Manchester United are preparing for their 57th consecutive televised FA Cup tie away to Blackburn this weekend.

It's an incredible run which stretches back 12 years. In fact the last fixture that United played that wasn't in full glare of the TV audience was in January 2005 when United drew 0-0 at home to Exeter. Indeed there are no members of that starting line-up left at Old Trafford today.

United's starting XI in 2005: Tim Howard, Phil Neville, Wes Brown, Gerard Pique, Jon Spector, Chris Eagles, Djemba-Djemba, David Jones, Liam Miller, David Bellion, Kieran Richardson.

If you thought 2016 was a humdinger of a year, then the 12 years that have passed since United's last non-TV appearance has witnessed some momentum events and occasions.

1. Emeli Sande over kill

London won the right to stage the 2012 London Olympics, indeed staged said glorious Games and made us overdose/indulge (depending on your preference) in the performances of Emeli Sande.

2. This tower is on fire

The Burj Khalifa in Dubai became the world's tallest building at 2,716.5ft in 2007 and celebrated ringing in 2016 by trying to steal the city's pyrotechnical display with a blaze of their own.