David James still cringes whenever he sees pictures of his first FA Cup Final.
There he is along with Liverpool's Spice Boys - Jamie Redknapp, Steve McManaman and Robbie Fowler - strutting their stuff around Wembley in their cream Armani suits.
"I wasn't a Spice Boy, I was too old. The Spice Boys were a collective group who were all under 24, so I was omitted from that heading," insists James, who was 25 when Liverpool lost that day in 1996 to bitter rivals Manchester United.
Unfortunately for the Portsmouth goalkeeper, that's not how everyone else remembers it. But James has always hated being regarded as the stereotypical Premier League footballer.
He has set up the David James Foundation in Malawi to raise AIDS awareness and help farmers in the African country. Not to mention being a global ambassador for the Special Olympics.
And rather than being a member of football's Baby Bentley brigade, he has converted his Chrysler 300C diesel estate to run on rapeseed oil to do his bit for the environment, as well as collecting Raleigh Choppers and Action Men.
James has come through more ups and downs than most Premier League footballers, not least his turbulent seven years at Anfield where he first earned his nickname 'Calamity James'.
But now, at the age of 37, he is enjoying a career renaissance at Portsmouth and on Saturday is hoping for redemption in the FA Cup Final.
Twice he has been on the losing side in a final, first for Liverpool and then with Aston Villa when they were beaten by Chelsea in 2000 and he was blamed for Roberto Di Matteo's winner.
But James has won back his England place, enjoyed two superb years at Fratton Park and was voted the PFA's best keeper in the Premier League by his fellow pros.
"I'm very happy," he said. "What's happened in the past two seasons has been very good for me. Portsmouth has been a good environment from the coaching staff, backroom staff, everybody, playing staff... we are all together.
"We all buzz off each other. It's a happy environment. It's not Arsenal, Chelsea or Manchester United.
"It's not regimented like those clubs where as soon as you walk through the door you're expected to win the league. If you don't then you have a questionable failure.
"There aren't the same pressures at Portsmouth. But there are certain pressures and those pressures have helped get us to the final.
"But at the same time we've also benefited from having the changing rooms at a crappy old Portakabin at the training ground and a bumpy training pitch. My experience has helped me through the season as an individual. It's taught me when not to do certain things. The team make-up has got experience running through it.
"We have got a good environment, we talk among each other and we debate and talk things through. It's a nice place to be. I'm happy and very content."
But make no mistake, James will not be happy unless Portsmouth beat Cardiff City as the thought of losing another FA Cup Final brings a grimace to his face.
James said: "My own FA Cup Finals have been s**t. The build-up is nice, you enjoy it, great day out, right up until the final whistle and then it's horrible. It's one of the worst experiences in football.
"We are the favourites and it would be nice to go out this time, play a great game, put on a great spectacle and win the cup.
"But I'd settle for a crap game and scrappy 1-0 win.
"I'd take that every time. It's all about winning the FA Cup.
"The reality is you win the game, you're the cup winners and what goes on in the middle is irrelevant and totally forgotten afterwards."
James insisted yesterday that he has recovered from a calf injury to play on Saturday, and said: "I was upset to miss the last three games, because my concerns were not about playing in the FA Cup Final, but playing in the Premier League.
"If it had been left to me, I would have been out there running about and probably have injured myself more yet still declaring myself fit to face Blackburn.
"That would have been a personal travesty."
James met former Wimbledon keeper Dave Beasant - the first keeper to save a penalty in an FA Cup Final, against Liverpool's John Aldridge in 1988 - to promote one of the cup's sponsors.
But James insists that Cardiff - despite being in the Championship while Wimbledon were in the same division as Liverpool - are not as big underdogs, and he admits to being very jealous of Beasant's claim to fame.
"It was the first penalty save in any cup final and my view was that I had just won the FA Youth Cup with Watford, saw Big Dave and I was p***** off because I wanted to be the first," he said.
James knows that once again he will be there to be shot at. He will be expected to win and ridiculed if he loses.
Mind you, he has become used to that during a rollercoaster career.
David James has already played - and lost - two Wembley FA Cup finals.
In 1996, he was part of the "Spice Boy" Liverpool team which wore cream Armani suits to arrive at the stadium but lost to Eric Cantona's smart finish for Manchester United.
The England goalkeeper also played in the last FA Cup final at the old Wembley in 2000 when his Aston Villa side lost 1-0 to Chelsea after he fumbled a Gianfranco Zola free-kick to allow Roberto Di Matteo to score.
National Express, official supporter to the FA Cup, is running dedicated direct services for supporters of Portsmouth & Cardiff City to the FA Cup Final. For details visit www.nationalexpress.com
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Jonathan Pearce
ALEC STEWART
THE MOLE