The Budweiser FA Cup

[Jimmy]

Yeah, the interview he has with Lampard and Torres and he keeps nodding constantly for the whole two minutes is brilliant.

[Summers]

I fucking love Luiz.

[Liam]

I love that video.

[Lineker]

Awesome women's cup final between Chelsea and Birmiongham has finished 2-2aet, the match has gone to penalties but on the red button which means I can't watch the conclusion at work

[stokeriño]

Birmingham won the shootout 3-2 (some pretty poor penalties from Chelsea). Guess we'll have to make do with all the other FA Cups. :/

[Lineker]

Non-league Wembley FC have recruited former internationals Ray Parlour, Martin Keown, Graeme Le Saux, Claudio Caniggia and Brian McBride to play in their FA Cup campaign this season.

The north London side have hired David Seaman as goalkeeping coach and former England boss Terry Venables as technical advisor.

Parlour, 39, said: "I've always believed grassroots football is essential to the lifeblood of the game.

"So I jumped at the chance."

All five players have come out of retirement to play for Wembley FC, who are in the ninth tier of English football. The club have agreed a sponsorship deal with Budweiser, which is in the first of a three-year deal as sponsor of the FA Cup.

Goalkeeper David Seaman, midfielder Ray Parlour, and defender Martin Keown all played for more than a decade with Arsenal, making 405, 339 and 311 appearances respectively.

The trio all won the league title on three occasions. Seaman and Parlour both won four FA Cups and a League Cup, while Keown won a hat-trick of FA Cups.

Former Blackburn and Chelsea left-back Le Saux won a Premier League winner's medal with Blackburn in 1995 and the FA Cup and League Cup while at Stamford Bridge.

Caniggia played for 10 different clubs, including spells at Dundee and Glasgow Rangers towards the end of his career.

He sprang to international prominence at the 1990 World Cup in Italy, scoring the 80th-minute winner against rivals Brazil that took Argentina into the last eight. Following a drugs ban, the forward returned at USA 94, scoring twice against Nigeria.

After differences with coach Daniel Passarella, he was left out of the France 98 squad but returned for 2002, although he failed to make an appearance and was sent off from the substitutes' bench against Sweden as Argentina exited at the group stage.

McBride has already worked for an England manager, having captained Fulham under Roy Hodgson. The American striker scored 40 goals in 150 appearances for the Cottagers. He also played for Preston and Everton.

Internationally, McBride played in three World Cups in 1998, 2002 - when he scored two goals as the US reached the quarter-finals - and 2006.

Wembley FC manager Ian Bates said: "The opportunity to learn from ex-professionals like Parlour and Seaman - who have been there and done it - will give us the best chance possible to go further than we ever have done in next season's FA Cup.

"A year ago we were playing in front of an empty grandstand and the clubhouse was falling down. Now the investment means great times are waiting for Wembley FC and we can't wait to kick off our FA Cup campaign."

Chairman Brian Gumm added: "We're not a big club but we have big ambitions. With Budweiser as our sponsor we now have a shot at making those dreams come true."

[METALMAN]

Parlour believes grassroots football is essential? And he thinks that he is helping by joining a bunch of other old has-beens in preventing the team's normal players playing for them? :/

[Colly]

Brian McBride!

[Lineker]

The Football Association will permit artificial pitches to be used in qualifying rounds of the FA Cup.

The decision also affects matches in six other FA competitions, including the FA Trophy and the Women's FA Cup.

Last month a consultation found widespread opposition to introduction in the Football League.

The FA's competitions manager, Steve Clark, confirmed: "In the [FA Cup] Competition Proper, all ties must be played on natural grass pitches."

The topic was discussed at the Football League's annual general meeting on 31 May, but it emerged that the Premier League and Professional Footballers' Association were among the official bodies against their reintroduction.

There was no support for the idea in the Championship and just two clubs were keen in League One, although a 13-11 majority were in favour of artificial surfaces in League Two.

In a statement on their website, the FA explained that: "If any club with an artificial pitch reaches the First Round Proper and is drawn at home, then they will need to switch to a ground of a club who are both an FA Cup entrant and have a natural grass pitch."

[IAceI]

For those who care, the 2012-13 Preliminaries are under way. With Wembley FC and their superstars taking on Langford FC. Venables, Parlour, McBride, Le Saux, Keown and of course.. Caniggia all involved in some form for Wembley FC.

I have a feeling it is going to be dreadful. Except for Claudio of course.

[Colly]

Oops. Oh well, can stop posting off topic stuff in the SPL thread now.

[IAceI]

Claudio! 1-0 to Wembley FC.

[Colly]

Gooooooal! Top pub defending there.

[IAceI]

Currently 3-2 to Wembley FC with 25 minutes to go. Aside from some old boys having a kick around and Veneables and Keown talking to ESPN mid-match, we've just had a pitch side interview with two gold medallists from USA's Women's Olympic team.

If they reveal there has been a raffle for a fan to play in the last 10 minutes of the match, or a throw a tennis ball at a coconut competition, I would be thoroughly unsurprised.

[Katsuya]

Aren't Wembley FC the ones who are sponsored by Budweiser now or something like that?

[IAceI]

They do appear to be yes.

[If_You_Wanna_Be_The_Man]

Not convinced this is the way to go if they want to restore the prestige to the FA Cup

[Lineker]

Wembley are crashing out against Uxbridge...

[Colly]

Just flicked to ESPN where Wembley lost 5-0. That daft ESPN girl just asked the Uxbridge manager (in their changing room in front of the team) "after the first game, and with all the celebrities, Terry Venables etc how difficult was that?". The answer: "Not very difficult".

They then cut him off for Martin Keown where the whole team booed in disgust...

[Adam]

How stupid do you need to be to ask a manager who has just won 5-0 "how difficult was that?"