The FA Cup returns, post-qualifying, with the first round proper and Gab Sutton has picked out three games where there might be an upset.
Gab Sutton's FA Cup first round potential upsets
- Halifax Town to beat Cheltenham Town @ 27/10
- Worcester City to beat Colchester United @ 13/2
- Hornchurch to beat Blackpool @ 16/5
As a treble, pays 115/1
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Halifax Town to beat Cheltenham Town – 27/10
Cheltenham Town v Halifax Town
Halifax Town have a fantastic manager, I think, in John McGrath. Although I focus more on the EFL, I occasionally catch wind of one or two really good bosses further down the pyramid, and I've always had an eye on McGrath for his work at Mickleover Sports and Buxton.
Halifax will have one of the lowest budgets in the National League, but with McGrath at the helm, I feel they could be dark horses either this season, as they're currently in the top 10, or next, and I feel they might have cup shock in their lock.
Cheltenham's FA Cup record has been a real mixed bag, because although historically they've been to White Hart Lane in 2012, and invited Pep Guardiola to the Cotswolds in 2021, they've also been knocked out by non-league opposition multiple times in the last 15 years or so as well, so this competition has been feast or famine for the Robins.
The visitors have Cody Johnson, a little wiry, intelligent, energetic midfielder I liked at Stockport - he was unlucky that he emerged at a time where they were buying ready-made performers - but is now one of the top players in the National League, and attacking midfielder Cruz Allen... I know he'd initially been earmarked for a League Two loan, so he could be more than capable of delivering against opposition at that level on a one-off game.
Worcester City to beat Colchester United – 13/2
Colchester United v Worcester City
I was lucky enough to be there for Worcester City’s greatest ever FA Cup shock, a 2-1 victory at Coventry thanks to a Sean Geddes masterclass back in November 2014.
They’ve fallen on tough financial times since that day, so I’m delighted to see the Blues have this opportunity against Football League opposition, and I feel they have enough decent players to give it a good shot.
Duncan Idehen was a highly rated young defender at Grimsby a few years ago and probably made his big moves too early, defender Mitch Roberts has played for some big non-league clubs, and winger Ryan McLean earned a move to Wimbledon just three years ago, even if it didn’t work out.
So, I think on a one-off game, Worcester might be able to cause an upset at Colchester, where there’s something of a malaise around the club due to a lack of progress on takeover talks – Danny Cowley has managed some underdog stories in his time and I almost wonder if he’d rather be inspiring the troops in the other dressing room, where the sense of novelty is more pronounced.
Hornchurch to beat Blackpool - 16/5
Hornchurch v Blackpool
When Blackpool were FA Cup winners in the 1953 Stanley “Matthews Final”, Hornchurch were playing in the amateur Delphian League!
The fact they’re facing one another in the FA Cup 1st Round highlights a trend in football, whereby the gap is narrowing between traditional northern clubs with big, passionate fanbases, and London clubs that attract wealthy owners due to location.
I know Hornchurch poached Mark Hammond from Bromley to be their Chief Executive this summer, which implies a club with ambitions of scaling similar heights, and they’ve clearly had the financial wherewithal to make their way through the leagues – the likes of Joe Kizzi, Jack Powell and Nathan Ferguson are all footballers who could hold their own in the Football League.
So, I’m tipping an upset for Blackpool and Ian Evatt, who have lost six of their last nine in the league.
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