The FA Cup 1st Round Experience
The FA cup is the oldest football competition in the world and has been competed for since Wanderers won the competition in 1872. A truely unique and special tournament the FA cup is technically open to any FA registered mens team in England (and Welsh sides in English league system).
The competition has sides competing across the spectrum from Premier League contenders to amateur non-league sides entering a full 8 rounds before the Third Round Proper where the 'big boys' enter the tournament.
Once termed the most prestigous cup competition in the world the final was for decades the only English game that was shown overseas with millions tuning in world wide for the showcase event of the season.
But how special is the FA cup today? Is it still relevant in todays media rich global game in which tournaments such as the Champions League turn the heads of the spoilt for choice football spectators?
In the beginning of November the First round of the FA cup began and I went along to watch Alfreton Town v Bury Town (two non-league sides) to watch my best friends local team pit their wits away from home against a side two leagues above them hoping to gain a financial lifeline and glamour tie against a large League 1 team such as Leeds or Leicester or the dream of a third round tie against away at a Premier League club.
I met Scott my university flat-mate at Nottingham train station at about 11am, and got on a railway replacement bus bound for Alfreton about 15 miles north of the city. The journey was slow but the time was passed with a can of Burton's finest and my attempts to find out as much as possible about both teams including the basics such as what league they play in, any former professionals and any local rivalries and humourous chants.
These attempts were aided by a chance conversation with an Alfreton fan on the fake train, filled us in on the Alfreton team and their local rivals Worksop and within no time we were in Alfreton train station making our way towards the ground and making base camp at the closest pub.
Now at an English League game and every Premier League game fans of opposing sides are kept apart and marshalled into different pubs however this was a different affair. Fans of both teams were happily drinking and mixing finding out about each others teams and watching Arsenal overcome Manchester United in the morning kick off.
A few pints of the local ale and we made our way to the ground paying the mandatory FA cup ticket price of £10! a sharp rise in the normal admittance but a fee happily paid and negated by the Fish and Chip/Burger hut that was doing a roaring trade as a record 1,060 people arrive to watch the game.
As the game kicked off we took our position behind the goal with the 150 or so hardy Bury fans who had made the 3 hour trip north, the atmosphere was electric with both sets of fans singing their hearts out, STANDING 2 yards from the pitch on TERRACES! Refrains such as 'Oh bury town is wonderful' with the line 'its full of sugarbeet and Bury' rang out from the Bury fans who kept singing despite going behind after only 4 minutes and the crowd sensed the more experienced Conference North side could put the tie to bed early.
However this was not to be the case after 21minutes the Bury fans were rewarded for their loyalty as against the run of play they broke and one of the Reed brothers played a delighful cross for Bury's ageing centre back Johnson to head home from 2 yards out.
The crowd behind the goal erupted and pandemonium ensued as fans ran to mob the players huddled by the goal with one idiot even deciding to run onto the pitch, but with no police present and no hostile atmosphere the fan faced no action and quickly rejoined the boisterous Bury support.
Things soon got better as Bury found confidence after there goal and the game was now evenly matched, however parity lasted just 11 minutes as smart approach play by Bury was rewarded by a smart finish by the other Reed brother Lee Reed.
The players again ran to the Bury fans amassed behind the goal and suddenly the dejected fans of just half an hour ago suddenly started to believe that something magical may be on the cards, a major FA cup upset on a par with Southend overcoming a full strength Manchester United team at Old Trafford.
Alfreton continued to dominate most of the possession but Bury continued to create chances right up until the half-time whistle.
Generally football fans associate half-time as a time to go get a beer, use the toilet and chat about the game. I did this in a mixed supporter bar watching skysports news and chatting to a Sheffield United fan and it became clear that there were alot of neutral fans here for the spectacle as well as diehards. However the harmony of the supporter atmosphere was tainted when an idiot not there for the football headbutted an oposing fan for no apparent reason in the only bar, as this erupted I exited quietly out a side door and straight into the players tunnel where i took this opportune picture.
General disapointment was felt by both sides in the main stand as we chatted to the local radio commentator on the side of the terrace with my pint in my hand with a view of the pitch, I couldnt waste a drop what with the 'credit crunch'.
It was at this time I saw what I did not believe when my mate explained but the fans were casually and without fuss swapping ends to stand behind the goal their team would attack in the second half.
I was bewildered and thought this was a great idea, the small and compact Impact Arena with its 2 end terraces and pitch length covered seating, allowed full movement around all 4 stands making this possible, a trait which is apparently the norm in non-league football where stadia lack the sophistication of larger all-seater stadia.
The second half was a damp squib for Bury as the floodlights came on their hopes of progress simultaneously faded as Alfreton showed their superior ability and fitness to add goals in the 61st and 65th minutes with one from former league player Leo Fortune-West.
The Bury fans became quiet as it became clear that whilst hope remained a second equaliser was unlikely and the FA cup flame was finally extinguished with just 1 minute left as Clayton put the home side 4-2 up and safely into the 2nd round where they now face Scunthorpe.
As we waited to filter out and retrieve my bag (accidently left behind when we swapped ends) I walked down the length of the main stand I was suprised to see a line of Alfreton players coming the other way.
The players were on their way back out to the pitch for a lap of honour from the waiting crowd and I shook their hands and joined the congratulary comments as they filtered their way pitch side, you could really see how much it meant as I looked into their eyes.
In the cold light of day you may say that my 'adopted' team for the day lost and the day was a failure but it was far from it. I met some decent hard working football fans without pretention, saw an entertaining and atmospheric game of football and realised just how much this competition can mean to some of these clubs.
I later learned that the prize money for losing that game was still £20,000 which is less than 1/7th of Frank Lampards weekly wage, but enough to keep a small club like Bury Town going for the rest of the year. This is a team in which replica shirts must be ordered with the players yearly allowance so as only one batch is made to save money and the club does not have a merchandise shop just a hut open on matchdays.
I would like the final word on this game to be a thank you to the fans of Bury and Alfreton town for the record attendance and warm welcome I received even when I revealed my true allegiances. Ultimately they helped me rekindle my love of the FA Cup and cannot wait for the third round draw.
TodayI enjoyed the food, conversation and of course the beer and will be sure to return to Alfreton if they get a third round home draw and this time I may even route for the home side.
Come on Alfreton Town beat Scunthorpe (Alfreton lost to Scunthorpe)