Glenn Roeder last night made reference to 1953 - when a 38-year-old Stanley Matthews finally lifted the famous trophy at Wembley.
Shearer: "Sometimes you don't always get what you deserve. People keep telling me this is my last chance of winning silverware at Newcastle, but we have got to forget about that, it is not what is important here. This is the club's last chance of winning silverware this season, it isn't about me as an individual. Football's a team game and I have believed in that team ethic throughout my career. You never win any major honour for being an individual in our sport. You have got to do well as an individual but it's always the team performance which matters the most.
"People might say I deserve a trophy but I'm not saying I deserve anything. We all have to work hard and see what we get out of it and we will see what happens at Stamford Bridge. This is a chance to get to the semi-final and nothing else is in my mind. This is a big game but it's not about me, it's about the team."
Should the Magpies lose in London, there will be nothing more for Roeder's side to play for this season.
Roeder: "Knowing the man as I do, it would be a huge disappointment if we didn't make it. We have got the potential to help Alan Shearer play in a cup final and, were it to happen, it would rank alongside something like the Matthews Final in terms of its significance. Were it not to happen, I'm sure the disappointment would be balanced by all the enjoyment he has given his own people during the 10 years he has played in front of them. I would argue that, for Alan, breaking Jackie Milburn's record was a huge trophy in itself.
"There's no point trying to pull the wool over anyone's eyes, this is a very, very tough game. We are up against it but we will give it a right good go because this is our last chance of silverware."