FA Cup Final - Pre-Match Thread

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

BBC devoting a whole day's coverage to it!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/32801726


The programming will include (all times BST):
BBC Breakfast (06:30-10:00, BBC One)
FA Cup Rewind: Classic Finals (08:30-09:30, BBC Two)
MOTD Kickabout (09:30-10:00, BBC Two)
Saturday Kitchen ( 10:00-11:30, BBC One)
FA Cup 50 Greatest Moments (10:00-12:00, BBC Two)
Fighting Talk (11:00-12:00, Radio 5 live)
Football Focus (12:10-13:00, BBC One)
Gary Lineker on the Road to FA Cup Glory (BBC One, 13:00-14:00)
FA Cup TOTP 2 (14:05-14:30, BBC One)
Pointless FA Cup Special (14:30-15:20, BBC One)
The Road to Wembley (15:25-15:55, BBC One)
MOTD LIVE: FA Cup Final Build Up (15:55-17:15, BBC One)
MOTD LIVE: Arsenal v Aston Villa (17:15-19:50, BBC One)
5 live Sport: FA Cup Final: Arsenal v Aston Villa (12:00-19:30, Radio 5 live)
MOTD: FA Cup Final highlights (22:50-23:25, BBC One)

Now that's a proper cup final.

Back in the day...watching with the 3 lads from next door with a massive bag of sweets between us on the settee.
After the game, climb over the back fence and "replay" the highlights...jumpers for goal posts...until Mums called us in for tea.
Happy days!

[cheltenhamlion]

I will need to clear some cartoons off the box at home to record all of that. I still need BT recorded as well.

[peter w]

BBC devoting a whole day's coverage to it!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/32801726


The programming will include (all times BST):
BBC Breakfast (06:30-10:00, BBC One)
FA Cup Rewind: Classic Finals (08:30-09:30, BBC Two)
MOTD Kickabout (09:30-10:00, BBC Two)
Saturday Kitchen ( 10:00-11:30, BBC One)
FA Cup 50 Greatest Moments (10:00-12:00, BBC Two)
Fighting Talk (11:00-12:00, Radio 5 live)
Football Focus (12:10-13:00, BBC One)
Gary Lineker on the Road to FA Cup Glory (BBC One, 13:00-14:00)
FA Cup TOTP 2 (14:05-14:30, BBC One)
Pointless FA Cup Special (14:30-15:20, BBC One)
The Road to Wembley (15:25-15:55, BBC One)
MOTD LIVE: FA Cup Final Build Up (15:55-17:15, BBC One)
MOTD LIVE: Arsenal v Aston Villa (17:15-19:50, BBC One)
5 live Sport: FA Cup Final: Arsenal v Aston Villa (12:00-19:30, Radio 5 live)
MOTD: FA Cup Final highlights (22:50-23:25, BBC One)

Now that's a proper cup final.

One of the big reasons the FA Cup was so popular was because it was the only game domestically that you could see live before the advent of Friday night football and Sky. i don't have SKy and my 5 year-old has loved when I let hi stay up late to watch FA Cup games this season. Having a whole day dedicated to the build up and then the game itself could be a winning recipe for reviving the allure of the FA Cup, as well as bringing a whole wave of new fans to teams. My 5 year-old will love the whole build up thing. Hopefully he'll also see us win it.

[dekko]

The BBC has made some  (hyperventilating over the pitch invasion, some of the games they've chosen to cover etc) but the breadth and visibility of the coverage this year has been very good.

[TonyD]

You've actually just made me double check I've received all the tickets!

There's not a day gone by since ours arrived that I haven't opened the drawer and counted they're all still there. I've even taken pictures in case we get burgled.

What's your address ?😳

[nodge]

Tickets have arrived, mini bus is sorted.  My only worry now is every Villa fan I've spoken to plus every message on FB and possibly everybody on here thinks we're going to win.  Mainly, not because we're better than Arsenal, it feels like nobody wants to face the alternative, including me. For the past 3 Wembley appearances where we've lost it's been a case of oh well let's enjoy the day/weekend but this time it feels different in that if we do lose it'll be bloody miserable for a good while afterwards.  We're 6-1 to win the game in 90 minutes and yet everyone seems so confident!  Maybe it's because I'm getting older and the realisation hits you that you might not see us in another final.  My son's going to his first FA cup final and he's 11.  I was 35 when I went to mine.  I keep imagining the scenes if we win, I'm trying not to imagine them if we lose but I think either way there will be tears.

[Legion]

I hope we win.

[ChicagoLion]

I hope we win.

That's what is great about those Half and Half scarfs, it doesn't matter who wins.

[Legion]

I pray to McGrath that we win.

[Legion]

I really want us to win.

[PeterWithesShin]

I already know we'll win so am very relaxed.

[Legion]

I already know we'll win so am very relaxed.

I'm still nervous.

[PeterWithesShin]

Just make sure I don't see the ticket and we win.

[Legion]

What ticket?

[PeterWithesShin]

Exactly