The FA Cup Thread 2024

[Trollheart]

Team name: Boston United
Home city or town: Boston
Area: Lincolnshire
Nickname: The Pilgrims
Home ground: Boston Community Stadium
Manager: Ian Culverhouse
Currently playing in: National League
Tier: 5
Current position: 6th of 24
First opponent in Round One: Gateshead
Highest position achieved: EFL League 2
Relegations: National League, National League North, Northern Premier League
Giant Killing(s) None
Best FA Cup run: Second round
Rivals: Lincoln City, Scunthorphe United, Gainsborough Trinity, Grimsby Town

Sounding like they should be an American football team, Boston United do in fact take their nickname from the Englishmen who set out to create America, as it were, and the Mayflower is on their crest. Beginning life as Boston Town, they became Boston United in 1933, so again quite a young team, but seem to have had marked success in their early days, winning the Northern Premier League title four times in the seventies, and even securing promotion to the EFL in 2002, where they spent five seasons before being relegated down two divisions on foot of an administration order.

Dodgy goings-on led to their manager and ex-chairman receiving suspended jail sentences for trying to defraud Customs, and the club was in bad financial waters, and after a Company Voluntary Agreement (what? Ah hell, I don't know: look it up for once!) the club released the following statement: "Because Boston United are in breach of certain rules, it was felt Blue Square North was the best place for them. HM Revenue and Customs put a caveat on that CVA that Boston could not pay football creditors. That breaks Football Association, Football League and Football Conference rules and regulations. We're giving Boston the opportunity to re-establish themselves as a leading club outside the Football League. They believe the decision we have made is fair and just, and they are not going to appeal. We had meetings all day on Friday with Boston United and then informed Altrincham that they were staying up."

In 2007, a local housing development bought the club, but the players must not have felt this development (sorry) was as safe as houses (sorry again) as almost all of them had it away on their toes, and there was no team to speak of, Boston United having to start again from the beginning. An interesting, and no doubt unwanted milestone the club created was to be the first football team in the league to ever start a season with less than zero points, this being due to points deducted thanks to their tricky financial dealings.

[Trollheart]

Regarding this, they're from an area in Birmingham called Small Heath. In the same way Villa are from Aston. Back then, we also had another club called St George's. Anyway, Birmingham City broke an agreement with Villa to not use the citys name and that's partly how the rivalry started.

It is said that when they built St. Andrew's in 1906, they used a gypsy site and were told by the gypsies if they built on there, they would put them under a 100 year curse. They won one league cup in the next century and then won another one in 2011 five years after the 'curse' was lifted.

@Trollheart

See, this is the kind of shit I love! I'd never have gotten that, even from Wiki, and it's good to know. Also good to know someone's reading, but I knew you would be, my soccerpal! 

[Trollheart]

Team name: Braintree Town
Home city or town: Braintree
Area: Essex
Nickname: The Iron
Home ground: Cressing Road
Manager: Angelo Harrop
Currently playing in: National League
Tier: 5
Current position: 5th of 24
First opponent in Round One: Hartlepool or Brackley Town
Highest position achieved: National League
Relegations:
Giant Killing(s) None
Best FA Cup run: Second round
Rivals: Unknown

A small club, but much older, founded in 1898 as, apparently, the second Braintree FC (though I can't find any information on the original one) and called Manor Works, due to its players all coming from a window manufacturing plant, from which they took their nickname. Not sure if this has happened before, but in 1921 they changed their name to Crittall Athletic (Crittall being the name of that window company) then in 1968 became Crittall & Braintree, dropping the first part in 1981 to be named Braintree F.C., and then the next year Braintree Town.

They seem to have done very well in the earlier part of their existence, winning league titles and helping set up newer leagues, and generally speaking, though they were relegated recently, these winning ways seem to have continued as they climbed the lower leagues.

[Trollheart]

Team name: Brackley Town
Home city or town: Brackley
Area: Northamptonshire
Nickname: The Saints
Home ground: St. James Park
Manager: Gavin Cowan
Currently playing in: National League North
Tier: 6
Current position: 3rd of 24
First opponent in Round One: Braintree **++
Highest position achieved: National League North
Relegations:
Giant Killing(s) Gillingham (1-0, 2013, and again in 2017, this time 4-3)
Best FA Cup run: Second round
Rivals: Unknown

Little to tell you here, other than this is another old-established club (1890) and another that did really well in the lower leagues.

[Trollheart]

Team name: Bradford City
Home city or town: Bradford
Area: West Yorkshire
Nickname: The Bantams, The Paraders, The Citizens
Home ground: Valley Parade
Manager: Graham Alexander
Currently playing in: EFL League 2
Tier: 5
Current position: 9th of 24
First opponent in Round One: Aldershot Town
Highest position achieved: Premier League
Relegations: Championship, EFL League 1
Giant Killing(s) Newcastle United (1911); Chelsea (4-2, 2015); Sunderland (2-0, 2015)
Best FA Cup run: Final (winners)
Rivals: Huddersfield Town, Leeds United, Bradford (Park Avenue), Burnley, Barnsley, Oldham Athletic

Unfortunately, the one event Bradford will always be linked with is one of the worst disasters to occur in English football. We'll come to that in due course, but for now let's note Bradford City were founded in 1903 and started the new millennium well by earning promotion to the Premier League, but this lasted only one season, and successive financial woes ended up pushing them down until they were at the fourth tier, EFL League 2. I think I'm right in saying Bradford have the dubious distinction of being the only team to have had their manager die while in service, as happened in 1968, but if you want tragedy, Bradford is the place.

As already mentioned above, and also referred to in a previous post, the Bradford City stadium fire in 1985 was one of the worst disasters in English football. After a small fire broke out and a TV commentator mentioned it on air, a combination of wind and long-accumulated garbage under the stands whipped the flames and soon the entire stand was on fire. People started running, either onto the field or, in some cases, to the exits, the doors of which were barred (shades of the Stardust tragedy here!). The panic as people surged forward, or back, led to 56 deaths and over 260 injuries, and stringent new rules coming into place.  It's quite upsetting to read, so I'll leave it at that, and if you want to read more, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bradford_City_stadium_fire

With increasing money troubles, Bradford suffered three relegations after reaching the Premier League, and are currently in the EFL League 2.

[Trollheart]

Team name: Bristol Rovers
Home city or town: Bristol
Area: Bristol
Nickname: The Pirates, The Gas
Home ground: Memorial Stadium
Manager: Matt Taylor
Currently playing in: EFL League 1
Current position: 15th of 24
First opponent in Round One: Weston-super-Mare
Highest position achieved: EFL League 1
Relegations:
Giant Killing(s) Derby County (3-1, 2002)
Best FA Cup run: Quarter finals
Rivals: (deep breath...) Bristol City, Swindon Town, Cardiff City, Cheltenham Town, Forest Green Rovers, Exeter City, Yeovil Town, Plymouth Argyle, Torquay United

One of the many cities which has two main teams, Bristol Rovers' main rivals are their contemporaries, Bristol City, though as you can see, they got a lot of rivals! Beginning life in 1884 as, for some reason, Black Arabs, they (wisely, I believe) changed their name a year later. Oh I see: it was something to do with the local rugby club. Well, fancy that. They only lasted a year anyway under this name before changing it to Eastville Rovers, then Eastville Bristol Rovers in 1897 and finally, just before the turn of the century, in 1899 Bristol Rovers.

Their top-flight performances seem to have been a mixture of ups and downs, promotions and relegations. Honestly, I thought I'd have more to write about them, but that's all I got. Avast, me hearties? Perhaps not.

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Team name: Bromley
Home city or town: Bromley
Area: Greater London
Nickname: The Lilywhites, The Ravens
Home ground: Hayes Lane
Manager: Andy Woodman
Currently playing in: EFL League 2
Tier: 4
Current position: 3rd of 24
First opponent in Round One: Rochdale
Highest position achieved: EFL League 2
Relegations:
Giant Killing(s) None
Best FA Cup run: First round
Rivals: Unknown

Doesn't seem to be too much to say here. Another old club, formed in 1892,  that came up through the lower leagues with mixed fortunes, suffering a few relegations along the way, this is their first season in the EFL. I suppose an interesting fact I can pick out is that Bromley have several times made it to the first round of the FA Cup, but they have never beaten any of the teams they came up against.

[Trollheart]

Team name: Burton Albion
Home city or town: Burton upon Trent
Area: Staffordshire
Nickname: The Brewers, The Yellow and Black Army
Home ground: Pirelli Stadium
Manager: Mark Robinson
Currently playing in: EFL League 1
Tier: 3
Current position: 20th of 24
First opponent in Round One: Scarborough Athletic
Highest position achieved: Championship
Relegations:
Giant Killing(s) Middlesbrough (2-1, 2009)
Best FA Cup run: Third round
Rivals: Port Vale, Notts County, Chesterfield, Walsall

Perhaps to be considered the babies of the clubs, so far anyway, Burton were only formed in 1950, making them just short of seventy-five years old, their highest placing has been in the Championship, where they lasted two seasons. That's it: that's all I got.

[Trollheart]

Team name: Cambridge United
Home city or town: Cambridge
Area: Cambridgeshire
Nickname:None
Home ground: Abbey Stadium
Manager: Garry Monk
Currently playing in: EFL League 1
Tier: 4
Current position: 18th of 24
First opponent in Round One: Woking
Highest position achieved: EFL League 1 (see note 1 on next post)
Relegations: (see note 2 on next post)
Giant Killing(s) None
Best FA Cup run: Quarter finals
Rivals: Histon

I find it strange that a club based in Cambridge doesn't have a nickname based on the famous college (Professors? Dons? Eggheads? The possibilities are finite, but many) - in fact, they don't appear to have a nickname at all. Maybe one just does not do that kind of thing around there, don't you know? Formed in 1912 as Abbey United they changed to their current name in 1956. Again, not much else I can add.

[Trollheart]

Note (1): In future, if their current standing is as high as a club has got, I'm just writing "current position" rather than writing the league out again.

Note (2): I'm dispensing with the "relegations" category, as quite frankly, it's giving me a pain in the hole. Also gone is "position" after "Currently playing in", as all the notes there refer to the previous season, so what help is that? Away with ye, foul categories for which I have no further use!

And they're gone.

Team name: Carlisle United
Home city or town: Carlisle
Area: Cumbria
Nickname: The Blues, The Cumbrians
Home ground: Brunton Park
Manager: Mike Williamson
Currently playing in: EFL League 2
Tier: 4
First opponent in Round One: Wigan Athletic
Highest position achieved: Current
Giant Killing(s) None
Best FA Cup run: Quarter finals
Rivals: Workington, Preston North End, Barrow, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough

Almost honorary Scots, Carlisle are the club closest to the border with the northern kingdom, and that sort of hot-headed, argumentative (who are ye callin' argymentive, ye sassenach bastard? Hey, I'm Irish, I'll have you know!) temperament is evident in the meeting that took place in 1904, when Shaddongate United and Carlisle Red Rose met to discuss a possible changing of the name of the team. Those who advocated for the former were so incensed by the decision to become Carlisle United that they broke away and played under their old name.

In the best tradition of George RR, maybe, the whole thing seems to have been orchestrated from the shadows by the machiavellian machinations of Newcastle United. Howay the lads!

Carlisle's best years came over a twenty-year period from 1964-1985, when they bossed the second division, which I guess is the Championship these days. In 1974 they were promoted to the Premier League (though it was not called that then, just the First Division I guess) though like many teams they found it tough there - although initially they were top for a time - and were relegated at the end of the season, beginning a backwards slide down the divisions which ended with them at the equivalent of today's EFL League 2.

In 1992 businessman Michael Knight, sorry Michael Knighton (no KITT) purchased the club after an abortive attempt to buy Manchester United, and things began to improve, as he promised he would ensure Carlisle went back into the now-Premier League. Before 2003. In fact, they began to slip again, and in 2000, three years before his promise was to either be fulfilled or denied, Knighton resigned. By 2003 not only were Carlisle not in the Premiership, they might as easily have been on Mars, as they were in fact engaged in a desperate attempt to avoid relegation out of the football league entirely.

In 2004 they lost this fight and fell into the Conference, what is today known as the National League. Over the next ten years or so they hauled themselves back up - suffering a setback or two - until they were back in League 2, and in 2023 got to the third tier of English football, League 1, ending the season however last and being relegated back down. Bloody money men and their promises eh? Sure, you can't buy the Premier League, as Pep found out. Oh. Wait.

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Team name: Charlton Athletic
Home city or town: Charlton
Area: London
Nickname: The Addicks, The Red Robins, The Valiants
Home ground: The Valley
Manager: Nathan Jones
Currently playing in: EFL League 1
First opponent in Round One: Southend United
Highest position achieved: Premier League
Giant Killing(s) Burnley (1-0, 1947); Manchester City, West Brom and Preston North End (1923)
Best FA Cup run: Final (winners)
Rivals: Crystal Palace, Millwall

Founded in 1905, Charlton Athletic look to have had a very successful early career, winning league titles and being promoted all over the place, and even winning the FA Cup just after the war. They seem to have been the youngest team too, as in, founded by kids - 14 and 15 year olds, it says.  They have the second-longest stay in the Premiership of the teams we've seen so far, seven consecutive from 2000 - 2008, ten in all. In 1985 their ground was criticised for safety reasons in the wake of the Bradford City stadium fire, and they had to close it down and ground-share with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, which may have led to them becoming one of their rivals, as I'm sure the Palace fans ribbed them about not having their own ground.

The 2003-2004 season saw Charlton do so well in the Premier League that they were actually challenging for Europe, for which they needed to secure at least fourth place, but they fell short. Having been relegated then in 2007, and despite multiple changes of ownership, Charlton look unlikely to grace the Premier League any time soon.

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Team name: Cheltenham Town
Home city or town: Cheltenham
Area: Gloucestershire
Nickname: The Robins
Home ground: Whaddon Road
Manager: Michael Flynn
Currently playing in: EFL League 2
Tier: 4
First opponent in Round One: Rotherham United
Highest position achieved: EFL League 1
Giant Killing(s) None
Best FA Cup run: Fourth round
Rivals: Gloucester City, Kidderminster Harriers, Hereford United, Bristol City, Bristol Rovers, Swindon Town, Oxford United

More connected with horse racing of course, Cheltenham Town was founded in 1887, so another of the original clubs. They seem to have spent most of the 21st century in the EFL, just dropping out the once but being promoted the next season. However they do hold an uncomfortable and unwanted record, having failed to score in thier first eleven games last season.

[Trollheart]

Team name: Chesham United
Home city or town: Chesham
Area: Buckinghamshire
Nickname: The Generals
Home ground: The Meadow
Manager: James Duncan, Michael Murray
Currently playing in: National League South
Tier: 6
First opponent in Round One: Lincoln City
Highest position achieved: Current
Giant Killing(s) Bristol Rovers (2-1, 2015)
Best FA Cup run: Second round
Rivals: Unknown

I'll have to check back, but I think this is the first team I've written about who are only semi-professional, and they were formed in 1917 after a merger of Chesham Town and Chesham Generals, hence, I guess, the nickname. They recently won promotion from the Southern League to the National League South. Fair play to them.

[Trollheart]

Team name: Chesterfield
Home city or town: Chesterfield
Area: Derbyshire
Nickname: Town, The Spireites
Home ground: SMH Group Stadium
Manager: Paul Cook
Currently playing in: EFL League 2
Tier: 4
First opponent in Round One: Horsham
Highest position achieved: EFL League 1
Giant Killing(s) Nottingham Forest (1996)
Best FA Cup run: Semi-finals
Rivals: Mansfield Town, Rotherham United, Sheffield Wednesday, Sheffield United

Nothing, I assure you, to do with sofas, Chesterfield were established in 1867 as Chesterfield FC but turned professional in 1891 and changed their name to Chesterfield Town. 2000 was not a good year for them, the beginning of a new millennium featuring not a single victory for them as they went on a 21-match-losing streak - that's got to have been most of the season. Relegation surely followed? Relegation followed, and the next season a 9 point deduction for what I believe is technically termed "financial jiggery-pokery" did not help their efforts to get back up a division, though they did make it.

Their chairman (now resigned) found himself a new job very quickly though, with much less responsibility and longer hours, as he was sentenced to four years in prison for his dodgy dealings. From 2017 Chesterfield found themselves in freefall, dropping to League 1, then the National League and finally the National League North over a period of three years. They've managed to claw their way back into the EFL though, so you have to give them credit for that.

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Team name: Colchester United
Home city or town: Colchester
Area: Essex
Nickname: The U's
Home ground: Colchester Community Stadium
Manager: Danny Cowley
Currently playing in: EFL League 2
First opponent in Round One: Swindon Town
Highest position achieved: Championship
Giant Killing(s) Leeds United (3-2, 1971); Wrexham, Huddersfield Town and Bradford Park Avenue (1948)
Best FA Cup run: Quarter-finals
Rivals: Wycombe Wanderers

Another club founded relatively recently, Colchester came into being in 1937 and, like I would venture to suggest a lot of people, spent most of the sixties bouncing up and down (!), though in their case that's being promoted, relegated, promoted, relegated... finally settling in EFL League 2.