FA Cup Final - Pre-Match Thread

[pauliewalnuts]

I was chatting with a Bluenose colleague today and he was doing his best to wind up me about how Arsenal were going to hammer us but his heart wasn't in it as he knows that I know he would swap places in a heartbeat. That is when the unlikeliness of it all really hit me. After years of toil and struggle with the club seemingly drifting into irrelevance as any sort of force we are now just one good performance away from possibly winning the FA Cup and all that that entails to Villa fans.

It is just crazy.

I know what you mean.

What's more, I am more and more starting to think we are actually going to win it.

I think we are capable of beating anyone on a one-off basis, and I think we'd have a better chance against a team for whom we'll have to raise our game than we would against one we'd be expected to beat.

We're actually going to do it.

[pauliewalnuts]

And when I think that ^^^^^ and then think back to two or three months ago, I'd have found it utterly, utterly inconceivable that I'd be saying the above now, about any match, let alone an FA Cup final.

[OzVilla]

I know, I was driving to work only this morning and it suddenly really hit me that we are actually in the FA Cup Final with a team that is playing well and is full of confidence. 

We are one game away from winning a competition that I've pretty much written off as us never winning in my lifetime, a Cup that above all others I want us to win and for once the stars seem to be aligning for us.  I keep telling myself that we're playing Arsenal, the chances of victory are slim in the hope that by repeating this I then won't get disappointed.  But the more I think about it the more I genuinely believe we will win.  I feel completely opposite to the 2000 Cup Final where in honesty I never really believed.

[Toronto Villa]

It's our year. We're on page 57

[Sexual Ealing]

Tonight's result notwithstanding, Arsenal are going to sail into second place in the league having recently played the majestic, fluid football with which they're rightly synonymous. Given that their target each season is fourth, that's pretty good. It gives me the sense that they might just approach the final with an air of the spineless complacency with which they're also rightly synonymous.

[purpletrousers]

Savour this. It's our year. It's coming. Be loud if you get there. We represent all here crying out for a ticket. We owe them, to sing our hearts out, to will the team to victory. This means so much more to us. We can help win this.

[Broughty-Villian]

anyone know anyone with a spare.......my email to TSM was ignored and the SFA have said they will not give me a their tickets....

[lennythekad]

Got to VP about 5.25, around 100 in front of me. Queues doubled now, 6.40.

[Dazvillain]

What time does ticket office open, 8 or 9 ? Got a feeling it's gonna take ages to get through on phone

[dave.woodhall]

Dateline Villa Park: 07.35.

Around 500 here. Sun starting to break through clouds. VCTM and Lamdrew spotted.

[JJ-AV]

Has anyone tried booking online?

I've been through my booking history plenty of times, I've definitely only got 9 games. I also called and spoke with the TO last week, to see if I could get a stub added to my history, they said no and said I'd be eligible on Tuesday... Yet I ordered last night online no problem.

[AV82EC]

Has anyone tried booking online?

I've been through my booking history plenty of times, I've definitely only got 9 games. I also called and spoke with the TO last week, to see if I could get a stub added to my history, they said no and said I'd be eligible on Tuesday... Yet I ordered last night online no problem.

If you've got 4 Cup and 5 other games that's why you'd have been eligible yesterday, no?

[Dazvillain]

It won't let me go online yet and I have 8 game history. Although as 3,games were bought as a package it shows up as a single transaction, that's gonna be a problem I think, but clearly shouldn't be

[UK Redsox]

Dateline Villa Park: 07.35.

Around 500 here. Sun starting to break through clouds. VCTM and Lamdrew spotted.

Any TV/Radio crews about ?

[dave.woodhall]

08.05: Rain. Doors open.