Why I love the early rounds of the FA Cup

FA Cup / Gary Boswell / 07 November 2007 / Leave a Comment

Boswell's Betfair Blog - a bi-weekly round up of the best plays in the world of non-league football

In 1989, Betfair hadn't been invented. If it had been, you could have laid topflight Coventry City at (1.1) for their upcoming 3rd Round FA Cup tie against non-league no-hopers Sutton United. How much would you have had on?

I laid out a tenner backing Sutton and the draw - the only options available to me then. It's a day I've never forgotten. Possibly my most exciting bet ever and the beginning of an annual activity to look for upsets in the FA Cup. I lay now that Betfair has been invented, as is my wont. I still fantasise about finding another Coventry City and laying them for a few thou.

It's not often in football match betting that you get the (1.1) appearing before kick-off but when league plays non-league it's always a possibility because, as in those days, the non-leaguers are priced up as no-hopers. If you watch non-league regularly though, you'll know many of those prices are wrong. Not all the non-leagueys will win but you'll get value even if they don't! As the gaps between Conference and Leagues One and Two continue to close, more and more non-league teams are having FA Cup success.

I found you a good 'un in the final qualifying round and I've found four for the first round not quite in the Coventry City category but pretty tasty nevertheless. My choices for this weekend are in my normal Non-League column across the page.

There will be those who will say it's more romantic backing Histon, Torquay,Staines and Lewes to win than in laying. Do you agree? I'm happy to go the lay way to level stakes to keep the draws on my side knowing I only need two to cop to show a profit. That's the aim. That and replicating those heady days of 1989. Old Romantic or hardnosed profit seeker? You decide.

To read more about the FA Cup go to:

www.thefa.com