The Great Debate: What's your favourite FA Cup third round memory? | OneFootball

It’s January, and that means one thing in English football: the FA Cup.

The third round kicks off on Friday evening and runs all weekend and we cannot wait.

So we’ve asked around OneFootball Towers for everyone’s favourite FA Cup third round memory.

Lewis Ambrose

The third round means upsets, right? But my favourite upset came in the fourth round, when Bradford came from 2-0 down to beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

So I’ll go for something a little different and, as an Arsenal fan, a bit more route one.

Just thinking about Thierry Henry’s goalscoring return against Leeds in 2012 still gives me goosebumps.

Dan Burke

I’m gonna go for Burnley dumping Rafael Benítez’s Liverpool out in 2005.

Not only was the game won for the Clarets by a hilarious own goal from Liverpool’s Djimi Traoré, but it also prompted one of the most brilliant terrace chants in football history.

To the tune of Michael Jackson’s Blame it on the Boogie …

🎶 Don’t blame it on Biscan, Don’t blame it on Hamann, Don’t blame it on Finnan, Blame it on Traoré, He just can’t, he just can’t, he just can’t control his feet… 🎶

Matt Frohlich

I’ll have to go with a Spurs memory here and it’s one of the first FA Cup third round games I remember, a rather uninspiring 1-0 victory over Leyton Orient in 2001.

The matchwinner on the day was none other than Gary Doherty, whose nickname of ‘The Ginger Pelé’ never failed to amuse me, but the real reason it sticks out is because it kickstarted my obsession, and life long despair, of hoping to see Spurs lift the famous old trophy.

As of 2021, the wait goes on.

Alex Mott

A personal one for me too, it simply has to be Oxford’s 1-0 win over hated rivals Swindon in the 2002 Third Round.

A sold-out Kassam Stadium, just 12 months after the Yellows had moved to their new home, was rocking while those who couldn’t get tickets watched the game on your actual BBC One.

It was a huge moment for the club and made even better by journeyman Jefferson Louis scoring the only goal of the game and then after full-time, parading around the changing rooms naked in full view of Gary Lineker and the Match of the Day pundits.

Lovely stuff.

Joel Sanderson-Murray

I’m going to have to go for Xabi Alonso’s goal for Liverpool from inside his own half against Luton in 2006.

At the end of a crazy game which ended 5-3 the Spanish midfielder has the audacity to dribble past Luton goalkeeper Marlon Beresford before smashing the ball home from 70 yards out.

A feat made even better by Steven Gerrard appearing to be fuming at Alonso for not passing him the ball before seeing the ball roll over the line.

Pádraig Whelan

In 1992, before Wrexham became famous for being under the ownership of Hollywood superstars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, they were cup giant killers.

As Arsenal, then the reigning champions of England, found out to their cost when they took on the side who had finished bottom of the Football League the previous season.

After Alan Smith put the Gunners ahead, Mickey Thomas and Steve Watkin made history, writing a script their current owners would be proud of.