Motty's FA Cup memories - favourite goals, finals, commentary and best moment

Apart from the Cup Final itself — a fierce terrestrial battle between BBC and ITV in those days — the only games screened as they happened were the England v Scotland home international and the European Cup Final.

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These were the days before the Champions League, before Sky Television and before the old First Division became the Premier League. Even the League Cup Final was only shown in highlights form.

The rulers of the game then were scared of the impact live television would have on attendances. Viewers were fed a diet of recorded highlights — Match of the Day on a Saturday night, with two featured games and not even the goals from the others, and regional highlights on ITV on a Sunday afternoon.

There were no names on players' shirts, they wore one to 11, there was only one nominated substitute, corporate entertainment was barely off the ground and agents were just starting to rear their heads.

But the nation used to come together for the Cup Final. Television coverage started at 10.30am with interviews from the team hotels. BBC and ITV would fight tooth and nail for the right to have a camera on the team coach to Wembley.

No wonder I was a tongue-tied 31-year-old when I stood in for David Coleman in the BBC TV commentary box at the old Wembley 31 years ago. Little did I know it would be my privilege to broadcast so many memorable Cup Final moments in the intervening years.

Three goals in the last five minutes of the 1979 Final between Arsenal and Manchester United; Ricky Villa's majestic winner in the first Wembley replay two years later; Gary Bailey's save from Gordon Smith preventing Brighton from winning the Cup in 1983. There was the first sending off in a Cup Final when Kevin Moran was dismissed in 1985 and Kevin Houchen's diving header for Coventry when they beat Tottenham two years later in the final I still believe produced the best pure football.

The biggest upset? Undoubtedly Wimbledon's unlikely triumph over Liverpool in 1988. I described it as the Crazy Gang beating the Culture Club and it was the only time I finished in the winners' dressing room, Des Lynam and I holding the Cup with Vinnie Jones and John Fashanu.

The early Nineties produced an electric appearance by Ian Wright as a Crystal Palace substitute against Manchester United (how relieved was Alex Ferguson to win his first trophy?) and the trauma of Paul Gascoigne's fall from grace a year later, having taken Tottenham to Wembley almost single-handed.

The worst Final? Arsenal and Sheffield Wednesday in 1993 — thank goodness Andy Linighan saved us a penalty shoot-out — mind you, we were reduced to that 12 years later in Cardiff between Arsenal and Manchester United.

How we groaned when they moved the final out of the dismantled Wembley to a city at the other end of the M4. But how wrong we were. The people and the stadium exceeded all expectations.

Michael Owen's late goals turned the first Final there upside down and it was the Liverpool late show again two years ago when Steven Gerrard's stoppage-time piledriver robbed West Ham of glory.

Now we are back at Wembley and in many ways this year, back to the future. Underdogs have never had a better year and what a refreshing change to find one club making their first appearance in the final since 1927 and the other since 1939.

The FA Cup has always been proud of its grassroots history. Chief executive Brian Barwick assures me 731 clubs entered this year (who did the odd one play?) and I am as excited and challenged about doing the commentary as I was when Martin Buchan walked up the steps to receive the Cup for Manchester United back in 1977.

I saw him recently at the PFA dinner in London. "Remember me," he said. "My name is Buchan and I climbed the 39 steps."

As though I could forget!