd gone unbeaten, and had failed to hold on to the title. Man Utd fucked us over to end the unbeaten streak, so ending the season on a high and getting a measure of revenge was a good payoff after an emotionally draining season. Throw in Ronaldo, Rooney and Van Nistelrooy all standing there looking like *word censored* after we'd won the shoot-out - in Paddy's final game, no less - and you'd be hard pushed not to have enjoyed this one.

[Bradywasking]

2005 was a horrible game for us but a brilliant win also given the opposition. Andy Gray , I think, said Man Utd were at their best and arsenal were at their worst. Well if that was the case it is also worth remembering that we finished six points ahead of them in the league despite referees handing them six points against us . Then at their best and our worst they couldn't score against us in 120 minutes. So there was a justice to it all.

[VoiceOfReason]

2005 was a horrible game for us but a brilliant win also given the opposition. Andy Gray , I think, said Man Utd were at their best and arsenal were at their worst. Well if that was the case it is also worth remembering that we finished six points ahead of them in the league despite referees handing them six points against us . Then at their best and our worst they couldn't score against us in 120 minutes. So there was a justice to it all.

Exactly. Plus, how many instances can you think of when we've completely outplayed a team only to get done over right at the end? (The 2001 final comes to mind).

It's not how you'd plan to win the game, but may as well enjoy it when it works in your favour. Plus, is it possible not to enjoy a cup final win over Man Utd?