Devastated Tommy Smith still haunted by Wembley heartache

11 April 2012

Dreams are often crushed in football but for Queens Park Rangers striker Tommy Smith finding out that he wasn't going to be playing in an FA Cup Final was particularly cruel.

Last May, just two hours before kick-off, the then Portsmouth forward was given the heartbreaking news by Avram Grant that he was not in the 18-man squad for the Wembley match against Chelsea.

From putting on his shin pads and boots, Smith was told he would be sitting in the stand, away from the playing members of his team. Considering he had already lost three semi-finals, it was a crushing blow for the former Watford striker.

Smith accepts such agonies are an occupational hazard as a professional footballer but admits he has unfinished business in the competition.

And having completed his £1.5million move to QPR on Monday, he gets the perfect chance to right those wrongs when Neil Warnock's side face Blackburn at Ewood Park tomorrow.

"When we arrived at Wembley I thought I was going to be on the bench," said Smith.

"I had been involved for the last few weeks of the season and in the semi-final but a couple of hours before the game he [Grant] pulled me to one side and told me I wasn't in the squad. I wasn't expecting it and I was annoyed and devastated.

"I was given an hour or so to get over it but I had to watch the game from behind the bench. It took some of the shine off it for me, even though it was nice to be part of the whole day, and as a team we played really well even though we lost 1-0.

"Having lost three semi-finals before that [with Watford in 2003 and 2007, and Sunderland in 2004], it was nice to get to the final but the news was really hard to take.

"Now it would be nice to get a little run going and see how far QPR can go this season."

Although Smith admits the FA Cup is not QPR's priority, he is convinced his side can make an impression against Blackburn, whose new manager, Steve Kean, saw his side beat Liverpool 3-1 on Wednesday. QPR are five points clear at the top of the Championship but Smith believes this game will give an insight into how the club will fare if they do win promotion.

"Blackburn will be a very good test for us, going up against a good Premier League side," said Smith, who had been on loan at Rangers since September. "It will give us an idea of the level we need to be at if things turn out as we hope they will do.

"And it's quite nice for us to get away from the League, to be honest. In the Championship we have a lot of pressure to deal with as we are top and are expected to win every game.

"Blackburn had a cracking win against Liverpool, so we are hoping they might be a bit tired after that.

"They are very good at home, even though Sam Allardyce has left as manager, and it is basically the same XI that he was putting out starting for them.

"We will go into the game confidently, as we have all season and we are up for the challenge."

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Devastated Tommy Smith still haunted by Wembley heartache

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