By The Football League
Martin Chivers
February 27th 1971 - Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 Aston Villa
“This is the game that re-ignited my career as I made my Wembley debut and scored both goals to give Tottenham the League Cup for the first time. I’d been written off following a horrendous knee injury but that season my form had started to return and the goals were going in. I was nervous as it was my first appearance at the stadium and I remember it was not a great game because the pitch, heavy and sticky, was still suffering from hosting the Horse of the Year show eight months before. Aston Villa were a third division club at the time but gave us a good game which turned our way late on. After 79 minutes I was given the chance that all strikers dream of – a shot from six or seven yards which I kept down and placed into a virtually empty net. My second goal three minutes later was better – Allan Mullery found me with a through ball which I pulled down, then held off a couple of defenders before hitting it with my left foot low in the corner of the net. I always celebrated by raising one arm in the air and waiting for my team-mates to climb on top of me. Jimmy Neighbour jumped into my arms and I carried him all the back towards the half-way line.”
Ray Houghton
April 20th 1986 - Oxford United 3-0 Queens Park Rangers
“My main memory of the day is Oxford’s physio Ken Fish. He was set in his old-fashioned ways and at the Manor ground would take us into a room before games for warm-up exercises. He insisted we had to do the same at Wembley inside a pretty basic changing room and everyone exercising in this cramped room looked very funny. It took the pressure off and helped us relax. I wanted to show QPR what they had missed out on. I could have signed for the club the summer before when I left Fulham, but their chairman didn’t want to part with the money so I had a different agenda to the rest of the lads who were facing their former manager Jim Smith. We were already 1-0 up through Man of the Match Trevor Hebberd when I added the second. We were playing really good football and my goal epitomized that. I set Trevor free down the left-hand side, he put the ball across the face of goal and I got on the end of it. Scoring was a dream come true, all players dream about doing it in a Wembley cup final and I did it. I rushed to the sideline to celebrate with my family. We were totally in charge and Jeremy Charles’ third goal sealed a one-sided win. I went on to play for Liverpool and the Republic of Ireland, scoring in a World Cup, but this was the biggest goal of all, realising a boyhood dream.”
Danny Wilson
April 24th 1988 - Arsenal 2-3 Luton Town
“The final was a tremendous occasion, even the journey from the hotel to the stadium was unforgettable. The fact that it was Luton’s first time at Wembley since 1959 meant it was extra special for the fans. Just looking down Wembley Way and seeing all those flags made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. You don’t think you can top that until you walk onto the pitch. I had goosebumps from hearing the ‘Wembley roar’ which comes at you from every direction. The last 10 minutes of the game were crazy. Some finals turn out to be a bit dour, but both sides were going for it, and if I’m honest we couldn’t play any other way. All I can remember about my goal was Brian Stein going down the left-hand side and his cross being deflected as I made it into the six-yard box. The deflection seemed to wrong-foot the Arsenal defense, and I reacted quickest, getting my head on the ball to nod it in. Minutes later, of course, Brian Stein scored the winner and it was total pandemonium. Our manager Ray Harford was very calm and composed before the game, but once we picked up the cup he let his emotions out. I remember chucking him in the bath and he didn’t have a change of clothes. We had a lot of fun that night. In fact, I don’t think I went home for a week after we won.”
Brian McClair
April 12th 1992 - Manchester United 1-0 Nottingham Forest
“Growing up, I used to dream about what might happen in the future and one would have been a dream about scoring in a cup final at Wembley. For my goal to turn out to be the only goal of the game made it extra special. As I also scored the only goal in the European Super Cup Final against Red Star Belgrade it was a memorable season for me. The previous year we had lost to Sheffield Wednesday, a second division club at the time, in the League Cup Final so when we faced Nottingham Forest, United were still waiting for their first win in the competition. We scored early on and that settled us down. I remember Ryan Giggs played a pass into me and I got to it just ahead of the Forest left-back before hitting a nice left-foot shot. It’s remarkable to think that Ryan was playing a key part in 1992 and more than 20 years later he’s still such an important part of the United team. It’s the pinnacle for everyone to play in the cup final at Wembley in front of a big crowd.”