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Luck of the draw, magic of the cup and giant-killing potential: these are the three cliches which circulate round after round, year after year, in the FA Cup.
But there is something deeply romantic about the underdogs going on a David-like run against Goliath.
In 2021, eighth-tier side Marine went on a brilliant run to the third round, while non-league Lincoln City reached the last eight in 2017. Last season, fans watched sixth-tier Maidstone United reach the fifth round before losing to eventual semi-finalists Coventry City.
All of those giant-killing runs showed how the luck of the draw can constitute the magic of the cup. Maybe the cliches aren’t so bad after all.
This season, too, there’s the sniff of an upset in the air ahead of this weekend’s FA Cup third round, and the excitement is highest at the Lamb Ground.
National League Tamworth host top-flight big boys Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday and although there are over 100 league places between the two teams it has all the ingredients of a giant-killing.
FA Cup cash
But to watch the Lambs take on Spurs? That’ll be £38-£42. A lot has been made of the prices Tamworth are charging, with even under-10s tickets starting at £25.
But a combination of wanting to maximise revenues and the scrapping of FA Cup replays means that clubs lower down the pyramid feel they must do what they can to survive – even the local snowdome is hosting a fanzone at £10 a head to make the most of the occasion.
Spurs’ cheapest adult ticket for their next available non-Premier League game is £30, against Elfsborg in the Europa League. Fans of the other non-league club still standing, Dagenham and Redbridge, will pay just £17 for their third-round tie at Millwall.
Scrapping replays has been seen as detrimental to lower league clubs, who rely on TV revenue and a cup run to bolster their finances, often for years to come.
While Premier League clubs cite a need to free up space in the calendar as European competitions expand, supporters and lower league clubs alike counter that top sides needlessly add to their burden with galavanting pre-season tours.
Fair Game, which campaigns for stricter governance of English football, says it is “not surprised to see Tamworth looking to capitalise on the FA Cup tie against Tottenham, especially as the tantalising option of a lucrative replay has been removed.”
Empathy
CEO Niall Couper added: “We empathise with the club’s motives given the perilous state of football’s finances in the lower divisions, however, raising prices significantly means it is the diehard fans, that have supported the club through thick and thin, that are paying the price to see a team of millionaires.”
The removal of replays, however, does give Tamworth impetus; there’s no big second chance at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium should they hold on for a nervy draw. They’ve got to go out and win it to put their name in the pot for the fourth round.
Clubs are still able to dream but they’ve been forced to curtail their hopes slightly because the wings of the have-nots have been clipped by the haves.
Tamworth are the stars of round three, and a cup run can restore some of the magic many think has been lost in the cup. An upset would be astronomical, and you can be sure fans from many clubs will be hoping the Lambs are not put to the slaughter.
