There hasn't been a more intriguing FA Cup story than that of Marine AFC in a long time. The non-league club has found itself on a run which let them announce their next FA Cup home game as Marine AFC v Tottenham Hotspur. Goosebumps.
The magic of the FA Cup is officially back. And there are plenty of interesting facts to mull over ahead of the match to be held at Marine Travel Arena on January 10th.
Non-League Giant Killers
The year was 1901 and a Southern League side going by the name of Tottenham Hotspur did the unthinkable. On 27th April, 1901 they shocked the football world by winning the FA Cup.
No non-league club has emulated this feat before or since. However, the lads from Marine are going to give it a crack.
The Northern Premier League Division One North West outfit has certainly earned it's right to reach the third round of the FA Cup. An exciting extra-time winner off the back (literally) of Mariners Captain Niall Cummins on November 29, 2020 was enough to defeat Havant & Waterlooville.
MARINE SCORE! 🤩
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) November 29, 2020
The home side look like they have the winner in the 120th minute of this game!#EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/Vv5YeM2mOe
It is just the second time in the club's history that Marine has reached the third round.
In a post-match interview, Cummins was very honest about how his goal came about:
"I'm not going to lie; I closed my eyes and it hit me in the shoulder or my back," the 33-year-old striker confessed.
"It is a dream come true for everyone. It was a tremendous effort and it'll live long in the memory."
A truly mouth-watering tie was announced after the Mariners drew Tottenham at home. It sets up FA Cup history with the two clubs the furthest apart (168 places) in the football pyramid as the competition has ever seen.
It's the most wonderful time of the year for Marine F.C. They've been drawn at home to Tottenham Hotspur in the FA cup third round. Boss Neil Young says he's hopeful fans will be able to enjoy the game. ⚽https://t.co/edIVZyWpHF pic.twitter.com/fEEypcCfUk
The Colchester Connection between Marine and Tottenham
On a cold night in late September 2019, Champions League runners-up Spurs were knocked out of the EFL Cup by League Two's Colchester United.
In that match, the Premier League club had 75% possession and 4 shots on target but were held to a draw in normal time.
Mauricio Pochettino's side went out in a dismal penalty shootout that saw both Christian Eriksen and Lucas Moura miss from the spot. The Argentine manager was sacked less than two months later.
Coincidentally, in the lead-up to this huge FA Cup third-round clash, Marine defeated Colchester United (also on penalties) in the first round.
Colchester were 86 places above Marine in the English football pyramid at the time of the win.
Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho is looking forward to the clash.
'I am excited,' said Mourinho. 'I learned to love the FA Cup as a kid. When I came to England I learned a lot about it too and experienced great things in that competition. It's a beautiful thing for everyone and I look forward to it.
'I hope there are good conditions in the stadium, in terms of safety-related to protocols. I would love to play in that small stadium, that's for sure.
'It means a lot for the home fans, the players and the coach.
'The best way to respect them is to take the team, the players they want to play against. We are going to respect them. We are going to respect the competition.'
We're on Board with Marine AFC
We're partnering with Marine AFC as their social media sponsors in the lead-up to their FA Cup clash with Tottenham Hotspur.
FootballPredictions.Net is delighted to be associated with this piece of football history as non-league Marine take on the only club ever to have won the FA Cup as a non-league club.
What an occasion it promises to be!