London Calling is an occasional column covering football in the English capital
The names are in the hat for Monday’s FA Cup 5th Round draw. 17 clubs remain with only Derby County and Leicester still to settle their 4th Round clash.
The draw has the possibility to be genuinely historic and produce ties worthy of the final itself. Several of the possibilities actually have been finals although, bizarrely, the most recent of those was 2007 when Chelsea played Manchester United. The finals of 2005, 2004, 2002, 1997 and 1994 could also come out of the hat.
But there are some far more interesting possibilities than a rerun of 2005 (Arsenal v Man United) or 1997 (Chelsea v Middlesbrough) that should leave football fans savouring the games.
Firstly, the chase for Premier League glory means that any matches between Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United will attract millions of eyeballs especially, one might think another edition of the Tottenham v Chelsea fixture which ended Chelsea’s remarkable run of consecutive league wins so recently. League placings apart, there are six London sides who could pair up in derbies: Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Chelsea, Millwall, Fulham and Sutton United.
The obvious plum would be a North London Spurs/Arsenal clash with the decades of rivalry it reignites. The press are fond of saying that Chelsea v Spurs is now a bigger derby. They are wrong.
Look out for a rarity however, a South London derby with any of Fulham, Milwall or Sutton involved. Because of the way London’s clubs are highly un-uniformally spaced. South London has never really been a ‘thing’ as much as West London or North London. Although Fulham’s Craven Cottage ground lies on the North Bank of the River Thames, geographically a match with either Sutton or Millwall could be classified as a South London derby.
Fulham however are more usually classed as a West London side and derbies with Brentford, QPR and Chelsea know as West London derbies. Such a clash in the 5th Round between Fulham and Chelsea is also fairly enticing, especially if the lower league side gets home advantage. The clubs are barely three miles apart, separated by a decent walk along the Fulham Road.
The East Lancashire Derby also known as the “Cotton Mills” Derby
The historic northwestern county of Lancashire is the next place to look for a great tie:
Manchester City v Manchester United is probably the best possible match for onlookers worldwide, but Burnley and Blackburn have a century of antagonism and only 21 miles distance along the M65 to both unite and divide them. Known as the East Lancashire Derby, it is also colloquially termed the “Cotton Mills” Derby as both used to be mill towns. The two are each other’s fiercest local rivals.
Derby or Leicester City v Wolves is the best chance of a Midlands derby although none are the others’ chief rivals. One alternative eye opener is a Leicester v Chelsea fixture where the Foxes, the reigning EPL Champions could deprive Chelsea, their likely successors of a double.
But here’s what I really want to see.
It is the first time two non-league clubs have reached the FA Cup fifth. If Lincoln City draw Sutton United, we will have a non-league side in the last 8 for the first time ever.
They are only the seventh and eighth non-league clubs to make the 5th round ever, following Colchester (1948), Yeovil (1949), Blyth Spartans (1978), Telford (1985), Kidderminster Harriers (1994), Crawley (2011), and Luton (2013).
Huddersfield v Middlesbrough will be a Yorkshire derby of sorts though neither would feature in the others list of top five local rivals, and 68 miles separation makes them one of the least close Yorkshire derbies.
So here’s the draw I’d pick if I were an FA Cup god:
Sutton United v Lincoln
Tottenham v Arsenal
Fulham v Chelsea
Manchester United v Manchester City
Huddersfield v Middlesbrough
Wolves v Derby/Leicester
Burnley v Blackburn
Oxford v Millwall
And if I haven’t been sacked as an FA Cup god after that, I’d have Chelsea visiting Tottenham in the last 8, with the winners of the Cotton Mills derby hosting the remaining Manchester giant. Sutton or Lincoln could play whoever they want!
