Steve Parish: 'Crystal Palace cannot waste this opportunity'

Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish has admitted that he is determined for his side to learn from the past and make the most of their FA Cup final appearance.

The Eagles will walk out at Wembley Stadium against Manchester United on Saturday afternoon seeking to lay ghosts of the past to rest in a repeat of the 1990 final.

On that occasion 26 years ago, Palace were edged out 1-0 in a replay to see their hopes of lifting silverware for the first time in their history pass them by.

Parish claims that it was not so much the defeat that afternoon but rather the failure to build on their cup run that hurt the most, which he is hoping will prove a different matter this time around, regardless of the result.

"It was a fantastic moment and it feels for the club today we have got back to where we were in 1990," he told The Telegraph. "After that, in 1990, it was a world of lost opportunities. Here are the 26 years we've lost.

"I am not saying that because we didn't win in 1990. It doesn't matter now that we didn't win it. It was that we didn't kick on anyway. When we talk about the [new American backers] coming in... I don't want to miss that opportunity again, if I can help it."

Alan Pardew, who played the full 90 minutes of both 1990 cup final meetings, will take charge of Palace this weekend after returning to the club last year in a managerial capacity.