This weekend sees the first round of the English FA Cup and although the "big boys" from the Premier League do not join in until the third round in January, there are plenty of potentially spicy encounters along with reminders of how many established clubs have fallen on hard times. In fact, there are more than half-a-dozen former FA Cup champions competing in this weekend's action, including six-times winners Blackburn Rovers.
The essence of the FA Cup is the prospect of non-league minnows fighting against the odds for a brief moment of glory. Which brings us to Shaw Lane AFC, a club I would imagine no one outside of Yorkshire has heard of and possibly few outside of Barnsley where the club is based. Originally part of the Shaw Lane sports community, they became known as Aquaforce Barnsley FC after an electrolyte drink. In 2012 they merged with another South Yorkshire club to form Shaw Lane Aquaforce.
Beginning life in the Sheffield and Hallamshire League , the club enjoyed amazing success winning five promotions in seven seasons and are now in the Northern Premier League, the seventh tier in English football. Now known simply as Shaw Lane and nicknamed the Ducks, they are a very ambitious outfit and delighted that their game against mighty Mansfield Town from League Two is being shown live on British television. Desmond the Duck, the club's mascot, will be amongst the capacity crowd of 2,500 squeezing into their tiny Sheerien Park ground today to cheer their side on.
The FA Cup trophy. Photo: reuters
Another name in the FA Cup draw which caught the eye was Heybridge Swifts, an Isthmian League (eighth tier) side drawn away to League Two's Exeter City. A small Essex town, Heybridge have actually reached the first round on three previous occasions. It's not often Cornwall gets mentioned in football reports, but tomorrow Truro City take on Charlton Athletic of League One at the Valley. It is the first time in 48 years since a Cornish team has made it to the FA Cup proper. Falmouth Town reached the first round in 1968.
Playing in the National League South (sixth tier) the White Tigers regard being drawn against Charlton as a "glamour tie" which might amuse Charlton supporters whose experiences in recent years have been anything but glamorous. However, we must not forget that Charlton won the FA Cup in 1947, beating Burnley 1-0. The game's most memorable moment came when the ball burst for the second successive year in the final. It was put down to the poor quality of leather used for footballs immediately after the war.
The 1987 FA Cup winners, Coventry City, are also in action tomorrow taking on Maidenhead from the National League. Coventry beat Tottenham Hotspur in one of the better finals, coming from behind to win 3-2. BBC commentator John Motson called it "the finest Cup Final I have had the pleasure of commentating on."
Blackpool, who triumphed in one of the most memorable finals ever, also face non-league opposition. Currently gracing League One, the Seasiders are away to the Hertfordshire side Boreham Wood. Blackpool won the 1953 final, defeating Bolton Wanderers 4-3 in a thrilling game known as the Matthews Final after a brilliant performance by Stanley Matthews on the right wing. However, some argue that it should be named the Mortenson Final after the Blackpool striker Stan Mortenson who scored a hat-trick. This remains the only time a hat-trick has been scored in an FA Cup final at Wembley. Geoff Hurst famously notched one in the 1966 World Cup final.
The team in action tomorrow with the best FA Cup record are Blackburn Rovers who have won the trophy on six occasions. Alas, their success was back in distant history, the last Cup trophy coming in 1928. Today they have a decidedly unglamorous home tie against Barnet.
One of the biggest FA Cup final shocks occurred in 1988 when unfancied Wimbledon FC upset overwhelming favourites Liverpool 1-0. A lot has happened to Wimbledon since then, particularly when the club made a controversial move to Milton Keynes in 2003 and changed its name to MK Dons the following year. Irate Wimbledon fans then established their own club AFC Wimbledon which has done very well to establish itself once again in the Football League.
Both Wimbledon descendants play in League One and are in Cup action this weekend. AFC Wimbledon are at home to Lincoln City while last night MK Dons faced an awkward away trip to eighth tier Hyde United from Greater Manchester.
The most recent FA Cup winners competing in this weekend's action are Portsmouth, who won the Cup in 2008 under Harry Redknapp, and also in 1939. Today they are away to Luton, FA Cup runners-up in 1959. One of the more unlikely former Cup winners in action are Bradford City, who beat Newcastle 1-0 back in the 1911 final. Today they take on League Two's cellar dwellers Chesterfield.
Another small team worth mentioning are Forest Green Rovers, the "little club on the hill", who were promoted to League Two for the first time last season. Thought to be the world's first vegan football club, Rovers had been struggling in the league, but three successive wins have seen them scramble up to 20th place.
The Rovers can forget about the league for one week when they host Macclesfield Town in the Cup today in the Cotswolds at their delightfully-named New Lawn ground with all its veggie burgers. A Cup run would be a pleasant diversion, but owner Dale Vince will be more concerned about maintaining Rovers' league status.