F.A. Cup Third Round Draw

World Cup winner George Cohen was the man charged with drawing out the home teams, and it was he rather than Italia '90 shotstopper Peter Shilton that drew the Shrimpers out of the space-like device used to contain the 64 balls that included the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool. Unfortunately those three had gone already, and instead Blues face Nationwide Conference club Scarborough in round three after the Seadogs defeated Port Vale 1-0 at Vale Park in the late kick-off on Sunday afternoon.

The encounter gives the Seasiders every chance of reaching the fourth round for the first time since 1992/3, when of course United qualified for the third round automatically thanks to their position in the second tier of the Football League. Unfortunately on four subsequent occasions they failed, but that day in January 1993 was victorious, Blues defeating Huddersfield 2-1 in Yorkshire before bowing out to then top flight outfit Sheffield Wednesday in the Fifth Round.

The tie of the round from a Third Division perspective sees Yeovil Town piutted at home to Liverpool, whilst Cheltenham Town will have the chance to travel to Loftus Road against Fulham. The two biggest matches of the draw are all-Premiership games, with Manchester United travelling to Aston Villa and Leeds United hosting Arsenal.

The Shrimpers match will take place either on Saturday 3rd January 2004 or Sunday 4th, with the home Division Three fixture against York City having to be rescheduled. We at The Little Gazette will be providing you with the very best information possible in the build up to the clash.

Full Third Round Draw (courtesy of the Football Association):
Wimbledon v Stoke City
Cardiff City v Sheffield United
Wycombe Wanderers or Mansfield Town v Burnley
Crewe Alexandra v Telford United
Bristol City or Barnsley v Scunthorpe United or Sheffield Wednesday
Portsmouth v Blackpool
Northampton Town v Rotherham United
Fulham v Cheltenham Town
Manchester City v Leicester City
Southampton v Newcastle United
Yeovil Town v Liverpool
Birmingham City v Blackburn Rovers
Nottingham Forest v West Bromwich Albion
Watford v Chelsea
Kidderminster Harriers v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Gillingham v Charlton Athletic
Swansea City v Macclesfield Town or Cambridge United
Leeds United v Arsenal
Tottenham Hotspur v Crystal Palace
Aston Villa v Manchester United
Southend United v Scarborough
Sunderland v Hartlepool United
Tranmere Rovers v Bolton Wanderers
Preston North End v Reading
Wigan Athletic v West Ham United
Middlesbrough v Notts County
Ipswich Town v Derby County
Coventry City v Peterborough United
Everton v Norwich City
Bournemouth or Accrington Stanley v Colchester United
Bradford City v Luton Town
Millwall v Walsall

*Italic type denotes Division Three side

Robert Craven
www.thelittlegazette.com