In 2003, when Southampton embarked on a promising FA Cup run with a 4-0 destruction of then arch-rivals Spurs in the third round, each round brought with it more excitement and anticipation. We were fortunate to receive a home draw in the quarter final against Championship side Wolves, managed by our wronged former manager Dave Jones; and after 60 odd minutes of credible resistance, we got the breakthrough.
What followed was around a month of utter distraction. I genuinely nearly crashed my car (a frequent hobby of mine at the time) when the draw was made pitting us against Watford, the weakest of the remaining teams, and I was unable to really focus or concentrate on anything much other than the looming semi final.
A very good friend of mine has recently experienced this, a lifelong Bolton Wanderers fan with many close ties to the club. If you know him (and millions do, he's got more Facebook friends than Emmanuel Eboue's got regrettable lapses of judgement) then I don't need to explain, but for those that don't...trust me, there will have been few people anywhere for whom Bolton v Stoke meant quite so much.
The semi final was my favourite bit in our entire cup run. We were always going to be underdogs in the final against an utterly dominant at the time Arsenal, but that glorious day at Villa Park was just perfect.
Sadly for the travelling hordes of Bolton fans, their day could not really have been worse.
Talk about your all time anti-climaxes.
Stoke produced a performance of impressive ambition, dynamism and clinical finishing; but the truth is that Bolton had the mother of all off days. To be whacked 5-0 in such a big game by United or Chelsea would have hurt, but to get hammered by a team that is certainly not streets ahead of you must really stick in the throats. For Bolton Wanderers, the opportunity to reach a cup final does not come round every season - admittedly under Owen Coyle they have many reasons to feel optimistic and things look to be on the up...but this was a real 'down'.
Stoke City fans meanwhile will be over the moon, and rightly so. What a result, surely they can not have imagined it would be so easy. Early goals to settle the nerves, a dominant lead before the break and then putting the game to bed before any resistance could occur, thanks very much. They have every right to enjoy their moment in the sun - after 3 seasons of competitive if ugly football in the Premier League they may be seeing this as overdue recognition. Moreover they have every right to look to the final with a degree of defiant optimism.
Manchester City were deserving winners against their superior nemesis. Had Berbatov done what Hernandez would have and scored with a clear sight of goal early on, it surely would have been a different game, but City were good value for the victory and will see this as the first step in the plan for world domination that their owners have put so much money into realising.
As good as they were, they are still City, which means nothing can ever be relied on. Stoke have every chance to ruffle their feathers and should approach the game without fear. They have got this far on merit, anything can happen in 90 minutes, and they aren't playing Barcelona.
Nearer the time I'll deliver another of my patented and foolproof tips but for the time being, both sets of City fans should be revelling in the win and making plans for the big one.
As for those disappointed Bolton fans, I guess the only consolation is this: At least it wasn't Gary Megson leading your men out of that Wembley tunnel. See...it could always be worse.
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