Road to Wembley 2023

POMPEY 3-2 MK Dons
AFC WIMBLEDON 0-2 Chesterfield

POMPEY and CHESTERFIELD will be in the hat for Round THREE, with our third featured game kicking off at 5pm tomorrow

 

IPSWICH TOWN received the final baton after a 4-0 win over Buxton

 

The draw has been made for Round THREE.

IPSWICH TOWN v Rotherham Utd
The Millers are in the Championship, a level above the hosts
They are entering the competition at this stage
Their best FA Cup showing is Round FIVE, in 1952-53 and 1967-68
Last season they went out in Round THREE, losing on penalties to QPR

CHESTERFIELD v West Bromwich Albion
The Baggies are in the Chjampionship, which puts them three divisions above the Spirites.
They are entering the competition at this stage
They have won the cup five times, but you have to go back all the way to 1968 for their most recent triumph
They went out at this stage last season, going down 1-2 at home to Brighton

Tottenham Hotspur v POMPEY
Spurs are in the Premier League, two divisions above Pompey
They have lifted the trophy eight times, but haven't done so for over 30 years. Their last win was in 1991.
Last season they lost 1-0 at Middlesbrough in Round FIVE

Ties to be played on the week-end of Saturday 7th January

 

....after a bit of a delay - Round Four is almost upon us, so to recap:

IPSWICH TOWN 4-1 Rotherham
CHESTERFIELD 3-3 West Brom
Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 POMPEY

So Jim Bowen has handed the blue baton to TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR, while CHESTERFIELD have to try again after West Brom's late equaliser.

Round FOUR

IPSWICH TOWN v Burnley
The Clarets are currently at the top of the Championship, so 26 places above the hosts
They won 4-2 away to Premier League Bournemouth in Round Three
Their single triumph in the competition was over a century ago, in 1914.
Last season they fell in Round THREE, with a 1-2 home defeat at the hands of Huddersfield Town

CHESTERFIELD or West Brom are away to Bristol City or Swansea City - update later

Preston North End v TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
The Lilywhites are in the Championship, so a level below the visitors
They have won the cup twice, although we've fought a world war since their most recent win in 1938
In Round Three they knocked out Huddersfield (to Burnley's relief) with a 3-1 win at Deepdale
Last season they failed in round THREE, suffering a 2-1 defeat away to Cardiff City

 

After the replays, we now have our third game sorted:

Bristol City v WEST BROMWICH ALBION
The Robins, like their visitors, are in the Championship
They have never won the cup, but they reached the final in 1909, when they were runners up to Manchester United
In Round Three they beat fellow Championship outfit Swansea City, with a 2-1 away win after Extra Time, following a 1-1 draw at Ashton Gate
Last season they fell at the first hurdle with a 0-1 home defeat to Fulham

All ties to be played over the week-end of Saturday 28th January

 

Round Four results as follows:

IPSWICH TOWN 0-0 Burnley
Replay
Burnley 2-1 IPSWICH TOWN

Bristol City 3-0 WEST BROMBICH ALBION

Preston North End 0-3 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

Therefore, with two of the three batons changing hands, it is BURNLEY, BRISTOL CITY & TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR into Round FIVE


BURNLEY v Fleetwood Town
The Cods are in League One; a division below the hosts in this, the only tie not involving a Premier League team.
This current season sees them having the best cup run in their history.
To reach this stage, they have so far accounted for Oxford City, Ebbsfleet Utd, Queens Park Rangers and Sheffield Wednesday.
Last season they fell in Round ONE, losing 1-2 at home to Burton Albion

BRISTOL CITY v Manchester City
The Citizens are, of course, in the Premier League; a division above the hosts
The six times winners last lifted the cup in 2019
They have already seen off Chelsea and Arsenal in this year's competition
Last season they reached the semi finals, where they were beaten 3-2 by Liverpool

Sheffield United v TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
The Blades are currently 2nd in the Championship
They have won the cup four times, but it is nearly a century since their last triumph, in 1925.
Last season they lost 3-0 at Wolves in Round THRE

Bristol City v Burnley is in the evening of Tuesday 28th February, with the other two fixtures the following evening.

Just an interesting point: if the three winners manage to avoid each other in the draw for Round SIX, it will be the third year in a row that the three batons have stayed apart right up to the semi finals

 

Round FIVE

BURNLEY 1-0 Fleetwood Town

BRISTOL CITY 0-3 Manchester City

Sheffield United 1-0 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

So it is BURNLEY, MANCHESTER CITY & SHEFFIELD UNITED into Round SIX

For the first time in three seasons our teams have not managed to avoid each other until the semi finals as Manchester City and Burnley have been drawn against each other.

MANCHESTER CITY v BURNLEY
So we will lose either the purple or the red baton after this tie between the Premier League champions and the Championship leaders

SHEFFIELD UNITED v Blackburn Rovers
This tie guarantees a Championship side in the semi-finals
The Riversiders have won the cup six times, but it is nearly a century since they last lifted the trophy in 1928
They have so far knocked out Norwich City, Birmingham City and Leicester City
Last seaon they took an early bath, after going out 3-2 away to Wigan Athletic in Round Three.

 

Sorry I missed the quarter finals. Chemo getting me down a bit lately

Our Round Six results were:

MANCHESTER CITY 6-0 BURNLEY
So it's the end of the road for the Red Baton

SHEFFIELD UNITED 3-2 Blackburn Rovers

 

Semi Finals:

MANCHESTER CITY V SHEFFIELD UNITED

Our remaining two baton holders face off in the semi finals, so for the foirst time since I've been doing these threads we will have an 'un-batoned' side in the final, as Brighton take on Manchester United

 

Well, here we are; a Manchester Derby in the final, with the baton being carried by City

MANCHESTER CITY v Manchester United
United have won the cup on twelve occasions, but it is seven years since they last lifted the trophy.
They have played against Premier League opposition in every round and have so far knocked out Everton, Arsenal, West Ham, Fulham and Broighton.
Last season they went out to Middlesbrough in Round Four.


As for the Purple Baton, let's follow it from start to finish...

It began life in the Second Qualifying Round.
HAVANT & WATERLOOVILLE 1-0 AFC Totton

Third Qualifying Round
Cirencester Town 0-2 HAVANT & WATERLOOVILLE

Fourth Qualifying Round
HAVANT & WATERLOOVILLE 1-2 Weymouth

Round ONE
WEYMOUTH 1-1 AFC Wimbledon
Replay
AFC Wimbledon 3-1 WEYMOUTH

Round TWO
AFC WIMBLEDON 0-2 Chesterfield

Round THREE
CHESTERFIELD 3-3 West Bromwich Albion
Replay
West Bromwich Albion 4-0 CHESTERFIELD

Round FOUR
Bristol City 3-0 WEST BROMWICH ALBION

Round FIVE
BRISTOL CITY 0-3 Manchester City

Round SIX
MANCHESTER CITY 6-0 Burnley

Semi Final
MANCHESTER CITY 3-0 Sheffield United

.....And so we await the Final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 3rd June, at 3pm