The oldest competition in football
The Football Association Challenge Cup - better known as the FA Cup - is the oldest competition in football, having been first contested in the 1871-72 season.
The inaugural tournament saw the first matches played on November 11, 1871, with Jarvis Kenrick of Clapham Rovers securing a place in history with the tournament's opening goal.
On March 16, 1872, Wanderers became the first winners of the cup, beating Royal Engineers 1-0 at The Oval. The following year saw Sheffield take their place in the annuls of sport when they knocked out Shropshire Wanderers on the toss of a coin; the only time a tie has been decided in such a way.
The FA Cup is a knockout tournament that is open to almost all English football clubs. Premier League and Football League clubs are automatically eligible, while clubs in the next six levels of the football pyramid are invited to enter, so long as they competed in the FA Cup, FA Trophy or FA Vase in the previous season. Such an open system enables lower league and non-league clubs the opportunity to play against the top teams in the country.
Traditionally, the FA Cup Final is played at London's Wembley Stadium. However, earlier venues included the Kennington Oval, Racecourse Ground, Burnden Park, Bramall Lane, Crystal Palace Park, Stamford Bridge and Lillie Bridge. More recently, extensive redevelopment at Wembley saw the finals take place outside England for the first time, with the 2001-2006 finals held at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
FA Cup Final 2009 - Chelsea v Everton
The match on Saturday, May 30 marks the close of the domestic season and will see Chelsea take on Everton. Both teams have a rich pedigree in the FA Cup, with the 2009 final being Everton's 13th final and Chelsea's ninth.
Chelsea have lifted the famous trophy on four occasions, defeating Leeds in 1970, Middlesbrough in 1997, Aston Villa in 2000 and Manchester United in 2007. Everton, meanwhile, have won the competition five times, beating Newcastle in 1906, Manchester City in 1933, Sheffield Wednesday in 1966, Watford in 1984 and Manchester United in 1995.
The 2009 competition has seen Chelsea enjoy a relatively comfortable path to the final. They required a replay in the third round to overcome Southend United; triumphed over Ipswich Town and Watford in the fourth and fifth rounds respectively; fought their way to victory against Coventry City in the sixth round; and overcame their toughest test in the semi-final against a youthful and talented Arsenal side.
Everton, however, have faced a more difficult route to Wembley. In the third round they edged out Macclesfield Town by a single goal; defeated bitter Merseyside rivals Liverpool in a fourth round replay; convincingly dispatched with Aston Villa and Middlesbrough in the fifth and sixth rounds; and emerged victorious against Manchester United in the semi-final after a penalty shoot-out.
The two teams have met twice already this season in the Premier League, with each encounter resulting in a goalless draw. It's hardly surprising, therefore, that many people aren't predicting a goal-fest. However, Chelsea players would like to give their outgoing manager Guus Hiddink a rousing finale, just as the Everton players would love to see David Moyes take home the silverware as a reward for his work at the club. Will the Toffees get unstuck or can they leave Chelsea feeling blue?
Where can I watch the FA Cup?
This year the FA Cup Final programme will be made available to everyone, with free online coverage - provided by sponsors E-ON at www.familyfootball.co.uk - boasting a highlights reel of classic goals from football's most famous domestic cup competition.
Setanta is also trying something different for the 2009 final: Twitter commentary. Jon Champion will become a ‘Commentweeter’ by simulcasting his comments on the micro-blogging site throughout the game, which can be followed at www.twitter.com/commentweeter. Setanta’s coverage will start at 9am and will be free-to-air, meaning the signal will be unencrypted and therefore available to cable and satellite viewers without a subscription, until 7pm.
ITV's coverage of the FA Cup Final starts at 11.25am on ITV4 before transferring to ITV1 at 1pm. You can also contribute your thoughts about the match to ITV via Twitter, at www.twitter.com/ITVfootball.
By: Nick Thompson
Travelling to the FA Cup Final? Why not make a night of it and book a theatre break including a night in a central London hotel and tickets to a West End show.
