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
1999–2000 in English football 1999–2000 in English football The 1999–2000 season was the 120th season of competitive football in England. Manchester United were crowned FA Premier League champions with an 18-point margin over runners-up Arsenal and with just 3 league defeats all season. This was despite their failure to retain the European Cup and withdrawal from the FA Cup in order to compete in the FIFA Club World Championship — a campaign which was short lived. Andy Townsend also once said in "The Sun" that Manchester United should be "banned for life" from the FA Cup. Their season after the domination of 1998–99 was