For Leicester City, this is the one they’ve always dreamed of lifting. Forget the Premier League miracle, it is the FA Cup the fans have longed for more than any other. The one that’s always eluded them.

Four FA Cup finals, four defeats. No one has reached that many without winning it. On Saturday, Brendan Rodgers’ side have the chance to make it fifth time lucky when they take on Chelsea at Wembley.

It’s been 52 years since they last got there. It’s a tale of underdog stories, mystery selections, horror injuries, controversy, Norman Wisdom and a performance from Gordon Banks that rivalled his heroics against Pele at the 1970 World Cup.

Sportsmail spoke to those involved to find out why the FA Cup means so much to Leicester.

Leicester City defeated Southampton at Wembley in April to reach their fifth FA Cup final

Leicester City defeated Southampton at Wembley in April to reach their fifth FA Cup final

Leicester City defeated Southampton at Wembley in April to reach their fifth FA Cup final

Leicester City 1-3 Wolverhampton Wanderers – 1949 

Throughout their history, Leicester have enjoyed their place as the underdog. Their first FA Cup final was no different. They were fighting relegation to the third tier. Wolves, captained by Billy Wright, were riding high in the First Division.

Leicester had produced a giantkilling to reach the final when Don Revie scored twice in a 3-1 victory over Portsmouth, who went on to win the league that season.

They were dealt a huge blow when a nasal haemorrhage ruled Revie out of the final while goalkeeper Ian McGraw missed out with a broken finger.

Jesse Pye scored twice for Wolves in the first-half before Mal Griffiths pulled one back. Then a crucial decision. Ken Chisholm thought he had levelled only to be flagged offside. It was tight and Leicester were furious. Sammy Smyth then scored a third and it was all over.

Leicester did survive the drop with a 1-1 draw on the final day of the season and sent down rivals Nottingham Forest instead.

Jesse Pye  (centre) leaps to put Wolves into a 2-0 lead against Leicester in the 1949 final

Jesse Pye  (centre) leaps to put Wolves into a 2-0 lead against Leicester in the 1949 final

Jesse Pye  (centre) leaps to put Wolves into a 2-0 lead against Leicester in the 1949 final

Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 Leicester City – 1961 

Imagine the outcry if Leicester supporters arrive to find out Rodgers has left Jamie Vardy out the squad.

Fans endured a similar fate when their side faced Tottenham. Ken Leek was top scorer, only to be dropped by manager Matt Gillies for the final. Gillies claimed the decision was based on form. Leek had scored in every round.

‘That was a bombshell,’ winger Howard Riley, who played in the 1961 and 1963 finals, tells Sportsmail. ‘We never found out why. We assumed he’d had a fall-out with Matt. We found out on the Friday morning when we arrived for a photo at the ground and Ken wasn’t on it. We were shocked. It made a huge difference. I remember crossing one early and it went over everyone’s heads and I thought “oh, if only Ken had been there”.’

Leicester goalkeeper Gordon Banks is unable to keep out a header during defeat by Tottenham

Leicester goalkeeper Gordon Banks is unable to keep out a header during defeat by Tottenham

Leicester goalkeeper Gordon Banks is unable to keep out a header during defeat by Tottenham

Leicester had Gordon Banks in goal. Frank McLintock was still a part-time decorator and was painting a cellar the day before the final.

Mystery became controversy when Leicester defender Len Chalmers was crippled inside 20 minutes by a horror tackle from Les Allen. It would have been a red card these days. No substitutes meant Chalmers hobbled through the game as best he could. ‘It totally changed the pattern of the game,’ says Riley.

Despite that, it was Leicester who were the better side early on against the champions. Even when Bobby Smith gave Spurs the lead after the hour, a reporter asked manager Bill Nicholson for his pitch-side thoughts and the Tottenham boss admitted he thought it came against the run of play. Terry Dyson headed in the second 10 minutes later and that was that.

Another final, another defeat but a sense of pride. ‘There was no real dejection in the dressing room,’ says Riley. ‘We realised we put up a good display with 10 men against a team like that.’

Len Chalmers' injury in the final left Leicester effectively playing with 10 men in an era before substitutions. He is pictured being helped on to the team bus after the game by his wife, Joy

Len Chalmers' injury in the final left Leicester effectively playing with 10 men in an era before substitutions. He is pictured being helped on to the team bus after the game by his wife, Joy

Len Chalmers’ injury in the final left Leicester effectively playing with 10 men in an era before substitutions. He is pictured being helped on to the team bus after the game by his wife, Joy

Leicester City 1-3 Manchester United – 1963 

Leicester were back again but this time they were favourites. They were known as the Ice Kings, unbeaten from Boxing Day to mid-April, as they had managed to play on through the Big Freeze of 1963.

They had been top of the First Division with five games to go. United, despite the legendary talents of Bobby Charlton and Denis Law, had been fighting relegation.

Leicester had drawn at Old Trafford the month before, then beaten them 4-3 at Filbert Street the next day. ‘We went into the final pretty confident this was our year,’ says defender Richie Norman, who played in both the 1961 and 1963 finals.

Their semi-final win over Liverpool was memorable for the heroics of Gordon Banks. ‘Everyone remembers Banks for his save against Pele but the best I saw was in that semi,’ says Riley. ‘The saves he made that day were incredible, one after the other. We won it 1-0 but they could have had six.’

Manchester United's goalkeeper David Gaskell goes full stretch to snatch the ball from Leicester's Graham Cross as the Foxes blew their rare chance to win the final as favourites

Manchester United's goalkeeper David Gaskell goes full stretch to snatch the ball from Leicester's Graham Cross as the Foxes blew their rare chance to win the final as favourites

Manchester United’s goalkeeper David Gaskell goes full stretch to snatch the ball from Leicester’s Graham Cross as the Foxes blew their rare chance to win the final as favourites

‘The attacks were coming in from all angles, I can see it all now: St John, Hunt, Thompson, Callaghan. I was stood behind St John when Gordon somehow tipped his header round the post. He just held his head in his hands.’

But when the final came round, Leicester failed to fire. Law and David Herd put United two up before Ken Keyworth pulled one back only for Banks to spill a high ball and Herd made sure it was United’s trophy.

While the atmosphere two years earlier had been one of pride, the mood this time was sombre. ‘It was terrible,’ says Norman. ‘We let the club down and ourselves. We went to the after-dinner at the Dorchester and everyone was down in the dumps. Norman Wisdom was on and even he couldn’t cheer us up. I can tell the lads who are playing this time that there is nothing worse than getting beat at Wembley in the final — and I’ve had it twice!’

Leicester lost their last five games of the season to miss out on the title.

Manchester City 1-0 Leicester City – 1969 

Six years later, Leicester had a different man in charge. Gillies, the club’s longest-serving manager, resigned halfway through the season with the club bottom of the table. Frank O’Farrell was appointed in his place.

There was a new man in goal too. Banks was sold a year after winning the World Cup to make way for a confident 17-year-old by the name of Peter Shilton.

‘Shilton came in to train part-time and you could tell he was going to be a good’un,’ Scottish midfielder Bobby Roberts, who played in the 1969 final, tells Sportsmail. ‘He was very confident and worked hard. It was a bit of a surprise when they sold Gordon.’

Shilton was still a teenager when Leicester lined up for the final against reigning league champions City, who delayed their emergence from the dressing room in a bid to jangle Leicester nerves.

Leicester had knocked out holders West Brom in the semis, thanks to a late goal by Allan Clarke, who they had broken the British transfer record to sign for £150,000. Clarke, too, would be named man of the match in the final.

Neil Young (right) pounces for Manchester City to score the only goal in the 1969 FA Cup final

Neil Young (right) pounces for Manchester City to score the only goal in the 1969 FA Cup final

Neil Young (right) pounces for Manchester City to score the only goal in the 1969 FA Cup final

They had done for Liverpool, too. Their fifth-round tie was postponed seven times before eventually playing out a 0-0 draw on a Filbert Street pitch that was more sand than grass. ‘Bill Shankly said they’d, they’d murder us in the replay,’ recalls Roberts. ‘That was par for the course with Bill. We went there and won 1-0.’

Shilton saved a penalty in front of the Kop. Leicester had studied Tommy Smith’s habit of shooting to the right so O’Farrell gave Shilton a special training session that morning to practise diving that way.

There were no heroics in the final. Neil Young’s 24th-minute strike was enough to seal it.

‘I remember it so clearly,’ says Roberts. ‘When I was young, I used to watch the cup final on television and marvel at the occasion. It was a magical experience. But to lose was a big disappointment for yourself, the club and fans.’

It would get even worse for Leicester, who were relegated three weeks later. Fifty-two years later and Leicester hope, at last, this will be their year.

This post first appeared on Dailymail.co.uk

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