Manchester Utd v Millwall
The FA Cup Final
Millennium Stadium
22 May 2004


Listen live from
3pm on Saturday


Millwall coach Ray Wilkins won The FA Cup at Old Trafford, so he knows more than most about what he’ll be up against come Saturday.

"Everybody at the club has been thrilled and dumbfounded, it’s fairytale stuff that Millwall are in The Final, but it will be a very difficult match for us," says Dennis Wise’s number two.

"I’ve said all along, we need Manchester United to have a few players having an off day and we need a few of our players to be on fire.

"We start off as massive underdogs, but we’ve seen before that underdogs can sometimes cause an upset and that’s what we aim to do."

In fact, it was the outsiders Brighton who nearly stopped Wilkins and United lifting The Cup in 1983. Ray’s sublime curling second-half strike looked to be handing Ron Atkinson’s side a 2-1 victory until Gary Stevens levelled with three minutes left to set up a replay.

United comfortably won the second game 4-0 and Wilkins’ urges his Millwall players to make the most of their special day without letting the occasion get the better of them.

"The FA Cup goes past so quickly that sometimes you don’t remember what it’s all about. The whole day, the build-up and the match itself just zoom past," he explains.

"In ’83 we didn’t play particularly well in the first game, but we were quite fortunate that we had a second blast at it on the Thursday. So to be able to go back and to do ourselves justice was a major bonus.

"Winning The Cup is an extremely emotional time. You work with your team-mates for nine months of the year and you spend more time with them than you do with your family.

"You have little rows and tiffs, but when you get the pot on your table at the end, it shows that all the hard work has been worthwhile.

"I’ve seen massive players just crumble in the atmosphere of The Final. Our lads have just got to go out there, relax and try to perform. Easier said than done against a side as wonderful as Manchester United.

"We’ll have a little chat and try and get them as relaxed as they possibly can. The important thing for them to remember is – do yourself justice."

If anyone knows how to approach the game, it’s Wise and Wilkins. Indeed, the former Chelsea pairing have had their hands on The Cup more recently than anyone else involved in today’s game.

In the last Final at Wembley in 2000, a side captained by Wise and coached by Wilkins beat Aston Villa 1-0, and the Lions number two is in no doubt that his boss will have a major influence on The Final again.

"Dennis playing out there will give the team a bit of composure; he is a vital part of the side not only as manager but also as a player, so he can obviously help them. I wish I could be out there with them too.

"As a manager he’s been great and has taken to it like a duck to water. We feel that, with his experience, he can coach the lads through what will be a very difficult afternoon."

United will become the first top-flight side the south-Londoners have had to face in this season’s Cup run, and Wilkins acknowledges that the draw balls have lent a helping hand as they reach the end-game.

"Our FA Cup is the greatest club cup competition in world football. It’s one long romantic journey starting off for the lower league clubs, climaxing with Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United, but we’ve chucked a spanner in the works," he grins.

"I think we have to accept that the draw was kind to us in that we didn’t meet any of the big boys from the Premier League on our way through. There were a couple of banana skins along the way, which could have been a bit naughty, but the lads have been extremely professional

"Now we’ve got an FA Cup Final against possibly the biggest club in world football. But we’ve got agreat bunch of lads who work extremely hard and they’ll be giving it a real good go for Millwall."

Even if victory doesn’t come the Lions’ way, they have already secured a place in next season’s UEFA Cup and the influence of the management team will give the club a huge boost as they take on Europe for the first time ever. However, some titbits from their adversary today wouldn’t go a miss either.

"It’s just mind boggling that Millwall Football Club are in the UEFA Cup. It’s a fantastic achievement by the club and I’m hoping that after locking horns with two of football’s great managers they’ll be able give us some advice on Europe," Wilkins admits.

"Sir Alex Ferguson and Walter Smith, what haven’t they won in their careers?"

Millwall and Wilkins will be out to make sure the Scots don’t get their hands on this year’s FA Cup. "We have a game plan," he says. "Whether it succeeds remains to be seen. We’ll keep our fingers crossed and our hard work could pay off.

"I never have been a lover of underdogs, but now I find myself on that side. It’s a great story for our club, and we’re looking forward to writing another chapter."