I'd better start doing these more frequently if I'm going to squeeze them all in before this year's final! The 2003/4 edition saw the rise of PCMT specialists You Know Your Boston Rock FC...
You Know Your Boston Rock FC 5
Otsemobor 28, Pires 35, Delaney 62, Lampard 73, Ferdinand 90
Vs (1)
Final Fantasy XI 2
Smith (OG) 18, Campo 54
Sunday 28 December 2003, at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Attendance 78,592
You Know Your Boston Rock FC won this year’s Paul Cartmell Memorial Trophy Final 5-2 over Final Fantasy XI, in a highly competitive and thrilling final. So the “Sky Heroes” now have the “full set” of trophies, having previously won the League Title (1995/96, under their previous guise of Athletico Sheriff IV) and FA Cup (1999/00 and 2000/01), thereby becoming only the second team (after the inevitable Aardvark Abacus) to do so.
The tone for this competitive encounter was set in the first minute, with a bone-crunching tackle between Boston Rock’s Dunn and FF’s Fortune, leading to the early departure of both players. Final Fantasy held sway in the early exchanges, and led on 18, after Boston Rock’s Smith sliced into his own net under pressure from Bergkamp. Otsemobor levelled on 28 with his final touch before being substituted, and recent signing Robert Pires put the “Sky Heroes” into the lead for the first time, coolly slotting home a slide-rule pass from Scott Parker.
The second half burst into life after a thundering 20-yard shot from FF defender Ivan Campo, which levelled matters at 2-2. Thereafter Boston Rock took charge; Mark Delaney overlapped with Pires and shot home on 62 to give Boston Rock the lead again; Parker set up the impressive Lampard on the edge of the box for 4-2, and the mercurial Pires capped a Man of the Match performance with a last-minute cross for Rio Ferdinand to head home and secure the Cup for Boston Rock!
(Sheriff rightfully trumpeting his victory!)
Boston Rock's team that day were:
GK - Martyn Sub - Robinson
DEF - Ferdinand, Otsemobor, Delaney, Goma Sub - King
MID - Pires, Lampard, Parker, Dunn Sub - Jenas
ATT - Smith, Kewell Sub - Sinama-Pongolle
And the Final Fantasy line-up:
GK - Howard Sub - Ellegaard
DEF - Fortune, Harley, Campo, Scimeca Sub - Dodd
MID - Berger, McManaman, Inamoto, Nolan Sub - Hitzlsperger
ATT - Bergkamp, Djorkaeff Sub - Heskey
Six of Sheriff's squad are still 'Sky Heroes' today. Has anyone won more WSFFL 'medals' than Frank Lampard I wonder?
It was Ceri's first season in the league and remains the high point in Final Fantasy history. Only Kevin Nolan of the team that played that day is still on Ceri's books.
Real Muppets, Trusted By Millions and Claymore Athletic have all since completed the 'full set' of WSFFL trophies.
It's the highest scoring PCMT Final and Boston Rock are the only team to strike five in a PCMT Final.
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