An action-packed weekend showed why the competition is still so important.
Newport County currently sit in 14th position in League Two, eight points off the play-offs and 12 points clear of the drop zone. It would be difficult to be more entrenched in mid-table, which alone is an admirable feat for a team punching well above their weight.
After a quick ascent to English football’s third tier, AFC Wimbledon are staring down at a first relegation in the phoenix club’s history. One Wimbledon legend was replaced by another as Neal Ardley made way for Wally Downes in the dugout, but there has been little to cheer as the London club remain rooted to the bottom of the League Two table.
Barnet, Shrewsbury Town and Doncaster Rovers are three others whose fans have had little cheer this season, maybe with the exception of the latter who are knocking on the door of the League One play-offs.
Fans of all these clubs, however, are having a far from ordinary season, with all enjoying the incomparable elation of reaching the latter stages of the FA Cup.
In a time where we are often told that the ‘Magic of the Cup’ is a thing of the past, this weekend clearly showed how far removed that is from the truth.
Premier League clubs may well rest their star players for these ties, but frankly they are in the competition only for their beating.
The greatest FA Cup matches aren’t the finals between top tier sides, it’s when the like of Sutton United, Wrexham and Hereford not only have their day in the spotlight, but knock the seasoned protagonists off the stage.
Ask AFC Wimbledon fans if, whilst celebrating the fourth goal against Premier League West Ham, they paused to think about the six changes that Manuel Pellegrini made prior to the game. I doubt many could remember their own name for a short second.
After all, of the six changes to the West Ham line-up, four are international footballers, including former Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez, who led the line for Mexico in the World Cup in the summer. Robert Snodgrass, Pedro Obiang and Adrian are also established first-team players who started the game.
It is true, many Premier League managers don’t treat the competition with the same respect as in in the past, but given the strength that they have available to them in their squad, that point carries little importance.
The quality of football on offer in the lower echelons of English football is now of a genuinely decent standard, as was made clear by merits of the positive results achieved. These weren’t flukes; AFC Wimbledon deserved to embarrass West Ham. Newport didn’t fluke their way to a replay.
The commercialisation of the FA Cup is another issue which has people wheeling out its coffin; with the staple 3pm Saturday kick-offs making way so that the competition can be televised globally.
Over the weekend, Everton and Sheffield Wednesday supporters were dealt a tough hand with long away trips for late kick-offs, yet the opportunity for those such as Accrington Stanley to have their game televised provides a huge financial boost that is unique to the competition.
At least through the FA Cup the rapid commercialisation of football supports those who prop up the its pyramid. When EFL teams are treated with such contempt in the EFL Trophy, the FA Cup has scarcely ever been so important as to ensure everyone gets have a piece of the pie.
Many will have largely ignored the action over the weekend in eager anticipation of the Premier League’s return tonight.
Those who tuned in were treated to a weekend full of drama with which most league renewals cannot compare. We saw the jubilant sets of fans able to enjoy games that will define far more than just their season.
As Premier League action gets back underway, look out for similarly jubilant scenes as those that we saw in the stands at The Hive, The Riverside, The Den, New Meadow and Kingsmeadow. You’ll likely have to wait until May.
As the globalisation of football continues at an alarming rate, it is those moments for the clubs that have little else to cheer that need to be both savoured and saved.
