The FA Cup... Is the magic back?

Its Sunday so its time to grab that cup of tea, get them biscuits out, and lets take a look into how the FA Cup has got its sparkle back! 

 Cast your mind back a few seasons... Everything in terms of the Footballing bible was ringing true - 'Money brought success.' Man City proved testament to this. Teams that had to sell to survive ended up falling further and further behind. 'Instant success' was what the fans and the media alike wanted. Managers chopping and changing teams, Arsenal & Chelsea signing individual players costing more than most Championship teams are valued at as a business! It looked like the gap between the divisions was never going to be breached, a similar pattern and fait to what WBA faced in the early 00's 'Boing boing, Baggies Baggies...' Flittering between the two divisions for almost a decade! You could guaranty at least one club coming up from The Championship would end up going straight back down the next season. 

The priority for clubs up and down the country was to make sure they stay in their respective leagues! In theory The FA Cup was a distraction that managers could do with out. *Wigan proved this theory right in 2012/13 When they managed to beat City in the final, only to be relegated a few weeks later! Wigan have not been close to returning to the top tier since. In fact teams of a 'lower' profile that have made it to the final in recent seasons, have ended up being relegated either that season or the following..... Things don't look to good for Big Sam and Palace at the moment! 

After the third round of fixtures it looked nailed on that it was going to be the same old 'Billionaire clubs' making it to the latter stages... But then things started to get interesting, Sutton United and Lincoln City started to cause the odd tremor amongst the lower tier teams. This effect managed to spread across the footballing network and then BOOM! The term 'shock' became less of a shock, Liverpool were fed to the Wolves in their own inclosure, and The Lions who came up against massive off the field distractions made short work of The Cherries and The Hornets (You can also add The Foxes to that list too) and as if by magic The FA Cup started to trend once again... 

Now we're half way through the weekends fixtures concerning the Fifth round, and my gosh its been fun! The early kick off between a solid Burnley at Turf Moor against the non league 'have a go heroes' of Lincoln City. Now no disrespect to the Imps but the biggest test they had faced so far in the cup this season was High flying Brighton in the Championship. (A distraction Brighton could do with out) No one not even the BTSport pundits had given them a chance, The Imps management team of the Cowley brothers, looked calm and collective as they approached the dugout, Danny representing a modern day version of the Legend that is Brian Clough, jogging bottoms and a distinctively coloured top, applauding the traveling fans as he took his seat. 

Before long it was a full on old fashion fight to the death! The script was written for the pantomime villain otherwise known as Joey Barton... Lets just say he got his lines right and hopefully he will end up getting retrospective punishment for being a total tool! Rhead was outstanding for Lincoln and although it must of been tempting to put a cheeky number on Barton the old fashion centre forward restrained himself, allowing for his team to continue with 11 v 11...Something the Burnley lads hadn't expected! 

With time almost up and a replay looking likely, The Imps found themselves with a corner, prior to this set piece it would be fair to say that the others hadn't really gone to plan... The TV cameras focused on the crowd, fans praying for the final whistle so they could walk away with a replay... 

The rest they say is history, and the name Raggett will be talked of for years and years to come! 

  

Class of 92

Regardless if you are a United fan or just a football fan in general, it's great to see ex players involved with non league football! Salford City must be having a right northern knees up!

18 months ago it was first reported that a group of United legends headed up by none other than Gary Neville - were interested in making a cheeky purchase of Salford City F.C.

Salford, like most none league teams were just happy to be fielding 11 players each week followed by a swift pint and a pack of pork scratchings in the pub after. This was school boys own stuff! The kind of thing you dream about being a non league player.

Fast forward to present day and the amount of media (social and TV) that has been generated means Salford almost have as many followers as Jesus!

After a few impressive performances this season Salford find themselves up against the might of Notts County. This is the first time in the clubs history that they have reached this stage of the FA Cup and it's great to see the BBC have chosen to screen the match on the box! 

Obviously the United lads were over the moon, some people have reported seeing Ryan Giggs lifting his shirt up and running along the touch line, bringing back memories of that famous FA Cup goal against the Gunners! 

Phil Neville was a bit more reserved when interviewed "I'm sure it will be a packed crowd under the lights at Moor Lane" adding that 'anything can happen" Rumour has it Neville has been wearing his lucky pants to the matches and that he has had the pants since 92! 

So if like us you absolutely love football you need to either get yourself along to the match or tune into the BBC on Friday 6th November and watch the magic of the FA Cup unfold right in front of your eyes! After all this is the greatest cup competition in the history of the sport! 

Holidays, social media & Jon Stead

It's that time of the year when players are jetting off all around the world on their travels, and with the joy of twitter and Instagram we can feel as if we are taking that holiday with them!

Now we're big fans of young Harry Kane but dude.. Seriously you are on a bike on holiday - Why on earth would you need to take a selfie!

Imagine if moments after he took this, he came flying off the handlebars and a piece of the bike managed to lodge itself up young Kane's bum... Ouch! Remember the golden rule - Safety first then team work!

Anyway as we debate (over a cheeky Pimms and lemonade) who's gonna set the league a light this year, we wanna know who's your favourite one season hit wonder??

Cracking question the man in the flat cap shouts!

Personally we're loving the Jon Stead story.

Just over 11 years ago the big man was making back page news with some stella performances for The Terriers. It wasn't long before Blackburn (Yep the fallen giant of Premier League past) came calling and paid a cool £1million -  Stead was branded the next Alan Shearer.... unfortunately it didn't all go to plan! A move up north to Sunderland followed although he left his shooting boots back in Blackburn, the goals had all but dried up and it wasn't long before he was loaned out and on the move again.

After many moves and loans Stead had practally disappeared off the face of the planet, this one time future England international had been restricted to the archives of the footballing past! But the magic of the FA Cup was about to re-write Steads chapter in footballing folk law!

Last season Stead found himself shipped out on loan again - this time to Bradford. Things weren't going too well in the league -  failing to hit the net on a regular basis - it was if the goals had been sucked right out of him.

But then as if by magic......

We all say the FA Cup can make a grown mans dream come true! And it was the magic of the cup that put Jon Stead back on the footballing map! Scoring a hat fall of goals in Bradford's cup run to the Quarter finals! Including a peach of a goal against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge! A pure moment of magic! It's taken a while for Stead to make the back pages once more,  but hopefully at the ripe old age of 32 this charming man as many more headlines in him for his new club Notts County!

FA Cup - Where's the magic gone??

April 19th 2015 - Liverpool v Villa in the second Semi final of the once prestigious FA Cup, theres no  double page pull outs in the papers, not much shouting about it on the box, and only a handful of people tweeting about it, mainly from the clubs involved. What on earth has happened to this ICON of the footballing world?

Theres more noise about this weekends Premier League games in the news than the two semi finals. Leicester City are off the Bottom - Chelsea grind out result against United thats all the back pages read, a small column in the bottom left hand corner mentions the result of the other semi final, theres no bells or whistles and no pun - Just the full time score.

British football is now dominated by the riches of the Premier League. Clubs would rather finish 4th than win the cup... how times have changed. In five years time no one will remember who won the FA Cup in 2015, yet they will remember who finished fourth that season! Just look at Spurs and Everton they have spent so long trying to break back into the monopoly of the top 4, yet if they had just given that extra push in the cups they would have surly won a few medals instead of having an empty trophy room!

One of the games greats - Gerrard is calling time on his Liverpool career to move over to the MLS, if you ask him right now what would he rather achieve in his final season with the club - a top four finish or a FA Cup medal, I bet he would be undecided! Yet years ago players like Gazza, Adams, Ginola, Gray, Rush would of laughed at that question, in fact that question wouldn't off even existed.

Something needs to change for the love & the future of the game! Maybe just maybe when the money dries up  the Premier League may fall from grace just like the FA Cup.

Wombling free................?

This weekend sees the return of the FA Cup and while it may have lost some of it's magic it still has the ability to throw up the odd decent fixture.
Arguably the tie of this round is MK Dons vs AFC Wimbledon, I say AFC but that particular moniker seems to been dropped since they emerged into the football league proper though and there's no chance of getting the two teams confused.
As grudge matches go, it may not have the tradition of Celtic/Rangers, City/United or Arsenal/Spurs but a lot of footballing water has passed under the bridge and who'd have thought that a fan run team would ever get the chance to take on the exact same side that brought about their very meaning and existence? But as we all know Wimbledon have had their fair share of fairytales....

Back in the day Wimbledon may have had their fair share of critics, with the whole 'Crazy Gang' mentality, long ball game, and slightly heavy handed antics on the pitch but ultimately they were what grass roots old school football was all about.
Rising from the fourth to the first division in only four seasons (they were non league five seasons before that) and famously beating 'the culture club' of the Mighty Reds to win the FA Cup in 1988, they must have done something right, as players picked up for next to nothing went on to big money transfers and international honours.

Is there a hint of irony from those wanting to see Wimbledon get one over the MK Dons? Did those same people look down on the club during it's original rise and glory days of the late Eighties/early Nineties? Maybe, but the MK Dons - although a perfectly well run club with decent management and players came to represent the all that was going wrong about the game, with the possibilities of more American style franchised clubs feared to be on the horizon, once again grass roots old school football was proved to be the way forward.

So those who remember that David versus Goliath encounter in the FA Cup Final of '88 will be relishing this Sunday's game. But for the Wombles a victory if it comes may prove a hollow one, many fans are boycotting the game and still see MK's refusal to drop The Dons from their name as the ultimate betrayal.

Unsung Hero - Laurie Cunningham

Ok, Pub Quiz............

Who was the first black player to play for England? Viv Anderson? Wrong! It was Laurie Cunningham, first player black player to play for England @ any level (Under 21) and in a competitive match.

First English player to play for Real Madrid then? John Charles? Wrong! He was Welsh.......Laurie led the way again on the England front when he went to Spain in 1979.

The Mighty O's of Leyton must have rubbed their hands with glee as Arsenal turned away the Archway schoolboy and @ Brisbane Lane Cunningham soon honed his blistering wing play, creative spark and deadly finishing that was to make up his game. Inevitably this sort of talent didn't go unnoticed and it was West Bromwich Albion who came calling with a chance for Laurie to take the next step up in his career.

When Big Ron came bowling into town in '78 he would not only turn the teams fortunes around but unite Cunningham with two fellow black players, Cyrille Regis & Brendon Batson christening them "The Three Degrees"*

With attitudes different back then (although after recent events you wouldn't know it!) having three black players in one team was a revelation for a football team, but this was no gimmick as they could play a bit too. West Brom arguably played the best football of their existence during that period and it was one particular performance during the UEFA Cup that changed Cunningham's footballing destiny forever.

The 90 minutes he put in against the Spanish side of Valencia promoted him on a bigger stage, attracting Real Madrid in the process. One of the rumours @ the time suggested that Cunningham heard of their interest and popped in to see the President @ the Bernabeu while on his holiday to hurry the deal through!

With the deal sealed in Big Ron's living room the former Baggie made an instant impact in Spain, it was also at this time that his first England call up came.

At the age of 22 he won the League & Cup double in Spain and was earning rave reviews, but then the injuries set in. These along with the pressure of putting in top quality performances that had become expected of him week in week out stated to take it's toll.

After four years abroad and with his fall down the pecking order he was eventually reunited with Big Ron this time on loan @ Man Utd only an injury prevented him from playing in the '83 FA Cup final, but it was to be the '88 FA Final that would prove to be his swansong from the English game after coming on as a sub for Wimbledon in their historical win over Liverpool.

Now a bit of a journeyman footballer Cunningham was on the verge of resurrecting his career in Spain with Rayo Vallecano after firing them to promotion, but alas he was tragically killed in a car accident before he could see that through.

Although never really reaching his full early potential, he was an inspiration to many a black football fan who saw his performances and decided to give it a go themselves a generation of players did just that........

 

 

*an all black girl group big in the seventies...........ask yer Dad!

That was the week that was.......

Yesterday saw Stoke City go through to their first FA Cup Semi Final since 1972, the win was set up by a goal from one of the last great old fashioned surname's in football Higginbottom, I think we need more of these surnames in the Premiership, perhaps with them we'll see a return to the glory days of football? More Higginbottoms and less Da Silva's that's what I say!

Speaking of the FA Cup, the team that Stoke will face are of course Bolton Wanderers, again a great old skool name this time for a football club! You can have your fill of United's & City's but we like team's with names that finish with a Wanderers, a Rovers, a North End or even a Hotspur. Wanderers give us this romantic image of a nomadic football team arriving into town like a bunch of desperadoes looking to play and defeat the evil multi-millionaire group of mercenaries that have made life a misery for the god fearing townsfolk....or this that just me?
And a bit of FA Cup trivia? Which team has won the FA Cup fives times (more than West Ham & Manchester City) including three times secession and  now no longer exists?*

 You were of course the outstanding candidate.....CLICK HERE

The above link will take you to a letter that's been doing the rounds this past week. We've all thought of doing it, a few seasons on Championship Manager, taking our local team to the top of the Premiership, winning back to back Champions League, not seeing daylight for weeks on end! And then, a club in the real world is looking for a new manager - "I'm gonna apply that's what I'll do", well that's exactly what one bloke did when Middlesborough needed a replacement for England bound Wally with the Brolly Steve McClaren.
It's all there, the application letter plus a very sporting reply from chairman Steve Gibson. I think more of us should try this!




Recognise this ball? One used in an historic victory over England's old enemy, no not 1966 and all that, but 1915. The First World War, during their time in the trenches and to raise spirits during the final push, English soldiers came up with the bizarre idea of dribbling footballs whilst going over the top at the Battle of Loos in France. A Commander rumbled their plot and shot five balls to stop them from being used but this one survived, the soldiers dribbled and passed it as bullets and shells exploded around them. 50,000 British lives were lost during the battle, but this ball serves as a reminder of those people who gave their all during the conflict and is on display at The London Irish Rifles regimental museum in Camberwell, South London.

And Finally.........

We've heard yet again that Jose Mourinho is ready to quit Spain and head "home" to England and the Premiership. Personally I like the bloke, he's been compared to Cloughie and while that's not a fair comment he certainly was a breath of fresh air upon his arrival at Chelsea and he had no problems going toe to toe with Alex Ferguson! But could he replace him? I'm thinking that like Cloughie & England Mourinho & Man Utd wouldn't quite work together. So maybe back to his first love Chelsea or possibly with Harry Redknapp again last week advertising his availability to The FA via his newspaper column (not a Spurs supporters favourite read) how about The Special One to White Hart Lane??

Don't forget to tune in everyday on our Facebook & Twitter page for all the latest updates, news and views in the world of football!

Big fish, little fish......

A lot of people will say that the FA Cup has lost it's magic and while it may be true that we've not really had a decent final since arguably 1991 (an unbiased opinion), the early rounds have given us some memorable performances and results in recent years from the likes of Barnsley, Havant & Waterlooville, Cardiff & Portsmouth.
The Champions League may promise to pit Europe's elite against each other but where else would you have the Champions of the highest league in the country potentially play a team made up of part time footballers?
It's at the Third Round stage that the "Big Boys" enter the competition and it usually has it's fair share of upsets and drama, if the magic had gone and the big teams had distractions elsewhere nowadays then what were their excuses back in say, 1972 when non-league Hereford knocked top flight Newcastle out? Of Newcastle there would be more to come later.

This particular FA weekend for me was spent in the pub, not that an excuse is needed of course. But Soccer Saturday with Jeff and the Boys is the ideal accompaniment to a few pints of watered down lager and a packet of pork scratchings, they go hand in hand, there's even a Soccer Saturday drinking game!

Along with the best drink and bar snacks that McMullens can supply another essential is the filled out betting slip of course, more so during the FA Cup with a chance of a giant killing on offer! and my four pound accumulator promised me a return of nearly two grand if my seven predictions proved correct.

Now Soccer Saturday has had it's classic moments in the past, Merson's tooth falling out mid-report, Chris Kamara mistaking a sending off for a substitution, Jeff Stelling's James Brown doll to name but a few, but on this particular day we had a show without major incidents; presenter wise at least. But it's down to these presenters that make this show; which essentially boils down to us the viewer, watching people, watch football, a success.
So settling down on the bar stall that I would later be slouching on, three o'clock was here and the games kicked off. I had my money on upsets at Norwich, West Ham, Stoke, Blackburn & Southampton. Of course myself and my mate weren't the only one's aiming to prove our superior football knowledge and earn ourselves some extra pocket money, as the reports and scores started to trickle in, other blokes around the pub were checking their own grubby bits of paper.
An early goal for Leyton Orient (a second team of mine) started proceedings off nicely and the subject of second teams came up later when the Landlord was found to be cheering on Wigan, Everton and Arsenal! We've all got them, the minnows, the local team or maybe the first team we were taken to see as a lad. The FA Cup gives us a chance to focus of them a bit more.

Maybe it's the smaller away grounds, the crowd closer to the pitch, the more physical opponents or just complacency but there's always an upset or two and as the results came in; particularly for the likes of Brighton, Notts County, Southampton and the rest it was apparent that the FA Cup had done it again.
Yet as the beer flowed more was to come, Stevenage were drawn by Noel and Serge to face a rematch against Newcastle United. Back in '98 it had been a rather surprisingly unsporting affair; for a start Kenny Dalglish, Newcastle manager at the time didn't want to play at Stevenage (all those roundabouts can get a bit confusing eh Kenny!) and eventually it was agreed that with some new temporary seating the game at Broadway Hall could take place. Dalglish had been ungracious towards Stevenage in his dealings and it almost became a grudge game before a ball was kicked with Grazioli's equaliser taking the tie back to St James Park where King Kenny had wanted the game to start off with! But things were further sullied there when Newcastle won the replay with the help of an opening goal that hadn't even crossed the line. Stevenage though had done the Conference proud and there was an obvious hint of revenge in the air on Saturday evening as we tuned in to ESPN.

Living in Hertfordshire, Stevenage are about as local as I could get to a league team and I wasn't the only one in the pub wanting them to win. Newcastle could offer no excuses for what transgressed, they had an International defender in Coloccini who had appeared in the World Cup and with experience through Barton & Nolan you could hardly call it a weakened team. Still I couldn't see Stevenage winning the game before kick off, but just as my accumulator had proven I wasn't the best person at predicting football results and not only did the team 73 places lower than their Premiership counterparts win, but they did so convincingly and were the better team.
So a thoroughly enjoyable drunken day/evening had been had and football had provided the entertainment in the end. The magic was still there and long may it continue. Now if we could only transport that spirit, fight, pride and motivation into the Premiership we might just be onto something.......