How important is the FA Cup to English football?

While questions have been raised over how valuable the FA Cup is, we were handed a timely reminder last weekend that even without fans in attendance – the oldest domestic cup competition still hasn’t lost its magic.

It wasn’t quite the same with the absence of fans at games, but the competition still provided some great moments and upsets to prove just how special an occasion the third round is.

After all, it doesn’t matter whether you’re a non-league or Premier League side, just for one day, you’re on a level playing field and there’s always the possibility of an upset.

Leeds soon found this out against Crawley Town, as the game proved exactly what can happen if you aren’t up for the occasion.

John Yems’ side claimed a shock 3-0 victory at home against the Premier League outfit to set up a tie against Bournemouth in the fourth round of the competition.

The story of the round came in Crosby, as eighth-tier Marine AFC took on Jose Mourinho’s high-flying Tottenham Hotspur side in their backyard in front of the TV cameras.

Fans weren’t allowed to attend the match, but a huge effort from fans all around the world ensued with over 30,000 virtual tickets bought for the game, raising valuable funds for the club.

Over six million people tuned in for the game, with many on the edge of their seats hoping for what would’ve been one of the biggest upsets in the history of the competition.

Teams like Marine are one of the reasons that this competition is so special. There’s always an underdog to root for, and there’s more often than not a huge story in the third round of the competition.

Marine will benefit for years to come from their run in the FA Cup. Striker Niall Cummings admitted in an interview with TalkSPORT that the money gained could be “setting the club up for the next decade… probably even two decades”.

Elsewhere, Chorley’s groundsman slept on his side’s pitch overnight to ensure that the game against Derby could go ahead, proving how much games like these mean to the smaller sides.

As it happened, they would get their rewards as they managed to beat a youthful Derby side and progress into the next round, where a huge tie awaits the Magpies in round four against Wolves.

The funds gained from Chorley and Marine’s success won’t only help in the short term, but there is a real chance that a legacy can be created from the money earned in the competition.

Lincoln City and Newport County are two examples of sides who have both benefitted following success in the cup, utilising the funds that they earned from their cup runs.

The Imps have gone on to establish themselves in the third tier of English football after enjoying promotion to the EFL shortly after their cup run in 2017, with the prize money put towards a new state-of-the-art training facility built in 2018.

Newport County, who have become rather familiar with finding huge ties in this competition, have been able to invest prize money into their playing squad.

Michael Flynn’s side are currently challenging for promotion at the top end of League Two, having narrowly missed out in the 2019 play-off final against Tranmere Rovers.

Both teams are an example of the legacy that success in this competition can bring, with the additional funds providing much needed financial security for clubs, setting them up for years to come.

Ultimately, the money provided to smaller sides in the FA Cup has been more important than ever, especially with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has a crushing impact on finances along every step of the footballing ladder.

Not only have the games provided great stories throughout the third round, they’ve created a brighter future for a number of clubs within a truly worrying time for the footballing industry.

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