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 joined the Scottish Football League in 2002. Non-English football clubs in the FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout competition in English association football. It is the oldest football competition in the world, having commenced in 1871. Although the competition is the national cup of England, numerous clubs from outside England have participated in the tournament, with some still doing so as of 2016. Although St. Martins and Vale Recreation have competed in the FA Vase, Guernsey FC are the only club from the Bailiwick of Guernsey to have competed in