30years of (FA Cup) hurt

Much has been said about our performance in the FA Cup over the years. It does seem like 30 years of hurt, though in reality it's only 28 years. To give some stats to our FA Cup success or failure over the last 28 years by awarding points depending on what level the team that knock us out each season are at compared to ourselves. i.e. If we are knocked out by a club one level below us that scores -1. If the team that knocks us out are two levels lower then -2 points are awarded. Zero if the team that knocks us out are at the same level and +1 if the team that knocks us out are a level higher, +2 if two levels higher. I have not included the two years representing 29 and 30 years ago because they were rather more successful. In seaon 1994/95 we lost in the 1st round to Bristol Rovers, but in season 1993/94 we lost out to Stoke City in a replay after defeating Hereford United. So placing a score against us for each team that has knocked City out each year we have a total of -10. That is a pretty poor performance and measures just how badly we have done in 28 years. In Jerry Gill's six attempts at the FA Cup with City the total is -3. The six seasons prior to Jerry's appointment gave us a tally of -4. A crumb of comfort perhaps for our current manager. One might expect to be knocked out by a club from a higher level, sometimes by the same level and ocassionally by a club from a lower level. A par score would be Zero, so our -10 indicates the numerical facts that we fans often moan about with regard to FA Cup disappointment. Who knows when this season's run ends and what score this would add. Zero if it's Worthing.

Well done on the research.
To me though it is not so much that we have been knocked out but the manner in which we have been knocked out. Our most dreadful performances have been reserved for the cup.
Truth be told we were pretty dire against Larkhall but got away with it. Hopefully we will display the same grit v Worthing as is produced in league games.

No matter how many FA Cup Ties that City are involved in nothing will ever beat the 2 Matches against Swindon Town in November 1960. A 2-2 draw at Swindon followed by a
6-4 home defeat in the replay. On a Thursday afternoon!

They are still the 'best' two games of football I have ever seen. And there are plenty I have been to.

My friends and I from Kingswood School were regular term time supporters and one of them took the picture of myself and Charlie Fleming when we ran on the the pitch (naughty boys) after the replay.

My favourite City FA Cup matches in order…

1 - Cardiff away (Deion Vernon’s finishes off a great move)
2 - Newport home (Denton’s wonder goal)
3 - Grimsby away (the one we won)
4 - Barnet away (Partridge’s late winner)
5 - Stoke away (Adcock’s late miss)

Worst by a country mile - East Thurrock away

For me it has to be the Millwall game. I was ten years old so that probably made it that much more exciting.

Grimsby
Hereford, Sky kept playing the Batty goal for years in their Cup build ups,
Barnet
Fulham, away replay, lost, great start and had them rocking at the end,
Dagenham away, last League match up, decent draw by our failing team at that point.

Looking at the Archive to prompt me, how regular we were in the late 80s/90s in to the Proper rounds.

All of the above were great memories.

Without looking at the archives so not sure if FA Cup or Trophy:
Mansfield home (2-0?), standing with The Bear and his friend from Mansfield.
Bristol Rovers away.

We have played Mansfield in the Cup but it was a miserable 4-0 away defeat in 1988. I think you're referring to the league match at Twerton in 2011!

Rovers was in the Trophy.

Luton Roman wrote:
Looking at the Archive to prompt me, how regular we were in the late 80s/90s in to the Proper rounds.

Much more achievable though when you're starting in the 4QR most years, and in at least a couple of them starting from the 1st Round proper already.

In terms of reaching the 'Proper' rounds from a similar stage to where we start now, the record isn't that different to now.
The past 25 seasons 98-99 to 23-24, we've reached the First Round or beyond from early Qualifying Rounds three times (Forest Green, Peterborough, Hendon).
The previous 25 seasons we'd managed it four times (Wimbledon, Plymouth, Peterborough, Northampton).
Seven times in the past 50 years, and five times in the preceding 50 years.

All I hope for from Saturday is a performance worthy of a result, whether the result comes or not. It would be fantastic to make the First Round again this season, but the side don't need the pressure of '30 years of hurt' on their backs. The expectation from some, even bordering into entitlement, isn't fair. Hopefully we'll put in a performance there like we did earlier this year and come home excited for the draw, but if not I pray we don't get a repeat of the completely unwarranted abuse and aggression that followed the Weston exit* a few years back.

City 'til we're relegated wrote:For me it has to be the Millwall game. I was ten years old so that probably made it that much more exciting.

And I was there as well....

3-1 to City, and Paddy Hale sent off.

It was the first time I had ever seen 'crowd trouble' with Millwall supporters scuffing behind the goal.

And then on to an away victory at Notts County in Round 2

comrade powell wrote:My favourite City FA Cup matches in order…

1 - Cardiff away (Deion Vernon’s finishes off a great move)
2 - Newport home (Denton’s wonder goal)
3 - Grimsby away (the one we won)
4 - Barnet away (Partridge’s late winner)
5 - Stoke away (Adcock’s late miss)

Worst by a country mile - East Thurrock away

3 out of 5 for me. Cardiff away. Dion what a player. Grimsby away Darren Edwards dreamy strike. Palms filming up in the sky. Stoke away. Getting clapped of by Stoke fans. Total respect.
As I wasn't at Newport home or Barnet away I have too pick Hereford home. Paul Batty strike. wow and Fulham replay away. Smart early goal. We threw away a 2 - 0 lead at TP.

Dave wrote:

All I hope for from Saturday is a performance worthy of a result, whether the result comes or not. It would be fantastic to make the First Round again this season, but the side don't need the pressure of '30 years of hurt' on their backs. The expectation from some, even bordering into entitlement, isn't fair. Hopefully we'll put in a performance there like we did earlier this year and come home excited for the draw, but if not I pray we don't get a repeat of the completely unwarranted abuse and aggression that followed the Weston exit* a few years back.

Yes all very unsavoury. A game we dominated and Weston keeper Luke Purnell got Man of the match. Sometimes the better team loses. That's football. As long as the team gives 100% which they did that Sunny day at Weston I can accept a defeat. Of course we want to make the first round but reaction was totally over the top.

kingswood charlie wrote:

City 'til we're relegated wrote:For me it has to be the Millwall game. I was ten years old so that probably made it that much more exciting.

And I was there as well....

3-1 to City, and Paddy Hale sent off.

It was the first time I had ever seen 'crowd trouble' with Millwall supporters scuffing behind the goal.

And then on to an away victory at Notts County in Round 2

Your claim to fame, Charlie, is that you were present when City played in front of two of the largest attendances in their history! We've played in front of 10000+ on 15 occasions, with the 25869 at Notts County just 1100 short of the crowd at the Bolton replay. 12000 were present at Twerton for the Millwall match putting it in 9th place. And those two games were the only ones we won out of the 15!

Might be wrong but I think our Millwall/Notts County cup run also included a win at Yeovil in the qualifying round.
Also thought it was Joe O'Neill who was sent off against Millwall but perhaps that was another game.

I’m going to be greedy and go for a top 10 FA cup games:
Cardiff (a)
Bristol City (a)
Stoke (a)
Grimsby (a)
Hereford (h)
Fulham (h)
Plymouth (h)
Barnet (a)
Northampton (h)
Yeovil (h) - the 86-87 win

kingswood charlie wrote:

City 'til we're relegated wrote:For me it has to be the Millwall game. I was ten years old so that probably made it that much more exciting.

And I was there as well....

3-1 to City, and Paddy Hale sent off.

It was the first time I had ever seen 'crowd trouble' with Millwall supporters scuffing behind the goal.


And then on to an away victory at Notts County in Round 2

My mum was in hospital waiting to give birth to me when that Notts County game took place. My dad was supposed to be with her but he disappeared off to Nottingham to watch the match. Whenever that match was mentioned thereafter he was given a very hard stare by my mum, but he always maintained that it was worth the hassle to see the great victory that day.

I guess a lifetime of following City for me was inevitable!!

Some great posts on this thread and nice to see the return of Paul Hill(WSP!) and KK.

comrade powell wrote:Some great posts on this thread and nice to see the return of Paul Hill(WSP!) and KK.

And all of a certain age I would hazard which reflects the distant memories of the league clashes.

Peter Newman wrote:Might be wrong but I think our Millwall/Notts County cup run also included a win at Yeovil in the qualifying round.

You are never wrong, Peter! Yes, Fleming and Wilshire sealed the 2-0 win.
Looking at the attendances for the four games of that cup run - incredibly 65,247 watched us with an average of 16,311!

For me I would have to pick Cardiff as it was the first time I saw City beat a league side - the second 45 minutes still one of the best halves of football I have seen them play, and of course there was Deion Vernon's goal. The game at Stoke runs it a close second with Paul Adcock being so close to becoming a part of City folklore.

Another 1st round game that always sticks in my mind is the 1-0 defeat at Wimbledon in 1974 when they went on to play Leeds. I often wonder if Mahon hadn't got that late winning goal whether it might have been us instead!

It would be great to reach that stage again and have the excitement of waiting for the draw, but if we don't it is important that it doesn't define the season after we have made such a good start.

comrade powell wrote:Some great posts on this thread and nice to see the return of Paul Hill(WSP!) and KK.

cheers powell. to be honest i forgot about the forum. facebook group gets on my nerves even though lots of discussion. wsp england playing soon v australia. were a top 4 country now. i think bears left the forum, shame i liked his odes. but thank god lord diablo is no where to be seen.

sorry were 5th. how the hell are belguim 2nd. been diabolical for years.
1 1841.3
Brazil Brazil
1 1 1 2 2
2 1816.71
Belgium Belgium
2 2 2 1 1
3 1773.88
Argentina Argentina
3 3 4 4 5
4 1759.78
France France
4 4 3 3 3
5 1728.47
England England
5 5 5 5 4

I promise not to be too rude about England if you return permanently to the forum! Bear is still around but he hasn’t posted on here for years or visited TP. I see Diablo in the stand at some matches.

Surprised no mentions of City v Bolton (1st div at the time). We were better side and went a goal up to an Owens rocket header from Flemings cross. Wanderers saved by a Francis Lee penalty.

Paul1978 wrote: but thank god lord diablo is no where to be seen.

He is still around with other interests and has "mellowed" a lot.