The FA Cup - Third Round

I don't know about you but I love an underdog story (in the tradition of Dodgeball) and the FA Cup here in the UK is one stellar example of this principle in action.

We are now at the exciting third round level of the FA Cup and what this means is that no mark lower league teams who have made it through to this stage are drawn against the Premiership and Championship sides, the teams of fame and notoriety.

Big name stars like Salah of Liverpool or Haaland of Manchester City, professional sportsmen on salaries of millions are up against the likes of part-time players like Barry the accountant or Tom the forklift driver, members of their local football club who practice a bit in the week and play their games on a Saturday.

For both sides, it is all there to play for.

For the lower leagues, there is the excitement of playing against the greatest teams in the footballing world and bringing their best football to stadiums where previously they would only ever have hoped to be in the stand, not on the field. Oh and by some miracle, they will have the hope that they might win!

For the higher placed clubs, it's pride and the chance to eventually hold the coveted FA Cup trophy by progressing to the next round with the hope of reaching the final. For mid-table clubs, staying in the competition means they might get to bring home some silverware if winning the league is unachievable.

There is a lot at stake and the best games are the ones where the underdogs become giant killers.

I love this concept!

Yesterday was a full day of FA Cup third round action and there were some games that failed to spark any controversy. Manchester City hosted Salford City F.C. at the Etihad Stadium and were annihilated 8-0. A local derby match although City are usually presented with rivals Manchester United in these circumstances. The result? Not a great surprise and for Manchester City, a relief as they have not been performing at their best. A loss to League Two Salford would have been a shocker indeed.

There was also Premiership Chelsea's trouncing of Morecambe Town, also League Two, with a score of 5-0, again perhaps not surprising but I am sure that in Chelsea's dressing rooms, there was still a sigh of relief being breathed that egg did not need to be wiped off the faces of the "mighty" Blues.

But there were some upsets and these are the ones that make you believe that anything is possible. Exeter City beat Oxford United 3 - 1, Exeter playing in League One whereas Oxford play in the Championship, the league above. And then there were beleaguered Plymouth Argyle who had sacked their manager, Wayne Rooney after having 11 defeats in a row, only to beat Brentford 1-0, a Premiership team performing solidly this season who would never have been predicted to lose.

The euphoria of these teams winning in the face of the odds against them is contagious. It fills the observer, whether a fan or not, with hope and belief.

Today sees another great David and Goliath battle: Tamworth F.C. vs Tottenham Hotspur

Tamworth is a fair-sized town in Staffordshire and has a small venue where their local supporters cram in stands that are low to the ground and where the action is very much in your face.

Tamworth are part-timers. The players all have regular jobs. They are in the National League which is way down the FA's list of club regulation football. The fact they are here at this stage is a miracle and they can scarcely believe it is happening. They are a tight team who love the game and try their best. A bunch of nice, grounded lads.

Tottenham Hotspur or Spurs are a grand London club with prize-winning heritage, playing big stadiums globally. England Captain Harry Kane has had great success there formerly and they are a Premiership side of pedigree and prestige.

Today, there is going to be a battle and I predict that Spurs are going to feel challenged, perhaps more so than Tamworth. Strange, I know but let me explain.

One of the bonuses of the FA Cup is that smaller teams have the big teams come to their smaller home ground depending on how they are drawn. If they are the first team pulled out of the tombola, then they are the home team.

Now, you may argue that surely it would be more of an occasion to visit the stadium? Especially as the clubs share the money made on the turnstile. To clarify, the smaller club receives almost half of the revenue from the ticket sales, which for a small club can be a massive injection of cash to help sustain their grassroots football and invest for their future, perhaps even providing them with a little security.

I mean, having an away fixture may be the only time that players of this calibre will have the chance to experience the atmosphere of playing on a pitch in front of thousands. Can you imagine? The roar? The presence? The once in a lifetime opportunity? These all seem like great reasons to hope for the stadium experience to me.

So, how does this link to Tamworth vs Spurs?

Well, Tamworth are playing at home. They will play Spurs on their home turf, in their smaller venue, away from the floodlights and the arena and the grandeur. They will play in deepest darkest Staffordshire, on a less manicured pitch, where they'll be able to smell the Bovril and the chips frying and where they'll be in no doubt about the fans' feelings and the expressions on their faces.

You can argue that a football field is a football field no matter where it is. Footage of kids playing on dirt patches and showing the same amount of skill and commitment as professional players is rife on social media. But when you are used to a certain atmosphere, setting, presentation of a game, surely you're likely to be rattled by something different, and most likely with its proximity to be more intimidating?

For Spurs, they will carry with them the expectation of much as well as the belief that they should succeed and in contrast, what hope do Tamworth have? And yet, I can't help but feel that there must be a feeling of liberation for Tamworth with nothing to lose compared to the weight that accompanies Spurs.

Is it enough to lift them? Today, we will find out.

Where there is hope and self-belief, there is opportunity and the thought that perhaps, perhaps, they might just win! Can you imagine? What an upset!

I wish that I had an earpiece into their dressing room today. The anticipation must be enormous for them, because it is for me and I am neither a Tamworth fan nor a staunch follower of football, but even so, I am susceptible to the excitement the prospect of this game is creating and I can't wait to see how Tamworth perform.

Could they be giant-killers? Could the underdog come out on top? Well, we'll just have to wait and see.

Come on, Tamworth!