John Barnes
Nominated by Watford
Barnes is another of that select band to have featured in five Cup Finals but, unusually, he has been to the Final with three different clubs. Watford signed him from little Sudbury Court and, at 20, he appeared in the Hornets’ first Final in 1984. Then he had three with Liverpool, winning in 1989, and one with Newcastle.

Dave Bennett
Nominated by Coventry City
Bennett was on the losing side for Manchester City in the hundredth final against Spurs in 1981 but was back at Wembley, this time with Coventry City, to beat the same opposition six years later. He gave an all-action display at the Sky Blues won The Cup for the first time, scoring an equaliser at 1-1 after just nine minutes.

Liam Brady
Nominated by Arsenal
Brady was an Arsenal prodigy with skill and vision. His educated left foot helped the Gunners to reach three successive Finals and his determined run in the closing moments in 1979 led to Alan Sunderland’s winner against Manchester United. But the Gunners lost the 1978 and 1980 Finals by the only goal scored.

Billy Bremner
Nominated by Leeds United
Bremner was a tireless tackler and organiser for Don Revie’s Leeds and appeared in four Finals over an eight-year period. He scored in Leeds’ first Final in 1965 with a superb shot from distance but they lost both that and the 1970 Final with Chelsea. He captained them to victory in ’72 before losing again in ’73.

Sir Trevor Brooking
Nominated by West Ham United
Sir Trevor was a one-club man with West Ham United who picked up two Cup winners’ medals during his 18 years at Upton Park. Hammers beat Fulham in only the competition’s second all-London clash in 1975 and a rare header from Sir Trev on 13 minutes was enough to win the 1980 Final against Arsenal.

Tim Cahill
Nominated by Millwall
Cahill, an Australian international, was in his sixth season as a first-team regular at Millwall when he helped the First Division side reach their first Final in 2004. He scored the opening goal of the Lions’ Sixth Round replay win at Tranmere and followed that up with the Semi-Final winner against Sunderland at Old Trafford.

Raich Carter
Nominated by Sunderland
Carter, actual first name "Horatio", was the maestro inside-forward who was a Cup winner either side of the war – and with two different clubs. He captained Sunderland to their first Cup Final victory in 1937 and was part of the Derby County line-up that overcame Charlton after extra-time in the first post-war Final.

Jimmy Case
Nominated by Brighton & Hove Albion
Case was born in Liverpool and had a great eight years with the Reds, playing and scoring with a brilliant shot in the 1977 Final when Manchester United beat them. Six years later he was back at Wembley in a Brighton shirt to take on the same opposition, showing some very committed challenges in both matches.

Reg Cutler
Nominated by AFC Bournemouth
Cutler was a winger whose two years with "Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic" happened to coincide with the club’s best ever Cup run. The Third Division South outfit lost to Manchester United in the Sixth Round in 1957 and Reg brought the goal-frame down when he scored to shock Wolves in the Fourth Round.

Neil Danns
Nominated by Colchester United
Danns is a Liverpool-born midfielder who made just three appearances in four seasons with Blackburn Rovers before Colchester United stepped in to sign him in 2004. He made an impact in this season’s Cup competition, notching an impressive brace as the U’s knocked out Championship Derby at Layer Road to reach Round 5.

Roberto Di Matteo
Nominated by Chelsea
Di Matteo, the Swiss-born Italian international, played and scored in two Finals for Chelsea. His long-range opener after just 42 seconds against Middlesbrough in 1997 was the fastest at Wembley and three years later his scrambled goal in the last Final at the old stadium was enough to beat Villa and win The Cup.

Ryan Giggs
Nominated by Manchester United
Giggs, Manchester United’s fleet-footed winger, has featured in no fewer than six Finals. He picked up winners’ medals in 1994, 1996, 1999 and 2004. But he will be particularly remembered for the goal that won a Semi-Final replay against Arsenal in 1999. His weaving run through the defence began in his own half.

Matt Hanlan
Nominated by Sutton United
Hanlan was the Sutton United youngster who scored the goal that ultimately knocked First Division Coventry City out of The Cup in 1989. 8,000 fans packed into Sutton’s little ground saw a pumped-up Matt lash the ball home from a corner and race to celebrate with relatives at the front of the terraces.

Bobby Johnstone
Nominated by Manchester City
Johnstone was a Scottish international inside-forward who joined Manchester City from Hibs in 1955 and played in the Final for City in both of his first two seasons. He scored in both matches too, notching their goal in a 3-1 defeat to Newcastle in ’55 and then contributing the third to a 3-1 win against Birmingham.

John King
Nominated by Altrincham
King remains a legend at Conference club Altrincham, having served them as player, manager, director and "saviour" from the 1970s onwards. This steely midfielder and captain is remembered for his clashes with Ossie Ardiles as Alty took the mighty Tottenham to a Third Round replay in 1979.

Sir Stanley Matthews
Nominated by Blackpool
Sir Stan’s name became synonymous with The Cup after the famous "Matthews Final" of 1953. The legendary winger had lost with Blackpool in the 1948 and 1951 Finals and, at 38, must have felt that the ’53 Final with Bolton represented his last chance of a winners’ medal. In romantic fashion Blackpool fought back from 3-1 down to win 4-3 and Matthews laid on Bill Perry’s last-minute winner.

Stuart McCall
Nominated by Bradford City
McCall, the fiery tackler who played for Scotland, had with six years with Bradford City and the Bantams’ best Cup performance was to reach the Fifth Round in 1988. A year later Stuart was an Everton substitute in the all-Merseyside Final of 1989, coming on for Paul Bracewell in the 58th minute and scoring twice.

Roger Osborne
Nominated by Ipswich Town
Osborne, born in Suffolk, had ten years at Ipswich Town without holding down a regular first-team place but he entered club folklore with the goal that won The Cup in 1978. He was so overcome with emotion after shooting past Arsenal’s Pat Jennings on 77 minutes that he had to be substituted two minutes later.

Ronnie Radford
Nominated by Hereford United
Radford played League football for Newport before Southern League Hereford signed him in 1971. During his first season at Edgar Street he scored an unforgettable late equaliser against First Division Newcastle from all of 30 yards and his mazy celebratory run, pursued by players and fans, is one of The Cup’s great images.

Lawrie Sanchez
Nominated by MK Dons / AFC Wimbledon
Sanchez, one of the more thoughtful members of Wimbledon’s "Crazy Gang", was the player in the right place at the right time as the Dons beat overwhelming favourites Liverpool to lift The Cup in 1988. On 37 minutes the London-born son of an Ecuadoran father and Irish mother scored with a glancing header from a free-kick.

Trevor Sinclair
Nominated by Queens Park Rangers
Sinclair had four seasons with Queens Park Rangers before becoming an England player with West Ham United and netted a spectacular goal for the R’s in a Fourth Round tie against Barnsley at Loftus Road in 1997. The flying winger had both feet off the ground when he volleyed home the winner from outside the box.

Geoff Thomas
Nominated by Crystal Palace
Thomas skippered Crystal Palace in a season in which they lost a League match 9-0 at Anfield but then beat Liverpool 4-3 in a sensational Cup Semi-Final at Villa Park. The Eagles drew the first Final in their 85-year history 3-3 with Manchester United, with Geoff wearing the armband again, before narrowly losing the replay.

Mickey Thomas
Nominated by Wrexham
Thomas was a sparky little left-winger who played for ten different League clubs. He was 37 and in his second spell with Wrexham when he rammed home the free-kick that helped to knock out Champions Arsenal in 1992. Thirteen years earlier he was in the Manchester United side beaten by Arsenal in the Final.

Ricky Villa
Nominated by Tottenham Hotspur
Villa was an Argentinian World Cup star signed by Spurs in 1978. His dream of playing in a Cup Final turned sour when he was substituted in the first match against Manchester City in ’81. But he returned to triumph in the replay five days later, scoring twice in Spurs’ 3-2 win. His second was one of the best seen in a Final.

Chris Waddle
Nominated by Sheffield Wednesday
Waddle, a winger with skilful tricks, played on the losing side for Spurs in the 1987 Final against Coventry. He later returned to English football with Sheffield Wednesday after a spell in France, scoring for the Owls in the Semi-Final with Sheffield United and the Final replay against Arsenal in 1993, both played at Wembley.

* The FA's expert panel selected two wild card players into the final 125.

We asked the 92 clubs from the Premier League and Football League along with the top 33 clubs in the history of The FA Cup from outside the top four divisions, based on number of wins in all rounds, for their five nominations. Where clubs were unable to decide, the panel and fans put forward their suggestions for players from these clubs.