The FA Cup with Budweiser
Third Round Proper
Saturday 5 January 2013
Winning clubs will receive £67,500 from The FA prize fund
Click here for all the Third Round ties
Ahead of FA Cup Third Round weekend, The FA’s Historian, David Barber, has compiled a list of his top ten shocks at this stage of the competition.
On Saturday, ‘The Barber’ will attend Stoke City’s trip to Crystal Palace – his 19th FA Cup match this season and his 423rd in total, so he is very well positioned to discuss his standout giant-killings.
Here they are in date order:
1. Walsall 2-0 Arsenal, 1933
An Arsenal team destined to win the title had cost £30,000 to assemble. Walsall, mid-table in Division Three North, had cost £70. Herbert Chapman gave debuts to three young players and the Gunners were soon floundering in the mud against Walsall’s steely old pros.
2. Worcester City 2-1 Liverpool, 1959
Southern League Worcester concentrated on keeping the ball on the ground, making Liverpool’s defenders twist and turn on the frozen St. George’s Lane pitch. Liverpool, in the upper reaches of Division Two, contributed to their downfall with two appalling defensive blunders.
3. Newcastle United 1-2 Bedford Town, 1964
Southern League Bedford, with three builders, three engineers, two decorators and a draughtsman, conquered Division Two Newcastle at their St. James’ Park fortress. Armed with their lucky mascot, a china black cat, they pressured the Magpies’ jittery defence into conceding twice.
4. Hereford United 2-1 Newcastle United (replay), 1972
Hereford’s victory was the first by a non-League side over top-flight opposition for 23 years. On a quagmire of a pitch Ronnie Radford equalised for the Southern Leaguers with 35-yard rocket a minute from time and substitute Ricky George slid home the extra-time clincher.
5. Burnley 0-1 Wimbledon, 1975
Burnley, seventh in Division One, lost to geography teacher Mickey Mahon’s goal for Southern League Wimbledon four minutes into the second half at Turf Moor. It was the first time for 55 years that a non-League side had beaten one from the top division on their own ground.
6. AFC Bournemouth 2-0 Manchester United, 1984
Ron Atkinson’s United side of superstars had won The Cup in 1983 but eight months later came unstuck against the uncompromising tackles of Division Three Bournemouth, then managed by Harry Redknapp, at a packed Dean Court. Milton Graham and Ian Thompson scored.
7. Birmingham City 1-2 Altrincham, 1986
Birmingham, anchored near the foot of Division One and without a win in 17 games, were almost expected to lose. Gola League ‘Alty’ were seasoned giant-killers, having seen off 11 League sides in the previous 20 years, and on the day coped better with the gale-force conditions.
8. Sutton United 2-1 Coventry City, 1989
Twenty months after Coventry had won The Cup for the first time in their 104-year history, seven members of their winning team lined up against Sutton at Gander Green Lane. But the Sky Blues were stunned as bricklayer Matthew Hanlan won it for the Conference side.
9. West Bromwich Albion 2-4 Woking, 1991
Tim Buzaglo, who had made more of a mark playing cricket for Gibraltar, was the unlikely hero as Isthmian League Woking demolished West Bromwich Albion of Division Two at The Hawthorns. Albion led before Buzaglo went to town in the second half with a stunning hat-trick.
10. Wrexham 2-1 Arsenal, 1992
For the first time the team finishing bottom of the Football League the previous season knocked out the League Champions. This tie was turned on its head in the last eight minutes, Mickey Thomas levelling for Wrexham with a free-kick before Steve Watkin squeezed home the winner.
You can follow David Barber on Twitter @thebarberfan
