FA Cup Final Teams

The managers have sensationally agreed that this year's final will be played in WSFFL 'old skool' style and the dodge will not be permitted.

Here are the teams...

Claymore Athletic FC

GK - Howard
DEF - Ivanovic, Luiz, Johnson, Bardsley
MID - McCarthy, Henderson, Osman, Cleverley
ATT - Dembele, Rooney

Subs: Mucha; Olsson; Mulumbu; Gueye

San Dimas High School

GK - Mignolet
DEF - Distin, Scharner, Rafael, Walker
MID - Rodwell, Walcott, Hitzlsperger, Tiote
ATT - Elmander, Odemwingie

Subs: Al-Habsi; Flanagan; Milijas; Kornilenko

FA Cup Final - the contenders

Claymore Athletic FC
Current League position - 8th
Last six matches - DWLWWD

San Dimas High School
Current League position - 11th
Last six matches - DWLLLL

Route to the Final

Claymore
Semi-final - beat Bassett Allsorts 3-0
Quarter-final - beat York's Returning Glory 3-1
First Round - beat Final Fantasy 4-2 (after 1-1 draw)

San Dimas
Semi-final - beat Mega Buck Bandits 5-3
Quarter-final - beat Fred West LG XI 3-2
First Round - beat Athletico Phoenix 4-1

Recent Meetings
2010/11
Week 25 - San Dimas 2 Claymore 3
Week 3 - Claymore 5 San Dimas 3

2009/10
Week 28 - San Dimas 0 Claymore 2
PCMT R1R - Claymore 1 San Dimas 2
PCMT R1 - San Dimas 1 Claymore 1
Week 2 - Claymore 6 San Dimas 0

2008/9
Week 21 - Claymore 4 San Dimas 3
Week 8 - San Dimas 1 Claymore 1

San Dimas' only victory over Claymore in the last three seasons coming in a Cup match.

FA Cup Final 2000/1 (second replay)

This is as far back as I can go report-wise...

YOU KNOW YOUR BOSTON ROCK FC 1

Ferdinand 90

VS

 

TRUSTED BY MILLIONS 0

At The Millennium stadium, Cardiff 

Attendance: 73,500; 2 clean sheets cancelled off each team

 

The 2000/2001 WSFFL FA Cup 2^nd replay finally produced a result, with holders You Know Your Boston Rock FC grabbing a late winner to beat valiant Trusted By Millions by a 1-0 scoreline. The Sky Heroes therefore not only defy their league form and position against Championship chasing Trusted, but also become the first team in WSFFL history to retain a trophy.

 

Boston Rock manager Sheriff shuffled his pack again, bringing back fit-again Tim Flowers in goal, replacing the injured Lampard with promising youngster Scotty “too hotty” Parker, and also bringing back fiery predator Alan Smith. Trusted boss Beef did likewise, recalling Craig Burley to replace the suspended Steven Gerrard, but his late decision to drop Richard Rufus in favour of Titus Bramble may haunt him in years to come.  

As befits 2 teams who by now know each other’s games inside out, the early exchanges were tentative with neither team willing to commit numbers forward. However Trusted midfielder John Eustace broke forward well as the game settled, and blazed a point-blank header over the bar following good overlap play by Hreidarsson. Boston Rock finished the first half well with Bowyer a constant threat, although Scott Parker was a 37^th minute casualty following a collision with Schwarzer after a brave forward run.  

Trusted began the 2^nd half with renewed vigor, and Michael Owen gave Delaney the runaround, only to find the recalled Flowers in exemplary form. One save in particular from Owen proved that the Boston Rock custodian is back to his best. As time wore on, the Boston Rock defence, superbly marshaled by Boston Rock captain and Man of the Match Rio Ferdinand, slowly exerted control of the game, and it was fitting that the colossal Ferdinand should claim the late winner, which keeps the trophy with the Sky Heroes, after an epic series of encounters!  

Boston Rock FC: Flowers; Delaney, Ferdinand, Fish, Quinn; Bowyer, Kewell, Parker, Tessem; Pahars, Smith

Subs: Royce; Watson; Scholes, Ameobi       Trusted By Millions: Schwarzer; Barry, Bramble, Hreidarsson, Taggart; Burley, Eustace, Hutchinson, Taylor; Owen, Phillips Subs: Bosnich; Matteo; Kinsella, Bothroyd  

 

FA Cup Final 2000/1 (replay)

TRUSTED BY MILLIONS 1
Hreidarsson 90

VS

YOU KNOW YOUR BOSTON ROCK FC 1
Ferdinand 47

At The Millennium stadium, Cardiff   
Attendance: 73,500; 3 clean sheets cancelled off each team

The 2000/2001 WSFFL FA Cup replay between Trusted By Millions and You Know Your Boston Rock FC ended in another stalemate, after another last-minute equaliser by Beef’s spirited Trusted team, following another hard-fought game at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

Trusted manager Beef shuffled his defensive pack slightly from the first game, making Gerry Taggart his captain for the game, and bringing Steve Gerrard into the starting line-up from the bench, whilst Boston Rock boss Sheriff brought Harry Kewell into a potent looking midfield, recalling Marian Pahars into the starting line-up.

The opening exchanges set the tone for the first half, as the defences held sway, and Trusted’s frequent incursions into the Boston Rock half, led by their twin strikeforce of Kevin Phillips and Michael Owen, crumbled on the rock that was Rio Ferdinand. A titanic performance from the England centre-back was capped early in the second half with a superb looping header from a Harry Kewell cross, deceiving Schwarzer in the Trusted goal.

Trusted continued to push forward leaving themselves susceptible on the break, and it was one such Boston Rock break which earned a penalty, Taggart sending Scholes tumbling. Scholes himself took the penalty kick, only to blast horribly wide.

This galvanised Trusted’s efforts, and they were duly rewarded when Hermann Hreidarsson blasted home a deserved last-gasp equaliser, to force the game into another replay.

Trusted By Millions: Schwarzer; Barry, Carragher, Hreidarsson, Taggart (capt.); Eustace, Gerrard, Hutchinson, Taylor; Owen, Phillips

Subs: Bosnich; Matteo; Kinsella; Bothroyd

Boston Rock FC: Royce; Craddock, Delaney, Ferdinand, Fish; Bowyer, Kewell, Lampard, Scholes; Ameobi, Pahars
Subs: Flowers; Song; Tessem, Smith

 

FA Cup Final 2000/1

Another Cup Final goal-fest...

YOU KNOW YOUR BOSTON ROCK FC 4

Ferdinand 4

Lampard 7 
Bowyer 33

Scholes 87

VS

 

TRUSTED BY MILLIONS 4

Gerrard 55

Taylor 81

Schwarzer 90

Hreidarsson 90

Trusted By Millions staged a superb last-minute fightback to tie the 2000/2001 Fantasy FA Cup final 4-4, after an exciting hard-fought game at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

This was the first time the reigning FA Cup holder had reached the following year’s final, although The 22 Legged Groove Machine had unsuccessfully defended the League Cup in 1996/7 against Aardvark Abacus, after beating Supersonic Rovers in 1995/6. Boston Rock hopes were high about salvaging something from a disappointing league campaign, in which Trusted had taken 4 points from the 2 league clashes between the 2 teams.

Boston Rock’s captain Rio Ferdinand set the tone early on, with an imperious far-post header to put the Sky Heroes into a 4^th minute lead. First half goals from Lampard and Bowyer (following good work from the mercurial Harry Kewell) followed, as Boston Rock raced into a 3-0 half time lead. Trusted sub Steve Gerrard pegged things back early in the second half, before being harshly sent off for a second bookable offence. Trusted were galvanised by this, however, and Ian Taylor pulled the scores back to 3-2 with 9 minutes to go. An 87^th minute screamer from Boston Rock’s Paul Scholes looked to have settled matters in the favour of the holders, but injury time goals from Trusted’s Mark Schwarzer and Hermann Hreidarsson tied the scores at a breathless 4-4!

So, it’s back to Cardiff next weekend, and if the replay is anything like this nail-biter, it’s going to be the hottest ticket in town!

Boston Rock FC: Flowers; Craddock, Delaney, Ferdinand, Fish; Bowyer, Lampard, Scholes, Tessem; Ameobi, Smith
Subs: Royce; Song; Carrick; Kewell

Trusted By Millions: Schwarzer; Carragher, Hreidarsson, Rufus; Hutchinson, Sherwood, Taylor, Wilson; Owen, Phillips

Subs: Bosnich; Matteo; Gerrard; Ostenstad

 

 

FA Cup Final 2001/2

Aardvark Abacus       0-1       San Dimas High School

                                               (2)         Trevor Sinclair 28

At the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Attendance 72,500

 

San Dimas High School won the 2001/2002 WSFFL FA Cup Final, beating favourites Aardvark Abacus 1-0. In a tightly contested final, it was Trevor Sinclair who provided a match-winning performance, capped with the decisive goal, and rightly won the Man of the Match award. San Dimas’ win also prevented Ady’s march towards a “Double Double”, and ensured they wouldn’t remember this season as their “Sheffield Wednesday” season, i.e. reaching 2 finals in one season – and losing them both.

Aardvark substitute Laurent Blanc was pressed into action almost immediately, as Markus Babbel suffered a recurrence of Guillan-Barre syndrome and had to come off. This rattled the Aardvark defence, as San Dimas were on the offensive, Bergkamp leading the charge with a close shot. Trevor Sinclair, out to impress the watching Sven-Goran Eriksson (well, he does go to all the important games, you know!) was a constant thorn in the Aardvark defense, and finally broke their resistance with a low shot into the far corner from a Queudrue cross, which Martyn could only deflect in.

This should have been the cue for an Aardvark onslaught, however their vaunted front-line was firing blanks today, particularly Anelka, who “had a mare” and was substituted midway through the second half. Bergkamp hit a post for San Dimas with a delicious curling effort before being subbed himself, and the only blemish on San Dimas’ subsequent cruise to victory was Franck Queudrue’s late dismissal for a late tackle from behind on Legwinski. But that didn’t dampen Peej’s day.

Aardvark Abacus: Nigel Marty; Ian Harte, Lauren, Markus Babbel, Bernt Haas; Nolberto Solano, Jon Aarne Riise, Vladimir Smicer, Sylvain Legwinski; Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Nicolas Anelka

Subs: Neil Sullivan, Laurent Blanc; Sam Dalla Bonna; Eidur Gudjonsson

San Dimas High School: Thomas Sorensen; Sylvain Distin, John Terry, Tony Adams, Franck Queudrue; Trevor Sinclair, Anders Svensson, Jermaine Jenas, Edu; Michael Ricketts, Dennis Bergkamp

Subs: Steve Harper; Jlloyd Samuel; Zatyiah Knight; Pablo Counago

FA Cup Final 2002/3 (the replay)

Aardvark Abacus       3-0       Trusted By Millions

Juninho (25) (pen)                 (1)

Harte (47)

Baros (58)

At the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Attendance 72,500

Aardvark Abacus made no mistake second time around, and duly won the 2002/2003 WSFFL FA Cup Final Replay by a comfortable 3-0 margin, over a tired-looking Trusted By Millions, perhaps sapped by their efforts in the first game. So Ady wins the FA Cup for the second time, having previously won it in 1998/99.

Both managers made changes from the first game; Beef shuffled his defence around and brought in Andrew Cole in attack to replace Phillips, whilst Ady replaced the disappointing Hasselbaink with the lively Eidur Gudjonson, and surprisingly dropped Paul Scholes to the bench, preferring the Brazilian wizard Juninho. And it was this move which proved the inspiration behind Ady’s win: Juninho pulled off a Man-of-the-Match performance in midfield, scoring the first goal after 25 minutes from a penalty, after he himself had been fouled by Craddock, and proving instrumental throughout.

Ady’s lead doubled 2 minutes after the break with a bizarre goal which was eventually credited to Ian Harte, and 11 minutes later Milan Baros added to his 2 goals in the first game with a cool finish from a Juninho through ball. Trusted were frankly not at the races today, and Ady’s team deservedly cantered home 3-0 winners, just reward for another magnificent season from the Abacus!

 

Aardvark Abacus: Kasey Keller; Ian Harte, William Gallas, Jon Aarne Riise, Michael Svensson; Nolberto Solano, Juninho, Vladimir Smicer, Sylvain Legwinski; Eidur Gudjonsson, Milan Baros

Subs: Neil Sullivan; Matthew Upson; Paul Scholes; Dwight Yorke 

Trusted By Millions: Mark Schwarzer; Martin Taylor, Florent Laville, Jody Craddock, Jamie Carragher; Jay-Jay Okocha, Jason Euell, Sean Davis, Steven Gerrard; Michael Owen, Andrew Cole

Subs: Juusi Jaaskaleinen; Nils-Eric Johansson; James Milner; Kevin Phillips