By Lewis Rutledge Last updated: 17th May 2008
James: Hoping for winner's medal
David James has admitted he is desperate to finish on the winning side at the third time of asking in an FA Cup final.
James was a member of the Liverpool team that lost to Manchester United in the 1996 final and was then at Aston Villa when they were beaten by Chelsea in 2000.
The 37-year-old goalkeeper will line up for Portsmouth against Cardiff on Saturday and he has called on his team-mates to deliver a good performance.
"I've been here twice before, with Liverpool in 1996 and with Aston Villa in 2000," James recalled in The Sun.
"On both occasions the build-up was great but the performance was sub-standard. People tell me it's third time lucky but I don't believe in luck.
"In my two previous cup finals we didn't play well enough and deserved to lose. It was so frustrating.
"All I can hope for this time is that we go out there and give a good account of ourselves."
Pompey have had to battle through each round to reach the Wembley showpiece and James is anticipating another tough encounter.
He said: "We've won four ties 1-0 and the other 2-1. it hasn't been pretty but we've done enough to go through.
"I'd like to think the final will be a fantastic spectacle but I'll settle for another one-goal win.
"If we do, then a very good season ends up being a tremendous one."
| Time | Fixture |
|---|---|
| Saturday 16th August | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 12:45 | Arsenal vs West Brom |
| 15:00 | Aston Villa vs Man City |
| 15:00 | Bolton vs Stoke |
| 15:00 | Everton vs Blackburn |
| 15:00 | Hull vs Fulham |
| 15:00 | Middlesbrough vs Tottenham |
| 15:00 | West Ham vs Wigan |
| 17:30 | Sunderland vs Liverpool |
| Sunday 17th August | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 13:30 | Chelsea vs Portsmouth |
| 16:00 | Man Utd vs Newcastle |
| Saturday 23rd August | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 15:00 | Blackburn vs Hull |
| 15:00 | Liverpool vs Middlesbrough |
| 15:00 | Newcastle vs Bolton |
| 15:00 | Stoke vs Aston Villa |
| 15:00 | Tottenham vs Sunderland |
| 15:00 | West Brom vs Everton |
| 17:30 | Fulham vs Arsenal |
| Sunday 24th August | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 13:30 | Wigan vs Chelsea |
| 16:00 | Man City vs West Ham |
| Monday 25th August | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 20:00 | Portsmouth vs Man Utd |
| Time | Result |
|---|---|
| Sunday 11th May | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Middlesbrough 8 - 1 Man City | |
| Everton 3 - 1 Newcastle | |
| West Ham 2 - 2 Aston Villa | |
| Portsmouth 0 - 1 Fulham | |
| Derby 0 - 4 Reading | |
| Sunderland 0 - 1 Arsenal | |
| Wigan 0 - 2 Man Utd | |
| Birmingham 4 - 1 Blackburn | |
| Tottenham 0 - 2 Liverpool | |
| Chelsea 1 - 1 Bolton | |
| Monday 5th May | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Newcastle 0 - 2 Chelsea | |
| Sunday 4th May | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Liverpool 1 - 0 Man City | |
| Arsenal 1 - 0 Everton | |
| Saturday 3rd May | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Bolton 2 - 0 Sunderland | |
| Fulham 2 - 0 Birmingham | |
| Reading 0 - 1 Tottenham | |
| Middlesbrough 2 - 0 Portsmouth | |
| Blackburn 3 - 1 Derby | |
| Aston Villa 0 - 2 Wigan | |
| Man Utd 4 - 1 West Ham | |
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