I was going to start my official thread for the next round of the Cup tonight anyway before seeing Rogin's one which should be ignored for it's negativity.

I know we have an "exciting night of Champions League action" ahead of us tomorrow so I'm premature but I am just far too wound up about Sunday's game to hold it all in. After a burst of anticipation after the Boro game I have managed to keep it in check until the last few days and now it's over-whelmed me.

My silly little team, Cardiff City Football Club lie one game away from the FA Cup Final. There I've said (written) it, words I never thought I'd use in my entire life and surely the only time I will ever get to do so is this season.

The match shouldn't be at Wembley (I'd have loved it at Villa Park), that much is clear and there is a good chance it will be counter-productive to both teams because the "occasion" may engulf the game but it's fired up the enthusiasm of all four teams' floating support.

I think our tie is completely 50/50, impossible to call even for people who know a bit about either or both sides. We had three players hobble off in tonight's pre-Wembley invitational with WBA which is a concern but only one of them (Parry) is a likely starter though he is crucial to our system.

I know all the Cardiff OTF contingent will be at the game and sitting in the same block as me but I see jon/juan is giving theirs a miss, what about the other Baggies? We have someone with a Barnsley link don't we but I can't think of Portsmouth lurkers I'm aware of. Any neutrals going to either game?

I think I might post far too many times on this thread myself but please fell free to try and punctuate my ramblings yourself.

I think you have spent weeks thinking about your semi final thread title

disappointing you haven't tried harder with the 'semi lob' route

Why has Rogin relegated Portsmouth on his other bootleg thread talking about the "four lower league clubs" in the semis?

Rick,

The smutty line was obvious but I don't want to besmirch the sanctity of the Cup run.

I was desperately trying to find a good hip-hop lyric featuring the phrase "semi-automatic" but to no avail.

That post should be printed off and made mandatory reading for all supporters of clubs who feel that their clubs should field weakened sides in the cups in order to protect their league positions. Promotions and relegations come and go, but you can't buy feelings like what Harry's going through, there.

I may force mayself to do an Ayatollah on Sunday

Some clothing for Sunday.
http://www.soccerprint.co.uk/shop/cardiff/cardiff-cult-heroes-t-shirt.html

I'll take a Leo Fortune-West, in large. I'm surprised to see Robin Friday on the front of that cult heroes t-shirt - I mean, I obviously know about that famous photo (as used by Super Furry Animals), but Wiki says that he only played 21 games for Cardiff.

You can have your own t-shirt (3 names of your own choosing) from the site above

Ok, here's my two penn'orth. Seeing West Brom walk out onto the Wembley pitch for the FA Cup final would be - well, indescribable. Like 1927 for Cardiff fans, 1968 is a mythical year for West Brom fans. Luckily for us, it's in fairly recent memory and there's nothing I like more than talking to Albion fans who were there and hearing their stories. Suffice to say, if we get there, I will be competing with the best of the blubbers during 'Abide with Me.'

Agree with Harry 100% - the semi-finals shouldn't be at Wembley at all. If they'd been elsewhere I'd probably be going. My brother, when I asked him for advice as to whether I should go, said Wembley games should either be the greatest day of your life or the biggest disappointment. And he's right. A semi-final, when there's still the league to focus on the following Tuesday at Blackpool, just isn't the same.

We've been playing dire football lately and I'd pretty much resigned ourselves to losing embarassingly on Saturday against Portsmouth. But tonight just gave me a bit of hope. We're playing pretty decent stuff again, should have won it really but I'll take a point, a clean sheet and no injuries for Saturday.

The other thing I'm clinging to is the fact that we played at Wembley last year and god knows the last time Portsmouth played there. 1950s? So, you never know that might give us a bit of an edge.

Having also read Rogin's thread I'm now getting slightly worried whether I'll get to see the game at all. I'll be in Blackpool and first thing tomorrow I'll be ringing up the landlady of the B and B to see if they've got a TV. But, as a belt and braces approach - does anyone know which are the football pubs in Blackpool and which ones would be able to show more than one game simultaneously?

My favourite chant at Ninian Park tonight was:

"Wem-ber-lee, Wem-ber-lee
It's a shit ground in London
That the Wolves have never seen." (x2)

The best chant at Burnley on Saturday was, to the tune of 'Que Sera Sera'...

Tell me Mam, me Mam
To put the champagne on ice
We're going to Wembley twice
Tell me Mam, me Mam.

I'll post more later when I've got a bit more time.

Hope it brings you more luck than it did when Wednesday fans sung it in 1993.

I'll be watching on telly. I sincerely hope that Albion just give a good account of themselves and don't fuck it up before a viewing nation. Other than that, I'll just be the usual - nervous as god knows what.

As for last night, yes, thankful for the point, but, not for the first time, a golden opportunity spurned. And, for a game in which we could have reached a 100 goals scored, well, whadyaknow, a goalless draw.

We keep shaking our heads in exasperation so much we must have the most muscular necks in the land. But point's better than nowt.

Oy.

I for one can't wait to see these semi finals. The cup should mean something to the fans and it clearly doesn't to fans of the big three or liverpool.