FA Cup Third Round - Oppose Premiership Teams Away

The so-called "gulf" between teams from Premiership and those striving to join the elite from the Championship is often noted, especially when teams from their respective divisions clash in Cup competitions.

However, this "gulf" may be nothing more than a fallacy. When the third round of the FA Cup comes around, Championship teams rewarded with a home tie against Premiership opposition often make a mockery of their respective league positions.

Clashes of this nature have not occurred very often during the third round in recent years, although last season, eight matches fell into this category, with the "superior" Premiership teams winning just twice.

Preston @ 2.47 vs West Brom @ 2.56. Result: 0-2
Sunderland @ 2.20 vs Crystal Palace @ 2.86. Result: 2-1
Watford @ 3.11 vs Fulham @ 2.08. Result: 1-1
West Ham @ 2.32 vs Norwich @ 2.72. Result: 1-0
Sheff Utd @ 3.07 vs Aston Villa @ 2.12 Result: 3-1
Cardiff @ 3.45 vs Blackburn @ 1.95. Result: 1-1
Ipswich @ 2.48 vs Bolton @ 2.56. Result: 1-3
Burnley @ 5.69 vs Liverpool @ 1.53. Result: 1-0

If you had backed the home teams at level stakes of 10 you would have made a profit of 52.80. If you had used a betting exchange and laid the Premiership sides with a liability of 10 on each bet, you would have made a profit of 68.76 before commission costs as the draw results would have also resulted in winning bets.

The 2003/04 season produced only two eligible matches in the third round, both of which saw the Premiership sides fail to beat their lower division opposition at the first time of asking.

Watford @ 7.02 vs Chelsea @ 1.40. Result: 2-2
Gillingham @ 3.69 vs Charlton @ 1.86. Result: 3-2

If you had backed the home teams at level stakes of 10 you would have made a profit of 16.90. However, if you had laid the Premiership sides with a liability of 10 on each bet you would have made a profit of 36.63 before commission.

There was only one eligible match in the 2002/03 season which pitted a Championship side at home to Premiership opposition. Wolves beat even money shots Newcastle 3-2 at odds of 3.44.

Unusually, there are no all-Premiership ties in this seasons third round of the FA Cup, but eight Championship sides are hosting Premiership opposition:

Leicester @ 5.50 vs Tottenham @ 1.57
Hull @ 3.60 vs Aston Villa @ 1.90
Ipswich @ 3.20 vs Portsmouth @ 2.10
Luton @ 7.00 vs Liverpool @ 1.40
Millwall @ 4.00 vs Everton @ 1.80
Norwich @ 2.75 vs West Ham @ 2.30
Sheffield Wednesday @ 4.00 vs Charlton @ 1.80
Watford @ 3.40 vs Bolton @ 2.00

All bar one of the Championship sides are available at odds greater than 2/1, although it may prove a better option to lay the Premiership teams in case of drawn matches.

Asusmemory
Thehillshaveeyes2movie
Notebookmemory1gb
Memoryprice30160
Thedeadgirlmovie
Pc2100ddrmemory
Usbflashmemorypendrives
512mbmemorycard
Sodimm1gb
Smokinaces
Macmemoryg5
Macmemoryupgrade
1gbpc2700sodimm
Clevomemory
Kickinitoldskoolmovie
Memoryprice23675
Fullofitmovie
Memoryprice32026
Iomegamemory
Sodimmmemory
101sexytricks
Sonypicturesclassicsmovie
Sandiskflashmemory
Oncemovie
Memoryprice35005
Usbmemorycardreaders
Faygrimmovie
1gbpc2100ddrsodimm
Daynightdaynightmovie
Firstsnowmovie
Deadsilencemovie
Macg4
Theinvisiblemovie
Thenumber23movie
Ddr2rammemory
Digitalmemoryupgrade
Laptopsmac
Waitressmovie
Memoryrdram
512mbrdrammemorypc800
Intergraphmemory
256mbddrram
Audiovoxmemory
Memorycardreaders
Ratatouillemovie
Macexternalstorage
512mbpc2100ddrmemory
1gbddr2
1gbddrram
Memoryprice82079
512mbddrmemory
Systemmemory
Pny512mbddrpc2700
Theabandonedmovie
Gatewaymemory
Usbmemory1gb
Pathfindermovie
Wildtigersihaveknownmovie
Memoryprice10253
256mbmemorycard
Usbflashmemorydrives
G4battery
Winbookmemory
Macraid
Computerrammemoryupgrade
Acermemoryram
Vaionotebookram
Edgememoryperhipheral
512mbsdmemorycard
Memoryprice94472
Compactflashmemorycardreader
Hostelpartiimovie
512mbddr2
333ddrmemoryram
Thelastkingofscotlandmovie
Misspottermovie
512mbddrram
Macportable
Snowcakemovie
1gbpc2700ddrsodimm
Primevalmovie
1gbddr2memory
Seraphimfallsmovie
Thehoaxmovie
Edomemory
512mbddrsodimm
1gbsdmemory
Warnerindependantpicturesmovie
Desktopg4mac
Computerramupgrade
Philipsmemorycard
512mbddr
Memorymodules
Pny512memory
Nomadmovie
Thegrudge2movie
Trademovie
Archosmemory
Molieremovie
Offsidemovie