THE ROAD TO WEMBLEY
For the FA Cup, the early rounds are the juice. The first round proper to be played out over the long weekend is looking, well, proper. And on Saturday at 3pm GMT, a proper time, 31 ties will kick off. No VAR, either. At the stage when the bottom two Football League divisions join the competition, focus remains on those non-league clubs fighting for the honour of the pyramid …
Mansfield v Macclesfield In January, Macclesfield achieved the greatest shock in the competition’s history, knocking out the holders, Crystal Palace, in the third round. John Rooney’s National League North team head through the Pennines to face soundalikes Mansfield. Those from Macclesfield often find themselves having to correct others on coming from the Cheshire town rather than the one in Nottinghamshire. Macclesfield are such a modern club these days they have a sporting director in Keith Curle, a former Stags manager. Curle and current Mansfield boss Nigel Clough were England teammates at Euro 92, of which the less said the better.
Bradford City v Marine Merseyside’s most authentic, proper football club? Neither Everton nor Liverpool can compete with Crosby’s Marine. When modern football gets too much, the temptation to savour a pie and pint at Rossett Park, the club of Roly Howard, legendary manager for 33 years, becomes strong. On Saturday, Marine travel to Bradford City, on something of a slide since Graham Alexander de-camped to manage Preston.
Burton v AFC Rushden & Diamonds Fans at Burton’s Pirelli Stadium will see Billy Sharp’s comeback at 76. One of the Football League’s very top marksmen, the Championship’s all-time scorer on 130 recently retired but has returned with AFC Rushden & Diamonds, the phoenix club of a former temporary employer for whom he scored his first goal when loaned there in 2005, before they were liquidated six years later. A striker who defines the term “well-travelled” – including a spell at LA Galaxy – blink and you will miss Sharp, as the prodigal return is for one game only, in search of his 300th career goal. He departed Doncaster on the tantalising total of 299.
Plymouth Argyle v Alvechurch Alvechurch, representing a Worcestershire village, was previously most famous for giving the world Alan “Smudger” Smith (incidentally another member of that Euro 92 squad). The less said about his substitution for old pal Gary Lineker against Sweden the better. Smith’s alma mater, in the Southern League, travel to Plymouth Argyle, led by Tom Cleverley, the former brand turned aspirant tracksuit manager. Two seasons ago the Pilgrims’ progress down to League One was offset by beating eventual Premier League champions Liverpool in the third round. Should that fall flat, the city gets another helping on Monday night when Parkway take on Berkhamsted, the commuter town’s community club.
Cray Wanderers v Stockport County Representing the Isthmian League are Cray Wanderers, who claim to be London’s oldest football club, whose origins are traced to 1860, older perhaps than even Notts County. Playing in Chislehurst, best known for its caves, “The Wands” take on high-flying League One Stockport County, led by The Wire’s Jimmy McNulty.
Peterborough v Reading All that and a Savage family reunion as the Posh, managed by Robbie, host son Charlie’s team, the Royals. The Cup properly runneth over.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“It’s an incredible achievement for the family and the brothers to both be nominated for the national team. He’s more defensive than Jude” – Thomas Tuchel talks about his decision to call up Jude Bellingham’s younger brother, Jobe, with the ability to bolt the door shut behind his rampaging elder sibling quite possibly a big factor.
LIVE ON BIG WEBSITE
Join Scott Murray at 8pm GMT for red-hot minute-by-minute updates of Everton 0-0 Coventry in the Premier League.
FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS
John Aloisi winning or choking the Chinese Super League, a league so ‘super’ that nine of all 16 clubs in it started the season on negative points due to ‘match-fixing, gambling and corruption’ by the way, and the league leaders not even scoring a single goal in seven hours, is really not something to lay upon someone with a bad hangover. Apropos of nothing, if anyone has any objections to my views on the Chinese Super League, please address any correspondence to: Mr K Mbappé, Madrid (there’s no point two of us getting into trouble)” – Noble Francis.
As a man of a certain age frequently being reminded of how out of date I am, the recent readers’ letters regarding technical solutions to shirt-pulling (Football Daily letters passim) concerns triggered distant memories. In late 1991 I was working in the Patents Advice Centre, Newcastle Central Library. A gentleman asked for help to possibly patent an ‘invention’: a football shirt with the seams held together by Velcro, so that any tug would ‘open’ the seam and provide clear evidence to the referee of illegal cloth gathering. As I helped him search for possible equivalent innovations in our paper database (yes kids!) we chatted amiably until I asked how he had come to this seemingly simple yet brilliant innovation. He paused, reddened and began to exhale with elevated pressure: ‘Did you see Arsenal the other night? Tony Adams? Disgraceful. It should never be allowed! In fact, with this shirt it won’t be, and Arsenal will have to learn to defend decently!’ Happy memories, obviously irrelavant to the modern game” – Garren Mulloy.
Not fair! Bias! (Picture me, arms wide out, mouth open, eyebrows as high as they’ll go, appealing for reason.) I wrote about skin-tight shirts the other day and you ignored it, publishing a Velcro alternative. Now you’ve published another letter about skin-tight shirts (yesterday’s letters), days later. And it gets letter o’ the day! What’s the literary equivalent of kicking the keeper’s water bottle in frustration? I’ve just done that” – Ken Muir.
I see that Celtic finally moved up the Bigger Vase charts on Thursday night and started playing a tune when their subs Osmand, Durán and Donovan came on. Too corny but my wife actually laughed at this” – Hugh Jamieson.
That was a topsy-turvy Durán Durán show at Celtic, but what else would you expect from a bunch of Wild Bhoys?” – Peter Oh.
Send your letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s letter o’ the day goes to … Noble Francis, who wins a copy of Programmes! by Richard Crooks. It’s out now and available to buy on the Pitch Publishing website. Terms and conditions for our competitions are here.
WEARSIDE WOE
International breaks now serve a significant function in club football, particularly among the suits. Did a double break in September save a few managers’ jobs in October? November is likely to spawn a few axings. Curtains are twitching at Sunderland, where Régis Le Bris’s popularity is plunging, judging by the boos that could be heard during their Bigger Vase defeat by Dinamo Zagreb. They started at half-time. While this loss was their first in Europe this season, it accompanied their wretched domestic top-flight form: no wins since August and bottom. “It’s not unusual in the Premier League,” wailed Le Bris. “Last year, for example, many clubs – even big clubs – experienced a run without winning for 10 games.” How likely are suits to say: “Oh, that’s alright then.” Watch that space.
NEWS, BITS AND BOBS
New Zealand police have dismissed a rape allegation against Cape Verde captain Ryan Mendes and have charged the accuser with making a false statement.
Amar Dedic is unlikely to face punishment from Newcastle after being spotted with a bow and arrow (yes, an actual bow and arrow) in the Northumberland countryside and sparking a major police pursuit involving an armed response unit. Perhaps a weekend away down the coast at Robin Hood’s Bay would be a good way to stay out of further trouble.
Spain’s main opposition leader says the nation should withdraw as co-hosts of the 2030 Air Miles World Cup if Morocco is handed the final. “Spain should leave the organisation [of the tournament],” roared Alberto Núñez Feijóo. “Restoring our country’s pride also means not letting anyone walk all over us.”
It was a mixed night for English clubs in Bigger Vase with Bournemouth making it seven wins in a row by beating Sparta Prague 3-1 and 10-man Crystal Palace scraping a 1-1 draw with Hoffenheim. Brighton have now gone four games without conceding in Tin Pot thanks to a 1-0 win at Getafe.
The Portuguese FA’s chief suit has promised to celebrate Cristiano Ronaldo’s contribution to the national team, although he didn’t say if the retiring forward would agree to a farewell appearance. “No tribute will ever be enough to thank him for everything he has done for Portuguese football, for Portugal,” snifffed Pedro Proença. “We will do everything we can to honour the legacy he leaves. Everything he has done deserves to be honoured and celebrated.”
Tottenham’s Roberto de Zerbi isn’t sure staying in management until 71, as Alex Ferguson did, would be good for his health. “I don’t know, I don’t know [if I could do that]”, he blathered. “I think it’s the best job in the world, if you love football, nothing can give emotion like being a coach, to manage a group of players. But it’s tough. I smoke too many cigarettes.”
Wayne Rooney, who dismissed Madonna, Shakira and Justin Bieber’s Geopolitics World Cup final half-time show as “crap”, has been named pundit of the year at the Broadcast Sport Awards. “I’ve always been my own biggest critic. And even now I need to improve, I need to be better,” he honked.
And Valenciennes fans have piped circus music through a loudpseaker at the Stade du Hainaut after their team went 1-0 down after 10 minutes in the Ligue 3 match against US Orléans. Brutal? Yes, but it did help spark a reaction, with the 15th-placed former Ligue 1 side battling back to draw 2-2.
STILL WANT MORE?
“In moments of pain, football comes together.” Sid Lowe on the tragic death of the Tenerife striker, Jesús de Miguel.
Ten things to look out for, count ’em, as the Premier League sneaks another round of fixtures in before the next international break.
Twelve (4x3) is the magic number as Coventry seek victory at Everton later. Andrew Beasley explains the significance of that points tally.
And here’s Andrew again on how Nottingham Forest’s goal drought at the City Ground is part of a longstanding problem.
And despite being 3-0 down at half-time, the only thing new West Ham boss Scott Parker ended up losing in midweek was his voice. Jacob Steinberg looks at a remarkable first game back.
MEMORY LANE
6 November 1986: Alex Ferguson dons a scarf and hat to pose for the cameras after being appointed as Manchester United’s new manager following Ron Atkinson’s sacking. His first match in charge was hardly a classic – a 2-0 defeat at Oxford in front of a crowd of just over 13,000. Let’s just say it turned out well in the end.
