Famous five

If Manchester United's Ryan Giggs plays on the winning side in Saturday's FA Cup Final at Wembley, he will join a very select band of players who have picked up five winners' medals.

Only three other players have won in five finals and they all did it in the 19th century!

Charles Wollaston was the first, a winner with the famous "Wanderers" in 1872, 1873, 1876, 1877 and 1878. He found the net in two of those finals, except that they didn't have nets in those days. He was capped four times for England, scoring once and captaining the side once.

From the same period The Hon Arthur Kinnaird won with Wanderers in 1873, 1877 and 1878, and with Old Etonians in 1879 and 1882. He also scored in two finals.

He appeared in no fewer than nine finals, a record that stands to this day, and was later President of The FA.

Blackburn Rovers half-back Jimmy Forrest became the third five-time winner during the next two decades. He lifted The Cup with Rovers in 1884, 1885, 1886, 1890 and 1891.

He notched two goals too and played for England eleven times, making his debut as a teenager.

Those old gents are long gone, of course. But I'm sure they wouldn't begrudge the legendary "Giggsy" joining them on five wins on Saturday, Jose Mourinho's Chelsea permitting.

The Welsh winger with the extravagant skills already has the right kind of medal from the finals of 1994, 1996, 1999 and 2004.