Crystal Palace co-chairman Steve Parish may be in the hot seat of a Premier League club about to take centre billing on the world’s stage, but he is still a football fan at heart.
And as a fan, he has revelled in the glory of the FA Cup at a range of venues – including the field out the back of his childhood home.
His earliest memory of the FA Cup came from the 1971 final when Arsenal’s Charlie George scored an extra-time winner in a 2-1 victory over Liverpool.
Now, 45 years later, Parish will be in the Wembley stands hoping for new memories to cherish.
He said: “The memory of Charlie George bursting through two players and scoring, and then lying flat on the ground to celebrate is a very vivid one.
“My mate, who still comes to games with me, and I watched it and then went out to the back green where we would recreate the winning goal.
“It was jumpers for goalposts, and I can still remember that green, it is still there.
“We used to play football there because there was not much else to do in 1971. All you had was a skateboard, a bike and a football.
Town hall to be decked out in Crystal Palace's red and blue as Croydon gears up for FA Cup final
“The green was Wembley in May, in June it was Wimbledon – there was a fence we used to play tennis over - and during the summer it was Lord’s or the Oval. It had many uses that green.”
Whether Parish and his and friend wil be recreating a Palace winner come Saturday evening remains to be seen, but he believes there is every chance.
However, win or lose Parish, who took part control of the Eagles with the CPFC 2010 consortium, will be keeping his emotions in check just in case the television cameras pick him out.
“I genuinely believe we can beat Manchester United,” he said.
“It is a one-off game, and we have shown this year that we can beat anyone in this division.
“United are a good team, there is no question, but they are not quite where they were and we definitely have a chance.”
He added: “I am not a nervous watcher because I watch so much football. I have been to pretty much every game home and away for the past six years.
“The worst thing for me is when we go into the lead, it’s weird - when you have something that you might lose, then it is difficult.
“I was at Villa Park when we played United in the FA Cup in 1995, we scored five minutes into extra time and I remember thinking that it was too early.
“But I will ok come Saturday, and I know the cameras might be on me so I have to remember that.
“Besides, I have [Mark] Bright sitting next to me and annoying me all the time, trying to talk to me about something else.”
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