Newcastle United players trooped through the Wembley interview zone in a dejected manner after their 2-0 loss to Manchester United.
Some stopped, some didn't want to speak after a deflating defeat on the big stage. But as they headed for the bus that had made the short journey from the Wembley Hilton hotel just a few hours earlier, there was a more jovial character heading in the other direction towards the dressing rooms.
He may be 81 years old and battled health problems in recent years but Sir Alex Ferguson had a spring in his step and a beaming smile on his face as he glided past the TV cameras and media men on duty at Wembley. With a smug grin broadly across his face he knew what he was doing given there are alternative routes to the dressing room.
