Eon FA Cup: Harrogate Railway vs Mansfield Town

Harrogate Railway Athletic FC are now entertaining the Stags of Mansfield Town on a sodden day and a sodden pitch. The latter're now managing without the curiously named Peter Shirtliff who has "gone west" to Tranmere.

The fixture reminds me of Wycombe Wanderer's many cup runs and sometimes troubled games at Loakes Park which was about half a mile - across Tom Burt's Hill - from where my family lived until 1976 1974. Holding Division One, i.e. Premiership leaders, Middlesborough 0-0 in 1975 FA Cup 3rd Round being something of a highlight. I didn't go to games but remember the stabblings and rancour. Newport and Millwall ringing a few bells.

There were lots of cup runs and giant killings even in Isthmian League days. Strangely not recorded on the club wiki.

Googling around find Wycombe nominated worst town in the world and lots of strange and interesting psychogeographic musings. We may be back.

HALF TIME: Mansfield are 0-1 up. And "all the shirts are brown". Second Half: Five minutes in and Railway go down by another, softer goal. Sixty minutes: Railway sub gets one back. Great cup tie football. 75 minutes: 1-3. No way back for the reds now? Wow! Davidson (that sub) adds another: 2-3. Just five minutes plus extras to go. FULL TIME: 2-3, no giant killing today.