Me too I was so sure we'd win in 86 I was devastated I remember getting home and my dad saying don't worry they'll be back at Wembley in the next couple of years and as a 13 year old lad I believed him

I was 8 in 1986 and cried like a baby, and my Dad told me exactly the same thing!!

What's the general consensus on the place(s) to go pre-match? We're getting the train down and arrive into KX about 1100 and clearly have time to kill/drinking to do. Did the Crystal Rooms (I think!) pre-FA cup final and that was alright - anyone know if that's open again?

I was mocked for having the temerity to suggest that watching your team abjectly fail at Wembley is not an enjoyable experience.

1980... 8 years old, went with my old man who was a black & $hite Hessle Roader, sweet day for this Ings Road Robin!!
1981.... school trip, great day shame about the result!
1986.... 5 14 year olds allowed to venture down with Appleby's Travel to big old London on their own, no mobile phones in sight!! great day not the best result.
1997... Plate Final, very eventful weekend, bomb scare, left the tickets in a paper shop in kings cross, wife pregnant with my now 17 year old Joe who plays for the 19s and follows the club home & away, the Stanley Gene final, met Quentin Tarrantino in covent garden!!
2015.........??? to be concluded!!

The Green Man pub at the back of Wembley stadium was full with a great atmosphere last year. Had a really good chat with Gary Atkins in there (ex rovers player for the younger fans). There are outside bars as well as inside bar and the staff are all friendly. some nice girls walking around selling shots as well. Hope to see you in there. I'll be rocking my new Wembley polo and introducing two new people to the challenge cup final. Hopefully convert them to the greatest game in the world.

I think we should all meet up for a pre match drink and sing song.
Let's say at the top of Wembley way , between the twin towers.

It's a long time since you've been to fancy London isn't it...

If this is a genuine attempt at irony, then 10 out of 10.

If not, enjoy the search, but I will guarantee you will miss kick off and will be a Billy No Mates in the process.

There is a tower of sorts outside of Wembley Park tube station and an advertising tower near the Wembley arena, approx 600m apart and about 30000 fans milling around in between at any one time.

Thanks but I think I'll pass on this.

The green man pub Wembley looks like a good pre match watering hole.

Anyone remember the star? Two stops from Wembley. The landlord in there couldn't believe how so many different team colours could have a sing song without fighting. He looked forward to challenge cup week every year said it was the best takings of any week never mind day.
Will always remember a guy standing up on a chair and singing (I think) a Simon and garfunkel song and the entire pub joined in on the la la la's.
Quality days.

Must have been The Boxer.

(He's always getting up on chairs, the boxer)

That's the one. People were poking their heads in from the street wondering what the hell was going on.

Pre-match pint will be The Torch, a mere stones throw from Wembley Park tube.

No beer for me, driving 5 of us down. Couldn't do it anyway, too nervous. I'll save my beers for the day after celebrations.

I was there to see Alan Burwell score Rovers only try on a lovely sunny day. Alan's older brother went to the same high school in Hull as myself. I lived in North London then, only a few miles from Wembley stadium. The only other time I have been to Wembley when Rovers played there was in 1980.

The Green Man is a great meeting place see you there Skeggy Red and friends

I don't often submit many posts these days due to work, age, Grand children commitments and all the other conditions associated with increasing years. However I just wanted to mark the Rovers great achievement in reaching Wembley by just remembering some of the names from the past who contributed so much to the cause but will not be there to enjoy the occasion on Saturday. Wilf and Agnes Spaven, Harry Poole, Davy Elliott, Terry Major. I sat at Wembley in 1964 as a 13 year old when we lost to Widnes. All these people were instrumental, amongst so many others , over the years in starting the climb from the bottom of the 32 team league in 1961 to being semi finalists at Odsal against Huddersfield in 1962. I wish they could all be there on Saturday, like the rest of us but one thing, as they say is for certain, once a Robin always a Robin.

A real supporters post Henrique- we should all take time out to remember great players of the past who have graced our great club- good luck sir

Well Posted sir. We all know someone close who we'd all love to be next to us this Saturday. 29 years is a long long time, well a generation ago since we could share a moment like this. We are the lucky ones who will, so enjoy every moment.

I started going to rovers games when I was 8 with my old man which was 1999, and quickly became hooked and fell in love with the club probably due in no small part to the connection the Dad had with rovers.

I used to listen to him talk about the (relative) success of the late 70's/80's and wonder if I would ever see anything similar. I could see how much it meant to him and the pride just from talking about it. In the late 90's/early 00's he still loved the club just as much and I once asked him if it hurt seeing where we are to where he once saw us in the good times. He said Son, once you pick your team you have to accept that success can take generations to come back around but if you get off the ride or lose your love/support in the bad times you can never appreciate the success as much as much as those that stayed on the ride through it all.
He was one of those shedding tears at full time at Headingly and I was so happy for him and others like him. Obviously I was overwhelmed in my own right and overwhelmed with emotion but a lot of that was happiness for my Dad and I can't wait to share the Wembley experience with him on Saturday.
I have nothing against the supporters who have come along since we got promoted or those occasional fans who are going to Wembley, but I'm over the moon for those 1500 or so who have been there all along, going to Workington and Whitehaven away etc. I hope the whole Rovers family gets to experience something special on Saturday and create this generations own history. Come on you reds.

nice reading all the above posts, have a great day out guys,just don't win lol

I started watching rovers properly at 11 in 83 so saw the glory years and you think it's never going to end and then into the 90s stood like you say with the other 12/1500 and you think it's never going to get better but it's my club and always will be and on Saturday I get to see what I've dreamt of for a long time

It was great to see people who you've seen in the stands for years enjoying this years cup run, you might even be one of them lol I'm fulfilling a dream on Saturday too I often thought I wouldn't get the chance. Hopefully we get the icing on the cake and bring the cup home

Looking forward to my 2nd Wembley final involving Rovers, just hoping for different winners! Back in 1979 I was a 13 year old smitten with the game of Rugby league, and little did I know that my old fella was about to make one of the most important purchases of his life. He worked not far from the RL headquarters in Chapeltown, which was then a potentially dangerous place to visit. One afternoon that Autumn he headed down to Chapeltown to buy Challenge Cup final tickets, he probably didn't realise at the time the magnitude of what he'd just done. That final ranks up there with any sporting event I've ever been to, including all the finals I've attended as a Leeds fan. As you get older the excitement is still there, but as a 13 year old kid on my first visit to Wembley, the sheer passion and scale of an all Hull final took my breath away. Have a safe journey down and enjoy the day. It will be great for all the young 'uns who, like I was, are going for the first time.

It was 1980 so you may well of been 14