There’s plenty of stories surrounding the build-up to this Saturday’s FA Cup Final between Liverpool and West Ham at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium. So to save you (and us!) time, here’s a round-up of the Cup Final news’¦
- In regard to the fiasco involving 1,600 the Liverpool fans who had their FA Cup Final tickets stolen, the FA have backed the Millennium Stadium’s ‘˜no duplicate tickets’ policy due to safety reasons and it is looking increasingly unlikely that the fans will make it to the final. Reds Chief Executive Rick Parry and manager Rafael Benitez are furious with the decisions and urgently calling for a change of heart.
- Aston Villa fan Prince William will present the FA Cup to the winners as Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium plays host to the final for the final time before it returns to Wembley for the first time since 2000 next year.
- The train company running trains from Liverpool to Cardiff has defended it’s prices after supporters complained about the £50 fares. But Central Trains, who are running the service, say the prices are normal and have not been upped for the big day.
- West Ham boss Alan Pardew has urged his players Matthew Etherington and Dean Ashton to play on Saturday despite struggling with injuries. He said, “Steve Coppell used to say to me when I was injured at Crystal Palace: ‘Is it just pain? If it’s just pain you can play’. I think that’s probably what I will say to my guys.”
- Midfielder Xabi Alonso hopes to be fit in time to play on Saturday and is confident of shaking off the ankle injury picked up during the Reds’ 3-1 victory over Portsmouth on Sunday.
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