The FA Cup

An English Knock out football tournament inaugarated in the 19th Century that takes places over several months. It is open to all members of the Football Association, including numerous amateur clubs as well as the top professional ones (Premier League). The lower ranked teams have to play numerous qualifying rounds before getting to the "First Round" (when the teams in Football Leagues One and Two join in). The top teams (Premiership and Championship) enter in the Third Round (the Final is the Eighth Round). It is well known for the prospect of Giant Killing, where a lower ranked team will somehow, against the odds triumph against a larger team who would normally trouce them. For the small clubs the FA Cup is a chance to get some valuble prize money, personal glory and a some Crowning Moments of Awesome thrown in for measure. For the higher ranked clubs, the FA Cup is the top domestic knock out competition and generally provides some classic Football moments.

Traditionally, drawn matches could go to indefinite replays in the event of a tie, however, in recent years though the inital match will go to a single replay: if that match is drawn it will be settled on penalties.


 * The media in Britain love the FA Cup for the prospect of Giant Killing, to the point that previews of the matches seem to work on the assumption that Underdogs Never Lose. If on 3rd Round day there are no Giant Killings then there is always some Fan Dumb media moaning about the death of the FA Cup, since it has been superceded (apparently) by The Premiership and the Champions League.
 * However, Manchester United contributed towards weakening the magic of the FA Cup by refusing to enter one season, citing that their bid to retain the European Championship as well as the Premier league title was infinitely more important and that the FA Cup was by contrast a lesser, insignificant, trophy. Incredibly, the FA let them do this. Fortunately, United's arrogance was punished when they ended up winning nothing that season. They have never repeated their moment of hubris.
 * Crowning Moments of Awesome happen occasionally, with Ryan Giggs and Steven Gerrard in particular crowning successful careers with brilliant Cup goals. However, Ronnie Radford's goal for non-league Hereford in 1972 to defeat Newcastle United was a single great moment in an unspectacular career, launched the career of the commentator John Motson and got Hereford elected to the league eventually.
 * Any lower league player who achieves one of these Crowning Moments of Awesome will be forever subject to possible Remember When You Blew Up a Sun interviews before the 3rd Round every year. Some clubs get similar treatment; any TV or newspaper report on the FA Cup regarding Blackpool will mention the 1953 Final!
 * Obviously, there have been a load of superstitions that have been applied to the Cup. It was thought that Derby County were subject to a gypsy Curse in the early 20th Century after a 6-0 battering by Bury in the Cup Final added to a list of near misses. A payment to decendents of the gypsies who were kicked off their land so Derby could build the Baseball Ground was apparently an effective Curse Escape Clause as they won the 1946 Cup.
 * Newcastle United were also Cursed before World War I when they reached 5 Cup finals at Crystal Palace. They won only one, in a replay at Goodison Park. They'd also been knocked out in intervening years by Crystal Palace F.C.!

It is Older Than Radio. It started in the 1870s when it was won by Old Public school boys playing for Old Etonians, Wanderers or Oxford University, for example. As the game spread in the 1880s, the Cup migrated Oop North and to The Midlands, where it was won by now-mid-table Premiership clubs (usually) such as Aston Villa, Blackburn Rovers and Wolverhampton Wanderers. It was spread around clubs, increasingly from London, Liverpool and Manchester until the 1980s, when the London, Liverpool and Manchester teams started to dominate. Since 1987, only Portsmouth from outside those three cities have won the Cup.

Won most often by Manchester United (eleven times), followed by Arsenal (nine) and Tottenham Hotspur (eight).