The dawn of the new Millennium also heralded the end for the home of English football. Wembley Stadium, built in 1923 and the venue for England’s solitary World Cup triumph as well as five European Cup finals, was to be demolished and, eventually, redeveloped.

The imminent closure of the stadium lent extra significance to the 1999/00 FA Cup campaign.

Teams knew they could be the last to lift the famous trophy under the Twin Towers, and the standing of the competition was only re-emphasised when a nationwide debate erupted around the decision of holders Manchester United to forego their chance to retain the Cup in favour of competing in the inaugural FIFA Club World Championship.

Chelsea, under the management of Ruud Gullit and then Gianluca Vialli, had become rather accustomed to winning silverware. The FA Cup in 1997 was followed by a trio of trophies in 1998, including the Cup Winners’ Cup. After defeating Hull City, Nottingham Forest, Leicester City, Gillingham and Newcastle, we now had the chance to lift a fifth trophy in just three years.

The Blues had finished a disappointing fifth in the Premier League, when many hoped we would mount a serious title challenge.

However, our epic maiden voyage in the Champions League had been a great success, with lifetime memories forged. Victory at Wembley would provide the perfect finale and cement Vialli and Dennis Wise’s standing as the most successful manager and captain in our history.

Standing between us and a third FA Cup triumph were Aston Villa, contesting their first such final for 43 years.

They had finished one place and seven points behind us in the table. Both teams’ strength had been at the back, with Chelsea having the second-meanest defence in the league, and Villa the third. Just a solitary own goal by Ugo Ehiogu had been scored in the league meetings between the sides.

So it was perhaps no surprise that neither side budged an inch in the first half. In front of 79,000 expectant fans, there were no chances of note. However, whatever Vialli's half-time team talk was, it did the trick. A resurgent Chelsea came out a different team in the second half and put Villa under extreme pressure.

George Weah, preferred to Tore Andre Flo in attack, missed several opportunities, while Wise had a goal disallowed for offside. The pressure was mounting, though, and with 17 minutes remaining, we broke the deadlock.

Mario Melchiot was the unlikely instigator. The young Dutchman’s first season at the Bridge had been hampered by injury, but he had recently made his debut and, with Albert Ferrer unavailable because of a twisted ankle, started at right-back.

It was on a bombarding run from that position that he ended up on the left wing, drawing Ian Taylor to foul him a few yards from the touchline. Gianfranco Zola whipped a free-kick into the six-yard box that David James came for but dropped. The ball fell at the feet of Roberto Di Matteo, who smashed a finish high into the roof of the net (pictured top).

The Italian’s second Cup final goal and third at Wembley proved decisive. A rock solid rearguard action led by the French pairing of Marcel Desailly and Frank Leboeuf – who would go on to win Euro 2000 a few weeks later – kept Villa, for whom Benito Carbone went closest, at bay.

With Blue Tomorrow, the single released for the final, ringing around Wembley, Wise led Chelsea up the famous steps for the last time.

In tow was his five-month-old son, Henry, making for a wonderful image of our skipper lifting the Cup one-handed, and bringing the curtain down on the famous old stadium in the best way possible.

Little did we know then but when the stadium reopened seven years later, Chelsea would once again be in the final...