The Magic of the FA Cup

The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly referred to as the English FA Cup, has been in existence since 1871 and during it's history it has become synonymous with so called 'giant killing' acts when the minnows of non-league or lower division teams take on and beat the so called big-boys of English football.

Every year seems to bring it's share of such shocks but I don't think I can ever recall a weekend like this one. After second division Cambridge United gained a very creditable draw with Manchester United on Friday evening, earning them a well deserved and profitable replay at Old Trafford, we then saw a host of even more surprising results on Saturday.

Premier League Swansea  were beaten by Championship side Blackburn Rovers, and were reduced to 9 men in the process. Sunderland also lost to a lower division side, Fulham and Liverpool were held to a draw by Bolton Wanderers, who are also languishing in a mid table Championship position. An even greater surprise came in the form of the 2-0 defeat suffered by Premier League Champions, Manchester City to Championship high fliers Middlesbrough. And that defeat came at City's home ground.

The greatest surprise of the afternoon came however at Stamford Bridge where Chelsea were beaten 4-2 by Bradford City, a team who are two divisions below Chelsea - a total of 49 league places. The result was all the more surprising for the fact that Chelsea are currently looking unbeatable and are clearly firm favourites to win the Premier League title this season. This was a major shock indeed.

Yet it is not the above facts that make this in my view the greatest ever giant killing act in FA Cup history. Those facts do not reveal the undeniable truth that 38 minutes into the match, Chelsea were leading comfortably 2-0. One can only imagine the kind of determination and grit that enabled the eleven players of Bradford to pull themselves back into the game and then rather than defend a drawn position to allow them a replay back on home turf, but to actually take the game to Chelsea and secure an historic win. It was a performance of staggering proportions and will go down as probably the greatest fete in the long illustrious history of this competition.

The magic of the FA Cup is surely alive and well and long may it continue.

POSTSCRIPT
As a lifelong supporter of Manchester United I should add that with Chelsea, Manchester City and numerous other top teams out of the competition, rarely in recent times have United had a better chance to win the trophy. But first they have to overcome Cambridge in a replay. Much as I love to see giant killing acts I can only hope that Cambridge have had their moment of glory and that United prevail. Perhaps they should get some tips from Bradford City - and then of course avoid Bradford in the next round..