Walsall tie proves Cup is still magic

The Sporting Star's Walsall columnist Darren Fellows cannot wait for the Saddlers' FA Cup date with minnows Stourbridge.

What a cracking draw! Don't tell me that there's no magic left in the FA Cup.

When the Stourbridge ball came out on Sunday there seemed almost an inevitability about which name would follow.

Needless to say, out came the number 46 and the FA Cup was again top of the agenda in a couple of Black Country towns.

Equally inevitable however was ITV's lazy and lamentable decision to schedule the games involving Charlton, Leeds and Norwich in search of the extra morsel of advertising revenue that these fallen giants will probably generate rather than embrace, celebrate and spotlight what the early rounds of the FA Cup are truly about.

BBC's coverage of Chasetown a couple of years ago and Hinckley before them was based on celebrating the achievements of the real heroes of Round 1 - those non league dreamers who'd battled through a number of preliminary and qualifying rounds, punched well above their weight and claimed a place of right in the draw alongside the third and fourth tier of English professional football.

They, unlike their commercial cousins, appeared to understand what the first and third rounds in particular are truly about.

Indeed given the ties faced by Norwich and Charlton in particular it is entirely conceivable that ITV will select the same three clubs in round two.

However, had Auntie still held the TV rights to the competition then I have suspect that Stourbridge's lavishly named War Memorial Athletic Ground would have been a venue for MOTD next weekend.

Equally important for the competition however was the decision to allow Stourbridge to stage the game at their own stadium.

Clearly I have no idea of what, if anything, went on behind closed doors, but the lack of campaigning from Walsall to move the fixture is highly commendable.

The decision of Farnborough to relocate their home fixture against Arsenal in North London a few years back did great damage to the competition, and whilst I expect that many obstacles stood in the way of that tie being played where the draw suggested the suggestion that Farnborough moved it for the additional revenue left a sour taste in what appeared a mouthwatering fixture.

For that reason I'm delighted that Stourbridge have fought so hard to keep the fixture as it was drawn.

No doubt it will make for a much more uncomfortable afternoon for Chris Hutchings and his players but then if they fail to make it into the hat for round two after being drawn to a Club four league rungs below us then excuses such as the somewhat sparse facilities and unusual playing surroundings will be nothing more than red herrings.

Should they lose they'll only have themselves to blame.

Indeed, given the miniscule capacity it is probably the supporters of our club who will be hit hardest.

Despite our recent woeful attendance levels there is sure to be a pretty desperate scramble for the handful of tickets available to Saddlers fans.

Sadly, I suspect that there will be many left watching Soccer Saturday or listening to radios who would have wanted tickets for what could be a cracking fixture. This can't be helped, though.

Most importantly however the fixture provides Hutchings with the opportunity to lead his players half way towards a potential money spinner of our own in round three.

Prepare correctly then turn up and play in the correct manner and we should be OK.

Replicate the preparation and mess we made of a similar fixture a few years ago and Stourbridge have every opportunity of adding their name alongside Slough as a name that still makes me squirm.

Personally I reckon that the club is desperate for a decent cup run for a number of reasons.

With mid table oblivion already looking quite likely for 2009/10 and finances hit hard by the economic climate the distraction of some FA Cup heroics may well be welcome.

And by God, the place is desperate for a sprinkling of magic right now.