FA Cup 3rd-Round Draw Winners and Losers: Final Repeat, Glovers in Paradise
The FA Cup third-round draw took place on Monday, with a number of eye-catching draws pulled out of the hat.
Among them was the very first draw to be named, with Arsenal hosting Hull City at the Emirates Stadium in what will be a repeat of last season's FA Cup final. The two clubs were also drawn together in the dress rehearsal, perhaps indicating that it was always meant to be.
Elsewhere Manchester United face a trip to either Accrington Stanley or Yeovil—giving the replay between the two sides an additional incentive (to say the least). Chelsea host Watford, while Manchester City host Sheffield Wednesday.
For the complete third-round draw, you can see it here.
Click on for some of the winners and losers from the draw.
Winners: Wrexham, Dover and Gateshead
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Three relative minnows of the draw were all granted early Christmas presents, as they were drawn against Premier League opposition in the FA Cup third round.
Wrexham travel to Stoke City (which should ensure a decent share of ticket receipts), while Gateshead should enjoy the same financial windfall (and brilliant day out) as they face West Brom.
Dover Athletic, meanwhile, might be the most fortunate of the three Conference sides—they will be hosting Crystal Palace at the amusingly named Crabble Athletic ground, where a broadcaster is almost guaranteed to pick up the game for live national television.
It remains to be seen whether any of the teams can win their games—Dover arguably have the best chance, simply by virtue of bringing the Premier League divas to their home ground—but all three games have the potential to be memorable experiences that are talked about for many years to come.
Winner: AFC Wimbledon
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Perhaps the tie of the round sees AFC Wimbledon face Liverpool, in a game that will see plenty of reminiscence about the 1988 final between the Reds and the team AFC Wimbledon effectively sprung from, the original Wimbledon.
That Wimbledon infamously transferred to Milton Keynes and became MK Dons in 2004, but while the Dons are not in the third-round draw this year, they will have to watch as AFC Wimbledon cap their remarkable rise since their foundation in 2002 with a meeting with one of England's most successful sides.
Back in 1988, the Crazy Gang beat Liverpool—at the time the best side in England—thanks to Lawrie Sanchez's goal.
A repeat scoreline might be asking a bit much, but it should nevertheless be a one-of-a-kind occasion at Kingsmeadow come the first weekend of January.
Loser: Blyth Spartans
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After their dramatic late victory over Hartlepool on Friday night, Northern Premier side Blyth Spartans will have been hoping that their heroic late effort would see them land a Premier League tie.
Unfortunately they were to be disappointed, the club paired with Birmingham City instead.
Blyth are at least at home—surely guaranteeing them a sell-out attendance—but the Championship strugglers are hardly a marquee attraction these days, and it is doubtful whether the television cameras will even option this game (something that would have resulted in a further windfall).
Blyth captain Stephen Turnbull, in attendance for the draw, arguably hit the nail on the head when asked about the draw afterwards.
"It was a bit of an anti-climax!" he told the BBC. "I wanted Manchester United to be honest. We will just have to give it our best shot."
Then again, the draw—especially at home—gives Blyth a more realistic possibility of moving on to the fourth round, where the odds of matching with a Premier League side get slightly better.
"I don't think that Birmingham will want to come on our pitch," Turnbull added. "It is not the same standard as the Championship, that is for sure, and we will give it a good go."
Losers: Everton, West Ham, Newcastle United and Leicester
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All Premier League ties in the third round of the FA Cup are invariably exciting for everybody bar the teams involved, and this season looks to be no different.
Neither West Ham nor Everton will be particularly excited about their upcoming meeting at Goodison Park, while Newcastle United and Leicester City will doubtless be saying the same thing about their date at St. James' Park.
For Newcastle, it would appear to be a particularly disappointing draw. As well as they have been doing in recent weeks, it remains the case that the club has not won a trophy of note for 45 years—and that the FA Cup remains a great opportunity to break that drought.
In an ideal world, Alan Pardew would perhaps ignore the cups completely, but the weight of history (and expectations of the fans) tend to keep him honest.
After losing at home in the third round last year to Cardiff City, perhaps the last thing he would have wanted is another such game against a struggling side in the division. But that is exactly what he has got.
Leicester, however, will not be feeling much better—bottom of the league at the moment, Nigel Pearson could well have been eyeing up an easy home game against a side a couple of leagues below them.
West Ham's game against Everton is similar: Both sides would have preferred to face lesser opponents, even at the risk of becoming victims of a giant-killing. As it is, both managers will probably rotate their squads significantly, resulting in exactly the sort of game that has diminished the standing of this competition over the past couple of decades.
Arsenal and Hull City are slightly different: After the disappointment of last season's final, Hull might be grateful for the instant opportunity to gain some revenge, while Arsenal will be happy to have home advantage—regardless of the opposition.
Losers: Worcester (and Scunthorpe)
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After fighting back to force a replay against league side Scunthorpe, Conference North side Worcester would have been hoping to see their efforts rewarded with a juicy third-round tie—or at least something to give them an extra incentive as they go into the replay.
Instead they were offered the "carrot" of a home game against League One side Chesterfield, a game that (no offence to any party) is hardly going to get the pulse racing.
Indeed, Worcester might not even get that tie—Chesterfield are currently being investigated over complaints they fielded an ineligible player, meaning the winner of the Worcester-Scunthorpe replay could end up facing MK Dons (who lost to Chesterfield in the second round) instead.
That's intriguing in its own sort of way, but it's not the same as a potential trip to Old Trafford or Anfield.
Winners: Accrington or Yeovil
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Accrington Stanley and Yeovil are the two clubs being looked at with envy by lesser sides all around England on Monday night. They got the game everyone wanted: Manchester United at home.
United remain far and away the biggest draw in England, and the team that most lesser sides would pick to face given the opportunity.
In that regard, Accrington and Yeovil have been granted their wish—all they have to do now is see off the other to claim what will be a money-spinning and historic tie.
It should be one of the most competitive second-round replays of recent memory.
