<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: "Courier New"">LATEST from www.TheFA.com </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: "Courier New""> </p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: "Courier New"">THE numbers are in for the draw for The FA Cup Semi-Final, which will be made at 12.55pm live at <street w:st="on"><address w:st="on">Soho Square</address></street> on Friday 24 March 2006. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: "Courier New""> </p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: "Courier New"">The draw will be made by former <place w:st="on"><placename w:st="on">Crystal</placename> <placename w:st="on">Palace</placename></place> midfielder Geoff Thomas, who played in the dramatic FA Cup Final of 1990 when Palace took on Manchester United and were moments away from an upset. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: "Courier New""> </p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: "Courier New"">Geoff Thomas played over 500 games for seven different clubs, but it was with Crystal Palace that he established himself and went on to win nine England caps while playing at Selhurst Park. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: "Courier New""> </p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: "Courier New"">So great was his contribution to <place w:st="on"><placename w:st="on">Crystal</placename> <placename w:st="on">Palace</placename></place> in The FA Cup that he has been nominated for The FA Cup 'Team of Heroes' which marks the 125th season of the famous competition. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: "Courier New""> </p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: "Courier New"">After giving the 125 top-ranked FA Cup clubs their chance to nominate their five Cup legends, our panel of specialists narrowed them down to a shortlist of 125 - 25 for each position. Geoff is available for selection by clicking here. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: "Courier New""> </p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: "Courier New"">Geoff retired from football in 2002, but less than a year later he received the terrible news that he had been diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: "Courier New""> </p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: "Courier New"">With incredible courage he fought the illness over a prolonged period before a successful bone marrow transplant. Geoff is now in his fourth year of remission and works tirelessly campaigning for Leukemia charities. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: "Courier New""> </p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: "Courier New"">You can read more about a rematch of the 1990 FA Cup Final that Geoff Thomas has organised, which will include Bryan Robson, Mark Hughes and Sir Alex Ferguson, by clicking here.</span><font face="Times New Roman"> </font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: "Courier New"">http://www.geoff-thomas.com/ </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: "Courier New""> </p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: "Courier New"">At this stage of the competition each club remaining knows that just two games stand between them and lifting The Cup, and the draw for the Semi-Finals could be the difference between leading your side to glory in the Final, or suffering the despair of defeat. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: "Courier New""> </p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: "Courier New"">Every team will be looking to take their chance now that both of last season's finalists, Arsenal and Manchester United, have been knocked out of the competition. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: "Courier New""> </p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: "Courier New"">Here are the numbers: </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: "Courier New"">1 Charlton Athletic or <place w:st="on">Middlesbrough</place> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: "Courier New""> </p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: "Courier New"">2 West Ham United </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: "Courier New""> </p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: "Courier New"">3 <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Chelsea</place></city> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: "Courier New""> </p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: "Courier New"">4 <place w:st="on">Liverpool</place> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: "Courier New""> </p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: "Courier New"">The Semi-Finals will be played on the weekend of 22/23 April </span></p>
