Features
The songs, the mascots, the most memorable goals... Relive it all with ICONS (as well as discovering how the ball has changed over the years). You'll also find out how the original Cup was stolen, and who (possibly) was responsible…
Stealing the FA Cup
The original FA Cup, known affectionately as the Little Tin Idol, disappeared in mysterious circumstances in 1895.
Giant-killers
The FA Cup is different from other competitions because part-timers have the opportunity to battle it out with the big boys from the Premier League.
An FA Cup First
The first black footballer to play in the FA Cup was Andrew Watson, who was born in Demerara, in what was then the colony of British Guyana, in 1857.
The Greatest FA Cup Goals?
In 2003, the Nationwide Building Society, one of the FA Cup’s five sponsors, ran a poll to see which was the greatest goal ever scored in an FA Cup match.
A Fan's View
Chester City fan Adrian Lee, 41, has followed the ups and downs of his team from the age of 13. Now living in Brighton, East Sussex, he tries to get to as many of the side's games as he can and is a member of the Chester City Exiles. Here he explains the magic of the FA Cup.
All About the Ball
The earliest type of football was probably the head of a defeated enemy! Human and animal skulls were later used, and eventually the bladder because of its inflatable quality. Pigs’ and cows’ bladders were the most useful, and were taken from animals already slaughtered for food.
Football In The Community
Well-respected sportsmen and women – both nationally recognised stars and local heroes – can provide powerful role models for young people. This particularly applies to football, as the country’s highest profile sport.
The Songs
The FA Cup just wouldn’t be the same without footballers jumping up and down in their club tracksuits on Top Of The Pops to an infuriatingly catchy record.
Furry Friends
Team mascots can be found rallying their supporters at most league clubs, from Arsenal (Gunnersaurus Rex) to Southend United (Sammy the Shrimp). Some clubs even have real animals as their mascots instead of the overgrown, cuddly variety! Derby County have Private Derby the ram, and Hereford United have a bull.
Ten things...
So you think you know everything there is to know about the FA Cup? Let's find out! See if any of these surprise you...
