With the FA Cup third round getting underway this week, we’ve taken a look at whether the historic competition still has the magic it once did.
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is the oldest national football competition in the world.
First played in 1871/72, the FA Cup is open to all clubs down to level nine of the English football pyramid. With 12 randomly drawn rounds before the semi-finals and final, it can take as many as fourteen wins for a team to lift the trophy.
But with the bigger teams entering later into the competition, this week sees the Premier League sides feature for the first time this season.
The FA Cup has always been a chance for the smaller clubs to have a go at the big boys, and allows them to win valuable prize money. But in the modern era, only one non-league side has ever made the quarter-finals.
In February 2017, Lincoln City of the National League toppled Premier League Burnley 1-0 at Turf Moor in one of the biggest upsets in FA Cup history. But sadly, such results are becoming fewer and farther between.
ON THIS DAY 2017: Lincoln City 1-0 win at Burnley In the FA Cup #IMPS #LCFC pic.twitter.com/1UYgKpb6Gb
— FootballAwaydays (@Awaydays23) February 18, 2020
No side below the second-tier EFL Championship has made it to the final in the modern era, with nobody outside the Premier League winning the cup since Cardiff City in 2008.
With the huge gulf in money and talent between the top and bottom of the English game, it begs the question – has the FA Cup lost its magic?
What Do You Get For Winning The FA Cup?
FA Cup prize money is hugely important to lower league teams. The possibility of making it to the latter stages and picking up huge cheques has always been an enticing prospect, especially for non-league sides.
But it’s not just about the prize money. The opportunity to be drawn against footballing royalty is another reason so many fans at all levels love the FA Cup.
An away day to Old Trafford, Anfield or the Emirates is something most smaller clubs can only dream of.
And with the random draw throwing up all manner of games, anything is possible. In this year’s third round, we have a Tyne and Wear derby with Sunderland hosting rivals Newcastle, a match that hasn’t happened since 2016.
The #EmiratesFACup third round TV picks have been selected! 📺
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) December 7, 2023
There is also Manchester United visiting neighbours Wigan Athletic of League One in a match that will give Wigan fans in particular plenty to look forward to.
Arsenal host Liverpool in an all-Premier League clash, with Crystal Palace Vs Everton and Tottenham Vs Burnley the other all-top-flight affairs.
In terms of potential income, here’s a breakdown of this year’s FA Cup prize money per round:
The Emirates FA Cup: Season 2023-24 Prize Money
- Extra preliminary round winners (208) £1,125
- Extra preliminary round losers (208) £375
- Preliminary round winners (136) £1,444
- Preliminary round losers (136) £481
- First round qualifying winners (112) £2,250
- First round qualifying losers (112) £750
- Second round qualifying winners (80) £3,375
- Second round qualifying losers (80) £1,125
- Third round qualifying winners (40) £5,625
- Third round qualifying losers (40) £1,875
- Fourth round qualifying winners (32) £9,375
- Fourth round qualifying losers (32) £3,125
- First round proper winners (40) £41,000
- Second round proper winners (20) £67,000
- Third round proper winners (32) £105,000
- Fourth round proper winners (16) £120,000
- Fifth round proper winners (8) £225,000
- Quarter-final winners (4) £450,000
- Semi-final winners (2) £1,000,000
- Semi-final losers (2) £500,000
- Final runners-up (1) £1,000,000
- Final winners (1) £2,000,000
Amounts are per club in each round. Numbers in brackets represent the number of clubs receiving the respective payment per round.
By today’s standards the £2 million prize offered to the winners is tiny in footballing terms. For a Premier League side, even the likes of Luton Town would not see a tangible benefit in winning the competition.
And for the lower league teams, the chances of making it as far as the final are slimmer than ever. Not only are fewer small teams making it to the latter stages, they have less to gain if they do.
Does The FA Cup Still Matter?
Fans at every level look out for the David Vs Goliath matchups, and everyone but the bigger side’s supporters will be cheering for the underdog. But it definitely feels as if the magic of the old FA Cup has diminished somewhat.
With such modest prize funds, teams often rotate heavily for the cup, paying little attention until the later rounds.
This would give smaller sides a fighting chance, but for the fact even lower level clubs often do the same in order to focus on their league campaigns.
But despite all the negativity around the FA Cup in recent years, there is no escaping its almost mystical aura. While it hasn’t happened for a long time, there is nothing to stop a club from non-league making it all the way to Wembley.
And for that reason, plenty of us will still be tuning in over the weekend and hoping to see some big names dumped out of the cup by unfavored opponents.
The FA Cup may not have quite the same prestige it once did, but the potential for magical moments like Lincoln’s run in 2017 has never gone away.
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