The FA Cup sponsored by E.ON
Fourth Round Proper
Saturday 26 January 2008
Winning clubs will receive £60,000 from The FA
Click here to see the fixtures
If Havant and Waterlooville win their Fourth Round tie at Anfield on Saturday, it would be difficult to argue against it being the biggest upset in the 137-year history of The FA Cup.
Something like the present structure of League football, i.e. with at least three divisions, has existed from the 1920-21 season. Since then, there have been seven occasions on which a non-League club has knocked out a club from the top flight.
Here are those seven special matches:-
1924: Corinthians* 1-0 Blackburn Rovers, in the First Round
1948: Colchester United (Southern League) 1-0 Huddersfield Town, in the Third Round
1949: Yeovil Town (Southern League) 2-1 Sunderland, in the Fourth Round
1972: Hereford United (Southern League) 2-1 Newcastle United, in a Third Round replay
1975: Burnley 0-1 Wimbledon (Southern League), in the Third Round
1986: Birmingham City 1-2 Altrincham (Alliance Premier League), in the Third Round
1989: Sutton United (Conference) 2-1 Coventry City, in the Third Round
*Didn't play in a league
Those non-League winners were all arguably one promotion away from the Football League, although there was nothing automatic about it in those days. Havant and Waterlooville, however, play in the Conference South and would therefore need two promotions.
A win for the Hampshire minnows against Premiership giants Liverpool would be incomparable - the ultimate FA Cup giantkilling.