Portsmouth and Cardiff's proud 16-year Wembley record still unequalled after eventful Manchester derby
The English football season concluded with two bumper crowds at Wembley showpiece occasions.
Yet the new Wembley record of 89,874 set by Pompey and Cardiff for the 2008 FA Cup final remains intact.
The second consecutive Manchester derby FA Cup final attracted 84,814 on Saturday as Manchester United thwarted their neighbours’ bid for the Double.
That was followed by 85,862 present for Southampton’s 1-0 triumph over Leeds in Sunday’s Championship play-off final to return to the Premier League.
The biggest crowd for a Championship final remains 87,348, which was established in May 2014 when Derby beat QPR 1-0.
Since the 90,000 capacity Wembley reopened in May 2007, 18 FA Cup finals have been held, in addition to other domestic cup competitions, play-off finals, internationals and the Women’s Euro 2022 final.
But that figure of 89,874 for the Blues’ 1-0 triumph over Cardiff remains unprecedented.
It also represents the best-attended FA Cup final of the last 36 years, since 98,203 were present for Wimbledon’s remarkable 1-0 victory over Liverpool in May 1988.
During that period, the Millennium Stadium served as the cup final venue for six seasons, during which time Southampton lost to Arsenal in 2003.
However, with a capacity of 73,931, every FA Cup final at Wembley since then has exceeded those attendances.
When Pompey faced Chelsea there in May 2010 - two years after their Cardiff fixture - the crowd was 88,335, which is more than the last seven FA Cup finals.
Although Covid dictated the 2020 encounter between Arsenal and Chelsea was behind closed doors and, the following year, Leicester triumphed over Chelsea in a reduced capacity of 20,000.
Incidentally, the Checkatrade Trophy crowd of 85,021 for Pompey against Sunderland remains the biggest in that particular competition’s history.
This season saw 42,252 attend Peterborough’s 2-1 victory over Wycombe in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy in April.