Fashanu to be honoured by Wimbledon FC for his role in 1988 FA Cup victory over Liverpool

FORMER Nigerian football ambassador John Fashanu is set to receive an honorary award from Wimbledon FC 34 years after guiding the team to its first and only ever FA Cup triumph when it beat Liverpool 1-0 in 1988.

Fashanu, now, 59, was part of the Crazy Gang side that beat Liverpool who had been the dominant side in English football for some 15 years whereas Wimbledon had played just two seasons in the First Division and only 11 as a Football League club. Wimbledon enjoyed a meteoric rise in English football, only winning promotion to the old fourth division in 1978, before gaining three consecutive promotions in just four seasons.

Even though Wimbledon were an established First Division side at the time, few gave them a chance going into that final against one of the greatest teams in England. However, the Crazy Gang, given no hope of beating their illustrious opponents, won the match thanks to a Lawrie Sanchez' solitary goal.

This weekend, to celebrate the feat, Wimbledon will honour Fashanu and the other players. before the kick-off at Saturday’s League Two game against Barrow. Before the game, the players will be handed laurels in recognition of their unique achievement all those years ago.

Fashanu said: “It is a great honour that I have been invited with my family to receive an honorary award. I am so elated and I can’t thank the club enough for the gesture.

“The FA Cup in 1988 was the biggest domestic football match in the world and we had 100,000 fans at Wembley watching and about 100,000,000 people around the world watching as well. That was the biggest and most exciting day of my life because nobody thought that we would ever be able to contest, let alone beat the mighty Liverpool, not even the media and the bookies.

"Nobody thought that we will beat Liverpool but there we were, 90 minutes later we beat them 1-0. It was a wonderful moment and opportunity.”