This article on the BBC sums up why the FA Cup is still the greatest cup competition for me. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/15556739.stm Add to the mix the fact that York Road is the longest single-occupancy football ground in the entire world, and the history goes one step further. Have a great game on Saturday, lads, and may the best team from Maidenhead win!
For me, only the 1st, 2nd and particularly 3rd rounds are interesting and occasionally the final depending on who's in it. Unless Chelsea are in the final, then my interest in the FA Cup diminishes as the rounds progress as you tend to find the top teams just progress and meet each other in the latter stages anyway. Nothing better than a Part-Time team putting one over a Football League team for instance. This is why the FA Cup is my favourite competition because anyone can play anyone and you can play teams you haven't played in 40 odd years and will most likely not play again for another 40 Best of luck all Non-League, from a Chelsea fan
I love the first round of the Cup, the David and Goliath battles always capture the imagination and often produce the shock result. We should know after the Vauxhall Motors horror, but you have to admire sides that often aren't even the best in their own leagues suddenly slaying the bigger team that may be four or five divisions above them in status. Who will be the giantkillers this year? Maybe Maidenhead can stuff Aldershot, maybe my near neighbours Bromley will shock the Orient or will Halifax shock Charlton? There'll be plenty of league clubs having squeaky bum time this weekend for sure and some will end up soiled!
Only just read this artical, this is what the fa cup is all about. Lived in Maidenhead for 15 years or so before moving over here, lovely town, still keep an eye on their results, been struggling of late but hope for a bumper crowd tomorrow and who knows maybe a shock victory.
Lived here for 25 years or so - played at York Road a few times myself, and I know the owners, who are really nice, genuine people. It's the sort of real football club that deserves some glory, it'd be great if they won.
See the Hoops are 80/1 to win the cup,maybe worth a few bob,also Swansea are 150/1,if they keep getting drawn at home and field their strongest team that price might look silly!
Remember a few occassions when they had the derby game against Maidenhead Town, mostly in the Berkshire Cup before Town folded. A couple of years since we've been over but always like coming back, town still has a nice feel to it although it has probably changed since we left in '99
Usual 'progress', with the presence/threat of out-of-town stores slowly strangling the town centre. It's not got as bad as Slough or Reading, but I guess there's still time..... There is still a pretty good community feel around, and there's plenty of countryside to enjoy.
Good luck tomorrow. I lived in HW and surrounding areas for most of my life. My sister lives in Bourne End. Spent a fair bit of time in Maidenhead when I was younger. Biggest memory was cycling there with mates when we were 12 years old to go to the swimming pool and it was 46 degrees; we still went in. Just remember, when we were an Isthmian League side we held Middlesbrough (top of the Premier, then Div 1) to a draw before losing the replay 1-0 and we beat several League sides in the FA cup, other famous giant killers were Walthamstowe Ave, Leatherhead and many more. You can do it.
I see Rowlands played for Wycombe at Fleetwood (?) and was subbed just before half time. Wycombe lost 0-2, despite Feleetwood playing the whole of the second half with 10 men. I think Ainsworth is either still banned or is injured. . Got to feel sorry for Wycombe. They are owned by a complete tit called Steve Hayes who also bought Wasps. He has relieved Wanderers of their ground and put it into a seperate company. He has made such a mess up with Wasps that they are a shadow of what they were 5 years ago and are close to administration. In desperation he has put Wasps up for sale. He tried to get the local council to pay for a £60m stadium so that he could then move both Wasps and Wanderers in and only have to pay rent for games played and then sell Adams Park for development ... thus pocketing millions from the deal. Public pressure made the council rethink and throw the scheme out, but only after they had spent over £500,000 on a "study".
