World Football Thread

[maccatak11]

Winners from outside the top flight
Since the foundation of the Football League, Tottenham Hotspur in 1901 have been the only non-league winners of the FA Cup. They were then playing in the Southern League and were only elected to the Football League in 1908. At that time the Football League consisted of only two 18-team divisions; Tottenham's victory would be comparable to a team playing at the third level of the English football pyramid (currently League One) winning today. In the history of the FA Cup, only eight teams who were playing outside of the top level of English football have gone on to win the whole competition, the most recent being West Ham United, who beat Arsenal in 1980. Except Tottenham in 1901, these clubs were all playing in the old Second Division, no other Third Division or lower side having so far reached the final. Arguably, one of the most famous of these 'upsets' was when Sunderland A.F.C. beat Leeds United 1–0 in 1973. Leeds were third in the First Division and Sunderland were in the Second.[11] Three years later Second Division Southampton also achieved the same feat as Sunderland against First Division Manchester United by the same 1–0 scoreline. The only team to have won the FA Cup and promotion from the second flight is West Bromwich Albion in the 1930–31 season. The other non-top flight winners of the FA Cup were Barnsley in 1912, Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1908, and Notts County in 1894, who were the first non-top flight team to win the FA Cup since the inception of the league. Thus far the FA Cup final has never been contested by two teams from outside the top flight. Uniquely, in 2007–08, three of the four semi-finalists (Barnsley, Cardiff City and West Bromwich Albion), were from outside the top flight, although Portsmouth F.C. went on to win it.



Its from wikipedia so it must be right.

[bennymacca]

thats the second question i was going to ask

out of all the trophies in club football, which ranks the highest? where does FA cup rank compared with winning the premeirship? champions league? uefa?

[BigPete33]

That's just ridiculous Steve.

It's the greatest domestic cup competition in the football world and every single Premier League club would love to win it.

You are confusing it with the League Cup.

Teams such as Man Utd are infamous for not caring about the League Cup and putting out 2nd string sides. That would only happen in the earlier stages of the FA cup when the opposition are from some lowly division.

The good thing is, teams like Exeter get a draw in Man Utd's own backyard and then Man Utd have to go and play them at their place in the replay

[Chelsea4thewin]

its rated below the league or any european team

take the semi, this is the man united team

Foster, Rafael, Ferdinand (c), Vidic, Fabio, Welbeck, Anderson, Gibson, Park, Tevez, Macheda

Subs: Kuszczak, Neville, Evra, Berbatov, Nani, Scholes, Evans.

i know they had the champions league and league to worry about but still

[BigPete33]

That's just typical Man Utd arrogance though.

Don't tar everyone else with the same brush

[Chelsea4thewin]

but most of the big teams can afford to play these somewhat second string players and win quite easy

chelsea dont have a problem when you got Deco and Quaresma playing in the reserves, these players should be leaving in the off season however

lookout for chesea's new russian signing Yuri Zhirkov, been compared to ronaldinho due to his ball skills


Pete do u know any of the liverpool rumours? i saw some teams were looking at Xavi Alonso, he has been quality this season, cant see you letting him go though

[BigPete33]

He's flat out not going.

The boss has come out and said exactly that.

Still 3 years left on his contract.


http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldow ... 1-1653.htm

[Chelsea4thewin]

but theres not much loyalty in this business

Abrahimovic has come out publicly and said he will be opening his cheque book this summer

hope we go for ribery and sell ballack

[rcon]

The good thing is, teams like Exeter get a draw in Man Utd's own backyard and then Man Utd have to go and play them at their place in the replay

I dont care who you support, follow or just mildly care about the results (me with ManU), that Exeter replay was an awesome sporting moment.

[Chelsea4thewin]

ancelotti signed as chelsea coach

dont rate him anywhere near hiddink but still good