1997 FA Cup final

For the women's event, see1997 FA Women's Cup final.

The1997 FA Cup finalwas the 116th final of theFA Cup.It took place on 17 May 1997 atWembley Stadiumand was contested byChelseaandMiddlesbrough,theNorth Eastclub appearing in its first FA Cup Final.

1997 FA Cup final

Match programme
Event	1996–97 FA Cup
Chelsea Middlesbrough 2 0
Date	17 May 1997
Venue	Wembley Stadium,London
Man of the Match	Roberto Di Matteo
Referee	Stephen Lodge(South Yorkshire)
Attendance	79,160

Chelsea won 2–0 to win the FA Cup for the second time, the first having come in1970.It was also the club's first major trophy in 26 years.

It was the first major honour in the career of most Chelsea's players, but forMark Hughes,it was the fourth time that he had featured in an FA Cup winning side (having played on the winningManchester Unitedteams of1985,1990and1994).For Middlesbrough, it was a second final defeat of the1996–97 season(having lost theLeague Cup FinaltoLeicester Citythe previous month), to go with theircontroversial relegation from the Premier League.

Road to Wembley

Chelsea Home teams listed first. Round 3:Chelsea 3–0W.B.A. Round 4:Chelsea 4–2Liverpool Round 5:Leicester City2–2 Chelsea Replay:Chelsea 1–0 Leicester City Quarter-Final:Portsmouth1–4 Chelsea Semi-Final:Wimbledon0–3 Chelsea (atHighbury,London)

Middlesbrough Home teams listed first. Round 3:Middlesbrough 6–0Chester City Round 4:Hednesford Town2–3 Middlesbrough Round 5:Manchester City0–1 Middlesbrough Quarter-Final:Derby County0–2 Middlesbrough Semi-Final:Chesterfield3–3 Middlesbrough (atOld Trafford,Manchester) Replay:Middlesbrough 3–0 Chesterfield (atHillsborough Stadium,Sheffield)

Match review

Chelsea took the lead just 43 seconds into the match, with Italian midfielderRoberto Di Matteoreceiving the ball and firing it into the goal off the crossbar from 25yardsto record what was at the time the quickest ever goal in a Wembley FA Cup final (Louis Sahabroke this record 12 years later in the2009 finalafter just 25 seconds, coincidentally against Chelsea, though Chelsea won the match 2–1), breakingJackie Milburn's42-year record. Middlesbrough's prolific strikerFabrizio Ravanellilimped off after 21 minutes, further diminishing his side's chances of victory. Late in the first halfGianluca Festaput the ball in the net for Middlesbrough, but the goal was controversially ruled out for offside. In a largely disappointing match, in which Chelsea were generally in control, Chelsea eventually added a second goal seven minutes from full-time withEddie Newtonsteering the ball into the net fromGianfranco Zola's clever flick to seal a 2–0 win.

Match details

17 May 1997

15:00BST

Chelsea	2–0	Middlesbrough
Di Matteo1' Newton83'	Report

Wembley Stadium,London

Attendance: 79,160

Referee:Stephen Lodge(South Yorkshire)

Chelsea

Middlesbrough

GK 30 Frode Grodås RWB 2 Dan Petrescu CB 6 Steve Clarke CB 5 Frank Leboeuf CB 20 Frank Sinclair LWB 17 Scott Minto CM 11 Dennis Wise(c) CM 16 Roberto Di Matteo CM 24 Eddie Newton CF 10 Mark Hughes CF 25 Gianfranco Zola 89' Substitutes: GK 13 Kevin Hitchcock DF 8 Andy Myers FW 9 Gianluca Vialli 89' Manager: Ruud Gullit

GK 25 Ben Roberts RB 14 Curtis Fleming CB 5 Nigel Pearson(c) CB 18 Gianluca Festa LB 17 Clayton Blackmore RM 10 Juninho Paulista CM 8 Robbie Mustoe 29' CM 6 Emerson LM 20 Phil Stamp CF 11 Fabrizio Ravanelli 24' CF 21 Craig Hignett 74' Substitutes: DF 4 Steve Vickers 29' DF 7 Vladimír Kinder 74' FW 9 Mikkel Beck 24' Manager: Bryan Robson

Match rules 90 minutes. 30 minutes of extra-time if necessary. Replay required if scores still level. Three named substitutes. Maximum of three substitutions.

See also

• Blue Day(Chelsea song, withSuggs)
• Let's Dance(Middlesbrough song, withBob Mortimer)

External links

• Game factsat soccerbase