Road to Wembley - FA Cup Final day

My first FA Cup Final was 1973. It was a fantastic match full of shocks and emotion and I was hooked on this national treasure. When my brother and I were kids we would be up with Noel Edmonds and sit glued to the telly in our adopted team's colours with home made banners and watch the winners added to future pub quiz history before reenacting the game afterwards in the garden. One year the television blew up the night before, my Dad said he had never seen so many tears.

In later life my brother and I would sit with mates and drink beers and watch the end of season finale. I used to be able to name every finalist all the way back to 1973.

When I lived in Chicago I would get to the pub for breakfast. One year I was astonished to see so many Millwall fans creep out of the woodwork, but they soon disappeared back to their caves. Another year I watched in awe as Steven Gerrard singularly broke West Ham's hearts.

Then a couple of years back the game clashed with some other things in my Bermuda life and I decided long after Man Utd did to turn my back on the Cup after 35 years. I simply had something better to do. I couldn't even tell you who was in last year's final without Googling it, such was my non-interest, which writing this now actually shames me if I'm honest.

But this year I will be back in front of the television again, I might even make a banner. Despite the City billionaires, a Man City v Stoke City Final has a real 1970's vintage feel to it and I think the game is too close to call.

My ex-wife's family are from the Potteries, but despite this I will still be cheering on Stoke.