Basically a load of poo, and I don't know about anyone else but I found Liverpool's win utterly depressing. Their negative approach had stifled and ruined the Cup Final, and yet they won the damned thing - largely because of a string of missed chances by Arsenal, in particular that French fanny, Thierry Henry.
The Poison Dwarf's antics after scoring were typically nauseating, and you had to feel for Arsenal who had at least attempted to play football.

I have respected Liverpool since the 60's as a club that represented everything positive in the game, but that git Houllier's entire approach has turned me against them to the point where I now detest them as much as the other 'Reds' up the East Lancs motorway.

-- Anonymous, May 12, 2001

Answers

Imagine how we would have felt to have a handball like that turned down....oh yes, we had 2 from Gary Neville didn't we?

-- Anonymous, May 12, 2001

Well, I was gutted for Arsenal. I was sitting in the Liverpool/neutral area (upper tier halfway line, brill) and for 75 minutes they were all as quiet as mice. They gave their team no support at all - apart from bad mouthing Smicer (who was dreadful), Heskey (who did beggar all) and Gerrard ( if he is the future of English football, god help us).

Arsenal's goal was long overdue but their profligacy with chances was a wonder to behold. Henry seemed determined to score the "perfect" goal and kept taking that extra touch too many. Having said that, his work on the ball is awesome at times - first touch superb. I didn't realise from where i was that Henchoz had handled that ball - thought it had just hit the post. Lucky bleedin' scousers!

As to the day itself - it was extremely hot. I had difficulty sitting still in that heat, never mind running round a pitch. The sight of all the supporters in Cardiff city centre was amazing. Unlike Wembley, where all you can do is walk up and down Wembley Way and sit on the grass, at Cardiff the stadium is right in the centre of the city and so the whole city seems to get taken over by the occasion. It was great to be there.

We had travelled down on Friday night so getting to the ground was not the nightmare predicted after the Worthington Cup and all seats seemed to be filled by the time of the kick off. We stayed at a place 2-3 miles out of the centre, left the car there and went in on one of the local trains. Astonishingly, we were standing on the platform of this station next to this little single track line waiting for the train when another bloke walked into the station. He turned out to be the only Mackem in Cardiff!! In spite of everything (probably due to the fact that he'd live down there for a while away from the horror that is Wearside) he was a decent bloke and gave us some sound advice about the train and stuff.

The stupendous firework display before the game had the effect of filling the stadium with smoke so we couldn't see half of the pre match stuff! Mr Jacko has to report that the half-time toilet arrangements are no better than the much maligned Wembley. He was unable to wash his hands due to the number of scousers peeing in the sinks!

There were problems at the central station after the game. It is very near to the ground and so there is little opportunity to direct supporters to different queues and the like but not much real effort had been made to handle the huge numbers thronging about at the front. I got quite scared at one point because everyone was pushing and shoving and we looked like we were going to be stuck against some barriers. It was all daft really because the vast majority wanted the Paddington trains and we want the Valley Lines local one. We managed to get in round the side and once we got back to the car it was plain sailing. We were 50 miles away when folk were still phoning 606 saying they couldn't get into the station! When we get there next year remember to ask me for the route which avoids the M4 and gets you from Cardiff to Stoke in two and a half hours after a cup final!

-- Anonymous, May 12, 2001

I don't post often BUT this handball thing is winding me up. Players, commentators, managers screaming for penalties. Read the rules:

A direct free kick is also awarded to the opposing team if a player commits any of the following four offences: One of which is,

handles the ball deliberately (except for the goalkeeper within his own penalty area)

Given the assumption it was accidental then its no penalty.

ps

I'm not normally a pedant!!!!

-- Anonymous, May 12, 2001

Very few handballs are deliberate but if it stops the ball going in the net, it's a pen

-- Anonymous, May 12, 2001

In which case..change the rules....if it had happened anywhere else on the field it would have been a play on...and sadly the rule doesn't say 'unless going into the net or within the penalty area.

-- Anonymous, May 12, 2001

"Deliberate" is a moot point (and you lot only thought it meant "doing somethung on purpose"). I think we can all understand that had Henchoz moved his arm out towrds the ball then that would clearly be deliberate. However, if your arm is out there already, and you have the opportunity to remove it (like you would your face if you see the ball hurtling towards it) but don't, then is that deliberate or not? Henchoz spread his body as wide as he could to minimise the target area Henry could see. Nowt wrong with that. But if in doing so preventes the ball going into the net, then IMHO that is a penalty.

Big question is - did Steve Dunn see it or did he bottle it? Had he given a penalty, he'd have to have sent Henchoz off. Did he want to ruin the FAC Final by doing that? Far better to go back to the "old way". Give a penalty but allow the player to stay on the pitch. Perhaps one of you pedants could remind me what "penalty" means? Surely it doesn't include "double punishment". Yes, OK, I know it says something in the rules about "denying a goal scoring opportunity" but, again IMHO, sending off should be limited to foul (and sometimes abussive) play.

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2001

I agree with Dave Watson - there are far too many recent "interpretations" of the laws of the game that have lead to inconsistency and confusion, and this is one example. As far as I am aware the written Rules say nothing about "the ball otherwise entering the net".

I don't think the Referee saw it, and looking at the slo-mo replays, I suspect Henry himself was obsuring the Linesman's view.

Henchoz definitely handled the ball deliberately and it should have been a penalty. His arm was already away from his body as he tried to block the shot, but then it moved towards the ball as the shot cam towards him.

IMO, he should not have been sent off, and I doubt you'll find anything in the Rules that say he should have been. This ludicrous recent interpretation of the Rules is potentially influencing Refs to not award penalties because of the double penalty issue, and is therefore plain bloody stupid.

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2001

I have never understood the need to send off a player for preventing a clear goalscoring opportunity when he has given a way a penalty. Surely a penalty is a clear goalscoring opportunity if ever there was one so such a foul hasn't taken that opportunity away. I always thought the original purpose of the "preventing clear goalscoring opp" was for those so-called "professional" fouls committed outside the box which prevent a clear run on goal and allow the offenders team to get 11 men behind the ball for the ensuing free kick.

The first time I an remember seeing this "double punishment" was when Pav was sent off at Coventry early on in our first season in the Prem. Coventry got a penalty, Pav got sent off. But if I remember rightly, Big Fat Mickey Quinn then missed the pen!

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2001

Here's an option, comes from Ice Hockey. Match Penalty, where the ref could give the penalty kick, and the offender is kicked out of the game but can be replaced, like the ref forcing a substitution. I know, it'll never happen, but it would work without spoiling the game totally. By the way, it would not count as one of the three substitutions allowed in the game. Having said that, the rules are there and they should be adhered to until the rules are changed.

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2001

And just to add to the confusion, give the ref a third card to wave around. Perhaps green, which we all know means GO (away).

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2001

Clarky, in one of the slow mo`s which was only shown once from camera behind Arsenals goal the referee is seen in line with Henchoz , a good unobstructed view , not sure about the distance from the incident tho,

Penalties have always caused controversy over the years, the question is `Can anyone think of a more preferable solution , that will make it easier for the ref and appeal to the fans/players.

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2001

To be honest Buff, I thought this handball was emminently missable by the Ref. In real time, it never occurred to me that it had been handled, and if you consider the Ref has only one shot at it, at normal speed, I certainly wouldn't criticise him for missing it.

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2001

From the main camera angle it hit the post, only from a better angle, could you see it was his arm.

To me it was the same penalty as the one Portugal conceded in Euro 2000 semi when they all lost the plot and Xavier got his 20 year ban.

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2001

The double-jeopardy seems harsh but is all about preventing gamesmanship. If the worst penalty for handling on the line to prevent a sure-fire goal was a chance for the attackers to take it again then it would be the duty of every defender to claw the ball out of the air. If this means that it sometimes catches out the relatively innocent then it's worth it to prevent the farce we'd have without the rule.

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2001