This is what makes the FA Cup so special

[SheffWedFan]

Barnsley - last got to the semi finals in 1912, which is also the last (and only) time they won the whole thing. Also got to the final in 1910.

Cardiff City - last got to the semi finals in 1927, which is also the last (and only) time they won the whole thing. Also got to the final in 1925, and the semis in 1921.

Portsmouth - last got to the semi finals in 1992. Haven't been in the final since 1939 (which they won). Lost the final in 1934 and 1929, also got to the semis in 1949.

West Bromwich Albion - last got to the semi finals in 1982; also got to the semis in 1978, 1969, 1937, 1907, 1901, 1891 and 1889. Haven't been to the final since 1968 (also the last time they won). Won it in 1954, 1931, 1892 and 1888; lost the final in 1935, 1912, 1895, 1887 and 1886.

This year will also be the first year that NONE of the big four have contested the final since 1991, when the final was Spurs vs Nottingham Forest.

And they say romance in soccer is dead :) Brilliant!

[Bluebirds Boyo]

I just got home.

What a day.

[Brook]

I am bitterly disappointed with the result, obviously, but this is what the joy of the FA Cup is about.
I wish Barnsley, and their supporters, the best of luck!

[BlackburnRover]

I just got home.

What a day.

Well done.

This'll be the first final I've watched in years.

[Rig1964]

This year will also be the first year that NONE of the big four have contested the final since 1991, when the final was Spurs vs Nottingham Forest.



Ironically back then people sometimes used to refer to the "big five", Spurs being one of them. You have to go all the way back to 1975 to get to a final not involing a team who were thought of as one of the big clubs of the time.

[RichardL]

Ironically back then people sometimes used to refer to the "big five", Spurs being one of them. You have to go all the way back to 1975 to get to a final not involing a team who were thought of as one of the big clubs of the time.mind you, "big 5" back then was more about apparent spectator appeal. They were the clubs who were supposed to bring in the most tv viewers, but you certainly wouldn't expect them to occupy the top 5 spots at the end of the season. Throughout the 80s, Spurs only had one title challenge and Everton only had a couple or so. Arsenal didn't come good until the end of the decade, and Man Utd's consistent failure to mount a single challenge made them something of a running joke.


the only team I'd rather not win it are Cardiff because they keep going on about 1927, and that the team they beat in the semi that year was Reading!

[SwissGCZ]

the only team I'd rather not win it are Cardiff because they keep going on about 1927, and that the team they beat in the semi that year was Reading!
In addition Cardiff fans will scream for years when the FA refuses to nominate them Europe.

[Bluebirds Boyo]

In addition Cardiff fans will scream for years when the FA refuses to nominate them Europe.
Or we'd take 'em to the Euro Court of Justice, win our case within half an hour and go into the UEFA Cup... :rolleyes:

[John K]

In addition Cardiff fans will scream for years when the FA refuses to nominate them Europe.

The FA can't nominate them because they belong to the Welsh FA, and the Welsh FA isn't going to nominate them over their own league teams.

[Bluebirds Boyo]

The FA can't nominate them because they belong to the Welsh FA, and the Welsh FA isn't going to nominate them over their own league teams.
Which just isn't true.

[glennaldo_sf]

Hmm... I'm sure they can always 'arrange' something, a la Liverpool/Everton 2005. ;)

Anyhoo... congrats to all teams at this stage.

The semi-finals are set...

Portsmouth vs. WBA
Cardiff City vs. Barnsley

[Football Not Soccer]

In addition Cardiff fans will scream for years when the FA refuses to nominate them Europe.

Indeed! I try not to touch this subject with a bargepole as it get's me wound up but we knew from the start that the FA will not nominate us for a European place as we are not affiliated with them. We are members of the FAW, we have to be if we want to play in Wales. It's the FAW who can only send us into Europe, and not the FA. Since the FAW stopped us entering the Welsh Cup in 1995, Cardiff, S**nsea, Wrexham and the other exiles are the only clubs in Europe that cannot play in European competition. Until the FAW sort their lives out, that will continue, FA Cup or no FA Cup.

John K, the FA can nominate us but they refuse to do so. Which is fair, we are allowed to enter their cup and not be affiliated with them. If they wanted to send us to Europe they could but it isn't going to happen. Why give a club outside the FA jurisdiction a place, would surely upset their members.

But, until we get to the Final, there is no point in getting bogged down in this. Just going to look forward to our weekend at Wembley in early April:cool:

In 1927,
On St. George's Day,
The Arsenal went to Wem-ber-ley,
They walked down Wembley way,
They thought they'd win the double,
They'd thought they'd win the cup,
Along came Cardiff City and we f*cked the Arsenal up!

[RichardL]

Indeed! I try not to touch this subject with a bargepole as it get's me wound up but we knew from the start that the FA will not nominate us for a European place as we are not affiliated with them. We are members of the FAW, we have to be if we want to play in Wales. It's the FAW who can only send us into Europe, and not the FA. Since the FAW stopped us entering the Welsh Cup in 1995, Cardiff, S**nsea, Wrexham and the other exiles are the only clubs in Europe that cannot play in European competition. Until the FAW sort their lives out, that will continue, FA Cup or no FA Cup.
by the same token, the English clubs that used to enter the Welsh Cup weren't allowed into europe if they won it either.

The real argument is that you can't get into the UEFA Cup by winning the Welsh Cup. That really is disgraceful.

[leg_breaker]

Teams in Lietchenstein that play in Switzerland are allowed to enter Europe via the Lietchenstein cup, as Lietchenstein doesn't have its own league, and otherwise that country would have no representation.

However there is a League of Wales which can send teams to Europe, so there's no reason to allow Welsh teams playing in England into Europe via an English competition. Remember Cardiff were only grandfathered into the English system, they wouldn't be allowed to move today.