Well here we go it’s the 136th edition of the oldest football competition in the world and our record 20th FA Cup Final. It’s our 2nd against Chelsea; in the 2002 final we ended up victorious, winning 2-0 with goals by Ray Parlour in the 70th minute and Freddie Ljungberg in the 80th.
Let’s take a walk back in time:
1927 Cardiff v Arsenal
1927 was the first time we appeared in the FA Cup Final and we ended up losing 0-1 to Cardiff City – Arsenal went into their first Final as slight underdogs against the Bluebirds who had reached the final only two years earlier. Despite having Charlie Buchan to bolster the ranks the Gunners could not break down Cardiff and Hughie Ferguson scored the winner. His effort slipped under Arsenal goalkeeper Dan Lewis’ body and the cup left England for the only time in its long history. This was the first FA Cup final to be broadcast live on BBC radio, having future Arsenal manager and experienced journalist George Allison at the microphone.
1930 Arsenal v Huddersfield
1930 was the first time we won the famous trophy the attendance at Wembley was 92,488 and our team consisted of – Charlie Preedy, Tom Parker (captain), Eddie Hapgood, Alf Baker, Bill Seddon, Bob John, Joe Hulme, David Jack, Jack Lambert, Alex James, Cliff Bastin.
Goalscorers: James (16), Lambert (88).
For their second final Arsenal were pitted against Herbert Chapman’s former team. Arsenal’s first goal had been planned on the team bus on the way to the game, Alex James taking a quick free-kick to Cliff Bastin who returned the ball to the unmarked linchpin to slot home. In the dying minutes a long through-ball found Jack Lambert who shrugged off the Huddersfield defenders to secure the game and Arsenal’s first major silverware. Both teams were led onto the pitch side-by-side for the first time in honour of Herbert Chapman.
Now some FA Cup statistics:
Final appearances (3 or more):
5 – Ray Parlour, Pat Rice, David Seaman
4 – Tony Adams, Dennis Bergkamp, Ashley Cole, Joe Hulme, Martin Keown, Freddie Ljungberg, David O’Leary, Patrick Vieira
3 – Cliff Bastin, Liam Brady, Lee Dixon, Eddie Hapgood, Thierry Henry, Pat Jennings, Bob John, Lauren, Sammy Nelson, Tom Parker, Robert Pires, David Price, Graham Rix, Frank Stapleton, Alan Sunderland, Sylvain Wiltord, Willie Young
Winner’s appearances (2 or more):
4 – Ray Parlour, David Seaman.
3 – Tony Adams, Dennis Bergkamp, Ashley Cole, Martin Keown, Lauren, Freddie Ljungberg, Patrick Vieira.
2 – Cliff Bastin, Santi Cazorla, Lee Dixon, Edu, Lukasz Fabianski, Eddie Hapgood, Thierry Henry, Joe Hulme, Alex James, Laurent Koscielny, David O’Leary, Per Mertesacker, Mesut Ozil, Robert Pires, Aaron Ramsey, Pat Rice, Gilberto Silva, Jack Wilshere, Sylvain Wiltord, Nigel Winterburn
Enjoy the game.
GunnerN5
Arsenal News 24/7
arsenalarsenal.net 
Thanks GN5. Some great stuff in there.
Love the first pic with the programmes. I used to have many of them
Cheers, GN5, as informative and comprehensive as ever.
I’m starting to get excited about Saturday.
Thanks GN5, another superb history lesson … you know things I didn’t know I didn’t know 🙂
A record of 7 finals with 6 wins by AW is outstanding.
The cards are stacked against us this time …. but with the FA cup all that goes out the window.
This is a comment from under the video below…….
Bernie Ross 2 years ago
excellent – the days when the FA appreciated that 100,000 voices are far more stirring than some poncey twat showing off his falsetto. This is a football match, not the bloody opera
Fantastic post – thanks for the historical background and the overview.
It seems that Koscielny, Mustafi and Gabriel wil be out of the FA Cup, which does not bode well for us – unfortunately…
Most likely team to face Chelsea:
Cech – Holding, BFG, Monreal – Bellerin, Ramsey, Xhaka, Gibbs – Ozil, Sanchez – Wellbeck
My favoured team:
Cech – Bellerin, Holding, BFG, Monreal – Ramsey, Coquelin, Xhaka, El Neny, Sanchez – Wellbeck
Why? We need physicality in the middle and we need to stop their Full-backs:
– Ramsey and Sanchez (permutting with Walcott) will provide this cover against Full-Bascks
– Coquelin, Xhaka and El Neny shall be able to handle Fabregas, Matic and Kante
– Wellbeck will be able to test Luiz and Cahill on pace and in the air.
We should start in this set-up and as the game evolves, we would be able to bring in the trickery of Ozil, the pace of Walcott or Giroud’s aerial presence
Here are my 2 cents.
I meant Sanchez permutting with Wellbeck up front
Good morning,
Chas I loved the recording, they are the type of sounds that linger in my memory from days gone by, you manage to add a touch of magic to all of my posts, much appreciated – thank you.
Given our injury list Chelsea start off as huge favourites – but we are the Arsenal and if it’s to be Arsene’s last game then I hope upon hope that he goes out with the record for FA Cup victories – or even better he stays around to add even more.
Thanks GN5. Our FA cup stats are impressive. If my maths serves me correctly we have featured in 1 in every 6.8 finals overall and 1 in every 4.5 since we first appeared in a final in 1927 (maybe some were cancelled with the war so it could be even better).
We are the record joint winners with Utd. It would be very nice if we could stand alone in this, and if AW could become the most successful FA cup manager ever…….then it is just over to the pesky business of how we can get 14-16 more points in the league on a consistent basis 🙂
In
Out
Shake it all about.
I’ve just had a nice chat with Pat Rice and his charming wife. Of course he will be going on Saturday although he’s unhappy he has to arrive very early.
I asked him if he was taking his boots as we were a bit short at the back 😆 You could not meet a nicer guy and Arsenal through and through.
He never divulges stuff that would harm the club but did say we lost our chances of 4th earlier in the season and said that for a few weeks the players just didn’t turn up. He specifically mentioned the Everton away game where we went 1 nil up, missed a couple of 50/50 tackles, they got a bit physical and then all the fight went out of the team.
The other stuff I can’t tell you 🙂
I copied this from Wiki,
Patrick James “Pat” Rice, MBE (born 17 March 1949) is a Northern Irish former footballer and coach. As a player, he made over 500 appearances for Arsenal, winning the Double, and later made a hundred more appearances for Watford. He also won 49 caps for Northern Ireland. After retirement from playing professionally he was at the helm of Arsenal’s Academy teams, then served as assistant manager of Arsenal, a position he held since the appointment of Arsène Wenger in 1996, and helped the club to two more Doubles, amongst other silverware, in that time. He announced his retirement from the post on 10 May 2012
How is his heath Rasp?
He looks great now GN5. He’s lost loads of weight and enjoys his gardening. I do know he was seriously ill a couple of years ago …. it was touch and go for a while.
Wow the cost of a ticket to the 1927 Cup Final was 21/- that was an enormous amount of money back then – equivalent to about a weeks wages. –
What would the cost of a 2017 ticket be equal to?
Yes I remember he had cancer and it was really iffy for a while. So glad that he is in better shape – most likely a few less pints of Guinness.
Did he give you his thoughts on Arsene’s future?
GN5 Rasp would never tell you. Pentathol may the the only way to get the truth out of him
🙂 🙂 Raddy
GN5 I make a point of never asking him anything about sensitive issues, I just lull him into a false sense of security in the hope that he will let something slip. He did tell me a couple of things that I can’t reveal to you … that would require Raddy’s narcotics 🙂
It will come as no surprise for me to tell you that he loves Arsene ‘the man’, and won’t hear a word said against him.
If it wasn’t for bad luck, we wouldn’t have any luck at all at the moment …
https://www.si.com/planet-futbol/2017/05/24/gedion-zelalem-acl-tear-usa-arsenal-world-cup
What a very scrumptious Post, GN5. Superb. 🙂
The FA Cup is still special to me — I have been to three and loved the whole day, the anticipation, the doing a ‘Chas’ with the journey to the stadium with lots of friends, most of them bonkers, and the sheer suspense, as to which Arsenal team would turn up — not to fear, they always did. Then the inebriated journey into London, and finally arriving back in Harrogate or Manchester not knowing where I lived!!! 😀
Tough for us this Saturday with all the injured warriors [what’s new] and with a resurgent Chelsea to deal with – but you know — let’s see the score when that fat lady sings!
Ra Ra Rasp Utin, spyin’ for the AA team,
Ra Ra Rasp Utin countin’ all the goals goin’ in.
Does anyone know why Fred writes the single word ‘In’ most days, and is answered by GB writing ‘Out’ — made worse by GN5 writing ‘shake it all about’ — is it the equivalent of an AA masonic handshake?
Oh, no – I have had a terrible thought – maybe I was intruding on a love ensemble, twixt the terrible duo, Fredd and GB!!
Code: In;
When I’m calling you / Oo-Oo-Oo-Oo, Oo-Oo-Oo-Oo / Will you answer too / Oo-Oo-Oo-Oo, Oo-Oo-Oo-Oo?
Code: Out;
Then I will know our love will become true / Oo-Oo-Oo-Oo, Oo-Oo-Oo-Oo
You’ll belong to me and I’ll belong to you / Oo-Oo-Oo-Oo, Oo-Oo-Oo-Oo
[Taken from Raddy’s mating elk song – circa 1927]. 😀
Hi Zee, Sadly I’ve only watched one FA Cup Final live but I’ve had the pleasure of watching every one since 1972 on TV. We did not get our first TV until the mid 50’s so in 1950 and 1952 the whole family (around 20 + men and boys all crowded into our living room and listened to them on the radio – great fun.
It will come as no surprise for me to tell you that he loves Arsene ‘the man’, and won’t hear a word said against him.
And so say most of us Rasp – I feel a song coming on………………
GN5, many would be very sad if AW decided to call it a day – altho that might be the best option in this toxic day and age.
So, if Arsene went travelling to get away from the ‘bad guys’ Rasp would break into his theme tune;
Arsene:
See The Pyramids
Along the Nile
Watch the sun rise
On a tropic isle
Just remember dearest AW all the while
You belong to me
See the market place
In old Algiers
Send me photographs
And souvenirs
Just remember
‘Til your dream appears
You belong to me
😤😤😤
Gee Zee Hee Hee 🙂 🙂 🙂
Looking for the Dutch kids to get a result tonight but fear the worst.
Come on Ajax
Wow, another coincidence!
I recognised that song immediately, Zee, in fact I listen to it often.
My version is performed by Dean Martin.
Great FA Cup memories, GN5.
As I said many moons ago, at the final-whistle of the Leeds game in 1972, I ran away and cried uncontrollably The one and only time Arsenal reduced me to tears, although I felt like crying again when Jens Lehmann was sent-off in Paris, 2006.
Leeds. You and name both Herb
Even worse was Swindon because I was at that age when AFC meant absolutely everything i.e. before girls 🙂
BR 😀
My worst Wembley moment….Nigel Winterburn v Andy Dibble and us losing to Luton.
My best Wembley moment will always be Andy Linighan.
I’ve only ever seen us lose at Wembley once when actually attending.
Morning All,
I have seen us lose 5 times at Wembley (forgetting the CL nightmare) but only once in the FACF and including the ’91 Spurs debacle.
Swindon
Leeds
Ipswich
West Ham
Spurs
and was at Cardiff for the referee-inspired defeat by Liverpool.
Perhaps I am a Jonah, so it is as well I cannot attend on Saturday
What on Earth has Alexis got in his pocket?!
6.54 😀
Can we assume Sanchez is a bachelor?
Oh no, manners
GN5
Monster Cup post. Very interesting and informative.
I assume that for people who straddle the parchment to computer eras and who also like compiling stats., the appearance of Excel must have been like one of those catholic miracle revelation things
Thank you
And manners again. Morning all. Oh dear, poor start.
One could say so. Grab a coffee and start again
Ipswich and West Ham were both FACF. ☺
What’s Excel?
chas. I have always been terrible at maths
I never say good morning on the blog, no idea why 🙂
I told you months ago that Mourinho will win a trophy in his first season. He knows how. Some managers forgot how
Good token for poor buggers of Manchester
…and Leeds if it’s after Swindon 😮
Mourinho disgusts every molecule of my body my body
👃
same here, I hate him. BUT he is a great manipulator.
Detestable chap with small man syndrome
small? he is very tall for a Portuguese his age. He hasn’t been mouthing much this season, perhaps someone told him how pathetic he sounds
Anyway, who cares about Jose. We have a game to worry about. I have only said last week that we were lucky with injuries this season. Were we feck. The only game we need the full squad and our defence disintegrated
Chas, @7:40 and 7:41
You said;
‘Mourinho disgusts every molecule of my body my body’
👃
Not every part it seems. 🙂
chas – re Bambi. We were in the woods yesterday. He was doing his usual entertaining tricks (roll overs, jumping, turning uber fast). The people watching were laughing. Then I called him ‘Come on Bambi, that’s enough’. And they were like ‘oh that’s BAMBI, we have heard about him!!’. oooh my god, he even has reputation in Cuffley now as the village idiot.
peaches is afraid to come over to mine. He licks her to death!
Maureen will happily tell all who listen that HE won the EL — naturally if Manure had lost he would tell the world – the TEAM betrayed him and let HIM down, before going off on one of his hissy fits!! Tart!
Lovely man —- NOT
Apologies — I should have said ‘Morning Everyone’ but got distracted by reading the early comments! 😀
GN5,
I meant to say that the BBC first broadcast radio commentaries of football games in the same year (1927) as the Cardiff v Arsenal Cup Final, although that was for League Division 1 games.
To help listeners when broadcasting, the pitch was divided into 8 numbered squares, so James in 3 passed a long ball to Smith in 6, and this was distributed via a BBC magazine.
The very first game commented on was between Arsenal and Sheffield United, with the numbers 1 and 2 being at the Clock End, and of course, 7 and 8 being at the North Bank end.
The result? It was a hard earned draw! 1 : 1
I do not know whether or not the 1927 Cup Final had a radio commentary, but perhaps you do?
That is a piece of history involving Arsenal to include in your data banks – altho you probably already knew that. 😀
Before someone makes the comment, I will get in first to say that radio commenting on an Arsenal game in the modern era, using the same system could sound a bit like;
Xhaka in 6, passes to Rambo in 5, who passes it straight back to Xhaka in 6, who passes to Özil in 4, who passes to a stationery Rambo in 5, who plays it back to Belli Button in 3, who smartly passes it back to the un-numbered Cech in goal …….
As if? 😀
Morning all
Zee I didn’t know the answer to your question so I refereed to Arsenal.com.
………………………………………………………………………………………..
GGM 40: Highbury stages first live broadcast
Arsenal’s history is littered with landmark moments, many of which are not just club-related but also significant to the wider football world.
The legendary manager Herbert Chapman was Arsenal’s greatest innovator so it’s fitting that he was in charge when Highbury staged the first-ever live radio commentary, heard by listeners to the BBC’s World Service.
On January 22, 1927 the BBC – formed the previous year – broadcast the league match between Arsenal and Sheffield United. Charlie Buchan, Arsenal’s skipper, scored the first ‘live’ goal in a 1-1 draw.
The BBC had already experimented with outside broadcast at a rugby match at Twickenham, but the Highbury event pioneered the use of two ‘commentators’ – one providing a running commentary of the action while the other called out grid references.
The grid references corresponded to a chart published in the Radio Times which divided the pitch into eight numbered segments. Hearing the numbers allowed listeners to locate the position of the ball. This system remained in place until 1939.
Arsenal soon had in their ranks a man who knew all about this new method of communication. Chapman’s assistant and eventual successor, George Allison, was the BBC’s first regular football commentator.
Allison supplied commentaries for the first live broadcasts of The Derby and the Grand National, and was behind the microphone for the 1927 FA Cup Final when Arsenal lost 1-0 to Cardiff City at Wembley.
Ten years after the BBC’s first live commentary, sections of a game between Arsenal and their Reserves were televised. This was the first time a football game had been covered in this way.
Read more at http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/ggm-40-highbury-stages-first-live-broadcast#vvM52fQqILvLXCQm.99
refereed = referred.
Haha Zee. The numbered squares with Arsenal is amusing and I think your numbered square heat map is accurate. However assuming that 5 + 6 will be the squares going across the pitch just outside the opposition penalty area so I see this pattern also :-
“outside 5 passes to inside 5 then to inside 6 who passes it to outside 6 who then returns it to inside 6 who passes it to inside 5 who then plays it to outside 5″….and repeat, until some idiot breaks rank and tries a pass forwards into 7 or 8 at which point it will probably result in the commentator explaining that a large good looking French chap with a tasty haircut has just fallen over and is waving his arms about in the air with a put upon expression that the ref is not interested in, and that the team have sensibly resumed the 5 + 6 square combination again.
Zee, I cannot remember hearing radio commentaries that used numbers to describe the game so it must have been earlier than when I began listening which would have been around 1947.
A mother-in-law stopped by unexpectedly the recently married couple’s house. She knocks on the door, then immediately walks in. She is shocked to see her daughter-in-law lying on the couch, totally naked.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“I’m waiting for Jeff to come home from work,” the daughter-in-law answered.
“But you’re naked!” the mother-in-law exclaimed.
“This is my love dress,” the daughter-in-law explained.
“Love dress? But you’re naked!”
“Jeff loves me to wear this dress! It makes him happy and it makes me happy.”
The mother-in-law on the way home thought about the love dress. When she got home she got undressed, showered, put on her best perfume and expectantly waited for her husband, lying provocatively on the couch.
Finally her husband came home. He walked in and saw her naked on the couch.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“This is my love dress,” she replied.
“Needs ironing,” he says” “What’s for dinner?”
Yup, it was as I said, the first commentaries were in 1927, GN5.
They apparently soon stopped the grid references because fans like GB soon got confused and thought they were ordering from the Chinese menu. 🙂
To GB,
😘 😘 😘
From
Zee 😇
GN5
it needs ironing!!!!
🤠 🤠 😎
EDDDDIEEEEEEE
Come here this minute. I have great news on the box set front.
Sorry all, but on the Arsenal front, I’m kinda on the treatment table. In rehab so to speak. Been doing year after year of arsenal marathons, and I need to be fit and frisky for the sprint on Saturday.
EDDDDDIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEE
shut up ffs, I am watching episode 1 season 1 Breaking Bad
HA HA HA
Look, I can’t stick around as I have a cracking box set to get on with
ps it’s called House of Cards
when I finish watching 5 seasons of Breaking Bad I will be too old to watch anything else
Good so far
Eddie, I’ve already watched all episodes of both series, the next season of House of Cards is already being filmed. They are absolute must watch series, we would binge on them and watch 3/4 episodes per night. I think that Net Flix is incredible value for money at less than $10.00 per month.
Fantastic GN5
What a glorious history it is.
The only downside is that unlike the last 2 I have not been able to procure a ticket? This has really gutted me GN5 for I am a man with an overly inflated sense of self importance. I am deserving of a ticket, indeed, no one has done as little for society as me.
The Cup brings back so many happy memories. In fact, I met my first wife on Cup Final day. Actually I went down the pub to avoid the game, it was the night Totnumb beat Man City in the cup final replay. To this day I blame Totnumb for costing me a fortune in the divorce courts.
It needs courage to win the Cup. Arsenal coming back against Liverpool in 100 degree heat, ending with Charlie George’s delicious thumper. Alan Sunderland scoring the winner when he should have been feeling down after Utd came back to 2-2 and that he was the only man who’s perm resembled a hedge.
We can do it Saturday. Yes we’re underdogs and Arsene will have to play in the back 3, but Charlie’s winner and Sunderlands bush should inspire us.
There is nothing to fear. In the latter stages of my modelling career I was so skint I tried everything to get a gig. I once turned up for an audition for a baby shampoo advert wearing my wig. Despite my protestations that for the shower scene we could use a double. It wasn’t to be, but I did not let fear stop me trying.
Arsenal to win 2-1 with a last minute winner from Arsene Wenger.
Sunderland’s bush ☺
Morning all
Cannot believe it’s Friday. Where the heck did that week go
Morning all
Happy 26th May 😁😁😁
Shall we relive Raddy’s marvellous post on the subject …… or has someone got a better idea?
BR’s magnificent post – what a wonderful idea!
Oh yes, well spotted Peaches
I go get the vid
No, best wait for the post
😁 I’ll go find it then …….
Chas
Does Jon consult you other bros over cup final banners or all his own work
Oh wow, stunning chas, I need some of those against my orange wall
Found it, just need to change the title ……. again 😉
Oh yes, love the blue on orange combo. Top palette usage 🙂
Video in the post or save it for the comments?
In the immortal word of Fred
In
Speaking of colour combos, this is from a Mexican inspired garden at The Chelsea Flower Show this week
The turquoise of the Agave’s was the exact colour of the pool they were reflected in ………… absolutely beautiful
Peaches
Awesome with the royal blue sky
Not so good beneath a dull grey English one
Luckily for them we’ve have royal blue skies all week 🙂
The banner Jon did consult us on was his worst ever. It was Jose Antonio Rees as a bullfighter and Gary Neville as the bull.
There were rumours that Reyes was off back to Spain and when JC saw the banner he said, ‘when he says that he’ll be on the next flight!’
Shall I publish this now ……………. what else is there to talk about, chas has gone marking already, Eddie and Raddy are still asleep, at least we can watch the videos 🙂
There you are chas …………………
Says equals sees
how about these chas? I am getting a huge clump today, do you want some? shall we give him some, peaches?
Publish and be damned
He definitely needs some ……………. Eddie they look fab
Chas
How about a Kroenke Forever banner 🙂
peaches – they do look fab. Every morning they are the first thing I see when I go near the garden. love them. I will share the clump with chas if I absolutely have to…
New Post everyone …………………….
how about ‘feck off Kroenke’ you have a huge range to look after now you weirdo with taché
Very generous Eddie 😉