Topic: Allow me to share my magical F.A Cup Evening with you.... (Read 3915 times)

Ozle · « **on:** December 13, 2012, 06:29:59 pm »

What an emotional rollercoaster of a night its been for me!

Background to the FA Cup
First, a little background for those of you that don't really know the F.A Cup. It's one of the oldest sporting competitions in world (Dating back to 1871) and is fairly special in that pretty much every team in the football pyramid enters it, from the Premier League Champions right down 10 divisions (Which are split into separate regions each of course), to local village amatuer teams, there was even a YMCA team in it this year.
Basically down to level 11 On this chart

Now obviously the lower teams have to play a LOT more qualifying games to get through to the big stages, and the teams in the top 2 divisions (Premiership and Championship) don't join in until the 9th matches. This is whats called the Third Round (the others being qualifying matches and preliminarys)

This means, feasibly that any team can eventually meet any team, and while in practice it rarely happens because of the staggered entry, the numbers involved means it does sometimes!

Pretty much every football playing schoolboy in England dreams of winning the FA Cup at Wembley....and the beauty of it is, he technically still can. he doesn't HAVE to play for Manchester United or Chelsea to have that chance! There is also the chance that they could reach the magical third round and play against some of thier sporting idols, remember a lot of these players are part time or amatuer.

If you get to the third round you have just as much chance of getting to play Liverpool at Anfeild as anyone else, and ok, you more than likely wont beat them, but could you imagine a local boy who grew up watching the Yankees play sitting there knowing with the draw of a ball he could be leading his team out at Yankee Stadium in a COMPETITIVE Game. And lets not forget, there is a 50% chance that that games not played at Yankee Stadium, but at his home club with only 4000 raucus home fans in attendance....

Ok, now I have waxed romantically over the theoretical possibilities, lets get on with the purpose of this thread.

The town where I spent my formative years, Hastings were playing in the second round of the FA cup today, in a replay against a team 1 division higher than them. Not the most glamorous of ties I will grant you, but Hastings have never been past the first round before, and quite frankly, the place is a shit hole that has very little going for it.

And whats more important, there is a place in the third round at stake. Now because this is a replay, the draw for the next round has already taken place! And the winners face a trip all the way up country to play Middlesborough. Now for non-uk football fans, Middlesborough are currently in the Championship (2nd highest tier) and are probably going to get promoted this year. They have only recently been demoted out of it, and have only a few short years ago been in the Europa League Final and played host to some of the best talents football has to offer!

Ozle · « **Reply #1 on:** December 13, 2012, 06:30:11 pm »

Some key facts:

Hastings Entire year operating budget : ~£40k a year
Money Hastings get for this match being shown on TV@ ~£45k
Middlesboroughs approximate yearly wage bill >£1m
Amount of teams between Hastings and Middlesborough in the league pyramid = ~140

Except first they have the small matter of overcoming Hereford town, a team only a mere 20 places above them, but still a division ahead. But this will be the 4th team above them Hastings have faced (one of them was ironically the town I am currently living in, i was not popular that day round here!) so there is some hope.

Onto the match, my first thought is that the Hastings Keeper was limping ONTO the pitch! Turns out he has a bum leg!! But Hastings dont have a spare fit goalkeeper on their books apparently, so either he plays or they put an outfield player in goal (Akin to replacing your kicker in NFL with a generic linesmen is the closest I can think)

Thats not good.

Ozle · « **Reply #2 on:** December 13, 2012, 06:30:23 pm »

The Match
Its a scrappy physical game, not really one for the purists, but the 4000 crowd at the Pilot Field is really cheering on the home team (Usual crowd ~350). The second half starts and Hastings get an extremely soft penalty. Up steps a player to take it.... a player who's day job is 'Naked Butler' I kid you not!...and he scores 1-0 to Hastings!!

What then precedes is the quality of the Hereford team and the superior fitness begins to tell and they start to get a hold of the game, with the Hastings team having to hoof it up field for momentary respites when they can. Coupled with a goalkeeper who is struggling to jump and it looks a grim inevitability.....except it gets to the 80th minute and its still 1-0.........then its the 85th minute, and still 1-0....could it be possible that they could actually do this? The players from both sides are now looking dead on thier feet, its been a physical game and dont forget none of these teams are full time, most are not even part time! And then in the 89th minute it happens, the Hastings goalkeeper cant jump to get a ball as it floats over his hands and a Hereford player puts it in the net. The 89th Minute!!!! Heartbreak. The referee blows his whistle moments later

But then the shock recedes as everyone realises, hang on its only 1-1 the games not over yet, there are 2x15 minutes of injury time to play now!

Ozle · « **Reply #3 on:** December 13, 2012, 06:30:33 pm »

Overtime!
The Hastings manager (who also doubles as a left back in the current squad) pulls the players together and gives them a talk. Hastings still have one sub left, do they bring on a fresh player, or save it in case the goalkeeper has to stop. They save him. I don't know what he said in that talk, but whatever it is they should bottle it, because the Hastings players come out with renewed vigour during the overtime.

Then 20 minutes into the OT all of a sudden its 3 Hastings players against 2 Hereford Defenders, all they need to do is control that ball and surely its a goal! ARGH his first touch is all wrong and its got away from him. You feel theres another chance there though, there Hereford lads look exhausted. And there is, 25 minutes in a young Hastings guy flies down the wing, no idea where that burst of energy came from and cuts the ball across the box.....three players slide in, it just needs a touch and its in the goal....and they all can't quite get there.

The OT ends.....Penalty shootout time...

Ozle · « **Reply #4 on:** December 13, 2012, 06:30:45 pm »

Penalty Shootout
Hastings still have thier sub, do they bring on a reserve who can move about better, or stick with thier more experienced goalie...they decided to stick.
Its 5 penalties each...then sudden death

Hereford are up first...the crowd are making quite a racket behind the goal...its a brilliant strike and 1-0 to Hereford
Up steps the Hastings Man, its the Naked Butler again, safe you reckon, he has already scored once tonight like this......oh no, he has scuffed it! But its gone in anyway in the bottom corner! We'll take that 1-1!
The second Hereford man comes up, he looks a bit nervous, he takes no time at all to settle and balloons the ball over the bar!! The crowd go mental and make balloon deflating noises at him as he trudges back to be consoled by his team mates.
Next up Hastings...BAM, Goal. 2-1 to Hastings!
The next 3 go in as well, no goalie getting close so its 3-3, but Hastings have 2 shots to Herefords 1, its all in thier hands now.
Up steps a guy whose actual job is Tennis umpire! And its his 24th birthday today......Well how's that for a present a great goal!
4-3 to Hastings.
If Hereford miss their last shot, its all over. Even the crowd are quiet now....but he doesn't miss, he scores and its 4-4

So now with the last kick of the shootout its Dave the Plumber, 23. Score and your team goes through, miss and its sudden death shootout..... he takes his time, steadies himself...oh and the pressure is too much, he puts it wide, way wide.

Ozle · « **Reply #5 on:** December 13, 2012, 06:43:35 pm »

Sudden Death Shootout Time!!

the order remains the same, you get 1 shot each, first team to score when the other team has missed win.
So Hereford go first.....and the guy puts it the same height over the crossbar as the earlier miss!!! The crowd are going banana's!

Up steps the Hastings boy, I have no idea of his age or occupation, but he is looking like he is about 12 years old right now! Same situation as before now, he scores, Hastings are through to the third round for the first time, and a chance to play at the 35,000 seater Riverside stadium, that has hosted some of the best teams in the world (and England a few times)

A few pats on the back form his team mates to help his confidence and he is pushed into the limelight...he steps up...shoots....and ITS A GOAAAAALLLL!
GOOOOOAAAAAALLLLL!!!
GOOOOOAAAALLLLL!!!!!

(I was literally jumping around the room right now!)

I can't believe it!
What I also can't believe is that from an outsiders point of view, this was a scrappy fairly pointless game of football, which will more than likely end with a pounding by the big clubs next round! but to those players involved, the fans at the pitchside and those who for the first time got to see their home sporting town on a national sports station (ESPN), this was sporting magic!

Wow, just wow

Drab Emordnilap · « **Reply #6 on:** December 13, 2012, 07:33:39 pm »

Thank you for this story. It was enjoyable to read.

Eevee · « **Reply #7 on:** December 13, 2012, 07:49:54 pm »

Thanks for the story. Now, the pertaining question is, do you care more about the hastings team or tuvalu's national team?

Ozle · « **Reply #8 on:** December 14, 2012, 03:25:02 am »

Quote from: Eevee on December 13, 2012, 07:49:54 pm

Thanks for the story. Now, the pertaining question is, do you care more about the hastings team or tuvalu's national team?

Well, its hard to get enthusiastic about a team who has only 4 games in thier history......

Im also not usually this caring about the Hastings team either if I am honest, but when you feel someone is punching above thier weight and representing you well then you gotta applaud them for that.

Of course, nothing beats the Tri-Annual Island Shuffleboard cup! Thats the big thing where i come from, nothing I enjoy more than a good stomping of Kiribati! (for non-Tuvaluans its like the Ashes, but bigger. (for non-English, the Ashes are like the Ryder cup...but bigger)

theory · « **Reply #9 on:** December 14, 2012, 09:53:41 am »

I was super excited for my friend's local team Huddersfield Town. They were promoted up to the Championship on a penalty shootout that went all the way down to the goalies! The Huddersfield goalie made his kick but the other side's goalie did not ...

Ozle · « **Reply #10 on:** January 04, 2013, 06:30:54 am »

Middlesbrough vs Hastings 3pm Saturday in the 3rd round of the FA Cup!
Wooooo!

ipofanes · « **Reply #11 on:** January 04, 2013, 07:12:42 am »

Quote from: Ozle on December 13, 2012, 06:29:59 pm

Hastings have never been past the first round before, and quite frankly, the place is a shit hole that has very little going for it.

The town hosts one of the most venerable annual chess tournaments at least.

Ozle · « **Reply #12 on:** January 04, 2013, 07:17:33 am »

Quote from: ipofanes on January 04, 2013, 07:12:42 am

Quote from: Ozle on December 13, 2012, 06:29:59 pm
Hastings have never been past the first round before, and quite frankly, the place is a shit hole that has very little going for it.

The town hosts one of the most venerable annual chess tournaments at least.

It does indeed, I did join that Chess club at one point as well (obviously not good enough to play in the tournament though!)

SwitchedFromStarcraft · « **Reply #13 on:** January 04, 2013, 10:33:12 am »

Quote from: Ozle on January 04, 2013, 06:30:54 am

Middlesbrough vs Hastings 3pm Saturday in the 3rd round of the FA Cup!
Wooooo!

Ozle, please let us know what happens, especially if it's a story as good as the first one.

Ozle · « **Reply #14 on:** January 05, 2013, 08:06:33 am »

Just looked at the odds, Hastings are 20/1 to win, thats not good in a two player game....

Ozle · « **Reply #15 on:** January 05, 2013, 10:07:30 am »

Kick off.....and bad news to start. The goalkeeper that struggled through the first game has failed a late fitness test and is out!

Ozle · « **Reply #16 on:** January 05, 2013, 10:56:49 am »

We started well here by the looks of it, helped by the fact Middlesborough are not playing a full strength squad.

15th Minute...Penalty to Middlesborough, uh oh
SAVED!!!! Oh my, keeper has saved it and its 0-0!
Middlesborough all over us now though, going to have a hard time keeping them out. Oh and theres the goal, 1-0 to them. A hard game just got nearly impossible to win, but its only 1 goal, that still do'able!!

Ozle · « **Reply #17 on:** January 05, 2013, 10:57:13 am »

GOAL TO HASTINGS!!!!!! WOOOOO

Ozle · « **Reply #18 on:** January 05, 2013, 10:57:28 am »

Ahhh, shit, just been disallowed for offside.
Crushed.

Half time.

Ozle · « **Reply #19 on:** January 05, 2013, 11:12:59 am »

2-0 down after 2 minutes of the second half......*sigh*

Ozle · « **Reply #20 on:** January 05, 2013, 11:30:09 am »

3-0.....20 minutes to go....out of it now

Wait a minute, Hastings goal!!! YAY!!

3-1!
Still very unlikely to win, but at least the 1000 fans who got up at 6am this morning have had something!

SwitchedFromStarcraft · « **Reply #21 on:** January 05, 2013, 12:15:39 pm »

I've got my fingers crossed, Ozle. Don't know if it's over yet, this is 45 minutes after your last post.

Ozle · « **Reply #22 on:** January 05, 2013, 12:52:34 pm »

Unfortunately it is, 4-1 was the final score. But from the sounds of it the Fans had a good day out, and Hastings didn't disgrace themselves. It was a predictable result playing against a team so many places above them.

Oh well, there is always next year....

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Author Topic: Allow me to share my magical F.A Cup Evening with you.... (Read 3915 times)