My favourite FA Cup memories | FA Cup 2011-12 | The Guardian

KEVIN KEEGAN, FA CUP FINAL 1974, LIVERPOOL 3 NEWCASTLE UNITED 0 That was a cup final between two big-supported teams so the atmosphere was unbelievable. Newcastle have a cup tradition that

goes back to the 1950s and a lot of supporters remembered that back then in the 1970s. What I remember most was at the hotel Shanks just pinning up this article that Malcolm MacDonald had

written [saying Newcastle were going to beat Liverpool]. No team talk, that was it, he just stuck it up and walked out. We felt like schoolkids going up to read what it said. It was a great

piece of motivation. We were a club that didn't shout out about what we were going to do, we just did it, so it was right against what we believed in. We were a very good side and it

was a bit disrespectful to be honest. You could argue [MacDonald] was trying to motivate his team and being positive and upbeat. But Shanks used it very cleverly. It was one of the most

one‑sided cup finals ever in the end. MacDonald had one shot from about 30 yards that flew miles over the bar, but I can't remember Clem [Ray Clemence] having a save to make. With my

goal, when I hit it I didn't think it was going to go in, I thought the keeper would make a great save. In the end he pushed it into the corner, which probably made it look even better.

JOHN BARNES, FA CUP FINAL 1984, WATFORD 0 EVERTON 2 The best FA Cup memories I have are not necessarily to do with finals. I remember the quarter-final against Birmingham when we reached

the final with Watford in 1984, which was the first season Watford had reached a Cup final. That was really special. The FA Cup means so much more than the final. The significant rounds for

me are the third round, when the non-league teams really get a chance at the big teams, the fifth round and the final. The Liverpool v Everton finals were very special, but the rise of

Watford from the fourth division, up to the first and then we were playing in Europe after that, it was just a great occasion and a great story. It was a strange day because Watford is

probably 10 minutes up the road and so the whole travelling down to Wembley thing didn't really happen. We just got on the bus and we were there. It was simply the fact of getting to

the Cup final, the feeling in the town, the media interest, it was fantastic. CHRIS WADDLE, FA CUP SEMI-FINAL 1993, SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY 2 SHEFFIELD UNITED 1 It was such a big game. To play

at Wembley in a Sheffield derby, I can't see it ever happening again. It was a semi-final, completely full stadium, and it was just one of those days. With my goal from the free-kick

early on they put a two-man wall up and to be honest I wasn't even going to have a shot. I was running down the wing and John Sheridan was over the ball and I said: "Take a quick

one," but their full‑back read the situation and John said: "No, it's too tight." So we're both over the ball and I said: "What are we going to do with

it?" and he said: " Shoot now." I said: "It's too far out." And he said: "Go on, shoot, have a pop, see what happens, it's so early in the game it

doesn't matter." So I went "all right" and I ran up and I caught it quite well, the keeper couldn't get across and reach it. They equalised, but we battered them in

that game. I really enjoyed it. NEVILLE SOUTHALL, FA CUP FINAL 1995, EVERTON 1 MANCHESTER UNITED 0 Winning the first one [in 1984 with Everton] was really great because you just don't

know what you're doing or what's at stake. You're naive. I'd never even been to Wembley before. And you think: "That's great, I'll have loads more of

those." But really it was 1995 that was special for me. I knew Everton wanted me out, I knew I was going, and I knew what it meant to win and to lose an FA Cup final. We had a great

team then, great spirit, lots of young lads and we really fought for each other. Paul Rideout scored the goal and I really didn't have that much to do. There was a double save in the

second half but that was it really. I don't normally celebrate much, I used to feel a bit embarrassed going to the fans and all that. I'd just go off at the end, all that was for

them really, the fans. But that time was very special. ROBERT PIRES, FA CUP FINAL 2003, ARSENAL 1 SOUTHAMPTON 0 Everybody knows about the FA Cup even before they come to England. It is a

beautiful competition, not just because you win something but because it is at the end of the season it has this history. It is amazing to play in. My best memory is scoring the winner when

we won 1-0 in the final against Southampton in 2003. That was a really special day, a good memory. I remember it very well, I remember the fans and the noise in the stadium. It was a very

nice day. _This weekend ESPN has live and exclusive coverage of three FA Cup third-round matches: Birmingham City v Wolves (12pm Saturday), Bristol Rovers v Aston Villa (4.30pm Saturday) and

Arsenal v Leeds United (7pm Monday)_