| Whilst the Tigers were being undone by Bolton on Saturday, 80 others sides had their gloves off for a royal battle in the FA Cup 1st round proper. Here we take a look at the weekends results, what the cup means to supporters and remember some of the less glamour ties from our past. |
Without doubt City's recent success over the previous 5 seasons comes at a price. Premiership and Championship football can be expensive with some tickets in the region of £50. However, one of the largest prices to pay is missing out of the FA Cup 1st round. I know that a pass into round 3 is welcome and understand that playing Team Bath away with a Sunday noon kick off may not seem exciting, but think on - it really is.
David v Galieth, a saying which is used annually by the commentators wrapped up warm in the delightful places like Blyth, Telford and Fleetwood. What better contest? This weekend alone, Shrewsbury, Exeter and Swindon all fell to giant killing acts. Telford, Droylsden, Grays, Kettering and Altrincham live to fight again and no fewer than 10 other non league clubs still have their dreams of visiting Old Trafford, Anfield or even the KC Stadium alive.
The supporters love it, round 1 is a day which is long pencilled in the diary. I would like to bet that many a hangover was had in Blyth, Histon and Greater Manchester's very own Curzon Ashton (under Lyne) , and why not! They all deserve their moment of glory. For the beaten league clubs fans it is a moment to forget. You really do want to hide for a couple of weeks and not face workmates who support others. Kettering Town anyone?
Blyth Spartans' tremendous 3 v 1 victory over 5th place Shrewsbury Town brought the North East Side to the forefront of my mind for the first time in nearly 30 years. A certain Les Mutrie once tortured Hull City defenders in an epic 3 match bout. The Tigers eventually managed to dispose of the non league minnows, on a cold night at Elland Road. Even then, only a slim 2 v 1 victory was the result, the previous draws being 1 v 1 and 2 v 2.
Anyone remember Roary getting into bother at Hayes? How about City having all sorts of bother with Whitby or even a wall not exactly behaving in Runcorn? Why else would we have travelled to Salisbury and Penrith?
The FA Cup is the world's premier club knockout tournament. It is steeped in history and is known worldwide. The only change I would like to see with it is that all league clubs enter at round 1. Can you imagine Sir Alex having to take his multi million pound squad to play Barrow? How good would that be for football. |
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