Mark Carruthers: Why the FA Cup first round weekend sends a shiver through the EFL

It’s hard not to be enthused, excited and enthralled by the FA Cup first round weekend and all of the magic that comes with it.

All of that hard work battling through the preliminary rounds of the competition, scrapping to keep that dream alive, fighting more and more with every passing second to move closer to giving players, supporters, coaches and volunteers that special moment.

Yet that is only half of the journey because magic, true magic, is created by creating historic moments that will be passed from generation to generation, not by simply competing in the first round – but by causing upsets.

If you are reading this then it would be safe to assume you have Non-League football at heart and as such, it is easy to put yourself in the place of those Non-League clubs that will look to cause major upsets when the first round weekend rolls around.

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Treacherous

But what about the other side of the coin? Speaking to key figures in and around EFL clubs and on this week’s Non-League Paper Goalmouth podcast (link above), it became more and more evident just how treacherous a visit to a Non-League club can be for lofty opposition.

The worst-case scenario of a defeat can lead to a season imploding and fast-track further disappointment if a campaign is yet to get going.

Throw in the possibility of all of this being played out in front of the live TV cameras and you realise just why those key figures at EFL clubs would have been rolling their eyes when the first round draw was made earlier this month.

In reality, EFL clubs facing Non-League clubs next weekend have nothing to gain and everything to lose. 

If they are victorious, onlookers will merely shrug their shoulders and insist that outcome was always more likely.

Should they lose, those same onlookers will point the finger and mock.

Giant-killing

The stain left by a defeat against a Non-League club remains on a club for decades. 

There is a reason why video clips of the likes of Ronnie Radford, Terry Johnston, Tim Buzgalo and Matthew Hanlon have been stored and regularly brought out when even the smell of a possible giant-killing is in the air.

As someone with a foot in both camps and with a Newcastle-supporting Dad that was at Edgar Street on that fateful day when Hereford caused an almighty upset, I can see both sides of a giant-killing and the impact it can have on both clubs.

During my time volunteering on the media team at Blyth Spartans during the early years of my career, I witnessed their win at Hartlepool United at close quarters as the Match of the Day cameras captured a big upset.

I saw the anguish it caused on those with Pools at their hearts, witnessed the disappointment etched onto the face of managers, staff and supporters and couldn’t help but notice the contrasting emotions on those in the famous green and white stripes.

Those same emotions, positive and negative, will be on display next weekend as the magic of the FA Cup first round comes around once again. 

READ MORE: Mark Carruthers: The unsung volunteers keeping Non-League alive through wind and rain