Out of tricks: Is the ‘magic of the cup’ dead?

As an Aston Villa fan I have never really been that keen on the FA Cup, certainly not the third round anyway. We always seem to have something more important going on around this time of year, whether it’s fighting relegation, pushing for promotion, or, as it was a decade ago, trying to break into the Premier League’s top four.

Every year at the third round stage I think: ‘I’m not that fussed if we bow out at the first attempt’, and it’s the same again in 2019. Traditionally the third round of the cup has offered little reward for the Villans. Yes, beating Manchester United when we drew them at this stage in 2002, 2004, 2007 or 2008 respectively would have been an achievement, but eliminating a side in the same division is hardly a cup scalping.

Even now as a Championship club, overcoming a Premier League team (especially an under-par one) would not be a huge achievement for Dean Smith’s men. In fact, the cup has provided a number of embarrassing early exits for Villa, including Sheffield United (twice), Millwall and Peterborough. It’s high risk, low reward.

Of course, we have enjoyed a few cup runs over the years – not least in 2015 when Villa made it to the final – but any potential excitement the FA Cup offers comes in the last few months of the season, not in January! I have also often found it incredibly irksome how the ‘magic of the cup’ rhetoric is spewed out every year during the third round. I believe the media outlets use the giant-killing parables as way to sensationalise the unsensational. Compared with the drama and excitement of the Premier League or Champions League, who cares about the FA Cup, which the 50+ age group still cling to in a vague attempt to invoke memories of the ‘good old days’ of football.

For that reason I have never taken much interest in the third-round draw. That was until last season, when through my studies at the University of Salford I arranged a short work placement with Fleetwood Town, which fortuitously fell in the week leading up to the FA Cup third round. Therefore, when the draw was made in mid-December 2016 I watched eagle-eyed hoping the Cod Army would be drawn against United, Arsenal, Chelsea or Liverpool.

Yet, even more intriguingly, Fleetwood were paired with Leicester City, meaning the most unlikely of reunions for former striker Jamie Vardy. Of course, Vardy’s tale had been well-recited in the previous years, and the man who went from non-league to the Champions League was now returning to the humble beginnings that made him the world-class striker we know today. That was the narrative anyway.

For that reason, Fleetwood v Leicester became perhaps the most eagerly-anticipated tie of the round, bar the Merseyside derby, and the game was allocated the 12:30 slot on BBC One. Suddenly, I was quite excited about my week-long placement on the Fylde coast.

It more than lived up to the hype. Purely from a journalistic and educational standpoint it was an incredible experience. On just my second day I headed to Leicester as part of the team who interviewed Vardy, and 24 hours later I helped the club deal with the overflow of media outlets who descended on the Cod Army’s state-of-the-art training ground to interview players, fans, the chairman and even the kitman, who remained at Fleetwood from Vardy’s time at the club. I even got up close and personal with the FA Cup itself on a few occasions.

The match day went by in a flash. Again, I helped the club deal with the huge number of media representatives who arrived at Highbury Stadium, including the BBC, talkSPORT, Sky Sports, Premier League Productions and a variety of national newspapers. Fleetwood just did not have the facilities to deal with this huge throng of reporters (no disrespect, few League One clubs would), therefore I spent most of the day running around helping the media department deal with a series of mini crises. After all of this, the match, somewhat ironically after all the build-up, proved to be one of the duller aspects of the week, and the teams played out a cagey 0-0 draw, although Fleetwood did hit the post in the 90th minute.

Former Fleetwood manager Uwe Rosler being interviewed by the BBC.

I took a lot from that hugely enjoyable week, so much so that I couldn’t help feel slightly sorry for anyone else on my course who would visit the club on placement later that year – how could their week live up to mine? (Fleetwood generously hosted six students from my course over the season). I don’t want to mean to be rude, but I doubt JOTB’s very own Jason Jones’ experiences away to Bury the following week measured up to hosting Leicester in the FA Cup.

And for all my long-held, entrenched views on the third round of football’s oldest competition, the week I enjoyed with Fleetwood would not have been possible if it were not for the ‘magic of the cup’. In the days leading up to the game, the club was a hive of activity, everyone hoping, just maybe little Fleety could knock-out a club who made it to the Champions League quarter-finals in the previous season.

Alas, it was not meant to be. The Cod Army lost 2-0 at the King Power 10 days after their first meeting – a game the club generously invited me back for. Yet, Fleetwood’s cup exploits were not in vain, and the benefits of a third-round clash with Leicester far outlived the matches themselves. Two live TV appearances (the replay was broadcast on BT Sport) left Fleetwood’s bank account in a much healthier position than it had been a few weeks prior. Football should never be solely about money, but at this level it cannot be overlooked how beneficial an extra few thousand can be for a League One club.

Goalkeeper Chris Neal strangely won free pizzas for a year as a result of the Leicester game.

In January 2018, Fleetwood made four permanent signings (two in the same week as the first Leicester game, as if things weren’t busy enough) – only club officials know if the quartet would have been signed without their impressive cup run, but I might suggest the increased income made the transfers a much more viable option.

The match also helped Fleetwood grow their reputation as a club. Up until 2012, the Cod Army had never played in the Football League, and this was the first time they ever reached the third round of the FA Cup. Increasing the club’s stature helps them attract more sponsors, which in turn helps their finances, and ultimately allows Fleetwood to sign better players. Even the bizarre story that goalkeeper Chris Neal was rewarded with a year’s supply of free pizzas for keeping a clean sheet, helped put the club on the map.

It is difficult to express just how much excitement there was around Fleetwood that week. The club’s incredible Poolfoot Farm training ground was awash with enthusiastic supporters, and everyone from the media department, executive members, bar staff and cleaners spent the week discussing Fleetwood’s chances against a side that included Vardy, Riyad Mahrez and Kasper Schmeichel. I have spent some time with Fleetwood since then and have never since seen Poolfoot so lively.

View from behind the goal as Fleetwood played Leicester.

The Leicester match was a sell-out, which again helped swell the club’s coffers. How many kids were brought to their first Fleetwood game that weekend? How many fans returned to Highbury for the first time in weeks, months or even years? More importantly, how many of those returned in the following weeks? How many supporters, who had seen their side play in the ninth-tier of English football, witnessed them play at the 32,000-capacity King Power Stadium? You can’t put a price tag on that, and I have to concede, all of this was only made possible by the ‘magic of the cup’.

So, I have been converted. I grudgingly accept that pitting David and Goliath together produces these unique footballing occasions, even if it is slightly overhyped by the media. I still am not particularly bothered whether Aston Villa beat Swansea on Saturday – it won’t exactly help our push to secure a play-off place. The FA Cup fairytales aren’t meant for clubs like Villa, certainly not at this stage anyway, and it is nice in an era of football dominated by the Premier League and Champions League that lower-division clubs get at least one weekend to shine. This year it is the turn of Tranmere Rovers, Blackpool, Woking and Newport County, all of whom will be shown live on TV over the weekend.

As for Fleetwood, they face the bottom side in League One, AFC Wimbledon, at Highbury on Saturday. Who knows, the Cod Army could even make it to the fourth round this year. Ah, the ‘magic of cup’…..