WHILE David James is probably still celebrating winning the FA Cup on Saturday with Portsmouth, and keeping a clean sheet in the process, he was most certainly not celebrating on this day in 2000 when he was largely blamed for Chelsea’s winning goal as Aston Villa lost 1-0 in the showpiece match.

The 2000 final was the last to be held at Wembley before it was torn down and redeveloped, with Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium hosting the final until last year when Wembley was reopened.

The competition itself was a touch controversial that season when Manchester United became the first winners in the history of the FA Cup to not defend their title. Instead they trudged off to Brazil to participate in the new Club World Cup, much to the chagrin of supporters across the country.

In those pre-Abramovich days Chelsea were seen as the continental cup specialists having won the FA Cup in 1997 and the League Cup and Cup Winners Cup in 1998 and manager Gianluca Vialli named just one Englishman in his starting 11 with Dennis Wise captaining the side.

After an uninspiring first half things livened up after the break when Dennis Wise thought he had put his side 1-0 up only for the referee to disallow his effort for offside. A quarter of an hour later Chelsea do take the lead after James fumbles a Zola free kick only as far as Roberto Di Matteo who buries the ball to win the cup for the Londoners and consign Villa, and particularly David James to more misery. For James, who admitted he cried after the game, the whole scenario was reminiscent of his last Cup final appearance for Liverpool in 1996 when he punched the ball out only for it to fall for Eric Cantona who scored to win the game 1-0 for Manchester United.



Villa manager John Gregory was attempted to deflect some of the inevitable flak that would come the way of David James after yet another high-profile blunder by the ‘keeper.

“He got us to the final,” said Gregory of his goalkeeper. “He has done unbelievable things this season to get us in this position in the first place.

“In the semi-final he was outstanding and certainly no criticism can be placed on anybody.”

Meanwhile Di Matteo was lamenting the end of the old stadium having scored in three cup finals there. He said: “We have finished the season in a great way. It is just a pity for me that they are going to rip this stadium down because it is quite a lucky place for me.”

The result also meant Vialli became Chelsea’s most successful ever manager having collected the FA Cup, League Cup, Cup Winners Cup and European Super Cup in his spell as boss, although that was a record that was not to last long.

We have not been able to find any clips of Di Matteo’s winner, but have a look at Cantona’s effort against James in the 1996 final below and come back tomorrow for a collision of football and music, and no, it’s not the Anfield Rap.

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (No Ratings Yet)
Loading ... Loading ...