FA Cup, 2020-2021

[Gangster Octopus]

Oi!

[Uros Predic]

Here's the full draw for the second round anyone who hasn't seen it...



Congratulations to Carlisle United on being this year's team from a division below who knock Doncaster Rovers out and then draw a top Premier League side in the next round.

Three non-league sides guaranteed in the 3rd round; TV ties likely to be from... Portsmouth v Kings Lynn, Bristol Rovers v Darlington, Shrewsbury Town v Oxford City, Peterborough v Chorley or Barnet v MK

[Uros Predic]

I see that the parasites have drawn the scum in the next round. Come friendly bombs and fall on Canons Park...

Don't Rotherham come in at the third round stage?

[Gangster Octopus]

I see that the parasites have drawn the scum in the next round. Come friendly bombs and fall on Canons Park...

[Satchmo Distel]

I'm surprised Alex Ferguson's Man U never exceeded that.

[delicatemoth]

Is a goal 21 minutes into stoppage time a record? https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/54840194

[Crystal Staples]

Stunning goal to open the scoring too

https://twitter.com/StockportCounty/status/1325407797434064896

[Crystal Staples]

To be fair my memory of the day is more the memory of the people I went with than my own. I can only put it down to how nervous I was but it's the only occasion in my football-watching life where I was so drunk I was largely oblivious to what was happening on the pitch.

Sounds like you deserve your lead today as things stand.

Have to agree! Outstanding performance, dominating for 20 minutes and then having to defend for so long, seeing that second half out was just as tense as the play-off.

[NickSTFU]

Surprising 2-0 win. Bring on Marine!

Fully deserved from what I saw on ifollow.

Cambridge looked a good side I thought, so in the context of our season so far, that's an excellent win with two cracking finishes.

[Patrick Thistle]

Salop get Cambridge away. Shite draw (for both sides I guess) and probably the end of their cup run this season.

Surprising 2-0 win. Bring on Marine!

[Guy Profumo]

Yay!

[Satchmo Distel]

Great win for Darlington.

[Artificial Hipster]

My memory of the day is more of a pretty close game and never feeling comfortable, with a really nervy last few minutes.

To be fair my memory of the day is more the memory of the people I went with than my own. I can only put it down to how nervous I was but it's the only occasion in my football-watching life where I was so drunk I was largely oblivious to what was happening on the pitch.

Sounds like you deserve your lead today as things stand.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

Exeter through - I had a dream last night part of which was about being in a pub full of new year party people watching them on the screens by the bar win a 3rd round tie in a huge shock against a big club so who knows.

[Crystal Staples]

Rochdale v Stockport it is then. First meeting since Wembley 12 years ago. If you were there you'll know that the 3-2 scoreline flattered us, it could have been a whole lot more. Our team that day was a long way from picking itself and it was probably the only occasion in his first spell at Spotland that Keith Hill got it hopelessly wrong. We were missing key play-maker David Perkins after he was harshly red carded shortly after scoring the goal which took the semi to penalties - a sloppy pass was played to him and in stretching to reach it he caught a Darlo player instead. His obvious replacement (so obvious I forget who it was) had returned to his home club after a loan spell leaving us with one fit midfielder, Gary Jones and one fat midfielder, John Doolan who by that stage had largely a coaching as opposed to a playing role. Hill chose to move right back Simon Ramsden into midfield for the one and only time in his life and move our best centre back, Nathan Stanton to the right. He gave a rare start to the youth and exuberance of Kallum Higginbotham on the right wing rather than the experienced Ben Muirhead. Youth froze. He played our 2 diminutive strikers, Dagnall and Le Fondre as a pair up front which rarely worked, leaving the bulk and presence of Rene Howe on the bench. We never stood a chance.

It's certainly been 2 very different rollercoasters we've ridden since though!

My memory of the day is more of a pretty close game and never feeling comfortable, with a really nervy last few minutes. I expect to lose today but this squad's had quite a bit of money spent on it in non-league terms so it should be interesting to see how they cope, we've not played a League One (or higher) club since a 1st round replay ten years ago next week.

That was the first of four swift divisional changes but about half of our particular rollercoaster would be one very long flat bit representing years being unable to get beyond upper mid-table of the NLN.

[gt3]

Fyi, piece on Football Focus today about AFC Wimbledon returning to Plough Lane. And FC United of Manchester are on TV later against Doncaster.

[Artificial Hipster]

County are back in after Chesterfield played an ineligible player against us, albeit we have to replay the 4QR tie against them rather than just replace them in the 1st round.

Rochdale v Stockport it is then. First meeting since Wembley 12 years ago. If you were there you'll know that the 3-2 scoreline flattered us, it could have been a whole lot more. Our team that day was a long way from picking itself and it was probably the only occasion in his first spell at Spotland that Keith Hill got it hopelessly wrong. We were missing key play-maker David Perkins after he was harshly red carded shortly after scoring the goal which took the semi to penalties - a sloppy pass was played to him and in stretching to reach it he caught a Darlo player instead. His obvious replacement (so obvious I forget who it was) had returned to his home club after a loan spell leaving us with one fit midfielder, Gary Jones and one fat midfielder, John Doolan who by that stage had largely a coaching as opposed to a playing role. Hill chose to move right back Simon Ramsden into midfield for the one and only time in his life and move our best centre back, Nathan Stanton to the right. He gave a rare start to the youth and exuberance of Kallum Higginbotham on the right wing rather than the experienced Ben Muirhead. Youth froze. He played our 2 diminutive strikers, Dagnall and Le Fondre as a pair up front which rarely worked, leaving the bulk and presence of Rene Howe on the bench. We never stood a chance.

It's certainly been 2 very different rollercoasters we've ridden since though!

[Artificial Hipster]

Watching Harrogate v Skelmersdale on BT Sport.

I've just tuned in (the kids expect Doctor Who on a Friday). Sadly it seems all done and dusted.

Ray, I think I'm right in saying that the answer to your question is essentially that there is no timescale for completing a tie.

[Patrick Thistle]

Watching Harrogate v Skelmersdale on BT Sport.

[Uros Predic]

Doncaster's coaching staff have all been told to self isolate after coming into contact with a positive case (maybe Tuesday night if Wimbledon are isolating), however the players are unaffected, so tomorrow's televised game at FC United of Manchester goes ahead. Central defender Andy Butler is in temporary charge.

[Ray de Galles]

Wimbledon's game at Barrow postponed due to a number of positive Covid tests in The Dons squad. How long do they have to reschedule before they have to forfeit the tie? it was only a day or so in earlier rounds but I recall that being extended since.

[Guy Profumo]

Yep.

This is original statement


https://twitter.com/FACupFactfile/st...64430463410177


In a decently run organisation, this should mean the end of the road for Greg Clarke and Mark Bullingham, and the Duke of Cambridge should step down as President too

[Ray de Galles]

No apology needed, especially with the mutability of any kind of rule or restriction in the current circumstances.

[Satchmo Distel]

Yes, apologies Guy and Ray. The guidance changed in the last hour or so:

https://twitter.com/Ollie_Bayliss/status/1323633424981254151

[Ray de Galles]

No, it states "all ten ‘non-elite’ clubs that remain in the competition will be able to train together and play their fixtures under ‘elite’ protocols." They become "elite" clubs until they are eliminated from the competition.

The guidance has certainly changed since it was initially published as the "non-elite" clubs were definitely banned from training in the first iteration.