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Ronnie Radford award winners announced

9 years ago
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For those of you who weren’t aware, there is an actual award handed out each year, which is named theĀ Ronnie Radford FA Cup Giant-Killers Award.

That’s right, ever since 2011 the FA made it official that Newcastle’s worst moment in the FA Cup (well, until the current days when the club policy is not even to try in the cups) is to be immortalised.

Not only do we have the pleasure of seeing THAT goal shown every year in the lead-up to third round day, but 43 years after the event we are now also the butt of jokes via the presentation of this award.

Why not call it the ‘Let’s all laugh at Newcastle award’?

The FA have just announced this season’s winner and it is Bradford City who polled a massive 85% of votes cast, for their tremendous win at Stamford Bridge.

Two goals down, the Bantams fought back to win 4-2 and showed just what is possible when you both the players and the club have total commitment to try and do their very best.

How ironic that this award is handed out to the club who tried their very best and achieved over and above the odds, when the club who contributed so much (Newcastle United, just in case you weren’t following…) to the idea of the award, now has an official club policy of trying everything they can to get out of the FA Cup as quickly as possible.

When people wonder why Newcastle fans are so miserable with life under Mike Ashley, a football club which has the sole purpose of surviving in the Premier League. Just consider this.

As well as reaching the League Cup final and getting a trip to Wembley in 2013, just this season Bradford City have won five FA Cup matches. Eventually they lost to Reading in the sixth round.

In Mike Ashley’s entire 8 year reign, Newcastle United have won a grand total of THREE FA Cup games.

Just for fun, before you look below I bet most of you can’t name all three victories.

In the last one of those four years ago, NUFC were a goal down before Hatem Ben Arfa scored a wonder goal to turn it around. Then in the other two wins, we needed a replay.

The three wins (a bit like the triple FA Cup successes of the 1950s…) have been:

2008 Newcastle 4 Stoke 1 (the day Keegan’s return was announced)

2010 Newcastle 3 Plymouth 0

2011 Newcastle 2 Blackburn 1

Maybe the FA should also have a second award and give it a title of something like the…’Mike Ashley least effort award’. As sure fire winners each season, maybe then this would qualify as ‘winning something’ and lead to the Newcastle United owner packing his bags as he promised in his interview – we live in hope.

 

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