News imageMore Than The Score, More Than The Score, Are FA Cup upsets still 'magic'?

More Than The Score

More Than The Score

Are FA Cup upsets still 'magic'?

8 January 2026

19 minutes

Available for over a year

The FA Cup third round is where some of English football's biggest clubs take on teams of far humbler means. This weekend, for instance, sees reigning FA Cup champions Crystal Palace travel to Macclesfield of the National League North - a team ranked five divisions and 117 places below them in the English league system. Meanwhile, fan-owned Exeter City visit the opulent surroundings of Manchester City's Etihad Stadium, while Shrewsbury Town, who are battling to stay in the Football League, head to Premier League team Wolverhampton Wanderers - a journey of around 30 miles, but worlds apart in terms of finance and resources.

It's a weekend like no other in terms of giants and underdogs. Often, the gulf in wealth and ability is obvious - but every now and then, a smaller club finds a way to beat the odds.

That's something Plymouth Argyle's Kevin Nancekivell knows all about. A stalwart of football in the English county of Devon, he's spent several spells as a caretaker boss at Argyle during his career. Last year, he temporarily took charge alongside club captain Joe Edwards after the sacking of Wayne Rooney, and the duo led the side to an FA Cup victory over Premier League side Brentford. He talks to the BBC's Ed Harry about his memories of that day - and what happened when they then faced Liverpool in the next round.

We're also joined by John Murray, the BBC commentator and football correspondent, who shares his favourite memories from decades of covering the cup, and explains why it's still of huge importance amid the riches of the modern English game.

Every Monday to Friday, More than the Score tells stories beyond the scoreline from all over the world of sport. From the Winter Olympics to the Super Bowl, the Australian Open to the Diamond League, and netball to Formula 1. We've got interviews with extraordinary athletes like Ivory Coast legend Yaya Toure, boxing royalty Cecilia Braekhus and cycling sprint king Harrie Lavreysen, as well as the experts working behind the scenes, from the referees who run VAR to the coaches keeping athletes in peak form. Plus, we've got the expertise of the BBC's top journalists, who share their insights from decades of covering sport at all levels.

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