AFC Wimbledon travel to Wembley to face Walsall on Monday following a 2-0 aggregate victory over Notts County, reaching the final with a 1-0 victory at their own Cherry Red Records Stadium, just a short distance from the old club’s original Plough Lane home.
It is their second trip to the national stadium, nine years after the first – a 2-0 win over Plymouth Argyle in the League Two play-off final.
“It was huge – the crowd, the roar, playing in front of I think it was 66,000 on that day,” current club captain Jake Reeves, who played that day, told BBC Radio London.
Goals from Lyle Taylor and Adebayo Akinfenwa secured the win for Neal Ardley’s side.
This time round it will be Johnnie Jackson in the hot seat.
The former Charlton Athletic defender said his biggest regret was never stepping out under the arch as a player himself.
“I grew up [in] maybe one of the last generations loving the [FA] Cup final. I went to a lot of cup finals when I was younger watching Arsenal and it was always my dream to play there and I never got the opportunity,” he said.
“Winning it as a manager would would top that [winning as a coach at Charlton in 2019] and probably be the highlight of my whole career.”
