2008 FA Cup Final
Encyclopedia
The 2008 FA Cup Final was a football match held at Wembley Stadium
on 17 May 2008 and was the final match of the 2007–08 FA Cup competition. The match was the 127th FA Cup Final
, and the second to be held at the new Wembley Stadium since its redevelopment. The match was contested by Portsmouth
and Cardiff City
, with Portsmouth winning 1–0. This was the first time that the two sides have ever met in the competition, as both teams were aiming to win the FA Cup for the second time, Cardiff having won it in 1927 and Portsmouth in 1939
. Had Cardiff won, they would have been the first club from outside the top division of English football to have won the competition since West Ham United
in 1980
.
The winning team received £1 million in prize money. As in the past few years, the players voted Player of the Round in every round from the First Qualifying Round to the Semi-finals will be present and given VIP hospitality for themselves and a guest. Although Cardiff City are considered a Welsh
club and only hold associate membership with the Football Association
, should they have won the 2008 FA Cup they would have been allowed to compete in the 2008–09 UEFA Cup.
It enabled Portsmouth to qualify for European competition for the first time in their history.
The FA announced that, before the game began, the Welsh national anthem, "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau
" would be played, along with the traditional "God Save the Queen
" and "Abide with Me
". The Welsh anthem was sung by Katherine Jenkins
, while Lesley Garrett
sang "God Save the Queen", and the two duetted on "Abide with Me".
Cardiff decided to leave veteran striker Robbie Fowler
out of the squad as he had only just recovered from injury. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink
started on his own up-front, supported by winger Paul Parry
. Aaron Ramsey
became the second youngest player, at 17 years and 143 days, to appear in an FA Cup Final when he came off the bench to replace Peter Whittingham on the hour mark, only 24 days older than Curtis Weston
was for Millwall
in 2004.
Jermain Defoe
was cup-tied for Portsmouth having played in the third and fourth rounds for Tottenham Hotspur
in January. Consequently, Nwankwo Kanu
played as a lone striker, with support from a five-man midfield of Niko Kranjčar
, John Utaka
, Pedro Mendes
, Lassana Diarra
and Sulley Muntari
. Sol Campbell
, Glen Johnson and David James
were the only three English players in the starting line-up, with Campbell and former Arsenal team-mate Kanu both looking to win the FA Cup
for the third time (they had won the competition twice with Arsenal
).
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
on 17 May 2008 and was the final match of the 2007–08 FA Cup competition. The match was the 127th FA Cup Final
FA Cup Final
The FA Cup Final, commonly referred to in England as just the Cup Final, is the last match in the Football Association Challenge Cup. With an official attendance of 89,826 at the 2007 FA Cup Final, it is the fourth best attended domestic club championship event in the world and the second most...
, and the second to be held at the new Wembley Stadium since its redevelopment. The match was contested by Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
and Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
, with Portsmouth winning 1–0. This was the first time that the two sides have ever met in the competition, as both teams were aiming to win the FA Cup for the second time, Cardiff having won it in 1927 and Portsmouth in 1939
1939 FA Cup Final
The 1939 FA Cup Final was contested by Portsmouth and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Wembley. Portsmouth won 4–1, with goals from Bert Barlow, John Anderson and two by Cliff Parker...
. Had Cardiff won, they would have been the first club from outside the top division of English football to have won the competition since West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
in 1980
1980 FA Cup Final
The 1980 FA Cup Final was contested by West Ham United and Arsenal at Wembley. West Ham won by a single goal, scored by Trevor Brooking.To date, it is the last time a team from outside the top flight has won the FA Cup...
.
The winning team received £1 million in prize money. As in the past few years, the players voted Player of the Round in every round from the First Qualifying Round to the Semi-finals will be present and given VIP hospitality for themselves and a guest. Although Cardiff City are considered a Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
club and only hold associate membership with the Football Association
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
, should they have won the 2008 FA Cup they would have been allowed to compete in the 2008–09 UEFA Cup.
It enabled Portsmouth to qualify for European competition for the first time in their history.
The FA announced that, before the game began, the Welsh national anthem, "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau
Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau
Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau is the national anthem of Wales. The title – taken from the first words of the song – means "Old Land of My Fathers", usually rendered in English as simply "Land of My Fathers". The words were written by Evan James and the tune composed by his son, James James, both residents...
" would be played, along with the traditional "God Save the Queen
God Save the Queen
"God Save the Queen" is an anthem used in a number of Commonwealth realms and British Crown Dependencies. The words of the song, like its title, are adapted to the gender of the current monarch, with "King" replacing "Queen", "he" replacing "she", and so forth, when a king reigns...
" and "Abide with Me
Abide With Me
The hymn tune most often used with this hymn is "Eventide" composed by William Henry Monk in 1861.Alternate tunes include:* "Abide with Me," Henry Lyte, 1847* "Morecambe", Frederick C...
". The Welsh anthem was sung by Katherine Jenkins
Katherine Jenkins
Katherine Jenkins is a Welsh mezzo-soprano. She is a classical-popular crossover singer who performs across a spectrum of operatic arias, popular songs, musical theatre and hymns.-Early life and education:...
, while Lesley Garrett
Lesley Garrett
Lesley Garrett CBE is an English musician, broadcaster and media personality.- Early life :Garrett was born in the town of Thorne near Doncaster in South Yorkshire, into a musical family. She attended Thorne Grammar School, where she performed in school plays and musicals. As she grew up she...
sang "God Save the Queen", and the two duetted on "Abide with Me".
Team news
Robbie Fowler
Robert Bernard Fowler is an English footballer who is currently player/manager for Thai Premier League club Muangthong United....
out of the squad as he had only just recovered from injury. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink
Jerrel Hasselbaink usually known as Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink is a Dutch former football striker who played for various clubs in the Netherlands, Portugal, England, and Spain, as well as the Dutch national team. He scored more than 200 career goals...
started on his own up-front, supported by winger Paul Parry
Paul Parry
Paul Ian Parry is a Welsh professional footballer and former Wales international who currently plays for Football League One side Preston North End...
. Aaron Ramsey
Aaron Ramsey
Aaron James Ramsey is a Welsh professional footballer who plays for the premier league club Arsenal and is the captain of the Wales national football team...
became the second youngest player, at 17 years and 143 days, to appear in an FA Cup Final when he came off the bench to replace Peter Whittingham on the hour mark, only 24 days older than Curtis Weston
Curtis Weston
Curtis James Weston is an English professional footballer who plays for Gillingham.-Playing career:...
was for Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
in 2004.
Jermain Defoe
Jermain Defoe
Jermain Colin Defoe is an English footballer who plays as a striker for English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, and the England national football team....
was cup-tied for Portsmouth having played in the third and fourth rounds for Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
in January. Consequently, Nwankwo Kanu
Nwankwo Kanu
Nwankwo Kanu, OON , or simply Kanu, is a Nigerian footballer who plays for Portsmouth. He was also a member of the Nigerian national team for 16 years from 1994 until 2010...
played as a lone striker, with support from a five-man midfield of Niko Kranjčar
Niko Kranjcar
Niko Kranjčar is a Croatian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Tottenham Hotspur and the Croatia national team.He represented two of the biggest clubs in his homeland, playing for Dinamo Zagreb before sparking controversy by making a move to their fierce rivals Hajduk Split in 2005...
, John Utaka
John Utaka
John Chukwudi Utaka is a Nigerian footballer who played as a striker for Montpellier of the Ligue 1. He is the older brother of Peter Utaka, who plays for OB in Denmark.- Club career :...
, Pedro Mendes
Pedro Mendes
Pedro Miguel da Silva Mendes is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a midfielder for Vitória Guimarães of the Portuguese first division .Starting his career with home town club Vitória de Guimarães, Mendes won a UEFA Champions League medal with FC Porto in 2004...
, Lassana Diarra
Lassana Diarra
Lassana "Lass" Diarra is a French footballer who currently plays for Real Madrid. His predominant position is defensive midfielder but he can also play in a more advanced role and has played at right back, which he occasionally did for former clubs Chelsea, as well as France.-Early career:Diarra...
and Sulley Muntari
Sulley Muntari
Sulleyman Ali "Sulley" Muntari is a Ghanaian international footballer who currently plays as a central midfielder for Serie A club Inter Milan in Italy. He has 66 caps for The Black Stars of Ghana.-Early career:...
. Sol Campbell
Sol Campbell
Sulzeer Jeremiah "Sol" Campbell is an English footballer who is currently a free agent. A central defender, Campbell has played for Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Portsmouth, Notts County and Newcastle United, as well as the English national team.Born in East London to Jamaican parents, Campbell's...
, Glen Johnson and David James
David James (footballer)
David Benjamin James is an English footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Bristol City.On 14 February 2009, he achieved the all-time Premier League appearance record with 536 appearances, overtaking Gary Speed. He held this record until being overtaken by Ryan Giggs on the 14th May 2011...
were the only three English players in the starting line-up, with Campbell and former Arsenal team-mate Kanu both looking to win the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
for the third time (they had won the competition twice with Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
).
Match details
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MATCH OFFICIALS
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MATCH RULES
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Route to the final
| Cardiff City | |Round | Chasetown Chasetown F.C. Chasetown Football Club is an English football club based in the Chasetown area of Burntwood, Staffordshire. The club currently plays in the Northern Premier League Premier Division and is nicknamed The Scholars, having been formed by affiliates of nearby Chase Terrace High School in the Chase... [NL] H 3–1 | Whittingham 45', Ramsey Aaron Ramsey Aaron James Ramsey is a Welsh professional footballer who plays for the premier league club Arsenal and is the captain of the Wales national football team... 60', Parry Paul Parry Paul Ian Parry is a Welsh professional footballer and former Wales international who currently plays for Football League One side Preston North End... 73' |
Third Round | Ipswich Town Ipswich Town F.C. Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02.... [C] A 1–0 |
Nugent David Nugent David James Nugent is an English footballer striker, who currently plays for Leicester City . Before joining Leicester, Nugent made a total of 228 appearances in the Football League playing for Bury, Preston North End and Portsmouth... 51' |
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| Hereford United Hereford United F.C. Hereford United Football Club is an English professional football club based in the city of Hereford. Founded in 1924, they are competing in Football League Two in the 2011–12 season. Hereford have played at Edgar Street for their entire history and are nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites',... [L2] A 2–1 |
McNaughton Kevin McNaughton Kevin McNaughton is a Scottish football defender, currently playing for Cardiff City in the Football League Championship... 45', Thompson Steven Thompson (Scottish footballer) Steven Howard Thompson is a Scottish professional footballer who currently plays as a forward for St. Mirren.-Dundee United:... 67' (pen. Penalty kick A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play... ) |
Fourth Round | Plymouth Argyle Plymouth Argyle F.C. Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the... [C] H 2–1 |
Diarra Lassana Diarra Lassana "Lass" Diarra is a French footballer who currently plays for Real Madrid. His predominant position is defensive midfielder but he can also play in a more advanced role and has played at right back, which he occasionally did for former clubs Chelsea, as well as France.-Early career:Diarra... 34', Kranjčar Niko Kranjcar Niko Kranjčar is a Croatian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Tottenham Hotspur and the Croatia national team.He represented two of the biggest clubs in his homeland, playing for Dinamo Zagreb before sparking controversy by making a move to their fierce rivals Hajduk Split in 2005... 45' |
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| Wolverhampton Wanderers Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at... [C] H 2–0 |
Whittingham 2', Hasselbaink Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink Jerrel Hasselbaink usually known as Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink is a Dutch former football striker who played for various clubs in the Netherlands, Portugal, England, and Spain, as well as the Dutch national team. He scored more than 200 career goals... 11' |
Fifth Round | Preston North End Preston North End F.C. Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One... [C] A 1–0 |
Carter Darren Carter Darren Anthony Carter is an English football midfielder who is a free agent after his contract with Preston North End expired at the end of the 2010–11 season.-Career:... 90' (o.g. Own goal An own net occurs in goal-scoring games when a player scores a goal that is registered against his or her own team. It is usually accidental, and may be a result of an attempt at defensive play that failed or was spoiled by opponents.... ) |
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| Middlesbrough Middlesbrough F.C. Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889... [PL] A 2–0 |
Whittingham 9', Johnson Roger Johnson (footballer) Roger Johnson is an English footballer who plays as a defender for Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers.... 23' |
Sixth Round | Manchester United Manchester United F.C. Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958... [PL] A 1–0 |
Muntari Sulley Muntari Sulleyman Ali "Sulley" Muntari is a Ghanaian international footballer who currently plays as a central midfielder for Serie A club Inter Milan in Italy. He has 66 caps for The Black Stars of Ghana.-Early career:... 78' (pen. Penalty kick A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play... ) |
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| Barnsley Barnsley F.C. Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's... [C] Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007... , London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... 1–0 |
Ledley Joe Ledley Joseph Christopher Ledley is a Welsh footballer who plays for Scottish Premier League club Celtic and the Welsh national team as a central or left midfielder.... 9' |
Semi-finals | West Bromwich Albion West Bromwich Albion F.C. West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands... [C] Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007... , London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... 1–0 |
Kanu Nwankwo Kanu Nwankwo Kanu, OON , or simply Kanu, is a Nigerian footballer who plays for Portsmouth. He was also a member of the Nigerian national team for 16 years from 1994 until 2010... 54' |
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- Both clubs received a bye to round three.
- In square brackets is a letter that represents the opposition's division
- [PL] = Premier League
- [C] = ChampionshipFootball League ChampionshipThe Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
- [L1] = League OneFootball League OneFootball League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
- [L2] = League TwoFootball League TwoFootball League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
- [NL] = Non-LeagueNon-league footballNon-League football is football in England played at a level below that of the Premier League and The Football League. The term non-League was commonly used well before 1992 when the top football clubs in England all belonged to The Football League; all clubs who were not a part of The Football...
External links
- The Final as it happened at BBC Sport
- Match Report at the Sunday Mirror
- 2008 Final at fa-cupfinals