The FA Cup is the greatest domestic tournament in world football. Opportunities for lower league clubs to travel to the biggest in Europe is something that isn’t offered by another competition.
The reward of a trip to the hallowed turf of Wembley at both the semi-final and final stage is one that smaller teams crave dearly.
Supporting a team like Crystal Palace, a trip to the national stadium is as good as it gets.
Without billionaire investment, world class talent and incredible squad depth, fans like me get used to mid-table mediocrity. Escaping relegation, the occasional giant killing and the chance of qualifying for a European place are some of the few thrills we get.
A cup run is, therefore, the ultimate chance for glory.
There’s no better example of this than with Wigan in 2013, where the Latics beat Manchester City at Wembley and suffered relegation to the Championship in the same season.
Borehamwood made the round-of-16, where they were rewarded with a trip to Everton. As a National League team, they will indefinitely remember that experience, despite losing 2-0.
The bigger team’s attitude towards the Cup has been questioned over recent years. Often fielding weaker teams, it has seemed that trophies such as the League and FA Cups are only taken seriously when there is the possibility of a treble on the cards.
Our success in the 2013 Championship play-off final remains one of my favourite Palace games and I still remember the hysterics that followed Kevin Phillips’ penalty to beat Watford 1-0.
The 2016 FA Cup final is a memory that has stayed with me to this day. The 3 minutes after we went 1-0 up were the best of my life. Manchester United beat us 2-1 in extra time to break my heart. Walking down Wembley Way to see the Arch lit up in my team’s colours is a dream I’ve had since.
After rolling over Everton 4-0 on Sunday in what was a surprisingly comfortable quarter final, another lifelong memory will be made come the end of April.
Who waits to meet us there? Chelsea. World champions, European champions. It’s a tough ask, but then again, in cup games form goes out the window.
Our chances might be slim but, when at Wembley the players will give everything. Who knows, maybe, just maybe we will have another Wembley date to look forward to in May.
