More than 30 years ago, Diana, Princess of Wales met Liverpool FC’s players ahead of the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium.
With this week marking the 25th anniversary of Diana’s untimely death on August 31, 1997, we look back at the time the former Princess met the LFC squad just before kick-off on May 14, 1988. The FA Cup Final was the 107th to take place, with Liverpool facing Wimbledon FC.
Liverpool, who had just won the First Division, went into the final as the favourites, with Wimbledon being the underdogs. Both teams lined up before kick-off to meet Diana, who wore a pale pink dress.
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The "People’s Princess" was guided along the LFC line by captain Alan Hansen who introduced her to the team who were managed by Kenny Dalglish at the time. The squad included goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar, John Barnes, Nigel Spackman, Peter Beardsley and Steve Nicol.
Gary Gillespie, Gary Ablett, Ray Houghton, Steve McMahon and John Aldridge completed the starting 11, with Craig Johnston and Jan Mølby on the bench.
Unfortunately, the first half of the match didn’t quite go to plan for Liverpool, with Wimbledon’s Laurie Sanchez scoring in the 37th minute. The Reds had a chance to equalise when they were awarded a penalty.
Wimbledon goalkeeper and captain Dave Beasant saved John Aldridge’s kick from the spot - the first penalty not to hit the back of the net during a cup final. Diana watched on as the match ended 1-0, with Wimbledon FC being crowned the FA Cup champions of 1988.
Were you at the 1988 FA Cup Final? If so, let us know your memories of the event in the comments section below.
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