Some are already calling it the greatest FA Cup competition in history. Why, because Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea — which comprise half of this year’s UEFA Champions League quarterfinal list — have failed to reach the semifinals for the first time in what seems like all of FA Cup history.
And for those neutrals rooting for the underdog, it gets even better: three League Championship sides — Barnsley, West Bromwich Albion, Cardiff City — are left, while Portsmouth, the lone representative from the Premiership, last won the competition in 1939. In fact, each of the remaining four has won the FA Cup just once, the most recent being West Brom in 1968.
So, how much does winning the FA Cup mean to these fans? Consider the reaction of Cardiff City supporter Vince Alm when his team beat Middlesbrough, 2-0, in the quarterfinals: “When the final whistle blew at Middlesbrough that day, a lot of people were reduced to tears,” he said. “You were just hugging everybody and anybody. Grown men were crying. An incredible feeling. You’re just blessed to be able to feel it.” Indeed, for whoever wins this year’s FA Cup, it will be a celebration and a season to remember.