Sean Davis: Wembley was a career low. I was drunk on Portsmouth's bench for the FA Cup final against Cardiff

The temporary platform had been hastily constructed on Wembley’s playing surface to host Pompey celebrations, a cramped gathering consisting of first-team squad and opportunistic reserves.

Davis had failed to earn inclusion in the Blues’ match-day 16 for their 1-0 triumph over Cardiff City in May 2008, signifying a career low.

Nonetheless, ever the outgoing character, he threw himself into festivities with customary vigour, even performing a caterpillar dance on the sacred turf during post-match high spirits.

By his own admission, the defensive midfielder was drunk while occupying Pompey’s bench that afternoon, having numbed disappointment with alcohol at a hospitality bar beforehand.

Later, following a riotous evening in London with jubilant team-mates, Davis discovered his winners’ medal had been stolen from his hotel room. Such was its irrelevance, he didn’t report the theft.

He then failed to attend the following day’s victory parade through Portsmouth’s heaving streets with a fabled 200,000 present, opting to instead remain at his Wimbledon home with his young family.

On Sunday, was 12 years ago when Harry Redknapp’s side claimed a first FA Cup triumph since shortly before the outbreak of World War Two.

An anniversary which provokes mixed emotions for a candid Davis.

He told The News: ‘Probably one of my biggest career lows was not being named on the bench for that final, but I celebrated no matter what.

‘I was a bit drunk before the game, I’m not going to lie to you. We knew the team an hour-and-a-half before kick-off, so I went straight to the bar.

‘As soon as I found out I wasn’t involved, it was “How can I not sulk all day and watch this game and be happy?”. So I just went to the bar and started opening a few drinks.

‘I watched the game from the bench, sat next to Richard Hughes. He didn’t really drink so I was probably talking a lot of rubbish, being too merry for his liking and annoying the life out of him.

‘I believe I was drunk on the bench – and I did the caterpillar on the pitch after the game.

‘I’ve still got the suit actually, I should put it up for auction to see if anyone wants to buy it. How much do you think I would get for it? It might have a bit of Wembley grass on it, so adds to the value surely?

‘Looking back, Harry probably didn’t trust me enough to play me or didn’t rate me highly enough.

‘For the quarter-final at Manchester United, I sat in the stands with Pedro (Mendes) and it was awful, probably one of the worst experiences of my life.

‘We weren’t even allowed to be on the bench, so were put among the crowd with Manchester United fans, it was horrible. I had a face like thunder. I remember Harry asking me after the game “Are you all right?” – I replied: “Not really, no”.

‘If you’re not upset then you don’t care enough. I was upset obviously, but didn’t take it out on anyone else. Maybe I should have. It’s life.

‘I enjoyed the whole day at Wembley, I enjoyed the success it brought the club and how happy the fans were. On a personal note, though, I was disappointed not to be involved.

‘You want to play, you want to play in the big games. All you can do is train hard, work hard, and if you get picked, you get picked. If you don’t, just get on with it. That is a footballer’s life.

‘Harry probably didn’t tell us who was going to be in the team the night before so we didn’t have a drink!

‘Instead there was karaoke and a meal in a restaurant, with Hermann (Hreidarsson) doing the silly Elvis thing which he always does. I’m not a karaoke kind of guy, I just wanted to go back to the hotel to play cards.

‘I had probably sobered up by the end of the cup final, but it’s a difficult position. You’re not happy, but don’t want to sulk.

‘Something great has just happened and you want to celebrate with your team-mates. It can be a little false, but, to be honest, I was genuinely happy we won.’

Despite his non-involvement on that May 2008 occasion, Davis was entitled to an FA Cup winners’ medal – only for it to be stolen from his hotel room that evening.

He had appeared as substitute in two matches during the triumphant run, including a 10-minute cameo in the semi-final victory over West Brom at Wembley.

Yet, upon Pompey’s return to the home of football, Papa Bouba Diop, Noe Pamarot, Milan Baros and David Nugent were the four outfield players named on the bench.

Davis added: ‘I got a medal. I couldn’t tell you where it is, I think it was taken out of my hotel room. I’ve no idea.

‘Mine was stolen, but I believe if you don’t play in a cup final then it’s very, very difficult to try to enjoy it.

‘Nevertheless, you celebrate with the lads and have a good night afterwards. I was too drunk the next day to even realise the medal had gone, we drank so much on the team bus, at the after party and then going out in London.

‘I never saw the medal again. It’s not the end of the world to me, it doesn't bother me.

‘I didn’t attend the celebrations in Portsmouth on the Sunday. I couldn’t. I woke up the next day and everything hit me what should have been. I was celebrating us winning the FA Cup yet not even on the bench – so I decided against it.

‘Instead I stayed at home with the family, playing with my little girl. That decision was brought up the next season when Harry tried to sell me to Celtic and I didn't want to leave.

‘He said: “You didn’t even turn up”. I replied “You didn’t pick me, I didn’t think I was invited”. Which obviously I was.

‘To be fair, I should have gone really, it did seem like the lads had a good time. I’ve seen the scenes of Hermann drunk out of his head and on the stage.’

Months after Pompey’s FA Cup triumph, Davis was offered the opportunity to join Celtic in July 2008.

Then managed by Gordon Strachan, the Scottish giants had just registered a third-straight league title, also earning qualification for the Champions League.

Yet the midfielder opted to remain with the Blues, enjoying something of a first-team resurgence and outlasting Redknapp, who quit Spurs in October 2008.

During that final season at Fratton Park, Davis re-established himself as a regular, before joining Bolton on a free transfer after 116 appearances and three goals.

He said: ‘The team were in South Africa on safari and I got a call asking whether I wanted to go to Celtic? Not really.

‘I didn’t feel it was right, I didn’t want to move my family to Scotland. Don’t get me wrong, Celtic is a massive club, but I didn’t feel it was right for my family at the time, so decided against it. I didn’t even talk to them.

‘During my time with Harry, we probably didn’t really get on. I didn’t think he rated me, I never, ever thought he believed I was a good player. He never trusted me to play in the big games, which is fair enough. I actually thought I did okay for the club.

‘But he made players feel they were the best in the world and he achieved great things in his career as a manager, especially at Pompey.

‘I actually haven't got a bad word to say about him. It’s easy saying he didn’t play me, but that’s a manager’s job.

‘I’ve some great memories in a Pompey shirt, I loved my time there and met a lot of good people.

‘Pompey holds a special place in my memories, along with Fulham, helping mould me as a person. Not playing in an FA Cup final won’t affect that.’

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