Football Daily | Where Eagles dare: Crystal Palace bid to end their long wait for glory

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THE FINAL FOUR

With all due respect to the Full Members Cup and the Specsavers Surrey Senior Cup (current holders: South Park Reigate) Crystal Palace have never won a major trophy. While it’s a state of affairs some trophy-obsessed fans of more elite clubs would argue renders Palace’s 164-year existence a complete exercise in futility, the team from Selhurst Park have contested two FA Cup finals, only to come up short against Manchester United on both occasions. The most recent was nine years ago in a Wembley showpiece largely remembered for the losing manager’s touchline body-popping and the winning one being handed his P45 before his captain was presented with the trophy. And to think some people say the famous old competition has lost its magic, eh?

After their team’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal at the Emirates in Wednesday night’s snappily titled Don’t Get Knacked Because We All Have Bigger Fish To Fry derby, Palace fans are now free to start bricking themselves about the FA Cup semi against Aston Villa, a team whose most recent taste of major trophy success came 29 years ago in the Coca-Cola Cup. Before a match that both teams will consider eminently winnable, the atmosphere at Wembley come kick-off time on Saturday afternoon ought to be buoyant but will in truth be fraught by nerves, crippling anxiety and downright terror throughout the stands. “We’re very excited,” purred Palace manager Oliver Glasner after seeing his side use up two of their best goals of the season in an inconsequential draw. “I think everyone who is connected with Palace is very excited, but I think on the other side, it’s also important to stay calm.” To which the only obvious rejoinder is: “Good luck with that, Oliver.”

Following Saturday’s semi-final, Wembley Way will be rebranded in the colours of Nottingham Forest and Manchester City, two clubs whose major trophy droughts date back 35 years and 11 months, respectively. Following an unexpectedly disastrous Premier League campaign in which they currently sit one point ahead of a Forest side who are having an unexpectedly brilliant one, City will go into their seventh semi-final under Pep Guardiola as the bookies’ favourites, with most football romantics aside from their own fans (and those of Derby County, Leicester City and Notts County) fervently hoping they lose.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“He had to lock himself in the changing room, fearing for his life. We’ve had a referee threatened to be stabbed by a parent; he said if he gave another foul against his son he would stab him in the car park” – Ian Coates, general manager of the Northumberland Football League, on the threats facing officials in the UK grassroots game, featured in this long read that’s worth your time.

An illustration of a red-faced cartoon-style person, with a goalpost and footballer in the middle

If we’re talking best leagues in the world (yesterday’s Football Daily), allow me to nominate the North West Counties League Premier Division in the ninth tier. Ramsbottom United amassed 97 points and only finished third; eventual winners and my club Bury finished with a whopping 109. And we still needed a result on the final day to see off Merseyside outfit Lower Breck, with 8,700 people turning up at Gigg Lane to witness it, breaking the league’s attendance record by almost 3,000. Among that crowd was myself and my five-year-old son, who was born two weeks after we were expelled from the Football League. Unfortunately he now thinks pitch invasions are a regular occurrence. Come to think of it, having nominated it for best league in the world, I hope we never darken its door again” – Adrian Foster.

Your mention of the ‘El Pastyco’ derby between Truro and Torquay (yesterday’s Football Daily) had me reeling in horror – surely only Cornwall produces authentic pasties? Imagine my surprise when, after consulting the local source of all tasty pastry wisdom, the Coast and Country Cottages blog, it turns out Devon has its very own: ‘One easy way to detect [it] is that the Devon pasty has a top-crimp and is oval in shape, whereas the Cornish pasty is semi-circular and side-crimped along the curve.’ I just hope none of the teams are sponsored by Greggs” – Steve Malone.

A pasty being consumed at Plymouth Argyle’s Home Park

Given its similarity to the National League South promotion final trophy, maybe the FA Cup could be brought out of storage on Saturday to save the helicopter some mileage?” – Jim Hearson.

Send letters to [email protected]. Today’s letter o’ the day winner is … Adrian Foster, who wins a copy of The Scouting Game, by Chris Robinson and courtesy of Pitch Publishing. Visit their bookshop here. Terms and conditions for our competitions can be viewed here.