Iron’s FA Cup fate this Sun

As all Scunthorpe United fans await with baited breath – they’ll be pleased to know that the draw for the 1st Round Proper takes place this weekend.

The word ‘Proper’ is probably a tad too much for many (let’s say Grimsby) fans who’ve had to endure qualification – but hey, it’s the FA’s words: not mine!

The draw will be televised live on ITV from 1:30pm, and the Iron shall be Number 37 in the draw. So do keep you eagle eyes out for the mighty Iron!

Having been relegated from the Championship during the summer: Scunthorpe United will thus enter the competition at the 1st Round proper.

The draw will thus take place on Sunday afternoon – following the completion of the final round of qualifiers (4th) by the participating teams.

Still competing in the competition range from the likes of Gateshead (nr top of Conference), to Hebburn Town (of the sides participating – from the the Northern League Div 2). Indeed: even the likes of Grimsby are participating in the qualifying stages of the FA Cup for the 2nd season on the spin.

Now wouldn’t it be fun to draw them eh?

Some supporters will be wanting a lowly-placed side at home to maximise chances of success: whilst the romantic amongst us, (myself included), would quite fancy the likes of Truro City or Dover Athletic etc away from home. (Both are still in the competition thus far).

The 1st Round proper will thus take place a couple of weeks ahead of the draw – pivoting around Saturday 12th November.

Obviously: television the way it is nowadays, (especially those devil-incarnates Sky), the fixtures can change to just about any time and day of their choosing.

Weather permitting as well of course: with replays likely to play a big factor. Especially with that unsprisingly bad winter we’ve all been rumoured to be having in the foreseeable future.

Owing to Euro 2012 – the competition will be ending slightly earlier than normal: but if the Iron are troubling Wembley on May 5th 2012, then I’ll bare my arse in a university seminar.

But the romanticism that thankfully still exists in the early rounds will be added to by the draw: and the 48 League One & League Two clubs entering the draw at this stage.

The specific date of 5th November is obviously currently an empty space in the Iron’s current fixture calendar: and is also the case for the date of the 2nd Round.

Theoretically – if the Iron progress: then the game would be due to take place on, or around, Saturday 3rd December.

And for the 3rd Round: if we were so lucky: then it’d be the 1st Saturday in January for the potential glamour tie.

But it promises to be an exciting time as we really get into the meat & drink of the season – and the FA Cup is an absolutely integral part of that.

As all clubs are forced to – I’d reveal the new sponsor’s name: but it just feels too ridiculous typing or hearing it frankly.

And whilst some romanticism has certainly gone out of the draw at the later stages: especially with Wembley semi-finals, you tell any Man City or Stoke fans that it had completely evaporated for last year’s final eh?

Christ – who knows, it might be Sam Togwell instead of Carlos Tevez come May!