Motty's Match of the Day: After 30 years it's still United

So much has changed since then and probably the only factor uniting the two finals is the presence of Manchester United.

Scroll down for more:

Thirty years ago it was Tommy Docherty in the Old Trafford hot seat. He had been to Wembley seven times before, as player and manager, and lost every time.

But thanks to Lou Macari's shot deflecting off Jimmy Greenhoff, the Doc's luck turned and he finished the day with the lid of the FA Cup perched on his head as United cavorted round Wembley, having ended Liverpool's hopes of a Treble.

A few days later the Merseysiders beat Borussia Moenchengladbach to lift the European Cup for the first time. But the season did not end so happily for Docherty. He was sacked for having an affair with the club physiotherapist's wife, whom he later married.

When I proposed the toast to the League Managers' Association at their annual dinner in Nottingham last Monday, they played a tape of some of my interviews with the leading managers in the Seventies.

I felt like a character in Life on Mars watching the black and white footage of Sir Alf Ramsey, Don Revie, Harry Catterick and Brian Clough.

Thirty years later, I hope my nerves are more settled when I approach Saturday's commentary. Back in 1977, my performance was like one of those records we used to play on the old turntable. Scratchy.

Even so, the new Wembley presents a different challenge for commentators, so I took the opportunity last Saturday to get a feel for the surroundings by going to watch the FA Trophy Final between Stevenage and Kidderminster.

The FA's director of operations, Andrew Halstead, gave me a whirlwind tour of the stadium at half-time and after the match. Rather like the Emirates, it is so vast it will take me several visits to find my way around.

But if Saturday's final is as good as last week's I shall not be complaining. Stevenage came from two goals behind to beat Kidderminster.

Five goals today would go down well as the most famous cup competition in the world christens its new home. And I hope, unlike the last two years, it doesn't go to penalties.