28 January 2006
Bolton Wanderers 1-0 Arsenal

Stelios Giannakopoulos strikes again to gain revenge for Bolton after last season's sixth round loss to the Gunners.

Bolton’s Ricardo Gardner has become the first Premiership player to be voted 'Player of the Round' and join this season's Team of The FA Cup.

The Jamaican full-back was one of five players nominated for the award after The FA Cup Fourth Round and polled 37 per cent of the 15,000 votes cast by fans on TheFA.com.

He was short-listed for the award after his dogged performance helped to send the holders Arsenal crashing out 1-0 and set up a Fifth Round home tie against West Ham.

With determined defending he was part of a solid Bolton rearguard action that shut out Arsenal's brilliant attackers. He then supplied the looping cross for Stelios to head home the winning goal. 

In addition to being crowned FA Cup Player of the Round, Ricardo’s inclusion in The Team of The FA Cup guarantees his VIP attendance at The FA Cup final in May and a half-time introduction to the crowd.

Fans also voted heavily for DJ Campbell, who polled 27 per cent of the vote.

The former Brentford marksman was nominated after his two goals sent Premiership strugglers Sunderland spinning out of The FA Cup, prior to him joining Birmingham City and making his Premiership debut against Arsenal at the weekend.

Manchester United’s Rio Ferdinand, veteran Stoke ‘keeper Ed De Goey and Colchester United’s Neil Danns were also in the hunt for the award, but it was Gardner who took the majority of the vote..

In addition to winning the Player of the Round award, Ricardo has also won £1000 worth of UMBRO football kit for a local school, club or organisation of his choice.

The Team of The FA Cup comprises Player of the Round winners from the First Qualifying Round to the Semi Final.

This year’s team already includes Gosport Borough’s Jamie Laidlaw, Northwich Victoria’s Paul Brayson (who has won the award twice this season), Leamington’s Alex Rodman, Eastbourne Borough’s Stuart Tuck, Doncaster Rovers’ Dave Mulligan and Nuneaton Borough’s Gez Murphy.

Players are nominated by a team of panellists including Radio 5 Live’s Mark Clemmit, The Daily Telegraph’s Ricky George, Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday anchorman Jeff Stelling and David Watters, news editor of The Non League Paper.