SHAY’S CUPS AND DOWNS

Given has mixed memories of the FA Cup. He reached two finals with Newcastle - beaten in one, dropped in the other. He won the trophy with City as a sub... and now he can’t find the medal

SHAY GIVEN does not know where he has hidden away his Manchester City FA Cup winners medal.

It is part of Given’s complex, frustrating relationship with the FA Cup.

He experienced victory with City, the first of their trophies in their successladen modern era, in 2011.

With Newcastle he felt the pain of two Wembley defeats, the first in 1998 before being dropped for the final in 1999. Anger lingers.

Today his two former clubs meet. “The worst possible draw for Newcastle,” said Given, who believes Toon have to “channel the FA Cup tradition for underdogs.”

“I will have to go hunting upstairs to find the medal,” he said. “They are only tiny. When you grow up you think they’ll be bigger.

“It doesn’t have pride of place. Why? Because I didn’t play much in the cup that year. I was bombed by Roberto Mancini who didn’t want me at the club.

“But I did enjoy the celebration because they had their hands on the cup and it was the start of something special for City.”

Given would love this season to end with the first cup of Newcastle’s new era. He still loves the club he served for 12 years and 354 games.

“In 1998 to go to that final was exciting. Newcastle had not won it since 1955, still haven’t. That’s a burden that these players have because we couldn’t do it.

“It is a pressure that will be felt until it is put to bed. You feel a bit of a failure. Can this group not be failures, please!

“It was just another year ticked off when we hadn’t done it. It’s frustrating. You feel like you failed the fans after they’ve spent a load on hotels and travel.

“My memories of the FA Cup are better for semifinals, winning twice at Old Trafford with Newcastle against Sheffield United and Spurs. The club is crying out to get to Wembley again.”

In 1999 Given was unexpectedly dropped by Ruud Gullit for the final.

“Do I still get a bit angry about it? Yeah, a little. He didn’t do it himself. He got Terry Genoe, the goalkeeping coach, to tell me. I felt I had played well in the semi-final against Tottenham and made some saves. I felt I’d contributed to us getting to the final so to not play was really tough.

“It was difficult but I had to be upbeat for Harps (Steve Harper) and have a positive mindset for him, which he always did for me. I didn’t want to show I was on my a**e. I had to support him the best I could. We fell short.

Mind you, we didn’t lose to minnows. It was Arsenal’s double-winning team and Manchester United’s Treble winners.”

He hopes there are parallels with City’s win against Stoke 13 years ago.

“I hope Newcastle can replicate that journey, get the first one, and then park that, no hoodoo, the long history. The next season you play with less pressure. You kick on for more and know how to get the job done. That first trophy settles everyone at the club. Eddie

Howe would be a hero.”

All-conquering City are hot favourites to beat Newcastle but this is the FA

Cup...

So is there any hope for Newcastle?

“Look at the form table and you’d say very little,” Given said.

“The cup draws have been so ridiculously tough this season (Toon faced Manchester

City, Manchester

United and Chelsea in the League Cup and Sunderland, Fulham and Blackburn in the FA Cup).

“But Newcastle need to lean on the history of the FA Cup. They are the underdogs, not expected to win, leaking too many goals, but the FA Cup gives you some freedom.”

 Shay Given is a brand ambassador for sports betting platform Copybet. Visit Copybet. com.

‘You feel a bit of a failure. Can this group not be failures please!’