So, as I bounce back and forth between the current footy happenings in England and some classic comedies of fifty years ago, it's time to return to the present! Here's what happened over the weekend, and what is going to happen!
If you can cast your minds back to last Wednesday, you may recall that I put particular emphasis on the three clashes involving League Two clubs? Well, the emphasis is no more, as all three went down. Carlisle suffered a 3-0 home loss at the hands of Premier League Everton, Portsmouth did slightly better against Bournemouth (losing by the odd goal in three), while Blackburn put three past Oxford Utd.
With Walsall, Bury, and Colchester all going out, that leaves Shrewsbury as the only team from outside the top two tiers guaranteed a spot in Round Five. Struggling to remain out of the relegation zone - they are just a point ahead of Fleetwood - the Shrews caused a minor upset by disposing of Championship promotion hopefuls Sheffield Wednesday. This five-goal thriller was, in fact, the only tie that saw a team defeat opposition from a higher level.
I did mention the word "guaranteed" with regard to Shrewsbury, because their League Two compatriots Peterborough are not yet out of the competition. After a well-earned 2-2 at the Hawthorns, "The Posh" still have to win the replay against Premier Leaguers West Brom to clinch their place in the last 16.
Both Manchester clubs eased their way into the next round, as did Arsenal, Chelsea, Watford, Spurs, and Crystal Palace. The great news for Shrewsbury fans is that their favourites will now play host to Manchester Utd! There is a replay of the 2014 Cup Final as Arsenal and Hull lock horns, while their are three all-PL fixtures. The complete draw is :
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Chelsea vs Manchester City
Reading vs WBA or Peterborough
Watford vs Leeds Utd
Shrewsbury Town vs Manchester Utd
Blackburn vs Liverpool or West Ham
Tottenham vs Crystal Palace
Arsenal vs Hull City
Bournemouth vs Everton
If we look at the history books, we will see that many of the "cup specialists" are in the draw. Out of the top eleven most prolific F.A. Cup winners, nine are still alive. Here are those records, with the number of wins listed. Teams in the Fifth Round Draw are in bold :
Arsenal (12)
Manchester Utd (11)
Tottenham Hotspur (8)
Liverpool (7)
Chelsea (7)
Aston Villa (7)
Newcastle Utd (6)
Blackburn Rovers (6)
Everton (5)
West Bromwich Albion (5)
Manchester City (5)
West Ham have three wins, and Leeds one, while Hull, Crystal Palace, and Watford have all appeared in a final. Reading, Peterborough, Shrewsbury, and Bournemouth are all seeking their first appearance in an F.A. Cup Final.
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