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ST. HELENS are appearing in their 21st final and have won the Cup 11 times. Only Wigan have a better record with 17 wins in 28 finals.

Saints won in 1956, 1961, 1966, 1972, 1976, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2004, 2006 and 2007. The first seven wins and last year’s were at Wembley.

They were losers in 1897, 1915, 1930, 1953, 1978, 1987, 1989, 1991 and 2002. Six of the defeats were at Wembley.

HULL FC are appearing in their 14th final (plus two replays), having won only three. They won the Cup in 1914, 1982 (after replay) and 2005.

Only the 1982 drawn final was at Wembley. They were losers in 1908, 1909, 1910 (after replay), 1922, 1923, 1959, 1960, 1980, 1983 and 1985. The last five were at Wembley.

HULL FC were the last team to beat St. Helens in the Challenge Cup, winning 34-8 in the 2005 semi-final at Huddersfield.

HULL FC last won the Cup in 2005 when they beat Leeds Rhinos 25-24 at Cardiff. Of Hull’s winning team on that day, seven players are arguably probables for this year’s final: Kirk Yeaman, Gareth Raynor, Ewan Dowes, Gareth Carvell, Jamie Thackray, Motu Tony, Paul King and possibly Richard Horne.

Steve Ganson of St. Helens was the referee and will also be in charge this year.

HULL FC’s biggest defeat in a Challenge Cup-tie was 54-8 at St. Helens in a 1997 fifth round match.

RICHARD AGAR of Hull FC will be the first to follow in his father’s footsteps as the coach of a Challenge Cup final team at Wembley.

And he will be hoping to achieve the same upset his father Allan Agar managed in 1983 when he steered Featherstone Rovers to a shock 14-12 defeat of, ironically, Hull.

BACK AT WEMBLEY

KEIRON CUNNINGHAM of St. Helens is the only player in either team to have won at the old Wembley Stadium.

He was on the winning Saints team in 1996 and 1997 against Bradford Bulls on both occasions.

Cunningham’s club colleague Lee Gilmour is the only other player from either side to have played at the old stadium, being a loser with Wigan Warriors against Sheffield Eagles in 1998.

Cunningham will be playing in his eighth Challenge Cup final altogether. He was a winner with Saints in 1996, 1997, 2001, 2004, 2006, 2007 and a loser in 2002.

LANCE TODD TROPHY

SEAN LONG of St. Helens is in with a chance of extending the record of having won the Lance Todd Trophy (as man of the match in the final) three times.

Long won the trophy when St. Helens beat Bradford Bulls in 2001, Wigan Warriors in 2004 and Huddersfield Giants in 2006.

Other players from this year’s final to have won the Lance Todd Trophy are St. Helens’ Leon Pryce and Paul Wellens, who shared the award last year against Catalans Dragons.

Peter Ramsden of Huddersfield is the youngest player to win the Lance Todd Trophy award, receiving it on his 19th birthday after scoring two tries in the 15-10 defeat of St. Helens in 1953.

Frank Whitcombe is the oldest winner, the Bradford Northern prop being 29 days short of his 35th birthday in 1948 when he became the first player of a losing side to receive the award after losing 8-3 to Wigan.

HEAD TO HEAD

PREVIOUS CHALLENGE CUP MEETINGS

1925-26 (2) St Helens 7 v Hull 10

1935-36 (1) Hull 16 v St Helens 6

1960-61(SF) St Helens 26 v Hull 9 (At Bradford)

1968-69 (1) Hull 3 v St Helens 13

1975-76 (1) Hull 3 v St Helens 5

1980-81 (2) St Helens 5 v Hull 3

1983-84 (2) St Helens 24 v Hull 14

1989-90 (2) Hull 12 v St Helens 24

1997 (5) St. Helens 54 v Hull 8

2004 (6) St. Helens 31 v Hull 26

2005 (SF) Hull 34 v St. Helens 8 (At Huddersfield)

ROUTE TO THE FINAL

HULL FC

Fourth round

Rochdale Hornets (A) - Won 42-5

Tries: Raynor (2), Wheeldon, Houghton, Thackray, Hall, Dykes, Yeaman

Goals: Tickle (5)

Fifth round

Widnes Vikings (A) - Won 32-18

Tries: Dykes (2), Byrne, Burnett, Hall, Manu

Goals: Hall (4)

Sixth round

Bradford Bulls (A) - Won 22-16

Tries: Sing (2), Byrne

Goals: Tickle (5)

Semi-final

Wakefield Trinity Wildcats (At Doncaster) - Won 32-24

Tries: Tickle (2), G. Horne, Cusack, Washbrook

Goals: Tickle (6)

ST. HELENS

Fourth round

London Skolars (H) - Won 56-0

Tries: Talau (2), Eastmond (2), Roby (2), Flannery (2), Wheeler, Wilkin, Gardner

Goals: Eastmond (5), Tyrer

Fifth round

Warrington (H) - Won 40-34

Tries: Talau (2), Flannery, Meli, Gardner, Clough, Gilmour

Goals: Long (6)

Sixth round

Hull Kingston Rovers (A) - Won 24-18

Tries: Talau, Fa’asavalu, Long, Gardner

Goals: Long (4)

Semi-final

Leeds Rhinos (At Huddersfield) - Won 26-16

Tries: Flannery, Pryce, Wilkin, Hargreaves

Goals: Long (5)

YOUNGEST FINALIST

FRANCIS CUMMINS of Leeds became the youngest player to appear in a Challenge Cup final when he played on the wing and scored a try in the defeat against Wigan in 1994 at 17 years 200 days.

The youngest winner was Andrew Farrell, a Wigan forward playing substitute at 17 years 11 months when they beat Widnes in 1993.

OLDEST FINALIST

THE oldest player to appear in a Cup final was Workington Town full back Gus Risman, who was 41 years 29 days when he led his side to victory over Featherstone Rovers in 1952.

DISMISSALS

RICHARD EYRES of Widnes was the last player to be sent off in a Challenge Cup final, against Wigan at Wembley in 1993. The referee was Russell Smith.

The sin bin was introduced in January 1983 and was occupied in a Cup final for the first time that year when Hull’s Paul Rose was despatched by referee Robin Whitfield. Later in the game Featherstone Rovers’ Terry Hudson was also sent to the sin bin.

The last player to be sent to the sin bin in a final was Shane Rigon of Bradford Bulls in the 2001 final against St. Helens at Twickenham, by Russell Smith.

CHALLENGE CUP FINAL RECORDS

Most finals and wins

17 wins in 28 finals by Wigan

Wembley: 15 wins in 22 finals by Wigan

Highest score

Leeds Rhinos 52 v. London Broncos 16 at Wembley in 1999

(Also widest margin)

Most tries by one team

9 by Huddersfield 37 v St. Helens 3 at Oldham in 1915

9 by Leeds Rhinos 52 v London Broncos 16 at Wembley in 1999

Most Points by losing team

Bradford Bulls 32 v. St. Helens 40 at Wembley in 1996.

Also record aggregate of points - 72.

Most successful fightback

St. Helens overcame the biggest deficit of 14 points to win a final when they beat Bradford Bulls 40-32 at Wembley in 1996 after trailing 26-12 from the 53rd to 57th minute.

Biggest attendance

102,569 for Halifax v. Warrington in 1954 replay at Odsal Stadium, Bradford.

Wembley: 99,801for Hull v Wigan in 1985

Most Tries by a player in a Final

4 by Leroy Rivett for Leeds Rhinos in the 52-16 defeat of London Broncos atWembley in 1999.

Players to have scored three tries in a Cup final are: Bob Wilson (Broughton Rangers) v. Salford in 1902; Stan Moorhouse (Huddersfield) v. Warrington at Leeds in 1913; Tom Holliday (Oldham) v. Swinton at Wigan in 1927 and Robbie Paul (Bradford Bulls) v St. Helens at Wembley in 1996.

Most Goals by a player in a Final

8 by Cyril Kellett in Featherstone Rovers’ 33-14 defeat of Bradford Northern at Wembley in 1973.

8 by Iestyn Harris in Leeds Rhinos’ 52-16 defeat of London Broncos at Wembley in 1999

Most Points by a player in a Final

20 by Neil Fox (2 tries, 7 goals) in Wakefield Trinity’s 38-5 defeat of Hull at Wembley in 1960.

20 by Iestyn Harris (1 try, 8 goals) in Leeds Rhinos’ 52-16 defeat of London Broncos at Wembley in 1999.

Most Cup Final Appearances

11 by Shaun Edwards (Wigan 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995; London Broncos 1999) – all at Wembley.

Most Cup Final Wins

9 by Shaun Edwards: As above except loser in 1984 and 1999

A message from the British Transport Police (BTP)

To make travelling on public transport in London a safer and more pleasant experience, drinking alcohol on the London Underground is no longer permitted.

The British Transport Police (BTP) is asking all Saints fans to either dispose of alcohol or finish their drinks outside London Underground stations before undertaking their journey this weekend.

Anyone who continues to drink alcohol or carry open containers of alcohol may be removed from the station and dealt with by police.