Rovers' recent FA Cup record

[NickDRFC]

There are a few posters who regularly reference how poor our FA Cup record is so I thought it would be interested to take a look at our recent record compared to some of our rivals...

I've looked at our record since returning to the football league in 2003/04 (15-20 years seems fair for recent and anything before that would be skewed by our years in the wilderness), and looked at two outcomes - firstly what round we've made it to, and secondly what level of opposition we've been knocked out by. I've discounted seasons in the Championship as having the bye to the 3rd round skews things (obviously worth mentioning this means the Stevenage debacle isn't included in our stats - lest we forget!). As a comparison I've looked at Barnsley, Scunthorpe, Rotherham & Peterborough - all clubs that are similar(ish) in size to us, and have been up and down the leagues like we have in the last 20 years.

Rovers
Discounting the 5 years that we?ve had in the Championship, we?ve entered the FA Cup 12 times since returning to the football league. We?ve made it to the 3rd round or beyond 50% of the time (to be fair, 5 times that?s just the 3rd round and once to the 5th), and fallen at the first hurdle a quarter of the time.
In terms of opposition, lower league opponents have knocked us out just twice (17%), both in our first 2 seasons back, Scarborough & Exeter. A third of the time we?ve bowed out to higher level opposition, but our biggest struggle seems to be beating teams in our league, knocking us out 50% of the time (f***ing Oldham!). But wait...surely we should be beating teams at the same level, at least some of the time! In fact, we have - over the same period, we?ve won 7 games against teams at our own level, drawn 3 and lost those 6. If you applied the same points we get in league games, we have a points-per-game average of 1.5 in FA Cup games against teams in our league, which I?m not sure you can really call a huge underperformance.

Barnsley
They?ve actually only had 6 non-Championship seasons in this time so not a great comparison because of the limited sample size. Their record of progressing to the 3rd round is slightly better (2 thirds of the time), but they?ve gone out in the first round both other times and to lower league opposition half the time (3 times, more than us in absolute terms alone let alone percentage). Overall difficult to say objectively whether their record is better or worse, plus skewed by a small sample size.

Peterborough
The pick of the bunch. They?ve made it to the 3rd round or beyond 12 times out of 14 (86%), including 4 times to the 4th Round. They?ve also been knocked out by lower league opposition only twice, and by a team in the same league once, meaning that 79% of the time they?ve gone out to higher level opposition. Flat track bullies, they?ve also been unfortunate that half a dozen of their knockouts have been against PL opposition (Rovers only 3, Scunthorpe 3, Barnsley 2 and Rotherham none)

Scunthorpe
Not too dissimilar to us but we shade it. In 14 seasons, they?ve made it to the 3rd round or beyond 6 times (43%), and only 1 of those is to the 4th Round. They?ve been knocked out by lower league opposition 4 times (29%), so actually on both counts their record is objectively worse than ours.

Rotherham
Awful. 12 non-Championship seasons, like Rovers, and have gone out in the first round in half of them. Only made it to the 3rd round 3 times (25%) and never beyond. Also regularly turned over by minnows - 8 times (a whopping 67%) they?ve gone out to lower league opposition, and only once been beaten by a team in a higher league, and that was the basket case that was Hull City, last year, so not exactly a meeting of David vs Goliath. If you want an example of an embarassing recent FA Cup record, look no further.


So it's nowhere near as hand-wringingly, wrist-slittingly bad as some would have you believe. Way better than our chums at the NY Stadium, a bit better than the Scunny bunnies but some work to do to catch Posh. Right, that took me a bit longer than I'd hoped to pull together, I'm off to carry on living my life now. 

[Campsall rover]

Fair enough Nick but I was going back to 1975
I think if you do those stats it will look an awful lot worse.
We only did five years in the Conference.
Discount them by all means.

Between 1975/76 season and 1997/98 we reached the 4th round once. Yes once. 1985 v Everton away.
3rd round I haven’t checked but don’t think it’s very many.
Remember going to Norwich in 1982.

That should be twice in 4th round as Norwich game was 4th not 3rd round.

[NickDRFC]

It wasn?t just aimed at you Campsall, there are regular posts from several people bemoaning our lack of FA Cup success. I?m only in my 30s so this is pretty much it for my experience of the FA Cup but I also think it?s a reasonable timeframe to evaluate our recent performances.

[NickDRFC]

Where I do think we have been unlucky is with the draw. Several times someone who has beaten us has gone on to draw Man Utd, Chelsea etc, and we have not had a glamour tie really in all that time. I genuinely think that skews the perception of folks as our record, as highlighted above, really is not bad at all.

[Campsall rover]

It wasn?t just aimed at you Campsall, there are regular posts from several people bemoaning our lack of FA Cup success. I?m only in my 30s so this is pretty much it for my experience of the FA Cup but I also think it?s a reasonable timeframe to evaluate our recent performances.

No i realise that Nick. The fact you are only in your 30’s puts a different complexion on the time frame.

But for me i am 65 and so i go back much further. Only to 1975 with Rovers as am from somewhere else in Yorkshire and so was brought up watching another team in my earlier years. ( We won’t go there with that one again & in fact i dare not even mention the name of the club or Bonfire night will start all over again )

Someone like Brian ( Selby ) hope you don’t mind me bringing you into this Brian, goes back to the early 1950’s so he will have memories of those 3 consecutive 5th round ties Rovers were involved in.
He also will have seen far more bleak FA Cup years in the decades that followed than someone of your generation.

So to sum up, to us oldies it looks a hell of a lot worse than it does to you whipper snappers. 

[Not Now Kato]

Our first appearance in the FA cup, (according to my records), was in the 1924-25  season where we lost 2 - 1 in round 1 to Norwich City
 
We've been knocked out in the 5th Round 4 times....
 
1951-52 4 - 0 away at Portsmouth
1953-54 3 - 1 away at Leyton Orient
1954-55 2 - 1 away at Birmingham City
1955-56 2 - 0 home to Spurs

We've been knocked out in the 4th Round 7 times....
 
1929-30 4 - 0 away at Millwall
1938-39 8 - 0 away at Everton
1949-50 2 - 1 away at Blackpool
1981-82 2 - 1 away at Norwich
1984-85 2 - 0 away at Everton
2008-09 3 - 1 away at Aston Villa
2009-10 1 - 0 away at Derby County
 
Any corrections/updates greatly appreciated.

[Campsall rover]

Our first appearance in the FA cup, (according to my records), was in the 1924-25  season where we lost 2 - 1 in round 1 to Norwich City
 
We've been knocked out in the 5th Round 4 times....
 
1951-52 4 - 0 away at Portsmouth
1953-54 3 - 1 away at Leyton Orient
1954-55 2 - 1 away at Birmingham City
1955-56 2 - 0 home to Spurs

We've been knocked out in the 4th Round 7 times....
 
1929-30 4 - 0 away at Millwall
1938-39 8 - 0 away at Everton
1949-50 2 - 1 away at Blackpool
1981-82 2 - 1 away at Norwich
1984-85 2 - 0 away at Everton
2008-09 3 - 1 away at Aston Villa
2009-10 1 - 0 away at Derby County
 
Any corrections/updates greatly appreciated.

Wasn?t the Norwich game in 82 a third round game?  Sure it was.

You missed out our 5th round exit to Palace in 2019.

[idler]

We beat Cambridge 2-1 in the 3rd round Campsall. Wasn't that Alan Warboy's last game after jarring his back on a very hard pitch?

[Draytonian III]

Norwich was in the 4th Round 23/01/82

[Not Now Kato]

Our first appearance in the FA cup, (according to my records), was in the 1924-25  season where we lost 2 - 1 in round 1 to Norwich City
 
We've been knocked out in the 5th Round 4 times....
 
1951-52 4 - 0 away at Portsmouth
1953-54 3 - 1 away at Leyton Orient
1954-55 2 - 1 away at Birmingham City
1955-56 2 - 0 home to Spurs

We've been knocked out in the 4th Round 7 times....
 
1929-30 4 - 0 away at Millwall
1938-39 8 - 0 away at Everton
1949-50 2 - 1 away at Blackpool
1981-82 2 - 1 away at Norwich
1984-85 2 - 0 away at Everton
2008-09 3 - 1 away at Aston Villa
2009-10 1 - 0 away at Derby County
 
Any corrections/updates greatly appreciated.

Wasn?t the Norwich game in 82 a third round game?  Sure it was.

You missed out our 5th round exit to Palace in 2019.

My records have the following for the 81-82 season....
 
Round 1 21/11/81 Won 1 - 0 Away at Mansfield Town
Round 2 12/12/81 Won 3 - 0 Home against Penrith
Round 3 02/01/82 Won 2 - 1 Away at Cambridge United
Round 4 23/01/82 Lost 2 - 1 Away at Norwich
 
but I stand to be corrected as I've built my records up over time and much research so there may be some inaccuracies.
 
You're right about the 2019 round 5 exit - I binned recording that seasons results due to the fiasco around the way the season was concluded!  I will make a separate entry for the FA cup in my records though, so thanks for that CR.   

[Campsall rover]

We beat Cambridge 2-1 in the 3rd round Campsall. Wasn't that Alan Warboy's last game after jarring his back on a very hard pitch?

Correct remember that game. Warboys and Douglas up front.

[Campsall rover]

Our first appearance in the FA cup, (according to my records), was in the 1924-25  season where we lost 2 - 1 in round 1 to Norwich City
 
We've been knocked out in the 5th Round 4 times....
 
1951-52 4 - 0 away at Portsmouth
1953-54 3 - 1 away at Leyton Orient
1954-55 2 - 1 away at Birmingham City
1955-56 2 - 0 home to Spurs

We've been knocked out in the 4th Round 7 times....
 
1929-30 4 - 0 away at Millwall
1938-39 8 - 0 away at Everton
1949-50 2 - 1 away at Blackpool
1981-82 2 - 1 away at Norwich
1984-85 2 - 0 away at Everton
2008-09 3 - 1 away at Aston Villa
2009-10 1 - 0 away at Derby County
 
Any corrections/updates greatly appreciated.

Wasn?t the Norwich game in 82 a third round game?  Sure it was.

You missed out our 5th round exit to Palace in 2019.

My records have the following for the 81-82 season....
 
Round 1 21/11/81 Won 1 - 0 Away at Mansfield Town
Round 2 12/12/81 Won 3 - 0 Home against Penrith
Round 3 02/01/82 Won 2 - 1 Away at Cambridge United
Round 4 23/01/82 Lost 2 - 1 Away at Norwich
 
but I stand to be corrected as I've built my records up over time and much research so there may be some inaccuracies.
 
You're right about the 2019 round 5 exit - I binned recording that seasons results due to the fiasco around the way the season was concluded!  I will make a separate entry for the FA cup in my records though, so thanks for that CR.   

Yes your right, Norwich was 4th round in 81/82 as Idler reminded me of the Cambridge match in the the 3rd round.
Last memories of the great Alan Warboys.

Palace 5th round game wasn’t last seasons abandoned one Kato it was season before.

[idler]

I missed the Cambridge game but remember the joy of winning but disappointed with Alan Warboy's injury and then an away tie on the Monday's draw.
I was actually in digs in Penrith when we beat them. Their manager had a paper shop just around the corner.

[Not Now Kato]

Our first appearance in the FA cup, (according to my records), was in the 1924-25  season where we lost 2 - 1 in round 1 to Norwich City
 
We've been knocked out in the 5th Round 4 times....
 
1951-52 4 - 0 away at Portsmouth
1953-54 3 - 1 away at Leyton Orient
1954-55 2 - 1 away at Birmingham City
1955-56 2 - 0 home to Spurs

We've been knocked out in the 4th Round 7 times....
 
1929-30 4 - 0 away at Millwall
1938-39 8 - 0 away at Everton
1949-50 2 - 1 away at Blackpool
1981-82 2 - 1 away at Norwich
1984-85 2 - 0 away at Everton
2008-09 3 - 1 away at Aston Villa
2009-10 1 - 0 away at Derby County
 
Any corrections/updates greatly appreciated.

Wasn?t the Norwich game in 82 a third round game?  Sure it was.

You missed out our 5th round exit to Palace in 2019.

My records have the following for the 81-82 season....
 
Round 1 21/11/81 Won 1 - 0 Away at Mansfield Town
Round 2 12/12/81 Won 3 - 0 Home against Penrith
Round 3 02/01/82 Won 2 - 1 Away at Cambridge United
Round 4 23/01/82 Lost 2 - 1 Away at Norwich
 
but I stand to be corrected as I've built my records up over time and much research so there may be some inaccuracies.
 
You're right about the 2019 round 5 exit - I binned recording that seasons results due to the fiasco around the way the season was concluded!  I will make a separate entry for the FA cup in my records though, so thanks for that CR.   

Yes your right, Norwich was 4th round in 81/82 as Idler reminded me of the Cambridge match in the the 3rd round.
Last memories of the great Alan Warboys.

Palace 5th round game wasn?t last seasons abandoned one Kato it was season before.

Indeed it was CR, for some reason I hadn't looked at that page on my spreadsheet! 

[Campsall rover]

I missed the Cambridge game but remember the joy of winning but disappointed with Alan Warboy's injury and then an away tie on the Monday's draw.
I was actually in digs in Penrith when we beat them. Their manager had a paper shop just around the corner.

Happy days Idler. Remember the Penrith match also. It was at Belle Vue so did you not come back home to watch it?
The Norwich match was a cracker, went in my car with Tony Elder and his son Paul from Askern with my oldest step son Mark Illman. He would have been only 9 yrs old.
It seems like yesterday can’t quite believe it is almost 38 yrs ago. Quite scary.

[idler]

I was contracting in the early 80s and couldn't always get back. I remember being in my parent's house in Balby when was it Daryl Pugh scored the first goal at Norwich? Listening on Grandstand for updates. From what everyone says we were unlucky not to at least draw that day.

[Campsall rover]

I was contracting in the early 80s and couldn't always get back. I remember being in my parent's house in Balby when was it Daryl Pugh scored the first goal at Norwich? Listening on Grandstand for updates. From what everyone says we were unlucky not to at least draw that day.

We were unlucky. Was it not Dawson that scored. (  Not you Brian )
My memory is fading it would seem. I do remember coming away very disappointed we were not taking them to a replay which we deserved.

[selby]

  For a long time in  past seaons  we have played in two or three cup competitions a season, not just the FA cup.
  We had a great run in the league cup ending against Arsenal, got to the final at Cardiff, and a fifth round appearance in the Fa cup.
  Our all round record in cup football is pathetic, and as a club we have chucked thousands of pounds in prize money away.
  Clubs at our level close to us Rotherham, Barnsley, Lincoln, Bradford City, Chesterfield have done better than us, and Oldham and Rochdale do cart wheels every time they draw us out of the hat, knowing they have a good chance of us bottling it again.
   Exeter a non league side beat us and made more money out of their next two cup games than we do in four seasons in all three cups, the same with Rochdale who went on to play Spurs after dumping us the other season.
  We have been absolutely crap overall, in some cases the attitude to games of past managers , but generally just poor play.
   The runs we have had have been against poor sides, as soon as we have played a Bolton, or a Stoke it is a free pass through to the next round for them.

[scawsby steve]

I was contracting in the early 80s and couldn't always get back. I remember being in my parent's house in Balby when was it Daryl Pugh scored the first goal at Norwich? Listening on Grandstand for updates. From what everyone says we were unlucky not to at least draw that day.

We were unlucky. Was it not Dawson that scored. (  Not you Brian )
My memory is fading it would seem. I do remember coming away very disappointed we were not taking them to a replay which we deserved.

Richard Dawson. Great goal.

[Campsall rover]

I was contracting in the early 80s and couldn't always get back. I remember being in my parent's house in Balby when was it Daryl Pugh scored the first goal at Norwich? Listening on Grandstand for updates. From what everyone says we were unlucky not to at least draw that day.

We were unlucky. Was it not Dawson that scored. (  Not you Brian )
My memory is fading it would seem. I do remember coming away very disappointed we were not taking them to a replay which we deserved.

Richard Dawson. Great goal.

Thanks SS thought so. Not sure Idler that Daryl Pugh was playing.
Remember Humphries in goal. Glen Humphries (our centre back’s ) brother. He didn’t play many games for us. Think Willie Boyd must have been injured.

[RedRover45]

Our first appearance in the FA cup, (according to my records), was in the 1924-25  season where we lost 2 - 1 in round 1 to Norwich City
 
We've been knocked out in the 5th Round 4 times....
 
1951-52 4 - 0 away at Portsmouth
1953-54 3 - 1 away at Leyton Orient
1954-55 2 - 1 away at Birmingham City
1955-56 2 - 0 home to Spurs

We've been knocked out in the 4th Round 7 times....
 
1929-30 4 - 0 away at Millwall
1938-39 8 - 0 away at Everton
1949-50 2 - 1 away at Blackpool
1981-82 2 - 1 away at Norwich
1984-85 2 - 0 away at Everton
2008-09 3 - 1 away at Aston Villa
2009-10 1 - 0 away at Derby County
 
Any corrections/updates greatly appreciated.

Wasn?t the Norwich game in 82 a third round game?  Sure it was.

You missed out our 5th round exit to Palace in 2019.

My records have the following for the 81-82 season....
 
Round 1 21/11/81 Won 1 - 0 Away at Mansfield Town
Round 2 12/12/81 Won 3 - 0 Home against Penrith
Round 3 02/01/82 Won 2 - 1 Away at Cambridge United
Round 4 23/01/82 Lost 2 - 1 Away at Norwich
 
but I stand to be corrected as I've built my records up over time and much research so there may be some inaccuracies.
 
You're right about the 2019 round 5 exit - I binned recording that seasons results due to the fiasco around the way the season was concluded!  I will make a separate entry for the FA cup in my records though, so thanks for that CR.   

The Cambridge game in Jan 82 was at home not away

[Campsall rover]

Our first appearance in the FA cup, (according to my records), was in the 1924-25  season where we lost 2 - 1 in round 1 to Norwich City
 
We've been knocked out in the 5th Round 4 times....
 
1951-52 4 - 0 away at Portsmouth
1953-54 3 - 1 away at Leyton Orient
1954-55 2 - 1 away at Birmingham City
1955-56 2 - 0 home to Spurs

We've been knocked out in the 4th Round 7 times....
 
1929-30 4 - 0 away at Millwall
1938-39 8 - 0 away at Everton
1949-50 2 - 1 away at Blackpool
1981-82 2 - 1 away at Norwich
1984-85 2 - 0 away at Everton
2008-09 3 - 1 away at Aston Villa
2009-10 1 - 0 away at Derby County
 
Any corrections/updates greatly appreciated.

Wasn?t the Norwich game in 82 a third round game?  Sure it was.

You missed out our 5th round exit to Palace in 2019.

My records have the following for the 81-82 season....
 
Round 1 21/11/81 Won 1 - 0 Away at Mansfield Town
Round 2 12/12/81 Won 3 - 0 Home against Penrith
Round 3 02/01/82 Won 2 - 1 Away at Cambridge United
Round 4 23/01/82 Lost 2 - 1 Away at Norwich
 
but I stand to be corrected as I've built my records up over time and much research so there may be some inaccuracies.
 
You're right about the 2019 round 5 exit - I binned recording that seasons results due to the fiasco around the way the season was concluded!  I will make a separate entry for the FA cup in my records though, so thanks for that CR.   

The Cambridge game in Jan 82 was at home not away

It was. Think that was a deliberate mistake by Kato just to see who would be first to spot it. 

[Not Now Kato]

Our first appearance in the FA cup, (according to my records), was in the 1924-25  season where we lost 2 - 1 in round 1 to Norwich City
 
We've been knocked out in the 5th Round 4 times....
 
1951-52 4 - 0 away at Portsmouth
1953-54 3 - 1 away at Leyton Orient
1954-55 2 - 1 away at Birmingham City
1955-56 2 - 0 home to Spurs

We've been knocked out in the 4th Round 7 times....
 
1929-30 4 - 0 away at Millwall
1938-39 8 - 0 away at Everton
1949-50 2 - 1 away at Blackpool
1981-82 2 - 1 away at Norwich
1984-85 2 - 0 away at Everton
2008-09 3 - 1 away at Aston Villa
2009-10 1 - 0 away at Derby County
 
Any corrections/updates greatly appreciated.

Wasn?t the Norwich game in 82 a third round game?  Sure it was.

You missed out our 5th round exit to Palace in 2019.

My records have the following for the 81-82 season....
 
Round 1 21/11/81 Won 1 - 0 Away at Mansfield Town
Round 2 12/12/81 Won 3 - 0 Home against Penrith
Round 3 02/01/82 Won 2 - 1 Away at Cambridge United
Round 4 23/01/82 Lost 2 - 1 Away at Norwich
 
but I stand to be corrected as I've built my records up over time and much research so there may be some inaccuracies.
 
You're right about the 2019 round 5 exit - I binned recording that seasons results due to the fiasco around the way the season was concluded!  I will make a separate entry for the FA cup in my records though, so thanks for that CR.   

The Cambridge game in Jan 82 was at home not away

It was. Think that was a deliberate mistake by Kato just to see who would be first to spot it. 

Nope, a mistake by me!  My spreadsheet clearly shows it as a home game, I need to read better    I should have gone to SpecSavers 
 

[DMnumber4]

This site is quite useful....

https://www.fchd.info/DONCASTR.HTM

[selby]

  Funny how most peoples fondest memories are in the early rounds about thirty years ago, mine are even further back v Aston Villa and Spurs in the 50's at the time I didn't realise being a dreamer that that was as good as it was going to get until at least my old age.
  I hope I have enough time left to at least match it.

[NickDRFC]

Scunthorpes defeat at home to Solihull Moors on Saturday was their 5th to lower league opposition in the time frame referenced above, making our record even healthier in comparison to them.

[Campsall rover]

  Funny how most peoples fondest memories are in the early rounds about thirty years ago, mine are even further back v Aston Villa and Spurs in the 50's at the time I didn't realise being a dreamer that that was as good as it was going to get until at least my old age.
  I hope I have enough time left to at least match it.

Going through to the 6th round quarter finals this year. Will knock out 3 of the big 6 in rounds 3,4 & 5

Oh well that was a nice dream while it lasted.
Got a feeling we might pull off a shock or two this year though.

[scawsby steve]

  Funny how most peoples fondest memories are in the early rounds about thirty years ago, mine are even further back v Aston Villa and Spurs in the 50's at the time I didn't realise being a dreamer that that was as good as it was going to get until at least my old age.
  I hope I have enough time left to at least match it.

Going through to the 6th round quarter finals this year. Will knock out 3 of the big 6 in rounds 3,4 & 5

Oh well that was a nice dream while or lasted.
Got a feeling we might pull off a shock or two this year though.

Apart from the money, it will be a bit pointless though to knock a big team out, as we won't be there to savour it.

[Campsall rover]

Trying to post on here is becoming impossible.

It

[1879Rovers]

Remember the 81/82 cup run well.

Winter was freezing and we had loads of snow. The penrith game was one of only a few to be played on the day.

The Cambridge game, I helped clear the snow off the pitch and the terraces and me and two mates had it photo published in that nights Doncaster evening post. I've still got the photo.
George Reilly own goal set us on our way in the 2-1 win.

We went ahead at Norwich but they equalised almost immediately.

I think most ree our Fa Cup record as poor because we struggled to get past the first round for 20 years following our run to the fourth round in 85.
We've had a much better record since our move to the Keepmoat.