1997 FA Cup Final 1997 FA Cup Final The 1997 FA Cup Final was the 116th final of the FA Cup. It took place on 17 May 1997 at Wembley Stadium and was contested by Chelsea and Middlesbrough, the North East club appearing in its first FA Cup Final. Chelsea won 2–0 to win the FA Cup for the second time, the first having come in 1970. Their Dutch manager, Ruud Gullit, thus became the first foreign or non-white manager to win a major trophy with an English club. It was the first major honour in the career of most Chelsea's player, but for
Non-English football clubs in the FA Cup the FA Cup – Cliftonville being the first and last club from the province. Cliftonville also progressed further in the competition than any other Irish club, reaching the 3rd round in 1886 before crashing out 11–0 to Partick Thistle. All five teams participated in the competition when the whole of Ireland was a part of the United Kingdom. The first Scottish club to enter was Queen's Park, who accepted an invitation to take part in the very first competition after a number of the clubs which had originally entered withdrew. The Glasgow team were by far the dominant force in