Get on side and sport your colours for Shelter this World Cup

In celebration of this years FIFA World Cup, housing and homelessness charity Shelter are teaming up with Nationwide Building Society, Official England Team sponsor, to launch their fantastic footy fundraiser, Strip4Shelter. Shelter is asking people across the country to replace their regular work ...

READ MORE

FA Cup Final: Can Portsmouth spring huge shock against the champions?

The Premier League champions take on the Premier League’s basement boys at Wembley in the FA Cup Final this afternoon and most pundits are predicting a walk in the park for the champions. Chelsea will still be buzzing following their empathic 8-0 win over Wigan at the weekend to clinch the title and...

READ MORE

Tottenham Hotspur v Portsmouth: Can Pompey can weekend on a high?

West Ham’s victory over Sunderland yesterday consigned Portsmouth to football in the Championship next season, but could they go down as FA Cup finalists? Avram Grant’s side have endured the season from hell on and off the pitch, but the former Chelsea boss will do all he can to ensure the long-suff...

READ MORE

Aston Villa V Chelsea: O’Neill seeks revenge on Ancelotti

Two weeks ago Carlo Ancelotti’s Chelsea gave Martin O’Neill’s Villains an absolute pasting at Stamford Bridge as the Blues ran out 7-1 winners. It was such a rotten performance that some fans even started to call for O’Neill’s head. However, the former Celtic and Leicester City chief has the chance ...

READ MORE

Portsmouth v Birmingham: Blue day in store at Fratton Park

It’s amazing how far a club can fall in the space of two years. In 2008 Portsmouth defeated Cardiff City to lift only their second FA Cup and embarked on a European adventure. This season they are rooted to the foot of the Premier League having sold the majority of their star names, been placed in a...

READ MORE

FA Cup: Fulham v Tottenham Hotspur: Will Redknapp get the better of Hodgson?

Spurs haven’t managed to defeat Fulham in the league at Craven Cottage since the Cottagers’ debut season in the Premier League back in 2002. However, their last visit across the capital in the FA Cup in 2006 resulted in a 4-0 thrashing for the home side and Harry Redknapp would love a similar scorel...

READ MORE

Aston Villa: The month of March could stop Villa’s march to glory

Martin O’Neill has been at Villa Park for three-and-a-half years now and has achieved an awful lot at the club. He’s re-established them as a force to be reckoned with in the Premier League, taken them back into Europe and assembled a young, exciting and good to watch side. However, there’s one thin...

READ MORE

Is the FA Cup heading back to the Midlands?

I can remember it like it was yesterday. It was 1987 and the sun shone on Wembley as unfancied Coventry City, managed by John Sillett and making their first ever appearance in an FA Cup Final, beat David Pleat’s Tottenham Hotspur in one of the most exciting finals ever. Coventry’s Keith Houchen’s fa...

READ MORE

Tottenham Hotspur: FA Cup glory or Champions League – What’s more important to you?

Many top flight managers have been criticised this season in the FA Cup for resting established first team stars in order to give some of their fringe players a chance to get some game time and show what they can do. Harry Redknapp insists that he will never fall into that category. The former Por...

READ MORE

Is the FA Cup exit a bonus for Manchester United?

Arsene Wenger seems determined that the FA Cup is detrimental to his side; firstly he widely reported his desire to field another youthful team in the competition. And then when the kids do him proud (again) he is quick to spot a glass that is half full. Manchester United's exit is surely a great ...

READ MORE

Everton adjust to new targets

The bitter experience of losing the derby game to Liverpool last weekend did not disguise the improvement in Everton's performance. And last night, despite a debilitating injury list, Everton showed the passion to record a win that saw them qualify for the knock-out stages of the Europa League. Fu...

READ MORE

Two Big Cup Dates For Accrington Stanley

Returning to the Football League hasnt quite been the exciting adventure that Accrington Stanley fans might have expected when the Lancashire club topped the Conference by a distance in 2005/06. Theres been an ugly betting scandal involving some players, crowds that have rarely reached the break ev...

READ MORE

Good News At Last For Northwich Fans

The FA Cup can reward struggling teams whose supporters have had to put up with a diet of gloom for many years. This year Northwich Victoria have finally found some luck and after beating Charlton Athletic they will be at home again in Round Two. Home for the Vics used to be the Drill Field where t...

READ MORE

Sir Bobby Robson - A tribute to a true gentleman

The world of football lost one of its most famous sons yesterday. Sir Bobby Robson, the former Ipswich Town, Newcastle United, Barcelona and England manager, passed away aged 76 following a long battle with lung cancer. Fans, players, pundits and managers have been paying their respect to Robson wit...

READ MORE

Chelsea v Everton: Whose name is on the cup?

Chelsea and Everton have cancelled each other out in the league this season but will it be another cagey affair at Wembley on Saturday or are we going to see two teams going toe-to-toe with each other in a cup classic? It’s unlikely to be the latter but it should still prove to be an intriguing cl...

READ MORE

Chelsea: The Blues’ road to Wembley

Chelsea take on Everton at Wembley on Saturday in the FA Cup final. It will be Chelsea’s second cup final in three years. Here we take a look at how they reached the final of the greatest cup competition in the world. Third round – Chelsea 1 Southend 1 Chelsea were handed a home tie against League...

READ MORE

Everton: The Toffees' road to Wembley

Everton play Chelsea on Saturday in their first FA Cup final for 14 years. Here we take a look at how they reached the final of the greatest cup competition in the world. Third round – Macclesfield 0 Everton 1 Everton’s cup campaign started with a potential banana skin away at Macclesfield in the ...

READ MORE

Arsenal's kingmakers can expect the crown soon

Arsenal is in the somewhat unexpected position of remaining in contention to win the treble of Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup. Especially unexpected, considering that only a few weeks ago Arsenal was struggling to stay in contention with Aston Villa for fourth place. The Premier Leagu...

READ MORE

Arsenal v Chelsea- The FA Cup History

Saturdays semi-final is the thirteenth time that these two London clubs have clashed in the FA Cup. Theres a definite advantage to Arsenal as the Gunners won eight of the previous twelve. In fact, Arsenal are a team Chelsea fans just dont want to see. The Blues havent knocked the Gunners out of thi...

READ MORE

Manchester United v Everton- The FA Cup History

Sundays FA Cup semi-final brings together two teams who have clashed quite often in the FA Cup. The current record is five wins each. Strangely these two sides have never fought out a draw in this competition- one match is all its taken every time. When Manchester United and Everton are drawn toge...

READ MORE

Everton and Chelsea look good FA Cup value

Four teams in the top six lost last weekend, and although it could be disastrous for Aston Villa's top four hopes it probably also ended Everton's shot at the big money for another season. But with no European distractions and with sixth place and a Europa League slot already secured Everton can de...

READ MORE

Villa & Everton – Serious Top Four Gatecrashers?

Not since 2004-05 has any club had the audacity to attempt to gatecrash the golden top four. Everton were the last to have any of the other elite on the periphery – that season it was their neighbours Liverpool.As we approach the three quarters mark of this season, Aston Villa and Everton are trying...

READ MORE

FA Cup: 6th Round Draw Keeps Big Guns Apart

2007/08 was a remarkable year when only a single Premiership club reached the semi-finals. This year the Sixth Round draw has produced a completely different prospect. Though the draw is full of ifs and buts due to replays and fixture congestion, one clear fact stood out- in each potential tie ther...

READ MORE

Not sure if Everton vs Villa will yield many goals

The tie of the FA Cup fifth round is clearly, Everton vs Aston Villa. In Premier League terms sixth plays third, and two teams hoping for a shot at the glamour and money of the Champions' League through finishing in the top four. But the immediate glamour of the FA Cup is on offer here and the win...

READ MORE

West Ham look good for a run to Wembley

The FA Cup is still a prize to be treasured and the curious fifth round draw could present West Ham with a great chance of a run to Wembley. Only nine top flight teams are definitely in the last sixteen, although Arsenal could beat Cardiff to make it ten. The prospect remains that the last eight c...

READ MORE

FA Cup 5th Round: Blackburn Rovers v Coventry City Preview

This tie is one of those ones where the attitude of the respective teams could be crucial to the outcome. Of the two sides, Rovers have more worries about their League status. Sam Allardyce was hired to get Blackburn out of relegation trouble and hes made an excellent start towards that end. Howeve...

READ MORE

Middlesbrough: Teessiders seek capital joy in FA Cup

Middlesbrough fans have not had a lot to smile about recently. They’ve watch their team slump into the bottom three of the Premier League, fail to win in their past 13 league games and score just once in their past eight league outings. But on Saturday they will travel in force to Upton Park confide...

READ MORE

West Ham United: Zola wants another slice of FA Cup glory

Some people believe the FA Cup has lost its magic, but don’t say that around West Ham United manager Gianfranco Zola. The Italian won the famous competition in his first season as a player in English football in 1997 and made it a double in 2000. He was denied a hat-trick of winners’ medals by Arsen...

READ MORE

Outsiders Everton look good value to beat Liverpool

Everton's Champions' League qualification aspirations are fading quickly. The gap to Arsenal is six points and then another five onto Aston Villa suggesting that Uefa Cup football is the best that Everton can achieve through a league finish. Indeed Everton seem marooned in sixth place, unlikely to...

READ MORE

Baggies will probably struggle at Burnley

It's not often that a Premier League side is made the outsider in a cup game with a Championship team. But the latest odds in the Burnley / West Brom replay suggests just that. Burnley are 5/4 favourites (with Bet365), with a draw at 9/4 and a West Brom away win at 11/5. Burnley has done well in t...

READ MORE

Overblown chatter about van Persie won't stop Arsenal

There was so much chatter about Robin van Persie not starting against West Ham at the weekend you would think that he was an Arsenal ever-present. The reality is that van Persie has appeared 28 times this season and Arsene Wenger rarely overstretches him with three starts in a week. The last occas...

READ MORE

History favours Liverpool, but Cahill holds the Indian sign

There is little doubt that Liverpool has the recent pedigree in matches with Everton. The last ten league meetings between the two has seen David Moyes team prevail just twice - the thumping 3-0 in September 2006 is the only win in four years. In the FA Cup the record is also lopsided, Liverpool lea...

READ MORE

Berbatov could come back to haunt Spurs

Despite all the hoo-haa about weakened teams, Manchester Uniteds bigger and better balanced squad should have the edge over a Spurs side that may be missing a similar number of regulars but has a significantly weaker set of replacements. Dimitar Berbatov likes this competition and has scored five...

READ MORE

Cardiff City v Arsenal: FA Cup History

Cardiff City and Arsenal are two clubs whose names will always be linked by the FA Cup. The two sides faced each other in the 1927 FA Cup Final when the Bluebirds prevailed and took the cup out of England for the only time. The two sides meet again on Sunday, which will be the seventh occasion they...

READ MORE

Harry Redknapp sees Man United's injuries and raises in the F'ing Cup

Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United are both counting the cost of progression in the domestic cups. And counting the cost for injuries sustained in achievements that neither club appears to appreciate. Tottenham are within minutes of Harry Redknapp making his traditional January reference to '...

READ MORE

Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur: FA Cup History

Along with the Merseyside derby this tie attracted most attention when the 4th Round draw came out. The pair will meet in the Carling Cup Final and their FA Cup game will attract a big live tv audience. This is a meeting between clubs who have won the trophy 19 times between them (United 11, Spurs ...

READ MORE

FA Cup: Hartlepool aim to hang the Hammers

Hartlepool United produced one of the shocks of the third round when they put out Premiership strugglers Stoke City at Victoria Park. On Saturday they aim to go one better by claiming the scalp of in-form West Ham United and booking their place in the fifth round of the competition for the first tim...

READ MORE

Manchester United injuries could hand Tottenham an easier FA Cup passage

The injury situation for Tottenham and Manchester United are somewhat different ahead of the weekend FA Cup game between the two teams. Tottenham are currently likely to be missing three players for the weekend, but a heavy Old Trafford pitch and a combative Derby team has lead to something of an in...

READ MORE

Liverpool v Everton- FA Cup History

No prizes for guessing which was the glamour tie of the Fourth Round FA Cup draw. The Merseyside giants were the first two balls out of the bowl to set up a tie that's eagerly anticipated all over the country. This is the first time the two have been paired since 1991- that tie ended a period whe...

READ MORE

FA Cup: Blyth Spartans aim to end Allardyce's honeymoon period at Blackburn

The FA Cup has produced a number of shocks this weekend, but if Blyth Spartans were to dump Sam Allardyce’s Blackburn Rovers out of the cup on Monday then that would surely eclipse them all. And if the Blue Square Conference North side needed any incentive to beat the boys from Ewood Park then the ...

READ MORE

FA Cup: 20 handy facts on Kettering Town

Kettering Town entertain Northern Premier League Premier Division side Eastwood Town on Saturday in the third round of the FA Cup, with both clubs vying for a lucrative draw in the fourth round. The Poppies have seen off two Football League sides in this year’s competition and are currently doing we...

READ MORE

How Many Non-League Sides Will Make It To The FA Cup 4th Round?

Even after Droylsden were thrown out of the competition, there are still eight sides from outside the Football League in the FA Cup 3rd Round-that is two more than have ever made it through before. The unprecedented numbers are a result of the increasing professionalism of the Blue Square Premier w...

READ MORE

FA Cup: 20 Handy Facts on Blyth Spartans

Blyth Spartans booked their place in the third round of the FA Cup with a 1-0 win in the replay over Bournemouth from League Two on Tuesday night (16/12/08). Eighteen-year-old Ged Dalton was the Spartans’ hero thanks to his 89th minute strike which has set up a mouth-watering clash against Pre...

READ MORE

FA Cup: 20 handy facts on Histon

Histon put themselves firmly on the football map on Sunday by knocking the once mighty Leeds United out of the FA Cup. Matt Langston’s winner booked their place in the third round of the FA Cup for the first time in their history where they will now face Championship side Swansea City. The club has ...

READ MORE

FA Cup: 20 handy facts on Barrow AFC

Barrow knocked League Two promotion hopefuls Brentford out of the FA Cup on Friday night through goals by David Brown and Matt Henney. Their reward is a lucrative trip to Gareth Southgate’s Middlesbrough. Here are 20 handy facts on the Cumbrian side and town. 1. Barrow AFC was formed on J...

READ MORE

FA Cup: 20 handy facts about Eastwood Town

Eastwood Town booked their place in the third round for the first time in their history by disposing of League Two leaders Wycombe Wanderers. Their reward is a trip to either neighbours Notts County or Conference high fliers Kettering Town. Not too many people have heard of Eastwood Town outsi...

READ MORE

FA CUP: Kettering keen to shoot down the Magpies

Conference high-fliers Kettering Town raised a few eyebrows by dumping Lincoln City out of the FA Cup. On Sunday the Poppies will be hoping to prove it was no fluke as they aim to deal a similar fate to another League Two side, Notts County, and guarantee a fantastic end to a glorious year for the N...

READ MORE

FA Cup: Histon target scalp of Leeds United

Histon Football Club are a bit of an unknown quantity outside of non-league football but rest assured the whole world will know about them if they manage to beat Leeds United in the FA Cup on Sunday. Steve Fallon’s men, from a little village in Cambridgeshire, have climbed the non-league pyrami...

READ MORE

FA Cup: Blyth Spartans seek party time in Bournemouth

There’s something quite magical about Blyth Spartans and the FA Cup. No matter what position they are in the league they always seem to produce the goods when it comes to the greatest cup competition in the world. The Spartans disposed of League Two high-fliers Shrewsbury Town in the last roun...

READ MORE

Big FA Cup Weekend in Oxford

FA Cup 4th Qualifying weekend is particularly exciting for football fans in the city of Oxford as both of their premier non-League teams have home draws and a big chance of making the FA Cup proper. A victory over Hayes Yeading would be a welcome boost for Oxford United who have found life tough i...

READ MORE