FA Cup Memories

Saturday afternoon sees the First Round proper of this season's FA Cup, the greatest cup competition in the world. Every year, minnows battle against the odds to pull of historical upsets, some of the world's biggest clubs are forced to travel to unheard of places and small towns are put on the map.

For me and Northampton Town, the FA Cup has thrown up a roller coaster ride of the years.

The first FA Cup tie I remember was one that I didn't go to but still hurt the club severley- a 4-0 defeat at London Road, Peterborough. It was soon apparant that the Cobblers were pretty awful in the cup and the following season (after a 1-0 win of giants Hayes in round one) we were humbled in another local derby, this time at Oxford United, going down 2-0 in the 2nd Round.

It wasn't until 1996 that I first attended an FA Cup tie, and it gave the club their first ever taste of Sky Sports coverage in the First Round tie with Watford, then of League One (Division Two in old money). Despite a gutsy effort and a disallowed Neil Grayson goal, we finally succommed to a bizarre cross/shot from Darren Bazeley and bowed out for another year.

Cup fever had gripped me though and I was right up and ready for it the following season when the Cobblers saw off Exeter City after a Sixfields replay and took on lowly Basingstoke Town. After a disappointing draw at Sixfields, the Town made the midweek trip to an ice cold Basingstoke in a game that once again drew the Sky cameras. We were held once again and the game went all the way through to penalties before we finally saw off the plucky non leaguers as Carl Heggs sent the Town faithful (and the living room of 280 Obelisk Rise) wild! The 3rd Round brought us a trip to Leicester City, then of the Premiership where our journey ended with a 4-0 defeat at Filbert Street.

In 1998/99, Lancaster City provided more non league opposition at Sixfields and this time we managed to scrape through without a replay with a 2-1 win, setting up a 2nd Round tie with cup specialists Yeovil Town, then still in the conference, and we were beaten 2-0 at Huish Park.

1999/2000 saw the Cobblers exit in Round One at Gay Meadow, Shrewsbury, in a 2-1 reversal while the following season we were beaten at Rotherham in Round 2 by the single goal after a convincing 4-0 home win over Frickley Athletic in the first. Millmoor would, a couple of years later, become the setting of one of the more famous nights in cup history.

Before that in 2001/02, a trip to Torquay resulted in a 2-1 success for the Town but once again the 3rd round milestone was frustratingly blocked by the mighty Canvey Island, an embarressment that was made worse by the fact that it was shown live on a Sunday lunch time on BBC television!

This 2nd round curse would continue in 02/03, with defeat at home to Cambridge United in a replay but in 2003/04, all of that misery was wiped away by one night at Millmoor and a Sunday in the sun at Sixfields.

The first round gave us a home tie with high flying Plymouth Argyle and in a thriller, Derekd Asamoah settled the game late on in a 3-2 win for the Cobblers. Home again in Round 2 and this time a little more straight forward as we saw off ten-man Weston-Super-Mare 4-1. We awaited the 3rd round draw with excitement but were slightly aggrieved when instead of the big guns being paired with the Cobblers, we were left with Championship side, and Chuckle Brothers' favourites, Rotherham United, again at Sixfields. Trailing 1-0, the Cobblers fought back and Martin Smith belted home a deserved equiliser before a goal mouth scramble in stoppage time came to nothing and we were forced to make a midweek trip to Millmoor but were at least in the hat for Round 4 for the first time in a very long time!

The draw brought about a frantic scene at Sixfields as the ticket sales for the Rotherham replay went through the roof- because now we knew that the winners of the tie would face a home game with Manchester United! Extra importance now on the replay and over 3,000 Cobblers fans descended on Millmoor. There was no room in the stand to take us all and people just seemed to stand wherever they could. I think I started near the back but ended up in the middle of the stand! Rotherham took the lead early on but loan signing Richard Walker headed us level. We got right back into the game, pushing the home side back until the glorious moment right in front of the Claret army. Martin Smith put in a free kick from the right hand side that evaded everyone and beautifully nestled into the corner of the net to send us chuffing mental! We held on and the full time whistle meant that we were to take on Manchester United. It was incredible to think that in just weeks we would be linign up with some of the world's greatest players...and Diego Forlan.

Tickets sold within hours and I managed to get one after 6 hours of queing at Sixfields but there were stories of "fans" buying season tickets just to get priority for the United game and then throwing the season ticket away!

Sixfields was packed to capacity and Sky came a visiting once again for a Sunday afternoon encounter with the Red Devils. Despite a good effort and Mark Richards hitting the bar, United ran out 3-0 winners. The moment of the game, though, had to be Lee Harper's 2nd minute penalty save from Forlan!

So that was the cup dream over for another year and we've not gone as far in the competition since.

The next season we again upset higher opposition in the opening round with victory over Barnsley and then won at home again in Round Two against Bury, setting up a 3rd Round tie with my university City of Southampton! The Saints had already knocked us out of the league cup and I was praying that the game would go to a replay so that we could play at St Mary's but Southampton defeated us at Sixfields 3-1.

Last season saw another good run into Round 3. After picking up an impressive 3-1 win at Wycombe and a replay victory over Stevenage Borough, we were paired with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. The travelling faithful did us proud again but after Josh Low briefly drew us level, we were unfairly beaten 4-1.

And so to this season. Who knows where the run will take us this time around. We may be beaten at the first hurdle, we might make it through to face another big gun or we may have to play on a cold Tuesday night in Tamworth. We just don't know...and that's the magic of the cup.

Come on Town!