16-05-2025
We've been to every FA Cup round – and now we've bagged Wembley final tickets thanks to The Sun
Scroll down for a full breakdown of the family's entire journey from non-league Cornard United to Wembley
2,000-MILE CUP RUN We've been to every FA Cup round – and now we've bagged Wembley final tickets thanks to The Sun
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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 Colchester United season ticket holders — began a journey topping 2,000 miles by watching lowly local team Cornard United beat Fakenham.
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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
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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
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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 Crystal Palace, and the family saw them then beat Doncaster, Millwall, Fulham and Aston Villa to set up the Wembley showdown with Manchester City.
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.'
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.
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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.
'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.'
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