MY CITY STORY: THE 2008 FA CUP FINAL

“The moment my beloved Bluebirds walked onto the Wembley turf – the FA Cup gleaming on the stand in front of them.”

As featured in 'The Bluebird' match-day programme, Cardiff City fan Ian Sullivan remembers the 2008 FA Cup Final...

“Being a City fan has always been a part of my life. I first started going in the 1981/82 season with my dad, who still comes down now.

“When you’re young football is new and exciting. I’ve enjoyed all of it though, from the days of Jason Perry and Nathan Blake, through to those of Robert Earnshaw, Graham Kavanagh and, of course, the recent Cup runs.

“From the moment we got to the FA Cup Final, the whole build-up was incredibly exciting, with all of the press coverage and euphoria.

“We’d stayed overnight the day before and got the train into Wembley the next day. Everything about it was fantastic – going down Wembley Way, walking around the stadium and the build-up before we went into the ground.



“The excitement just continued to build. But what really hit me was the moment the teams came out onto the pitch and a soldier put the FA Cup on the stand in front of the tunnel.

“It’s something that I will never forget. The hairs on the back of my neck were tingling, and when I looked around, I could tell there were other people feeling exactly the same way.

“The Semi-Final was fantastic as well of course, with Joe Ledley scoring the goal. That was a magical day, and to actually win at Wembley was great.

“But when I saw the FA Cup shining, as if it had been polished all day, that was the moment I truly realised the magnitude of the occasion.



“The final broke the record attendance at Wembley [89,874] which is something that I’m still proud of. Every game held at Wembley, I look at the attendance hoping that it hasn’t been broken.

“It was all something that I didn’t think I’d ever see in my life. You watch Cup finals year after year with Chelsea, Manchester United etc., but you wouldn’t even dream of getting there.

“Then, when the final whistle blew, no Cardiff fans left the stadium, as we stayed to watch the Cup being lifted. You don’t witness that too often, but we all knew that we may never get the chance again. That just shows how unique the experience was for us."

Ian Sullivan



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