The FA Cup

The FA Cup is, or The Football Association Challenge Cup, is a hugely popular English football knock-out cup competition, which is named after and run by The Football Association. A men's-only tournament, the FA Cup attracts the very best UK football teams and players as well as is very popular among the public for entertainment value and for football betting. The first FA Cup was held in 1871, making it the oldest football competition in the world. One of the more appealing aspects of the FA Cup is that many clubs of different league level and popularity take part and play against each other - regardless of their position in the league tables. Because of this, there is often the possibility that the smaller teams from the lowest divisions get a chance to play against the top table teams - and sometimes even become "giant-killers" in doing so by eliminating these top clubs from the tournament! Sadly, many lower division teams never reach the final, with the appearance of smaller clubs in the final few games rare - but a record 762 teams of all classes were accepted into the 2008-2009 FA Cup, which broke the previous set record of 731. This number is huge in comparison to the League Cup, in which only 72 members of The Football League are invited, along with 20 teams from the Premier League - making 92 teams in total taking part. Not only are winners of the FA Cup are presented with the cup, they automatically qualify for the first round of the UEFA Club, if they have not already qualified. If they have qualified for Europe already then the position will be presented to the runners up of the FA Cup, or to the highest placed side in the Premier League that is without European qualification.

FA Cup Facts

The FA Cup itself has had more than it's fair share of adventures and misfortune - with the current FA Cup trophy being the fourth created. The first cup, names "little tin idol" was used in the very first FA Cup from 1871 until it was stolen from a Birmingham shoe shop window after being awarded to Aston Villa in 1895. It was never seen again. Although not originally a competition made for sponsorship, since 1994 the FA Cup has been sponsored. But, because of the fame of the FA Cup and the status its name carries they name of the sponsor have never replaced the name of the cup, unlike many other sponsorship deals for football cups. .

FA Cup Greats

The most famous FA Cup greats were the "giant-killers" - lower-league teams overcoming the odds and defeating their much more higher-ranked opponents in the earlier rounds of the cup. The most notable recent giant-killing feat was in 1988-89, when a non-league team and fairly unknown club, Sutton United, won an astounding victory over Coventry City. Other great giant-killings include the lower league team Hereford United stunning Newcastle United with one of the most famous goals in the history of the FA Cup from the boot of Ronnie Radford in 1972 and Blyth Spartans' win against the Second Division team Stoke City in 1978, allowing them to progress to the fifth round of the FA Cup - a real achievement.