FA CUP PRELIMINARY ROUNDS.
Millions of Players, coaches & football fans alike around the world have at sometime or another imagined playing in a FA cup final or at least mimicked lifting the elegant solid silverware "the FA Cup".
English non league sides Nationwide this weekend started their quest for thier claim on the worlds most famous league trophy. While non league clubs know the likely outcome of the competition, it never deters the passion or conviction to challenge regardless. Players & managers this weekend will most likely end up joining the millions of football fanatics around the world dreaming about that glorious day in May, However the fact that they have simply been given an opportunity to meet the Millionaires of United or Billionaires of Chelsea makes it the most passionate match of their life. Even more than that... a story for the lads at the bar later.
Over the past few months I have been involved with non league Southend manor & today I had the honor of being a guest at their prelim FA Cup round against Buckingham FC. (Attendance 100 & that's being generous) While the match ended in a one all draw, it was entertaining. So dare I put 50p on their odds of a million to one that they will be heading down the M4 to the millennium stadium in May? I'll make that decision after the replay. (Watch this space).
All jokes aside, what gives me a buzz is knowing that PSA (all credit to Steve Murray) has players in the UK from our academy now looking to seriously challenge for the oldest trophy in the world. It could possibly be a matter of time before the likes of Shane Huke (Peterborough United), Craig Thompson (Peterborough United) or Gareth Musson (Wolves) all ex PSA players could seriously be looking at putting there hands on the famous silverware, my odds with these boys over "The Southend Manor" lifting the trophy are certainly a lot shorter.
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The F.A. Challenge Cup is the oldest and most famous football competition in the world. The number of entries in the competition has risen steadily from the original 15 clubs in 1871. In the inter-war years over 600 clubs took part. Now there is a standard of ability and ground facilities which must be reached before a club's entry is accepted by The F.A. Challenge Cup Committee. 596 clubs entered the Cup in 2001/02. |
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The Competition begins with an Extra-Preliminary Round in August. There is then a Preliminary Round, four Qualfying Rounds, followed by six Rounds in the Competition Proper, a Semi-Final and a Final. Currently, the Football Conference Clubs are exempted to the Fourth Qualifying Round, the Football League Second and Third Division Clubs are exempted to the First Round Proper and the F.A. Premier League Clubs and Football League First Division Clubs are exempted to the Third Round Proper stage. All matches, except the Semi-Final and Final ties are replayed if drawn after 90 minutes. The Semi-Finals and Final tie are played to a finish on the day. |
JH.