Getting into the FA Cup proper is not easy. After all, with a total of 732 clubs taking part in the Emirates FA Cup during the 2023/24 season, it’s fair to say there’s a bit of competition.
For Rugby Town, especially, the mountain that is the FA Cup preliminaries may seem a little steep. After all, the most successful run that Rugby Town has had in the FA Cup was far back in 1987/88, when they reached the Second Round Proper. After that, they only reached the First Round Proper in 1993/94, and since then, they have not managed to go the distance.
The Appeal Of The FA Cup
But thinking negatively isn’t what we do in football. After all, the FA Cup’s majesty and enduring appeal is the chance that teams at the bottom of the English football pyramid can punch up and face teams in divisions above them, way beyond an arm’s length. It’s this level of competitive mismatch that makes sport tournaments so inspiring. The impossible may, in fact, be possible.
With this in mind, we’re going to look at Rugby Town’s preliminary run so far, and how exactly they can make it into the First Round Proper of the FA Cup for the first time in 28 years.
How Are Rugby FC Doing?
If we needed any reminder of how much the FA Cup means to the 732 teams taking part, then the first preliminary round between Rugby Town and Malvern Town was that reminder. With five goals for each side, this was as wild as things get in football, with the draw leading the two teams to meet again in an extra preliminary round.
This was a fairly more subdued affair, but not without any of the drive that both teams showed in their first outing. In an extremely close encounter, Kolodynski managed to score a goal deep into the second half, pushing his team in front and ending the game at 1-2. Malvern Town hearts may have been broken, but in Rugby Town, they were soaring.
How Far Do They Have Left To Go?
But one good win doesn’t give you a ticket to the FA Cup Proper. If Rugby Town want to make history, they will need five more of those, and next in line is the formidable Newcastle Town at Butlin Road. If they manage to win this round, there will be another four more before they can reach the “Proper” rounds, where all clubs are in one draw.
Can Rugby FC Do It?
Now this is the big question. Can Rugby Town FC do what they did 28 years ago and force their way into the FA Cup Proper? Well, of course they can. As mentioned before, Newcastle Town are up next, and although they are a formidable team on a good day, they didn’t exactly light any fireworks during their first preliminary round fixture against Romulus FC. The game between Newcastle Town and Romulus was very scrappy, with Romulus putting in a great fight, albeit without ever landing a punch. The punch in question was landed by Joe Thompson, who scored an injury-time winner when Romulus were down to ten men.
It’s easy to see Rugby Town FC taking advantage of Newcastle Town’s uneasy preliminary and find ways to put them on the back foot. That being said, there are still four rounds to go if Rugby Town do get the win. Rugby Town fans will be hoping for a repeat of the 1987 season, and perhaps hoping that they go even further. But as ever in football, everything is up for grabs, and nothing is certain. We’re all just going to have to wait and find out.
