We've been to every FA Cup round – and now we've bagged Wembley final tickets thanks to The Sun
A FOOTIE-mad family have been to every round of this year's FA Cup — and will be at today's final thanks to The Sun.
Phil Hart, 46, and sons Fin, ten, and Will, 13 — all
4
Phil Hart and sons Fin, 10, and Will, 13, set off on a 2,000-mile FA Cup adventure from the first round to the final at Wembley - with a little help from The Sun
Credit: Paul Edwards
4
Fin and Will pictured at the start of their cup run - with a tin-foil trophy - as Cornard United beat Fakenham Town 3-0
Credit: Facebook
4
The 3rd round saw the family watching Stockport County beat Brackley Town 3-1
Credit: Facebook
Vowing to support whichever team won, they took in Stowmarket, Bishop's Stortford, Braintree, Brackley and Stockport.
In the Third Round, Stockport lost to
After The Sun contacted the FA, teacher Phil secured three tickets for the big game.
Phil said: 'I've watched my boys fall in love with football all over again.'
READ MORE FA CUP FINAL NEWS
Phil, from Great Horkesley, near Colchester, said: 'As Colchester United season ticket holders I knew my sons and I are unlikely to see our team win the FA Cup.
'So this year we decided to create our own road to Wembley with just one rule - we had to pick a team at random and follow the winner, wherever that may be and whenever the game was - all the way to the final.
'It was pure grassroots — dodgy refs, questionable chips, but brilliant football. We were
hooked
.
4
At the semi-final, to see Crystal Palace beat Aston Villa 3-0 - still with the tin-foil trophy in hand
Credit: Phil Hart
'We stood on terraces in the rain at Braintree, Googled where Brackley was, and queued for pies in Stockport.
Most read in Football
'We cheered for unknown heroes and mourned for clubs we'd only met that day. The passion was real, raw and more fun than anything on TV.
Fin said: "It's been really fun visiting new stadiums and getting to meet some famous players.'
Diehard Crystal Palace fan with arm in sling goes viral after using his HEAD to clap FA Cup heroes at Wembley
FAMILY'S ROAD TO WEMBLEY
Here's how Phil Hart, 46, and sons Fin, ten, and Will, 13 made their way to Wembley,
Colchester to…
3 Aug
Cornard 3 v 0 Fakenham 26 miles 1hr drive
17 Aug
Stowmarket 1 v 5 Cornard 60 miles 1hr 30 mins drive
31 Aug
Bishop's Stortford 5 v 0 Cornard 75 miles 2hrs drive
14 Sept
FA Cup 2nd qualifying round Hemel Hempstead 0 v 1 Bishop's Stortford 150 miles 3hrs
28 Sept
3rd qualifying round Bishop's Stortford 3 v 2 Hereford 75 miles 2hrs drive
12 Oct
4th qualifying round Braintree 1 v 0 Bishop's Stortford 35 miles 1hr
2 Nov
1st round Brackley 0 v 0 Braintree (Brackley won 5-4 on pens) 240 miles 5hr
30 Nov
2nd round Stockport 3 v 1 Brackley 460 miles 8 hrs
12 Jan
3rd round Crystal Palace 1 v 0 Stockport 150 miles 4hrs
10 Feb
4th round Doncaster Rovers 0 v 2 Palace 344 miles 6hrs 45
1 March
5th round Palace 3 v 1 Millwall 140 miles 4hrs
29 March
Quarter final Fulham 0 v 3 Palace 145 miles 4 hrs
26 April Semi-final
Palace 3 v 0 Aston Villa 145 miles 3.5hrs
17 May
Final Palace v Manchester City 145 miles 3.5hrs
Total miles round trip
2,190
Total travel time
45 hrs 15 mins
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
4 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Chelsea opponent ‘charged with sports fraud days before Club World Cup as betting scandal uncovered'
FLAMENGO star Bruno Henrique has reportedly been charged with sports fraud. The charge comes just days before the player was due to play against 5 Bruno Henrique has been charged with sports fraud Credit: AFP 5 He was due to face Chelsea in the Club World Cup Credit: Alamy The Brazilian club will face the Blues on June 20 at the Lincoln Financial Field stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The match will be the second of However, striker Henrique has had an indictment filed against him by the Public Prosecutor's Office of the Federal District and Territories in The MPDFT filed the complaint for sports fraud and embezzlement. READ MORE CHELSEA NEWS Henrique's brother, sister-in-law and cousin have also been charged with the same crimes. The footballer now faces a nervous wait for the Court of Justice of the Federal District and Territories to either accept or reject the complaint. GE have reported that the complaint is based on Henrique picking up a yellow card in the 2023 Brasileirao against Saintos. The striker is alleged to have deliberately been cautioned and to have told his brother he would commit the offence. Most read in Football This allowed brother Wander Nunes Pinto Junior to place a bet beforehand, according to investigators. The report has claimed that Wander gave the information to other people ahead of the match. 5 He previously played for Bundesliga side VFL Wolfsburg Credit: Getty 5 He never scored a goal for the club Credit: Getty Henrique has protested his innocence amid the charges. He said: "Yes (I am innocent). "I didn't expect it the way it was, but I believe in justice up there. "God is a guy who always knows. My life, my trajectory, since I started playing soccer... God has always been with me. And, man, I'm calm about it. "The people who are there in this battle with me, I just ask that justice be done and that what's off the field be separated from what's on the field." Henrique, 34, previously played his football in Europe as he spent the 206/17 season with Bundesliga side He failed to score a single goal in 17 appearances for the club before returning to Brazil. He joined Flamengo in 2019 and has scored 101 goals in 306 appearances in all competitions. However, in the most recent campaign, he only managed six goals in 26 outings in all competitions. Meanwhile, Chelsea's first game of the tournament will be against MLS outfit Los Angeles FC. The Blues will be reunited with former striker Olivier Giroud, who joined the club last summer. The Frenchman won the FA Cup, Champions League and Europa League during his three-year spell at Stamford Bridge. 5
The 42
4 hours ago
- The 42
Arsenal FA Cup hero scores at 40 to bring boyhood club to brink of La Liga return
ARSENAL FA CUP hero Santi Cazorla helped bring his boyhood club back to the brink of a La Liga return after scoring a stunning free-kick to send Real Oviedo into the promotion play-off final. The Spaniard, now 40, feared his career was over after complications with a leg injury almost led to amputation. Cazorla was out of action for two years before resurrecting career in 2018 with Villarreal and the joining Oviedo after a stint in Qatar. "The fairytale story continues!" 🎙️ At 40 years old, Santi Cazorla scores the free kick that sends his boyhood club Real Oviedo through to the LALIGA promotion playoff final 🙌 What a moment 💙 — Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) June 11, 2025 Advertisement Cazorla was sprung from the bench and made an immediate impact against Almería, winning the free kick which he then tucked away from just outside the box with his weaker left foot. Oviedo haven't played in the Spanish top flight since 2001 and they will face the winners of CD Mirandés and Real Racing Club, a tie that is level after a 3-3 in the first leg.
The Irish Sun
5 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Crystal Palace receive last minute takeover bid from Donald Trump pal that could rescue Europa League hopes
NEW YORK JETS owner Woody Johnson has launched a bid to buy John Textor's minority stake in Crystal Palace, according to reports. Textor, 59, has been trying to flog his shares as Uefa threaten to throw Palace out of next season's Europa League. Advertisement 1 Woody Johnson has launched a bid for Crystal Palace Credit: Getty The Eagles qualified for the Europa League by virtue of lifting the FA Cup last month. As Textor, who owns a 43 per cent stake in Palace, is also majority owner of French side Lyon, who have also qualified for the Europa League, the Eagles' place in Europe has come under threat. Uefa rules dictate that two teams under the same ownership cannot compete in the same competition. Textor could have placed his shares into a blind trust by March 1 to avoid this issue, but with Palace's FA Cup triumph still appearing to be a long shot at the time, the American businessman did not. Advertisement READ MORE CRYSTAL PALACE NEWS Palace chiefs are currently desperately trying to convince Uefa that Textor has no involvement in day-to-day goings on at the club. The Missouri-native has long been thought to be trying to flog his shares. And according to Johnson, 78, served as US ambassador to the UK during Donald Trump's first administration. Advertisement Most read in Football Breaking Last month it was reported that the New Jersey-native may even try to buy a controlling stake in the Eagles. Long-serving chairman Steve Parish owns around 10 per cent of the South London club, having helped to save them from going bust in 2010. Americans David Blitzer and Josh Harris own 36 per cent, with Textor possessing 43 per cent. THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY.. Advertisement The Sun is your go to destination for the best football, boxing and MMA news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video . Like us on Facebook at
