2012 FA Cup Final

The 2012 final of football’s oldest cup competition has arrived. This year’s final is a clash between two teams that have both won the cup a number of times.

One the one side of the pitch is Liverpool, a team that has been involved in 14 FA Cup finals, including two classic matches in 1988 and 2006, and has won the cup seven times. On the other side is Chelsea, with 10 finals behind them and six wins.

Will Chelsea make it seven wins or will Liverpool produce another classic match and take the tally to eight? Make sure nothing takes you away from your television on Saturday.

BROADCAST DETAILS

STATS AND FACTS

• Chelsea's first win was not until 1970 - also against Leeds United - 99 years after the competition started in the 1871-72 season.
• The clubs have met twice this season with Liverpool winning both times - 2-0 at Chelsea in the League Cup fifth round, and 2-1 away in the Premier League.
• This will be their 31st meeting against each other since October 2004 - a total that includes 10 meetings in the Champions League.
• The last two managers to win the FA Cup have been Italian - Roberto Mancini with Manchester City in their 1-0 win over Stoke City last year and Carlo Ancelotti for Chelsea in their 1-0 win over Portsmouth in 2010.
• Chelsea's Fernando Torres and Raul Meireles are former Liverpool players while Liverpool's Glen Johnson had a spell at Chelsea and played as a substitute when Chelsea beat Liverpool in the League Cup final seven years ago.

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HISTORY

The first FA Cup competition was held in the 1871/1872 season and had 15 entries. According to theFA.com the first Cup final goal was scored by a player who was playing under an assumed name. His real name was Morton Betts but he played as AH Chequer, in memory of his club Harrow Chequers.

The original trophy was stolen in 1895, after Aston Villa won the competition. It was never recovered and the larger, current trophy is actually the competition’s fourth trophy.

In 1923 the FA Cup final was moved to a new stadium, Wembley. A crowd of around 200 000 people pitched for the match and nearly prevented the match from taking place; had it not been for the efforts of the police and the good nature of the spectators.

In all, this tournament is more than 130 years old and still going strong. Who will take it this year – the blues or the reds?

- Historical information obtained from theFA.com

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