The English FA Cup has a proud reputation as the oldest domestic club cup competition in world football, dating back to the 1871-72 season.
The competition’s prestige may have taken a hit during the Premier League era, but its acclaim among fans remains as fervent as ever, and the ‘magic of the cup’ never fails to inspire.
The format of the competition allows lower league and non-league clubs the opportunity to advance through the round and face one of the big boys, despite the odds being stacked against them every season.
The huge financial gap between the top flight and the rest of the English football pyramid has made the ladder seem unattainable in league terms, but the FA Cup offers an opportunity to break molds and break records.
Famous FA Cup giant-killers
Ipswich Town 1-2 Maidstone United (FA Cup Fourth Round, 2024)
Non-league Maidstone United produced one of the cup’s biggest upsets of recent years when they knocked out Championship challengers Ipswich Town in the fourth round.
The National League North side scored two excellent counter-attacking goals (their only shots of the match) and relied on excellent goalkeeping from Lucas Covolan to help hold off Ipswich’s 38 tries and become first team in the sixth division of England in reaching the goal. the fifth round in 20 years.
Manchester City 0, Wigan Athletic 1 (FA Cup Final, 2013)
Wigan’s victory over Manchester City will live long in the memories of Latics fans as Ben Watson’s added-time header achieved the improbable for Roberto Martinez’s underdogs.
The result reflected a comeback against City’s growing financial muscle, with Wigan holding the record as the only team to beat City (post-2008) in a major final, before their Champions League final defeat. 2021 against Chelsea.
Liverpool 0, Wimbledon 1 (FA Cup Final, 1988)
Despite the presence of two top teams in the final, the gulf between Liverpool and Wimbledon on and off the court was the key narrative surrounding the 1988 final.
Kenny Dalglish’s Liverpool ‘Culture Club’ against the ‘Crazy Gang’ ended in a shock defeat for the imperious Reds, as The Dons upset the odds in typically solid fashion at Wembley.
Wrexham 2, Arsenal 1 (FA Cup Third Round, 1992)
A result that sends shivers down the spines of Arsenal fans of all generations at any mention of their ignominious night in North Wales runs deep.
George Graham’s Gunners were the defending First Division champions against Wrexham, also of the Fourth Division, but a stunning late move inspired by Mickey Thomas sparked a pitch invasion, as the hosts defeated a true giant.
Hereford United 2, Newcastle United 1 (FA Cup third round replay, 1972)
Hereford’s victory over Newcastle is an old trivia question for the FA Cup anoraks as they hold the record for the lowest ranked non-league team to beat a top-tier opposition in the history of English football .
Newcastle were warned after drawing 2-2 at St James’ Park, with Magpies star Malcolm Macdonald rumored to have set his sights on scoring 10 goals in the replay.
But Hereford flipped the script again as Ronnie Radford’s iconic thunderbolt put the Southern Division side on course for an incredible 2-1 victory.
Leicester City 1, Wycombe Wanderers 2 (FA Cup quarter-final, 2001)
Wycombe’s shock at Leicester initially centered on their deepest run in the competition, under the guidance of Lawrie Sanchez, who scored the famous winning goal at Wimbledon in 1988.
However, the game will forever be remembered by the name of Roy Essandoh.
Essandoh, born in Belfast and raised in Ghana, had an eclectic CV before arriving in Wycombe, with stays in Austria and Finland, before a strange turn of events saw his agent respond to a strange Ceefax advert from Sánchez seeking a striker, and the stage was set for the official to score a crazy winner at Filbert Street.
Last winner of the lower division FA Cup
The FA Cup has become the reserve for the best teams in the Premier League in recent seasons, with Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal winning 11 of the last 13 finals.
Wigan’s victory over City in 2013 was the last genuine upset in a final, as Martínez’s side were relegated from the Premier League that same season, despite their glory at Wembley.
Cardiff City are the last non-top flight team to reach the final, with the Welsh giants losing to Portsmouth in the 2010 final.
However, the last team to win the FA Cup outside the top flight predates the Premier League, with Trevor Brooking’s famous goal securing the trophy in 1980, for Second Division side West Ham against champions Arsenal.
