Are you up for the cup?

The FA Cup returns to prominence this weekend as the introduction of Premier League and Championship teams cranks up the interest several notches.

Of course, the real competition has been going on for months now, and some teams that have made the 3rd round will have played as many as 15 matches to get their chance to play the big boys of English football.

There is a certain magic to an FA Cup weekend, particularly the 3rd round. The attention almost instantly turns to any sort of David v Goliath battle as the media, pundits and fans alike look out for what could be a potential shock. Videos of Ronnie Radford get brought out from the archives and get dusted off ready for their annual airing, much to the annoyance of myself and many Newcastle fans I'm sure.

For those who don't know, Ronnie Radford scored the equalising goal for Hereford in an FA Cup tie against Newcastle back in 1972. Hereford were a non-league team at the time, and they went on to win the game and knock Newcastle out of the competition.

Here is a link to the goal if you have never seen it.

It's that kind of shock that Newcastle need to avoid this weekend when they make the trip to Broadhall Way to play Stevenage Borough. Granted, Stevenage are not a non-league side like Hereford were, but an early exit for a Premier League side against a League Two outfit would keep the press dining out for a good few weeks.

The words 'banana skin' have never been more appropriate, and the TV cameras will be there willing for a big shock to take place. Dodge the banana skin and get into the next round has to be the aim, and from there, who knows?

The FA Cup is a competition that I rate very highly. It's a cup that has been prominent throughout our history and it would be foolish to not enter the competition with the aim of winning it. Am I being deluded? No, not really, as any team has a chance of getting to the final, and from there anything can happen.

Newcastle have a lot of injured players as they prepare for Stevenage, but I'll highlight that in the match preview when I can get that prepared. It's likely to be a much changed outfit, but they should still be capable of winning the match. Alan Pardew has said the he will be playing the strongest team available to him, which I agree with.

The merits of a cup run are debatable when you are trying to establish yourself back in the Premier League, but The FA Cup has to be a competition where we play our strongest team, and it looks as though we'll be doing that just that.

I'm up for the cup. Are you?