The Magic Of The Cup – How Brands Can Benefit From The Emirates FA Cup

The world’s oldest national football tournament, the Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly referred to as the ‘FA Cup’, has been a part of British sporting heritage since 1871.

Today, over 700 football clubs from England and Wales enter the competition each year. The tournament encompasses some of the nations’ biggest clubs from the Premier League and English Football League, as well as teams from the lowest leagues of the football pyramid.

The Emirates FA Cup is known for creating magical moments, with cult-heroes and iconic teams forever etching themselves into footballing folklore - but it does much more than that. 

In this insight we explore the value of the Emirates FA Cup for brands, the best fixtures from the upcoming third-round and how SPORTFIVE helps to deliver the ‘magic of the FA Cup’.


A unique audience with an emotional appeal

With its roots firmly nestled in both British and world sporting history, the Emirates FA Cup encapsulates what most people love about sport - it’s for everyone. 

Year on year, the tournament creates an exciting environment where teams and players from across the footballing pyramid face-off outside the restrictions of their usual leagues, often producing memorable matches such as the ‘David vs Goliath’ moments, where lower-league teams come up against the famous giants in the Premier League.

This unique environment has captured the hearts of football fans since its inception. As an inclusive brand of football, the Emirates Fa Cup generates a very broad audience, where free-to-air broadcasting in the UK, attracts viewers from across the nation, including a more unique audience than typical football viewers. 

In particular, many families enjoy a rich tradition of watching the Emirates FA Cup, with it being the first real experience of football for many. 

As well as attracting a unique audience in the UK, the Emirates FA Cup generates viewers from across the globe. The success of the English Premier League over the last three decades has raised the profile of many football teams in the country, drawing interest and investment from all corners of the globe. 

This year’s Emirates FA Cup 3rd round

The third round of the Emirates FA Cup is always a special occasion. It’s at this stage of the tournament that the 44 best teams from across the English footballing pyramid join the victorious sides from the second round. 

As 20 teams from the English Premier League and 24 teams from the EFL Championship enter the competition, the third round always seems to provide mouth-watering fixtures. 

This year’s third round fixtures have the potential to replicate some magical moments from years gone by, including some great upsets, with both League Two side Gillingham and League One side Oxford United looking to slay the former Premier League winners Leicester and Arsenal, respectively. 

Elsewhere, Arsenal’s title rivals Manchester City will host Chelsea in a match which is sure to produce plenty of thrills and drama. National League sides Chesterfield and Boreham Wood are the lowest ranked teams left in the competition and will be hoping to produce some magic to keep their cup run alive.

Kolo Toure contests a corner in the last meeting between Arsenal and Oxford United, a 2-0 FA Cup third round win for the Gunners, 2003.
Jack Grealish swings a cross in during Manchester City's 2-0 win over Chelsea in the third round of the Carabao Cup, November 2022.
Will Wright of Gillingham celebrates the winning goal during the FA Cup second round replay between Gillingham and Dagenham and Redbridge.
Boreham Wood's Adrian Clifton and Tyrone Marsh celebrate last year's Emirates FA Cup fourth round victory over Bournemouth

The Emirates FA Cup third round draw

1 Preston North End v Huddersfield Town

2 Middlesbrough v Brighton & Hove Albion

3 Chesterfield v West Bromwich Albion

4 Manchester City v Chelsea

5 Stockport County v Walsall

6 Boreham Wood v Accrington Stanley

7 Tottenham Hotspur v Portsmouth

8 Derby County v Barnsley

9 Cardiff City v Leeds United

10 Brentford v West Ham United

11 AFC Bournemouth v Burnley

12 Coventry City v Wrexham

13 Norwich City v Blackburn Rovers

14 Aston Villa v Stevenage

15 Luton Town v Wigan Athletic

16 Oxford United v Arsenal

17 Fleetwood Town v Queens Park Rangers

18 Liverpool v Wolverhampton Wanderers

19 Grimsby Town v Burton Albion

20 Blackpool v Nottingham Forest

21 Gillingham v Leicester City

22 Forest Green Rovers v Birmingham City

23 Bristol City v Swansea City

24 Hartlepool United v Stoke City

25 Hull City v Fulham

26 Crystal Palace v Southampton

27 Millwall v Sheffield United

28 Shrewsbury Town v Sunderland

29 Sheffield Wednesday v Newcastle United

30 Manchester United v Everton

31 Reading v Watford

32 Ipswich Town v Rotherham United


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