For Premier League sides, and to some extent Championship teams, the third round of the FA Cup is simply the first stepping stone towards Wembley. But for many of the lower league sides left in the competition it is the chance of a big tie and to experience the real magic of the FA Cup. During Sunday’s FA Cup draw my main focus was on seeing who Arsenal would get – a home tie against Leeds - but I also had half an eye on my local team Lincoln and the non league sides still left in the competition.
ARSENAL VS LEEDS
All Premier League ties can be arguably more exciting…you just have to look at the only one in the third round - Manchester United vs Liverpool – to see why. But when my beloved Gunners were drawn against Simon Grayson’s Leeds, I was still left feeling upbeat. Leeds are now back in England’s second tier and, although Arsenal are the favourites, it may well be a nail biting encounter.
The Championship club has a fantastic following, who will turn up in large numbers at the Emirates, and they will be looking to repeat the heroics that saw them knock Manchester United out of last year’s competition. We certainly should not underestimate the opposition as anything can happen in the FA Cup but, providing we don’t get complacent, I believe we’ll come out on top.
THE MAGIC OF THE FA CUP
While the likes of Manchester United vs Liverpool, Arsenal vs Leeds and Sven Goran Eriksson’s Leicester vs Manchester City cannot be ignored, the third round is a chance for teams from the lower divisions to try and claim an FA Cup giant-killing.
Six non-league sides –Dover, Crawley, York, Luton, Droylsden and FC United of Manchester - remain in the competition, although the latter three still have a Second Round replay to negotiate first.
FC United of Manchester, from the Evo-Stik Premier Division, were seven minutes away from cementing their place in the third round when Mauricio Taricco netted to force a replay for League One leaders Brighton.
Everyone, except for Manchester United fans, will be cheering the non-league side on in the replay as they look to earn a home tie against 2008 winners Portsmouth. FC United are unlikely to progress too far in the competition but the possibility, however slim, of a fourth round meeting with nemesis Manchester United could prove enough motivation to help them beat Brighton and Pompey. But, regardless of how far they get, their cup journey to date has already encapsulated what this prestigious competition is all about. It takes a little bit of magic for non-league sides to knock out their football league opponents and the minnows from Manchester produced just that to knock out and take Brighton to a replay.
THE FINAL WORD
When Manchester United opted not to defend the trophy in the 1999-2000 season in order to compete in the World Team Championship, some people questioned whether the FA Cup had maybe lost it’s magic.
But with top-flight teams often contesting the Final and the minnows still producing memorable moments in the early rounds, the magic of the FA Cup is here to stay!
