Columnists

STEVE HILL: Don’t you just love the FA Cup!

They say magic isn’t real, but a man put his hand in a velvet bag and 12 days later I was 250 miles away eating a fish.

by
Steve Hill
22 October 2023

Steve HILL
HILLY’S AWAY DAYS

They say magic isn’t real, but a man put his hand in a velvet bag and 12 days later I was 250 miles away eating a fish.
The Magic Of The FA Cup has become a hackneyed trope, and there is nothing magical about the same four clubs making the semi-finals every year, having fielded reserve teams in the earlier rounds. The true magic is to be found in the qualifying rounds as hundreds of Non-League teams are whittled down to a brave few for the chance of going toe-to toe with a league outfit in the first round.
The FA Cup has provided slim pickings in recent seasons...

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