Man. United's FA Cup Final Trivia

Ahead of Manchester United's bid to win a 12th FA Cup, ManUtd.com looks at 12 pieces of trivia about the Reds in the showpiece game...

Record up for grabs
This is our 19th FA Cup final, equalling Arsenal's number of appearances at this stage of the competition. The Gunners have lifted the trophy 12 times, including in the last two seasons in a row, but United can also share that record by winning on Saturday. one more than United. The Reds' first final, against Bristol City in 1909, was ironically played at Crystal Palace, even if the venue has no association with the football club.

Mind the gap
United's nine-year absence from the final is the longest the club has endured since the 13 years between 1963 and 1976. It has been 12 seasons since the Reds last won the trophy following defeats in 2005 and 2007 to Arsenal and Chelsea respectively, with both games ending 0-0 after 90 minutes. United's last goal in a final came from Ruud van Nistelrooy back in 2004, when Millwall were defeated at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

That's entertainment
United's finals in 1977 and 1979 included remarkable bursts of goal action. The net bulged three times in five minutes when Tommy Docherty's men dashed Liverpool's hopes of a Treble; two years later, Dave Sexton's side fought back from 2-0 down against the Gunners with efforts by Gordon McQueen (86 minutes) and Sammy McIlroy (88 minutes), only to concede Alan Sunderland's winner in the last minute.

Heroes and zeroes
Including the 1-0 replay win over Crystal Palace in 1990, at least one of the two teams have failed to score in the last eight cup-final matches involving the Reds. This run can be extended to 10 of the last 11, with the initial thrilling 3-3 draw against Palace being the exception.

Pair of Pearsons
Two players with the surname Pearson have scored for the club at this stage of the competition. Stan Pearson was on the mark in the 4-2 success over Blackpool in 1948 and his namesake Stuart opened the scoring against Liverpool in 1977.

Keeper controversy
United lost successive finals in 1957 and 1958 with goalkeepers the subject of much attention on both occasions. Ray Wood broke his cheekbone against Aston Villa after being shoulder-barged by Peter McParland with outfield player Jackie Blanchflower forced to take over in goal. McParland scored twice in a 2-1 victory for the Midlanders. A year later, Nat Lofthouse grabbed a double for Bolton Wanderers in a 2-0 win for the Trotters but his second effort would have been deemed a foul and possibly a red-card offence in today's era as he flattened Harry Gregg when bundling the ball over the line.

Super subs
David McCreery was the first United substitute in an FA Cup final when coming off the bench against Southampton in 1976 for Gordon Hill. Tommy Docherty made the same switch a season later against Liverpool. Brian McClair became the first substitute to score in a final for the Reds in 1994, against Chelsea, and Teddy Sheringham repeated the feat five years later.

Three cheers
Bryan Robson became the first-ever captain to hold the famous trophy aloft three times after helping the Reds overcome Palace in the 1990 replay. He missed out on a fourth occasion when United beat Chelsea four years later as he was narrowly overlooked for a place on the substitutes' bench.

Hello again
Alan Pardew will lead Crystal Palace out as their manager on Saturday, having faced the Reds as an Eagles player in the 1990 final. Dennis Wise is the only other man to have played and managed against United - he appeared for Chelsea in their 4-0 loss to Alex Ferguson's team in 1994 before running out as player-manager for Millwall a decade later.

Top scorers
Three men have scored in more than one final for United - Eric Cantona (1994, 1996), Mark Hughes (1990, 1994) and Bryan Robson (1983 replay, 1990). The trio share the club record of FA Cup final goals with three apiece. Republic of Ireland international Frank Stapleton netted for and against the Reds in finals - an Arsenal striker in the 1979 final, he was on target for Ron Atkinson's men in the 2-2 draw with Brighton four years later.

Dutch delight
Arnold Muhren became the first overseas player to score for United in an FA Cup final when converting a penalty in the 4-0 replay success over Brighton in 1983. It was also the club's first ever spot-kick in the showpiece game - Eric Cantona later scored two of them against Chelsea in 1994.

First trophy
Louis van Gaal is looking to follow in the footsteps of four previous United managers by securing the FA Cup as the first trophy of his United tenure. This was the case for Sir Matt Busby (1948), Tommy Docherty (1977), Ron Atkinson (1983) and Sir Alex Ferguson (1990). In fact, only Ernest Mangnall started with a different piece of major silverware (the league title in 1908). Scott Duncan's only triumph as boss was the Second Division title in 1936.

Credit: Manutd.com