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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Max Rushden

The FA Cup final will be fascinating but the true magic belongs to its minnows

Tony Rains and Matthew Hanlan of Sutton celebrate after their FA Cup third-round victory over Coventry in 1989
Non-league Sutton’s third-round victory over Coventry in 1989 was undeniably a case of peak FA Cup magic. Photograph: Allsport Uk/Allsport

Has the FA Cup lost something? You know, something intangible. Something that made it more special all those years ago. What’s the word? It’s “Tada”, it’s “Abracadabra”, it’s “Piff Paff Puff” … it’s magic perhaps – yes that’s it. Remember when it was magic. Ricky Villa, Norman Whiteside, the Crazy Gang, the cream suits. Bert Millichip, velvet bags, Sutton United, Tim Buzaglo, Mickey Thomas, Ronnie Radford.

How could we get it back? Did Des Lynam remember to cryogenically freeze the legendary Gerald Sinstadt before he retired? Could we reanimate him and get him on the Manchester United coach at 8am? Could we all give our TVs away so only one house on the street has one and we sit around that – or better still, all stand next to that Leicester fan who found a transistor radio from somewhere for the last day of the season? Get Mike Ingham and Alan Green on a crackly landline.

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