The magic of the Cup

This being third-round weekend, when the big boys get involved, we have heard much about the "magic of the F.A. Cup". But just what do they mean by this? Well, the F.A. Cup is one of the few major competitions in any sport where, at least once you get to the third round, there is no seeding. Who plays who (should that be "whom"?) is purely a matter of chance, and so any team, however lowly, is always there with the possibility of progressing thanks to a favourable draw, and the top teams may have to play each other early on. But I think the magic is more the general magic of knock-out football. Football is virtually alone in being a game in which the result need not - and often does not - reflect the respective skills of the two sides. All that matters is who scores the more goals - as it is ofen put "you get no points for style". Over a season, the most skillful teams will usually rise to the top, but in a one-off match, anything can happen - there are so many examples I could quote, but who can forget the Sunderland/Leeds Cup Final for one? And this, I think, is what draws us to the F.A. Cup, and long may it continue to do so.