Time for Millwall to have final say

"We are 90 minutes away from Europe and an FA Cup Final. It is a chance to make a name for ourselves."

Millwall expect to fill close to their allocated 30,000 seats at Old Trafford on Sunday. They were going to charter a plane but instead are laying on more than 50 coaches to take supporters to the game.

There is also a 'weekend away' option involving a holiday camp at Blackpool, the seaside resort the 1937 team went to a couple of weeks before losing the club's last semi-final. Ominously, they were defeated 2-1 in that game by this year's opponents, Sunderland. Transport to Old Trafford has been an issue because there are no trains running to Manchester in time for Sunday's 1pm kick-off.

There were similar problems last time they got this far. Despite Millwall protests, the 1937 game was played at Leeds Road, Huddersfield, which was much easier for Sunderland fans to get to.

One Millwall supporter is said to have cycled there and back while another stole a car to make the game - although escaped punishment on return after magistrates accepted his defence of mitigating circumstances.

Such was the interest back then that there were 20,000 supporters at a reserve game in London just to get tannoy updates on the semi-final.

That Millwall side reached the semifinal after beating Aldersho t , Gateshead, Fulham, Chelsea, Derby and Manchester City - the latter three all from the old First Division - in a marathon cup run. By contrast, Wise's side have had an easier passage, getting to the last four without having to play top-flight opponents.

But that has only added to the feeling that this could be their year.

Darren Ward said: "It would be great for everyone if we could create another piece of history. We know it has been a long time since the club got this far and to get to the final would be a dream come true."

Whoever gets through from the all-First Division tie on Sunday will be the first team to break the Premiership's monopoly on finalists since 1992 when, by coincidence, Sunderland managed it.

Should Millwall win through, Wise would be on course to join Glenn Hoddle and Kenny Dalglish as player-managers who have appeared in a final.

But he does not feel the weight of history or care too much about statistics.

The chance to manage came to him early and after only five months in the job Wise, who already has three FA Cup winner's medals, must feel like he has the golden touch.

A major final, a place in Europe and a shot at promotion to the Premiership through the play-offs are on the horizon.

"I want my players to experience a final and I think they have realised we may never have a chance like this again," said 37-year-old Wise. "These sort of chances only come along once in a blue moon. They have the opportunity to show everyone what they can do."

Wise provides an intriguing contrast with his 1937 counterpart. While Charles Hewitt, both secretary and manager, effectively ran the whole club, Wise is more concerned with the playing side, relying heavily on his assistant Ray Wilkins. They both earned impressive reputations early in their careers but this season's success has caught Wise by surprise.

He said: "Things have gone better than I expected and maybe I've made a rod for my own back, but it is nice to start off and do well. I was sitting in the stand with Wycombe manager Tony Adams a couple of months ago and I'm sure he would rather be where I am than where he is."

Wise is optimistic but he points out at every opportunity that Millwall have not achieved anything yet.

Promotion is still their priority and is keen to avoid a repeat of events in 1937 when the semi-final defeat by Sunderland prompted a season which promised promotion to fall apart.

He said: "That's the last thing I want to happen. We have an important game on Sunday but also another one against Cardiff next Wednesday."

Apart from Wilkins, Wise is probably the only person at Millwall looking that far ahead.