I head to London on Thursday for a weekend of culture. I have over the years come to love the immense diversity of the city and despite the problems that arise from time to time, the fact is that the amazing multi-cultural character of England’s capital offers a fine example of how people of all races, religions and backgrounds can exist in such practical harmony.

While I have on many occasions taken advantage of the more traditional cultural attractions of the City of London, this time out it is not the allure of museums or exhibitions that entice me to this magnificent metropolis. No, it is something far more profound, something holding a much more passionate and magnetic appeal than a building of great architectural majesty or an extravagant artefact plundered in Egypt during the imperialist days of British Empire. Attractive as these refined aspects of the past are, they pale into insignificance when compared to the FA Cup Final at Wembley.

This event is the fulcrum of my cultural activities this weekend and I am completely and utterly unabashed that this admission may unfurl for you the plebeian facet of my personality, which obviously emanates from my distinctively uncultured upbringing in inner city Dublin, where the competition between my Latin homework on Caesar's Gallic wars or kicking a ball against the gable wall of our house was an absolute no-contest.

However, accepting my less than elegant proficiency in the ancient language, I still profess my total commitment to the theory that the culture of the streets possesses more pertinence and impacts more on the real world than even the most wonderful objet dar't sitting luxuriously in some exclusive collection. Football is the culture of the modern world to countless millions of people. It is the expression of the masses in that it provides hopes and dreams and adds vibrancy to lives that otherwise would lack sparkle and expectancy. So this Saturday, Wembley Stadium to me presents a most agreeable occasion to celebrate one of the great traditions of professional football, and it also offers a poignancy that must be given full consideration.

The irrefutable fact is that the FA Cup Final is in serious danger of being relegated to the past. There are those who would undoubtedly consider The FA Cup Final an artefact of the football world open for public viewing on the last weekend of May. A relic of past glories pushed into the background by more the modern and prestigious Champions League and Euro or World Cup Finals.