THIS weekend, the FA Cup kicks into full force with Non-League clubs starting to dream about which big team they could pull out in the first round proper.
Non-League has always provided us with magical cup moments and shock wins that will last long in the memory.
And for the teams competing in the fourth qualifying round today and tomorrow, the aim is to navigate their way over the final hurdle and get themselves into that first round draw.
One more win could see a very tasty and lucrative tie against League One heavyweights such as Sheffield United, Coventry City or Preston North End.
With eight all Blue Square Bet Premier ties drawn out, there will be at least six clubs from Step 3 and below in the first round hat.
That’s not to say, however, that the BSB Premier big boys don’t value a cup run as much as clubs lower down the Pyramid.
Last season, Wrexham, Tamworth, Fleetwood and BSB South Salisbury all reached round three and were rewarded with exciting draws.
Eventual BSB Premier winners Fleetwood hosted neighbours Blackpool, Tamworth travelled to Everton, Salisbury visited Sheffield United and Wrexham took Brighton to a replay and then penalties before bowing out.
And it’s not just the players who feel the benefit of those games. The clubs themselves see prize money from cups as a great way to secure their financial future.
Non-League sides are quick to point out that they don’t budget for cup runs but also make it clear that were they to happen, they’d be very well received.
Southern League Premier Stourbridge beat Plymouth Argyle last year in their replay which was shown live on ESPN.
That netted the club a tidy 33,500 pound – a figure no Non-League club would sniff at.
In 2010-11 we had Crawley Town going all the way to round five before narrowly losing 1-0 to Manchester United at Old Trafford and I think everybody still remembers that Richard Brodie header.
And yet another thing the FA Cup can provide is revenge.
Andy Hessenthaler had left as boss of BSB South Dover Athletic in the summer of 2010 to return to his former club Gillingham. Eighteen days later, he went back to the Crabble to take Ian Hendon, who had been named his successor, with him to Priestfield.
With Dover far from pleased, the FA Cup gave them a chance of retribution by pairing them with their Kent rivals in the first round. Adam Birchall scored a spectacular 30-yard effort as the Whites won 2-0 in their rivals’ own back yard.
Now it’s up to the class of 2012-3 to see who can make history and fly Non-League’s flag the furthest.
At the top of the game they might say that the FA Cup magic has gone, but you only have to look at Non-League to confirm it’s quite clearly still alive and well.
