Football 5g2n52

FA Cup: The Ten Biggest Third-Round Upsets 5a2215

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By
Kieran Lynch
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Kieran Lynch Sports Editor

Kieran Lynch is a sports writer specialising in football and Formula One. He is a sports journalism graduate of Leeds Trinity University and completed a Press Association NCTJ course in Newcastle. He previously worked as a news reporter for the Eastern Daily Press in Norfolk and spent five years as a sports writer at the MailOnline.

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Published07 Jan 2025

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FA Cup third-round weekend is always one of the most exciting in the football calendar with the prospect of huge upsets.

The third-round is rich with moments of David downing Goliath. Such as Aston Villa losing to Stevenage in 2023 and Cambridge beating Newcastle a year prior.

There are a number of games to watch out for this weekend including non-league Tamworth who will hope to write themselves into football folklore when they host Premier League Tottenham.

Liverpool, Man City and Chelsea play League Two sides Accrington Stanley, Salford City and Morecambe respectively. Non-league Dagenham and Redbridge will also hope to reach the fourth round as they play League Two opposition Crewe.

Ahead of FA Cup third-round weekend, SportsCasting takes a look at 10 of the biggest upsets at this stage of the tournament.

Ten Biggest FA Cup Third-Round Upsets 5tq64

10. Manchester United 0-1 Leeds United (2010)

Though they are two of the biggest clubs in English football, there was two divisions between the rival clubs when they met in 2010.

Sir Alex Ferguson. Leeds on the other hand were top of League One hoping to return to the Championship.

Not many gave Leeds hope but it proved to be a day that their fans still celebrate to this day.

Jermain Beckford scored the only goal of the game after expertly finishing following a long ball over the top of the Manchester United defence.

9. Shrewsbury Town 2-1 Everton (2003) e5i3s

Former Everton captain Kevin Ratcliffe masterminded the humiliation of his former side as Shrewsbury manager in a famous FA Cup upset in 2003.

The Shrews were battling it out at the bottom of the Football League when they played an Everton side which boasted a young Wayne Rooney in their ranks.

Shrewsbury – 80 places below Everton in the football pyramid at the time – took the lead through Nigel Jemson before Niclas Alexandersson appeared to send the tie to a replay with an equaliser.

But former Nottingham Forest striker Jemson netted in a late header to seal a fourth-round tie with Chelsea.

8.Birmingham City 1-2 Altrincham (1986) 5f1n3z

Alliance Premier League side Altrincham held Everton and Tottenham to draws in the 1970s, but their most improbable result came against First Division Birmingham in 1986.

After going behind to a Robert Hopkins opener, the non-league side soon equalised through Ronnie Ellis.

Hopkins’ fortunes turned soon after when his misplaced went beyond a young David Seaman and into his own goal allowing the Cheshire side to become only the second non-league team to beat top-flight opposition away from home.

7. Newport County 2-1 Leicester (2019) 1s2q6k

Newport County of the fourth tier knocked out Leicester in the third round in 2019 – two years before the Foxes lifted the trophy.

The Exiles took the lead through Jamille Matt against a Leicester side 74 places above them in the football pyramid.

Rachid Ghezzai smashed the Foxes level but Newport went through after an 85th-minute penalty from Padraig Amond.

However, it wasn’t the biggest third-round upset the Foxes were victim of.

6. Harlow Town 1-0 Leicester (1980) 43u6n

Gary Lineker was part of a Leicester side that crashed out of the FA Cup in a third-round replay to non-league Harlow Town 45 years ago in one of the biggest upsets.

The game went to a replay after a 1-1 draw at Leicester who would get promoted to the English top-flight the same season.

John MacKenzie scored the winning goal for Harlow, who would then push top-flight Watford all the way in a thrilling 4-3 defeat.

5. Stevenage 3-1 Newcastle (2011) 636g67

The Magpies became only the fourth top-flight team since the formation of the Premier League to lose to fourth-tier opposition during what was Stevenage’s first season in the EFL.

Stacy Long gave them the lead, before Michael Bostwick added a second. Cheick Tiote’s dismissal didn’t help Newcastle’s cause and, even though Joey Barton pulled one back, Peter Winn sealed a famous victory.

Stevenage were 73 places lower than Newcastle in the football pyramid at that time when they produced one of the FA Cup’s biggest upsets.

4. Wrexham 2-1 Arsenal (1992) 1t6714

Arsenal won the FA Cup in 1993 but a year prior they suffered a shocking defeat to fourth-tier Wrexham in the third round.

The Gunners took the lead through Alan Smith but failed to take any more of their chances with Wrexham building momentum throughout the game.

Wrexham equalised through a stunning Mickey Thomas free-kick in the 82nd minute before Steve Watkin added a second just two minutes later to send George Graham’s side out of the cup.

It was regarded as one of the biggest giant-killings in football, especially given Arsenal won the title the year before. Wrexham would take West Ham to a replay in the fourth round.

3. Sutton United 2-1 Coventry City (1989) 5h484h

Coventry City were FA Cup holders just 18 months earlier when they travelled to take on Sutton United.

The Sky Blues arrived with confidence after a solid start to their season in the top-flight.

However, they were left stunned as goals from Tony Rains and Matthew Hanlan helped them secure victory for the non-league side managed by English teacher Barrie Williams in one of the biggest FA Cup upsets.

Sutton United went on to lose 8–0 in the fourth round to Norwich City and ended the season mid-table in the Conference, but nobody could take away their famous win over Coventry.

2. West Brom 2-4 Woking (1991) 2h3s66

A Tim Buzaglo hat-trick helped steer Woking, then of the Isthmian League, to a stunning 4-2 win over Second Division West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns.

The result was made all the more improbable as the Baggies took the lead through Colin West, but the visitors roared back in the second half.

Buzaglo netted an 11-minute treble and Terry Worsfold made it 4-1 on 88 minutes.

Darren Bradley reduced arrears a minute later, but Geoff Chapple’s side held on for a remarkable third-round victory, which has been listed as one of the most improbable third-round victories in the competition’s history.

1. Hereford United 2-1 Newcastle (1972) 325w5i

A result that has gone down in FA Cup folklore, aided by one of the most famous goals in the history of the competition.

The Bulls, then of the Southern League, held First Division Newcastle United to a 2-2 draw at St James’ Park and went one better in the replay.

Trailing to Malcolm Macdonald’s 85th-minute header, Hereford rallied courtesy of Ronnie Radford’s 35-yard thunderbolt and Ricky George’s extra-time winner.