No more FA Cupsets - Portsmouth will rain on Cardiff's final parade

The FA Cup is the classic football competition. It is the oldest in the world, commencing nearly 140 years ago.

It is also the most compelling, mainly due to the fact that an astonishing number of clubs - from the giants of England through to small county-based teams - can compete. The 2007-08 season saw the acceptance of a record 731 teams. 

The last final saw the two most powerful teams in English football - Chelsea and Manchester United - compete for the title, in which the Blues won their fourth trophy. But this year the giants will not feature, with finalists Portsmouth themselves eliminating the Red Devils at Old Trafford. Wembley Stadium will host the final on the May 17 when not only is the famous cup up for grabs, but a berth in the UEFA Cup.

Cardiff City defeated Barnsley to make it through to the final, and their path was not easy. In the third round, they had a mighty scare from Chasetown. The Southern League Midland Division had just knocked out Port Vale to become the lowest-ranked club ever to make it that far. A crowd of just over 2,000 packed into the Scholars ground, and saw the non-leaguers take a lead after the Bluebirds' Kevin McNaughton scored an own goal.