I hope not

Come on Rangers

Shame for Rangers...was a poor game though and the better team won!

Come on Carlisle tonight.

did anybody see the way the the rangers fans was behaving last night,shocking..

Carlisle and Leeds were scrapping last night as well apparently!

Spoke to a Rangers kid who i know he said it was mental pretty funny watching the Rangers fans chasing the bizzies

Donny 5-0

Leeds donny final

come on donny

Saturday, 17 May 2008

The FA Cup sponsored by E.ON
Portsmouth v Cardiff, F, 15:00 come on pompey

Portsmouth or Cardiff will end long waits for a second FA Cup win when they meet in Saturday's final at Wembley.

Pompey's victory came in 1939, while Cardiff became the only non-English side to lift the trophy in 1927.

Cardiff boss Dave Jones said: "Maybe, over the last few years, the FA Cup has lost a little bit of magic because it's been the same teams (in the final).

"But Portsmouth and ourselves have broken the mould this season - we want to make our own history."

Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp, 61, has never previously reached an FA Cup final in a career as a player and manager spanning over 40 years.



Redknapp hopes to end a successful season with silverware
"It's great for everyone at the club," he said.

"I look at where we were two years ago (almost relegated from the Premier League), or five years ago, when we were near the bottom of the Championship and now we are in the Cup final."

A Pompey win will provide a memorable end to the season for Redknapp, who was arrested and bailed in November as part of a police investigation into football corruption. He vehemently denies any wrongdoing and last month began legal action over his arrest.

Cardiff's rollercoaster campaign has seen them survive a potentially ruinous bid by Swiss investment bank Langston to force the club to repay £24m in loans.

606: DEBATE
Anyone brave enough to make a prediction for tomorrow?

Like Pompey, they are planning to build a new stadium - a scheme that could only be boosted by winning the FA Cup which guarantees entry into the Uefa Cup.

"We're not even thinking about that," said Jones. "What we are thinking about is trying to beat a very good side. If we do that, the rest will follow." If Portsmouth win, they will be the first team other than Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United or Liverpool to triumph in the final since 1995.

Victory for the Bluebirds will be a first for a club from outside the top flight since 1980, when West Ham of the old Second Division beat Arsenal 1-0.



Reaching the Cup final is a dream - Dave Jones
Pompey are favourites, however, especially with experienced campaigners Sol Campbell and David James set to play after shaking off injuries.

Strikers David Nugent and Kanu should overcome niggles to boost Pompey who are without the cup-tied Jermain Defoe.

Cardiff's Robbie Fowler has not played for five months since hip surgery, but the ex-England striker will have a late fitness test.

Paul Parry is set to continue up-front alongside veteran Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.

BIG-MATCH FACTS
The 127th FA Cup has been the most unpredictable in living memory. Form counted for little as every round, from the turn of the year, provided more than its fair share of shocks and surprises, as one-by-one the giants were slain.

It is the first final for 17 years in which both participants come from outside the top seven since eighth placed Nottingham Forest faced 10th placed Tottenham in 1991, when the Londoners prevailed 1-2 after extra time.

Portsmouth are the sole Premier League survivors, aiming to become the first club outside the so-called 'Big Four' of Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United to lift the trophy since Everton in 1995.


Redknapp and Jones are chasing historic wins at Wembley
Pompey's participation ensures the top-flight have provided at least one participant in every FA Cup final since the formation of the Football League in 1888.

Cardiff City are the first non-Premier League club to reach the final since Millwall in 2004, and the 25th team from outside the top-flight to qualify for this showpiece.

They could become the first non top-flight side to lift the FA Cup since West Ham in 1980, and the lowest ranked to do so since non-league Tottenham in 1901.

Both clubs are aiming to win the competition for the second time in their history; Portsmouth won it in 1939, Cardiff in 1927.

A place in next season's Uefa Cup awaits the winners. Portsmouth have never qualified for Europe; Cardiff have had 14 campaigns in the Cup Winners' Cup as Welsh Cup holders, making the semi-finals in 1968.

The FA decided last month to allow Cardiff to represent England in the Uefa Cup should they win the FA Cup, despite their ruling that Welsh clubs can only qualify for Europe through their own national competitions.

This is the second FA Cup final to be staged under the arch of the new Wembley, after six years at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium. Both clubs are returning to Wembley after winning their semi-finals there six weeks ago.

The Welsh national anthem will be played prior to the game, along with God Save the Queen.

The League ladder

Portsmouth ended the league campaign in their highest ever Premier League placing of eighth; Cardiff were 12th in the Championship, some 24 places lower in the pecking order.


FA CUP RECORDS AND BEST PERFORMANCES

PORTSMOUTH
Current form

Lost the last four of the league season, and not won in five, since defeating West Ham 0-1 at Upton Park on 8 April.

Not scored in three matches or 336 minutes (five hours 36 minutes) since John Utaka got Portsmouth's goal in the 3-1 away defeat to Manchester City on 20 April. It was Pompey's only goal in a minute under eight hours soccer.

Recent FA Cup performance

Defeated three Championship clubs in Ipswich, Plymouth and Preston, at the outset of this march to the arch. Then knocked out Manchester United, with a Sulley Ali Muntari penalty, 12 minutes from time. They played second fiddle to West Bromwich Albion for long periods of the semi-final on 5 April, but went through courtesy of a 54th minute goal from former West Brom striker Nwankwo Kanu.

The Manager

Harry Redknapp never reached Wembley as a player, and is taking a club there as a manager for the first time. The 61-year-old former Bournemouth, West Ham and Southampton boss, has twice guided teams to promotion. He took Bournemouth up from Division Three in 1987, and masterminded Portsmouth's arrival in the Premier League in 2003. Redknapp's only cup success came with West Ham, when they won the Intertoto Cup in 1999.

FA Cup fact

Famously held the trophy for seven years after their 4-1 triumph over Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1939, in front of 99,370. Bert Barlow opened Pompey's account two months after leaving the Molineux club as surplus to requirements. Jock Anderson and Cliff Parker put the south coast club three-up and Parker's second, a header, confirmed a highly unexpected victory.

The competition was put in abeyance in 1939 due to the Second World War, so Portsmouth are the longest holders of the cup in the history of the oldest knock out competition in the world. Derby were the next winners in 1946.

Pompey have qualified for their fourth FA Cup final; the others were in 1929 and 1934. But their last visit to Wembley was in 1942, when they lost to Brentford in the London War Cup final.


CARDIFF CITY
Current form

Ended the league season with a 3-0 home victory over Barnsley; their first win in four outings. Scored three goals in each of the last two games, but conceded three goals in each of the three matches prior to the clean sheet against the Tykes.

Not won away from home since the 1-0 triumph over Barnsley in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley on 6 April.

Won as many matches away from home in the FA Cup, as in the Championship (four).

Recent FA Cup performance

Knocked out non-league Chasetown, League Two Hereford, Championship rivals Wolves and Premier League Middlesbrough, in this cup run before the semi-final triumph over fellow Championship side Barnsley.

The Manager

51 year old Liverpool born Dave Jones was a commanding centre-half in his playing days with Everton, Coventry, Seiko FC in Hong Kong, and Preston.

As a manager he took Stockport to within one match of Wembley, losing to Middlesbrough in the semi-finals of the 1996-97 League Cup final. Jones had three seasons in charge at Southampton before his time at the Dell came to an end in unfortunate circumstances. He later won promotion to the Premier League with Wolves, winning the Division One play-off final 3-0 over Neil Warnock's Sheffield United at the Millennium Stadium on 26 May 2003. Now Jones will lead out a club at Wembley for the first time.

FA Cup fact

Famously became the first and only club from outside England to win the FA Cup in 1927.

The Bluebirds are competing in their third FA Cup final. They were a top-flight club when beaten 0-1 by Sheffield United in 1925. Two years later they returned to Wembley, again as a top division outfit, and faced Arsenal. It was an unspectacular match, decided by a speculative shot from Cardiff's Scottish centre-forward Hugh Ferguson, and fumbled by Gunners Welsh international keeper Dan Lewis.


HEAD to HEAD
All competitions

Portsmouth and Cardiff have not competed in the same division for 23 years, since Pompey won 1-2 at Ninian Park and Cardiff drew 0-0 at Fratton Park in the 1984-85 Second Division campaign.

Subsequent to that they have met three times in the League Cup. Pompey prevailed over two legs in the second round of the 1990-91 Rumblelows Cup, Cardiff returned the favour over two first round legs of the Coca Cola Cup in 1995-96, and Portsmouth knocked out the Welsh side 0-2 in the fourth round of the Carling Cup on 9 November 2004, when Yakubu scored both, one from the penalty spot.

FA Cup

Cardiff and Portsmouth have never met before in this competition

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/fa_cup/7393770.stm

pompay 1-0 up at half time.. decent game..

Portsmouth 1-0 Cardiff

BBC FOOTBALL

Kanu's first-half goal won the FA Cup for Portsmouth against Cardiff in a low-key final at Wembley.

The Nigerian scrambled home the winner at the near post eight minutes before half-time after Cardiff keeper Peter Enckelman fumbled John Utaka's cross.

Cardiff enjoyed possession but rarely posed a serious threat, although Glenn Loovens had a goal ruled out for handball in first-half injury time.

And Portsmouth held on to claim the trophy for the first time since 1939.

It was a personal triumph for emotional Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp as he enjoyed the highlight of his long managerial career when captain Sol Campbell lifted the trophy.

Underdogs Cardiff played with spirit, but did not have the quality to seriously disturb the Pompey defence, in which Campbell and Sylvain Distin were outstanding.

Cardiff boss Dave Jones did not gamble on Robbie Fowler, even as a substitute, after four months out with a hip problem - and his side did not feel his absence in a lively start.

Joe Ledley played in Paul Parry in the 12th minute but Portsmouth keeper David James made a crucial block to deny Cardiff the lead.

Kanu posted the warning signals for Cardiff as early as 21 minutes when he took a pass from Sulley Muntari in his stride and danced around keeper Enckelman, only to send his effort against the outside of the post with the goal unguarded.

He made no mistake eight minutes before the interval when Enckelman could only push out Utaka's whipped cross from the right flank and Kanu pounced to score.

Cardiff had more than held their own and almost provided an instant response when Parry raced clear down the left, but his cross stretched Kevin McNaughton as he arrived at the far post and the chance was gone.

And Bluebirds had a goal ruled out in first-half injury time when Pompey keeper James - who has form for high-profile mistakes in FA Cup finals - missed a corner, but Loovens handled before sending a looping finish into the net.

Loovens came to Cardiff's rescue after 52 minutes when Utaka set up Kanu again and he was forced to block a goal-bound shot with his chest.

Cardiff failed to apply consistent pressure to Portsmouth and boss Jones made a change after 61 minutes, sending on gifted 17-year-old prodigy Aaron Ramsey for Peter Whittingham.

It had been a desperately disappointing afternoon for the veteran Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, so it was no surprise when he was also hauled off with 20 minutes left and time running out for a Cardiff response.

David Nugent had come on as replacement for Utaka, and he forced Enckelman into a smart near-post save from a rising drive as Portsmouth attempted to kill the final off.

Loovens had proved to be a danger man for Cardiff at set-pieces and he sent a header bouncing just over the bar from Ramsey's corner after 79 minutes.

Cardiff's desire to push forward for an equaliser left them open to a counter-attack and Distin almost punished them with a run from the half-way line that was only halted by a fine tackle from Roger Johnson.

But it was Portsmouth's day as for once the favourites justified their tag in this season's unpredictable FA Cup.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Portsmouth: James, Johnson, Campbell, Distin, Hreidarsson, Utaka (Nugent 69), Pedro Mendes (Diop 78), Diarra, Muntari, Kranjcar, Kanu (Baros 87).
Subs Not Used: Ashdown, Pamarot.

Booked: Hreidarsson, Kranjcar, Diarra.

Goals: Kanu 37.

Cardiff: Enckelman, McNaughton, Johnson, Loovens, Capaldi, Ledley, Rae (Sinclair 86), McPhail, Whittingham (Ramsey 61), Parry, Hasselbaink (Thompson 70).
Subs Not Used: Oakes, Purse.

Att: 89,874

Ref: Mike Dean (Wirral).

a decent game, well done pompay..

Congrats Pompey


not a particuly good game


now come on Chelsea!!!!!!!!!!!!

Newcastle have lined up 2 dodgy Frenchmen and a dodgy Turk as our first summer signings!

I have never heard of any of them

Typical Toon soap opera rubbish

Joey Barton is jailed for assault

BBC FOOTBALL>

Premier League footballer Joey Barton has been jailed for assault and affray.

Barton, 25, was captured on CCTV in Liverpool on 27 December 2007 punching one man 20 times before an attack which left a teenage boy with broken teeth.

The Newcastle and England midfielder, from Widnes, admitted the charges last month but reporting restrictions were only lifted on Tuesday.

Sentencing him to six months in jail, Judge Henry Globe QC said it was a "violent and cowardly act".

Liverpool Crown Court heard how Barton, of Foxbank Road, had been on a Boxing Day night out with his brother, cousin and other friends in Liverpool city centre.

Barton's cousin, Nadine Wilson, 27, of Childwall, Liverpool, and his brother Andrew Barton, 20, also of Foxbank Road, Widnes, also pleaded guilty to their part in the assaults.

Barton had drunk 10 pints of lager and five bottles of lager during the night, before going to a McDonald's restaurant on Church Street.

The group got into a heated discussion with some youths inside the restaurant, before leaving and walking up Church Street towards Bold

The Barton group was involved in some verbal exchanges with others before the attack happened.

Joey Barton was caught on CCTV knocking an unidentified man to the ground. He then straddled him and punched him four or five times as his cousin threw food at the victim before the Premier League player punched him up to 15 times more.

Minutes later, the midfielder attacked a 16-year-old, punching him and leaving him with broken teeth.

The hearing was told the footballer was remorseful about the incident and had admitted to an alcohol problem.

Two character references were read out in court about Barton, who has a tendency to lose his temper both on and off the field.

The first reference, from Newcastle manager Kevin Keegan, was read to the court by Stuart Driver QC, mitigating.

Keegan said he first knew the player when he was Manchester City manager.

He said of that period: "There were a number of issues in his life and events, some of which have been very well documented.

"Had I been asked to give character evidence for him then, I probably wouldn't have been able to do so."

'Total abstinence'

He added that since then he had seen a "massive change" in Barton and that he was now "a far more responsible individual".

A second reference was given by Peter Kay, of the Sporting Chance clinic, which has been supporting Barton while on bail.

Mr Kay said: "Joey recognises he has an addiction to alcohol and the only way forward is total abstinence."

He also said Barton "despises" the man he becomes after consuming alcohol.

Sentencing, Judge Globe told him: "Without doubt, the most serious of the three offenders is you.

"You were restrained by others but ignored them and acted in an extremely violent and aggressive manner.

"You have a high profile as a footballer and you know that draws attention to you. Yet you drank to excess and behaved in an aggressive, disgraceful manner."

Barton was also ordered to pay £2,500 to the youth whose teeth were broken.

Andrew Barton was jailed for four months suspended for two years for assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Wilson received a six-month sentence suspended for two years for affray and common assault.

Originally from Huyton, Merseyside, Joey Barton began his football career with Manchester City in 2002.

Barton was sold by them to Newcastle United in June 2007 in a £5.8m deal, four months after he had made his full international debut for England.

His club said in a statement: "Newcastle United notes the sentence passed to Joey Barton at Liverpool Crown Court today.

"The club is considering the verdict and will be making no further comment at this moment."

MUPPET

Barton is a gormless twat!!

Man Utd v Chelski- Champions Lg final tonight 7.45pm

come on utd, i havn't been this nervous in years...

Lucky as fuck

feel sorry for John Terry

but congrats to De Niro and i mean that mate

Yes i agree with that Chops!

A great advert for the English game though!

Why do the fans sing Sloop John B at the matches? I've seen this a few times. Is this done only in Manchester or all over? I was wondering if there was any significance to the song. It's a pretty good song, but I find it odd that it is sung at sporting events. It seems like a good drinking song though.

I have never noticed that song klyd but you are right, it is a good drinking song and this may have something to do with it.

Most football chants are either to do wth drinking or disliking other teams, Newcastles certainly are

De Niro will tell us better about Manchesters tunes!


Whilst watching baseball last night i heard them talking about the match which was nice. One of the analysts,Davy O'Brien seemed to be a fan!

I never kept up with this, but I saw a bit of the highlights on ESPN this morning. I know Turi always would talk about it. Is he a Chelsea or Man United guy?

Congrats to them!!!!!!!!!!

Congrats to Hull yesterday


and also to Dean Windass


And i know its off Topic but a big congrats to the man Ricky Hatton

you would have got good odds on hull going up at the start of the season, they only just stopped up last season

well done,bottom 3 finish next season..

Well done Donny couldnt have asked for a better result


well maybe 8 nil

Yogi mate tried to pm you wont send for sum reason ill try and txt u today

Ok mate!

Keep trying, i'm still here

I know England won fairly comfortably and Capello is building up his dynasty but friendlies leave me cold.....

thats why i didn't bother watching it...

England 2 USA 0

John Terry put aside his Champions League troubles to help England to a routine friendly win over a disappointing USA side at Wembley.

Terry headed England in front from a pinpoint David Beckham cross shortly before the end of a poor first half.

Gareth Barry came off the bench to set up team-mate Steven Gerrard to sidefoot home the second goal.

The USA's best chance fell to Eddie Johnson but he lashed past the post on a difficult evening for the visitors.

England returned to winning ways in Fabio Capello's third game in charge of the national side, but it was another largely uninspiring and forgettable friendly.

It will take more than a win over the Americans before Terry forgets his penalty miss that cost Chelsea the Champions League final.

But the goal clearly provided a bit of welcome relief for the Chelsea skipper, who was handed the captaincy as coach Fabio Capello again rotated the armband.

Former skipper Beckham was presented with a golden cap from England's record goalscorer Sir Bobby Charlton prior to the game and followed it with a energetic 45 minutes on the right side.

Beckham was first to threaten a goal with a free-kick that whistled past the post.

The LA Galaxy midfielder offered a scoring opportunity for Gerrard to break the deadlock from a cleverly worked set-piece, but the Liverpool star's shot was blocked by Clint Dempsey.

Jermain Defoe was handed a first start for 20 months up front to provide some swift legs alongside Wayne Rooney.

The Portsmouth player offered the pace but wasted several opportunities to show he is the man with the finishing touch that England have been lacking.

With the USA mustering little in attack it was a matter of whether England could convert their ample possession into goals.

Defoe should have finished off a neat move involving Gerrard and Rooney but he sidefooted past the post in front of goal.

Just before the interval England got the breakthrough when Beckham swung in a trademark cross from the right and Terry, standing almost on the penalty spot, powered a low header past Tim Howard.

The goal awoke the England fans from their friendly slumber and England began to dominate with Owen Hargreaves and Defoe threatening to add a second before the interval.

USA could have thrown a spanner in the works a minute of the restart with their best chance of the game, but Johnson smacked just wide of the upright with an otherwise-untroubled England defence standing back.

Both sides began to make use of their considerable substitute benches and Barry, who replaced an ineffective Frank Lampard, made an instant contribution.

The Aston Villa midfielder produced a deft pass to lay on the second goal for a breaking Gerrard to run on and slot home comfortably.

With the USA looking dead and buried the game was effectively over, which was all-but-confirmed when the crowd began the Mexican waves with 20 minutes still to go.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

England: James, Brown (Johnson 57), Ferdinand, Terry, Ashley Cole (Bridge 82), Beckham (Bentley 46), Hargreaves, Lampard (Barry 57), Gerrard, Defoe (Crouch 68), Rooney (Joe Cole 78).
Subs not used: Hart, Lewis, Warnock, Woodgate, Jagielka, Wheater, Huddlestone, Downing, Young, Ashton, Walcott, Agbonlahor.

Goals: Terry 38, Gerrard 59

USA: Howard (Guzan 46), Cherundolo (Hejduk 46), Onyewu, Bocanegra, Pearce, Dempsey, Bradley, Clark, Beasley (Lewis 68), Johnson (Jaqua 89), Wolff (Adu 68).
Subs not used: Califf, Edu.

Att: 71,233

Referee: Kyros Vassaras (Greece).