The FA Cup in 2013... a dozen facts you need to know

Wednesday 25 Dec 2013
Wigan Athletic lifted The FA Cup in May after a 1-0 win over Manchester City

The FA Cup with Budweiser enjoyed another exciting year in 2013 as Wigan Athletic beat Manchester City in The Final at Wembley in May.

Before this season's Third Round kicks off 2014, we look back on the last 12 months with a dozen interesting FA Cup facts...

The FA Cup with Budweiser

The FA Cup continues on 4 January

 

1 The 132nd FA Cup reached its Third Round Proper stage on 5 January and eleven of the 32 ties were drawn.

2 Chelsea, the holders, opened their Cup defence with an impressive 5-1 win at Southampton.

Scott Rendell (centre) is congratulated after scoring for Luton

Scott Rendell (centre) is congratulated after scoring for Luton

 

3 Wigan Athletic, destined to become The Cup’s 43rd different winners, could only draw at home to League 1 Bournemouth in Round 3.

4 A 71,000 crowd saw Man U, Cup winners a record eleven times, beat West Ham with a Wayne Rooney goal.

5 Luton became the first non-League club to knock out a Premier League side, winning at Norwich in Round 4.

6 League 1 Brentford were leading Chelsea with seven minutes to go at Griffin Park, also in Round 4.

7 Oldham of League 1 had an exciting Cup run, edging Liverpool 3-2 and drawing 2-2 with Everton.

Macclesfield win the latest Road to Wembley encounter

 

8 Wigan won 3-0 at Everton with three goals inside four minutes to reach their first-ever Semi-Final.

9 Man City had rattled in 15 Cup goals before Ben Watson’s header for Wigan beat them in the Wembley Final.

10 The 2013-14 competition, with 737 entries, started with an Extra Preliminary Round on 17 August.

11 TheFA.com's Road to Wembley this season started in Parkgate, near Rotherham. The game ended in a 3-0 victory to visitors Shirebrook.

12 Macclesfield Town of the Conference Premier produced an impressive 'giant-killing' winning 4-0 at home against Swindon Town in this season's First Round. 

The competition continues on Saturday 4 January with the Third Round and some tasty ties.Check out the full list of fixtures here...

By Gary Stonehouse Staff Writer