As is likely to often be the case this season, our past history against several of our opponents will be a bit thin, so please allow me a bit of artistic license with Huddersfield and let’s travel to Guiseley in West Yorkshire, just over 20 miles away. As we are still (just) in the best cup competition in the world, the FA Cup, I thought I would stay on that subject with Guiseley and take us back to our “glory” season of 2010/11 as we have quite a few newer fans who may not be familiar with that time – as well as some of us older ones who can’t remember it that well.

As many of the latter group will know, we were at the time still a Conference National League side and when FA Cup time came around that season, our focus was very much on the league rather than the Cup. It meant that when we started our FA Cup campaign in the fourth qualifying round away to fellow Conference side Newport County on 23^rd October 2010, there were quite a few fans suggesting it might not be a bad thing to get knocked out and concentrate on the league. What a mistake in hindsight that would have been!

2010 Our FA Cup Journey begins programme covers

As it was, despite the fact we had made a great start to the season and were second in the table (AFC Wimbledon were top by one point), there was every likelihood that third-in-the-table Newport might beat us, whatever our motivation. The fact that just the week before, Newport had come to the Broadfield and beaten us 3-2 (Richard Brodie, Scott Nielson) in the league in front of a crowd of 2,566 made the chances of an early cup exit that bit more probable.

However, in a very tightly contested game we came away from Spytty Park with a well-deserved 1-0 win thanks to a late Craig McAllister goal in front of 2,247 fans. To lessen the FA Cup magic that bit more for us that season, the subsequent draw would pair us with the aforementioned Guiseley in the first round, prompting much scrabbling around for the GB Road Atlas to find where it was. Once located (near Leeds and Bradford and, as mentioned, only a short drive from Huddersfield) we would also see that they were doing extremely well in the Blue Square-sponsored Conference North, making this look very much like a potential giant-killing (albeit of not very giant-like proportions).

On the Saturday before the Guiseley match we had a very difficult-looking away league match at Mansfield, but came away from there with a brilliant 4-1 win (McAllister, 2, Dannie Bulman, Matt Tubbs) which along with AFC Wimbledon losing took us to the top of the table and left us able to concentrate fully on the game at Guiseley.

Despite the long journey, a good contingent of Red Devils fans followed Steve Evans and his team to West Yorkshire and were not to be disappointed as a 15^th-minute goal by Matt Tubbs settled any nerves, and further goals from Neilson, Danny Hall, Brodie and Sergio Torres gave us a resounding 5-0 win and many compliments for our outstanding football from the Guiseley fans in the crowd of 1,609. (Yes, we did often play some superb football under Steve Evans, despite media stereotypes).

5-0 victory at Guiseley

Rather than dwell much further on the rest of our amazing FA Cup run (wins over League One Swindon after a replay, beating Championship Derby County and League Two Torquay before losing to Manchester United 1-0 at Old Trafford) I thought I would have a look through some other less heralded campaigns.

For instance, who remembers season 2002/3 when we were still in the Dr Martens sponsored Southern League? As we were in the Premier Division, I believe that was the reason we didn’t come into the FA Cup competition until the second qualifying round, where we would be drawn at home to Great Yarmouth of the Eastern Counties League Premier Division.

Matches against teams from this area are still a rarity, although we have some recent history against Norwich and Ipswich. Looking on the map, I see Great Yarmouth is only a short distance along the east coast from Lowestoft, and it reminded me of a meeting with Lowestoft Town in the 1969/70 season when we were in the Southern League Premier Division for the first time (only for one season, unfortunately, that first time). The Lowestoft game at Town Meadow was in the first-ever season of the FA Trophy and was a first qualifying round tie. It took place on 8^th November 1969 at a time when we were embroiled in an epic FA Cup fourth qualifying round tie against fellow SL Premier League side Wimbledon (the original one). We had already played two games – at Wimbledon on 1^st November (see report) and a replay at Town Meadow on 4^th November (in front of a ground record crowd of 3,256) – with both ending 0-0.

1st November 1969 at Wimbledon FA Cup 4th Qual.

As a result, the FA Trophy tie was understandably not a priority and the result, a 2-2 draw (Eddie McMullen, 2) against a side top of the Eastern Counties League, was the last thing we needed with a second replay against Wimbledon coming up at Guildford just two days later on Monday 10^th November. Sadly we would lose that replay 2-0 and our part-time players would then have to dredge up enough energy for the long trip to East Anglia for the Lowestoft replay three days later.

Thankfully, a heroic effort saw us come away with a 3-1 win (McMullen, Charlie Livesey, Phil Basey) in front of 1,655, consisting mainly, I suspect, of Lowestoft fans. At least after that gruelling schedule we had the Saturday off as it was FA Cup weekend, although I am sure we would rather have still been involved.

Thursday 13th Nov.1969 Lowestoft away replay.

But I digress, and back to 2002 and Great Yarmouth on 28^th September 2002 when in front of a crowd of 723 at Broadfield we ran out comfortable winners with goals from Nic McDonnell, Danny Hockton (probably after he had put four over the stand!) and Dave Stevens.

The draw then gave us a trip to Lymington and New Milton in the third qualifying round, on 12^th October 2002, which proved relatively comfortable, albeit against a very physical side. Goals from Peter Fear and Hockton sent us through to the fourth qualifying round with a 2-0 win in front of 480.

I always think it starts to get much more exciting as the fourth qualifying round is reached, although a game away to Flackwell Heath (who?) didn’t exactly stir any thoughts of FA Cup heroics. Firstly, as with Guiseley, we had to find out where on earth it was (a village on the outskirts of High Wycombe was the answer), then you start to ponder who you might want to play in the first round as surely, you think, this lot will not be much of a problem (typical football fan arrogance about lower level teams!).

Thankfully, that confidence proved correct in the end, though not before a tricky start, although from then on my memory starts to get a bit shaky. (Didn’t they have a player sent off?). But I do remember that we won 4-1, with goals from Ernie Cooksey (pictured), Ellis Hooper, Stewart Holmes and Mo Harkin.

Ernie Cooksey a goalscorer at Flackwell Heath

And so to round one and, disappointingly, we were not to draw a Football League team but opponents from our own Dr Martens League, Tiverton Town. To make it more tricky, we were drawn away, meaning a long trip to Devon on 16^th November 2002.

This turned out to be an entertaining 1-1 draw in front of 1,840, with Tiverton scoring first before Nic McDonnell (pictured celebrating his goal) equalised late in the first half.

Nic McDonnell shirt off celebration at Tiverton

With no more goals, despite chances for both sides, it was back to Broadfield for the replay. By the way, Saturday’s opponents, Huddersfield, lost 1-0 at Swindon that day in the first round.

Despite the “magic of the FA Cup” and all that, the interest in the replay on Tuesday 26^th November 2002 was still a surprise, with the kick-off delayed 15 minutes to allow the 3,907 crowd to pack into Broadfield (no East Stand in those days either).

FA Cup Fever Tiverton Home replay

It looked as though all this cup fervour would be too much for the Red Devils, though, as we conceded after eight minutes and then again midway through the second half to leave ourselves a mountain to climb.

Luckily we scored within two minutes of their second through Nic McDonnell, and he would score again to equalise with ten minutes left before local school teacher Warren Bagnall sent the crowd wild in the last few minutes with the winner, walking the ball into the net at the top end. You can still see the BBC highlights from this game online and it’s well worth a look, as is a previous FA Cup epic at Hayes in the second round on 7^th December 1991, with our 2-0 victory also available to view online. Our second goal late on to seal the win, in front of 2,000 Red Devils fans, remains an all-time highlight for me.

Sadly our 2002/3 FA Cup campaign ended in the second round, at home to Conference side Dagenham. Though we took an early lead through Nic McDonnell, Dagenham fought back in front of a another large crowd of 4,516. Ellis Hooper was sent off in the second half before the visitors won it 2-1 at the death to deny us a replay.

So don’t anybody tell me FA Cup games against lower teams are always easy and the results a given! There are so many instances to disprove this fallacy. And that’s what makes it the best cup competition, despite the Premier League and the FA doing their best to downgrade it.

Mick Fox – mjfjo@yahoo.co.uk