FA Cup romance lives on as Portsmouth head the 'Small Four'

Semi-finals without Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool can only be a good thing for English football. Enjoy the moment, it only comes around once in a generation.

by Chris Hockman on 21 March 2008

Email this Article (0) Comments

0 %

Related Events:

Related Bet:

FREE £10 bet when you register with Ladbrokes

The absence of the Big Four in the FA Cup is only bad for football if you are a fan of the Big Four.

'West Ham, with Trevor Brooking's famous headed goal, were the last non-top-flight team to win the Cup (in 1980), and given three of the final four are outside of the Premier League, there’s big potential for this record to be updated'

For most fans of the competition, the romance is something they have desperately longed for. The idea that when a 'big team' is knocked out, one of the Big Four will still win the trophy has been found wanting this year. Who will forget the sight of elated Barnsley fans after their dramatic quarter-final win over Chelsea?

The football public, apart from those who love the Big Four, have longed for this day. The hyperbole of commentators and reporters at the results of the lower-league teams shows how exciting it is.

The last team that weren’t part of the Big Four to have won the FA Cup were Everton in 1995, and they’re hardly the minnows that make up the current list of semi-finalists. It's a bizarre feeling when Portsmouth are cast as the big boys.


Comments (0)
No Comments

Add your comment here
PERSONAL ABUSE WILL NOT BE TOLERATED
First Name	Display your favourite sport or football team badge with your comment.
Last Name	Sport
Email Show my email on site	League
Heading	Team
Comment *