The Reds celebrate their first FA Cup on the pitch at Wembley 1965

This article by me has also been published on http://www.thisisanfield.com

I’ve had butterflies in my stomach for the last 48 hours. On Thursday I read the selling criteria for the upcoming semi-final against Villa and realised I was guaranteed a ticket. Since then I’ve been like a kid on Christmas eve. On Friday morning I went online and opened my present. Ticket secured, I’m already planning my trip south.

I am 47 years of age and the FA cup still has that special magic for me. Yes, it has been devalued since the birth of the premier league, I concede there’s no Champions League on offer if you win it and okay it won’t fill the club coffers much, but why would I care about any of that?

I am a Liverpool supporter and I have never…