5 reasons why we love the FA Cup

#2 Tradition

The FA Cup is one the most recognizable trophies in the world

The tradition of the FA Cup is one of the key reasons, why it is viewed as such an important competition. It is the oldest national club competition in the world and its non-exclusive character sends the message, that although a lot may change, football is still everybody's game.

40 different teams have lifted the FA Cup throughout its long history and the trophy itself has only been redesigned once, in 1911. The consistency of the trophy's design just adds to the tournament's unique flair.

The biggest change that was made to the competition was the introduction of extra time and penalties. While the traditional replay matches still exist, the tie-breaking procedure is applied after another draw in the replay. Additionally, there are no more replays from the quarter-finals onwards.

If these changes hadn't been implemented, the already congested English football schedule would grow even further and wouldn't be suitable to the modern demands of professional football. Alvechurch and Oxford City took six matches to find a winner in 1971, something that would be unimaginable nowadays.

However, in these revolutionary times in the football world, where £200m are paid for players, it is refreshing to see that some things simply don't change. Despite the FA Cup growing consistently throughout the years and changes being made, the competition never lost its identity in 147 years.