FA Cup: Vote for greatest third-round upset including Ronnie Radford’s rocket, Wrexham stunning Arsenal and Djimi Traore howler

With no seeding and a wide open draw, anybody can face anybody, throwing up some unfamiliar but tasty looking meetings, as English football’s elite may well find themselves up against sides in the nether reaches of the English football ecosystem.

This presents the juicy prospect of a shock, giant-killing, cupset, David slaying Goliath… you can pick your preferred terminology with history littered with several examples of ‘better’ teams coming a cropper against lower-ranked sides.

Hereford 2-1 Newcastle – 1972

No FA Cup third round upset discussion is complete without mention of Ronnie Radford’s 35-yard screamer on a mud-drenched Edgar Park pitch in this game.

Hereford of the fifth-tier Southern Football League had already produced something of a shock by holding the top-flight Toon to a 2-2 draw at St. James’ Park, forcing a replay, but their race looked to have been run when they went behind to a Malcolm Macdonald header in the 82nd minute.

Radford them stepped up with his much-replayed stunner to force extra time, where Richard George fired in the winner.

Bournemouth 2-0 Manchester United – 1984

United arrived at Dean Court as FA Cup holders to take on a Cherries side struggling in the third division under a young Harry Redknapp in his first managerial role.

Undaunted by facing Ron Atkinson’s First Division high-fliers, two quickfire second-half goals from Milton Graham and Ian Thompson saw the home side through.

Sutton United 2-1 Coventry City – 1989

No stranger to a surprise win themselves in the competition having lifted the trophy two years earlier after beating then-seven-time winners Tottenham Hotspur in the final, Coventry found themselves on the receiving end of a cup shock when they travelled to Gander Green Lane.

Sutton were competing in the Conference, English football’s fifth tier, while The Sky Blues were a top-flight mainstay at the time, but that did not stop goals from captain Tony Rains and Matthew Hanlan seeing the home side claim a massive scalp.

Sutton United players celebrate after beating Coventry

Image credit: Getty Images

West Brom 2-4 Woking – 1991

The name Tim Buzaglo may not mean much to some football fans, but in 1991 he was the toast of Woking as the Isthmian Premier side (sixth tier) stunned second-tier West Brom – a result all the more remarkable given the fact it came at The Baggies’ own Hawthorns ground.

Colin West headed the home side in front at the break but Buzaglo came to fore in the second half with not one, not two, but three goals to turn the game on its head.

Terry Worsfold added a fourth before West Brom pulled one back, but undoubtedly the day belonged to one man.

Wrexham 2-1 Arsenal – 1992

Long before Hollywood star owners and glitzy documentaries, Wrexham of the then-Fourth Division welcomed Arsenal, the reigning top-flight champions no less, to their Racecourse Ground.

Despite The Gunners taking the lead through Alan Smith before half-time, The Red Dragons roared back with just eight minutes to play, courtesy of a stunning free-kick from 37-year-old Micky Thomas, before striker Steve Watkin stabbed home two minutes later to seal a memorable win.

Steve Watkin scores Wrexham’s winner against Arsenal

Image credit: Getty Images

Derby County 1-3 Bristol Rovers – 2002

Although heading for the drop, The Rams were on a six-year run in the Premier League and would have expected to overcome a Rovers side who would ultimately only finish one place off relegation to the Conference in Division Three.

Pirates striker Nathan Ellington had other ideas, however, with an impressive hat-trick, even upstaging Serie A and UEFA Champions League winner Fabrizio Ravanelli, who would score Derby’s consolation goal.

Shrewsbury 2-1 Everton – 2003

Struggling in the lower reaches of the Third Division (fourth tier) and set to be relegated just months later, The Shrews welcomed Everton to Gay Meadow with the added spice of being managed by two-time title-winning Toffees captain Kevin Ratcliffe.

Naturally, he would come back to haunt his former side as journeyman Nigel Jemson struck twice – including a stunning free kick – to dump David Moyes’ side out of the competition.

Burnley 1-0 Liverpool – 2005

Although only in the Championship, Burnley had bounced around the football league and rarely looked like a team pushing for top flight promotion following their relegation some 29 years earlier.

Few expected Rafael Benitez’ side – who would be crowned champions of Europe just months later – to have much trouble at Turf Moor, but a calamitous own goal from Djimi Traore gifted The Clarets a shock win.

Djimi Traore after his own goal at Burnley

Image credit: Getty Images

Manchester United 0-1 Leeds – 2010

This Old Trafford meeting was expected to be a foregone conclusion until Jermaine Beckford decided otherwise with a strike that silenced The Theatre of Dreams.

Stevenage 3-1 Newcastle – 2011

Stevenage had previously forced a replay against Newcastle back in 1998 before being sent packing by an Alan Shearer brace at St. James’ Park, but the League Two side got their revenge against the Premier League outfit this time around.

Mike Williamson’s second-half own goal was followed by Michael Bostick’s long-range strike and, despite Joey Barton scoring late for the visitors, Peter Winn lived up to his name by adding a third to seal the victory.

Stevenage players celebrate Michael Bostwick’s goal in the win over Newcastle

Image credit: Getty Images

Newport County 2-1 Leicester City – 2019

Just two and half years before this clash, Leicester were champions of England and, two years later, would lift the FA Cup for the first time in the club’s history.

Sandwiched somewhere between all the joy, however, was this ignominious exit at the hands of League Two side Newport County.

It was Padraig Amond’s 85th-minute penalty which sent The Exiles through at Rodney Parade, after Rachid Ghezzal’s earlier equaliser for The Foxes cancelled out Jamille Matt’s opener.

Crawley Town 3-0 Leeds United – 2021

Leeds were finally back in the Premier League when they travelled to Crawley for this cup tie but were swept aside at the Broadfield Stadium.

The League Two side were unfazed against Marcelo Bielsa’s rotated side that still boasted the likes of Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha, as goals from Nick Tsaroulla, Ashley Nadesan and Jordan Tunnicliffe sent them on their way.

Aston Villa 1-2 Stevenage – 2023

No stranger to upsets at this point, League Two Stevenage silenced Villa Park in a dramatic late turnaround to knock their Premier League opponents out of the cup.

Unai Emery’s side took a first-half lead through Morgan Sanson and, with five minutes to play, would have already started planning for the fourth round. That was until Leander Dendoncker gave away a penalty which was dispatched by Jamie Reid after the Villa man saw red.

Galvanised, Stevenage kept pressing, and Dean Campbell fired in a 90th-minute winner to send the travelling fans wild.

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