This weekend sees the FA Cup semi-finals between Manchester City and Southampton, and Leeds against Chelsea, both at Wembley Stadium. For any manager, player, or fan, reaching Wembley is a monumental achievement that resonates deeply.
I have always been a traditionalist and loved the semi-finals at venues like Villa Park, Stamford Bridge, Highbury, or Old Trafford. Those grounds created a fantastic atmosphere when split between two sets of supporters. But having finally reached the semi-final in my 34th attempt as a player or manager, I was never going to complain about Wembley being the destination.
The same feeling applied to our fans at Stoke City. The week before our quarter-final win over West Ham, I invited club legend Gordon Banks to speak to the players. A World Cup winner and Stoke hero from the 1972 League Cup final, he delivered a rousing speech about what it meant to reach Wembley. He was right: we sold out our allocation, and the joy among supporters was unforgettable.
During the build-up, I treated the week normally, except for a Wednesday trip to London. The squad met at Stoke station, took the train to Euston, then a coach to Wembley. We walked on the pitch to familiarise ourselves—most had never been there. Dinner at an Italian restaurant rounded off the day, and we felt ready.
Our semi-final opponent was Bolton, a fortunate draw given the other teams were Manchester United and City. When we saw Bolton's players in suits with flowers, I turned to my assistant and said, "That's my team talk taken care of." We won 5-0, and every player deserves credit. The roar of 50,000 Stokies singing 'Delilah' is a memory that endures.
For me, reaching my first FA Cup final was huge. Growing up in Newport in the 1960s, the FA Cup was the pinnacle—live matches on TV were rare. I remember the 1967 final between Tottenham and Chelsea, watching on black-and-white TV and struggling to tell the teams apart. The FA Cup commanded a special place in British football, and thinking of it brings back rich memories.
As young lads, FA Cup final day meant playing football on the dock fields with coats as goalposts, running for hours with no watches. We never missed the build-up. The magic of Wembley, old and new, continues to inspire.