"The third round of the FA Cup is one of the best weekends in the football calendar. Every season, when the Premier League teams enter the draw, there's a renewed sense of excitement about watching a match-up you've never seen before. And unless you support one of those big teams, everyone is hoping to see a famous cup upset. That's what the FA Cup is all about."
"This year, 747 teams entered, and from those early stages until now, it's been a scrap as the lower-ranked sides battled their way through.The third round has always been a great way to start the new year. This time, there were three non-league sides who made it that far Boreham Wood, Macclesfield and Weston-super-Mare, looking to carry on their remarkable runs. Of the Premier League teams joining the competition, 12 were drawn against lower-league sides potentially an embarrassing early exit."
"I visited Gainsborough Trinity in that first round, a club who play their football in the seventh tier, as they took on League Two side Accrington Stanley, sat 58 places above them in the pyramid. They took Stanley all the way to extra-time before losing 2-1, but put up a good fight and gave their fans something to be proud of."
The third round of the FA Cup generates intense excitement as Premier League entries create fresh David-versus-Goliath matchups and the possibility of famous upsets. The competition celebrates the English football pyramid and gives lower-tier clubs and their fans hope of achieving something special. This year 747 teams entered and lower-ranked sides fought through early rounds to reach the third round. Three non-league clubs—Boreham Wood, Macclesfield and Weston-super-Mare—reached the third round, while 12 Premier League clubs drew lower-league opponents. TNT Sports became the new broadcaster, televising matches from the first round across the weekend and awarding selected non-league clubs financial boosts. Gainsborough Trinity, a seventh-tier club, pushed League Two Accrington Stanley to extra time and received £50,000 for being chosen for broadcast.
Read at www.fourfourtwo.com
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