Premiership and Championship teams take a break from league action this weekend as the focus turns to the third round of the FA Cup. While it is at this stage when most fans turn their attention to the oldest knock out competition in the world there has already been eight rounds of action.

The search for FA Cup glory has already been passed from Jarrow Roofing Boldon C.A. to Fleetwood Town to Salisbury City and on to Nottingham Forest. In the second round Forest was potential giant-kill prey to Conference side Salisbury City. This time around they get to play the role of hunter. 

Premiership Charlton will visit the City Ground on Saturday with an ever increasing list of problems. After 15 years in charge (the first five as co manager with Steve Gritt) Alan Curbishley called time at the end of last season. Since two other managers have come and gone and Curbishley has swapped clubs with Alan Pardew who is now looking to dig Charlton out of relegation problems.

Six points from Premiership safety, without an away win in well over a year, knocked out of the Carling Cup by Chesterfield (currently in mid-table in League One), and with top scorer and potential saviour Darren Bent out for a month with knee trouble, the troubles are mounting at the Valley.

A month ago Forest would have been relishing the thought of putting one over on a Premiership side in the FA Cup but a series of set-backs (only one win in five games since beating Salisbury City in the second round replay) may have the Midland’s club worrying more about their own league form.

Forest, who finished with only nine players after Clingan and Cullip were sent off, dropped out of top two for the first time since August when they were humiliated 5-0 by Oldham on New Year’s day. While Premiership safety is the priority for Charlton, automatic promotion is vital for Colin Calderwood’s charges.

As well as missing Clingan and Cullip on Saturday through suspension it looks as if Forest will also be without Kris Commons who caught the eye in the televised second round games. The tricky forward is injured and missed the game against Oldham. Commons is out-of-contract this summer and although talks have been held no resolution is in sight. A couple of weeks ago Steve Claridge ran the rule over Commons and pinpointed his strengths and a few problems that may well frighten off Championship and Premiership teams that have shown an interest.

Neither time can boast of a stellar FA Cup record although both have won the fabled trophy. For Charlton FA Cup Final appearance came in the two seasons after WWII. In 1946 they lost to Derby County 4-1 after extra time. This final gained some notoriety as prior to the 1946 final Derby County was said to have carried a Cup-curse placed on the team by a gypsy. You can read about the curse and another oddity involving the game ball by following the marked links. (Jose and Fergie – are you ready to invoke curses yet?)

Charlton returned to Wembley the year after and again the game went to extra time but this time the London club scored the only goal of the game to beat Burnley.

Nottingham Forest won the FA Cup in 1898 by beating Derby County (see curse!) 3-1 but it took over six decades before they were to lift the trophy again. In 1959 Forest beat Luton 2-1 with goals from Roy Dwight and Tommy Wilson. Dwight (uncle to Reg Dwight or Sir Elton John as he is more readily recognized) broke his leg that day but Forest held on with only 10-men (no substitutes) to lift the Cup.

Forest returned to Wembley in 1991 but lost to Spurs 2-1. The Final was again marked by a serious injury albeit one inflicted by the injured players own rash challenge – this time it was Paul Gascoigne.

The third round draw can be found here and this is a link to the latest news from the official FA Cup website. The winners pocket around $80,000 in prize money and a place in the 4th round draw.

FSC  FA Cup  listings can be found here.

Featured Games to date.
Extra Preliminary Round        Jarrow Roofing Boldon C.A.    5-2     Billingham Synthonia.
Preliminary Round                 Jarrow Roofing Boldon C.A     5-4     Thackley F.C
First Qualifying Round            Fleetwood Town                    3-0      Jarrow Roofing Boldon C.A.
Second Qualifying Round      Fleetwood Town                    4-2      Goole AFC 
Third Qualifying Round          Fleetwood Town                    2-0      Warrington Town
Fourth Qualifying Round        Fleetwood Town                    2-0      Wisbech Town
First Round                             Salisbury City                         3-0      Fleetwood Town
Second Round                       Salisbury City                         1-1      Nottingham Forest
Second Round Replay           Nottingham Forest                  2-0      Salisbury City          

The Premiership and Championship teams do not enter the FA Cup for another round but cup fever is already gripping fans of Salisbury City. Salisbury has never made it to the third round of the Cup and if they are to do so for the first time, then they will have to beat former European Cup winners Nottingham Forest .

It is not surprising that all 3,100 tickets (up from the normal capacity of 2,700) have already been sold for Sunday’s game at the Raymond McEnhill Stadium and Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports World Canada viewers can catch the game on same-day tape delay (1:00 p.m. EST on both channels).

Salisbury has won all their four games in the cup so far and as yet to concede a goal. In the last round they took care of Fleetwood United 3-0. Fleetwood moved through four rounds of the competition after dispatching Jarrow Roofing Boldon C.A, the club chosen at random by the blog when the extra preliminary round of the Cup was drawn.

Salisbury has slipped to third in the Football Conference South and is five points behind current leaders Histon but with two games in hand. However, they have only lost three games out of the total of 22 this year and manager Nick Holmes, who played for Southampton when they beat Manchester United in the FA Cup Final of 1976, is looking to pull off another shock.

In Nottingham Forest they face a team that has fallen further than any European team has ever done. No winner of the European Cup had ever sunk to the third tier of domestic action until Forest was relegated at the end of last season. But for Forest fans this season has provided a ray of hope. Former Scottish international and Spurs’ defender Colin Calderwood took over after a spell at Northampton and the indications are that he has stopped the rot and the club his finally heading up once more.

Currently Forest sit at the top of League One with a six-point lead having won five of their last six league games and drawn the other. However, in midweek Bristol City did defeat Forest on penalties in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy after the teams shared four goals.
Forest knocked off Yeading 5-0 in the first round of the FA Cup while Salisbury beat the same team 3-1 back in September in Conference South play.

The bookies are offering odds of 6-1against an upset with Forest 2/5 and 9/4 that a replay will be needed. The second round winners will pocket around $44,000 each plus a place in the draw for the third round with the big boys. The full second round draw can be found here and this is a link to the latest news from the official FA Cup website.

Featured Games to date.
Extra Preliminary Round        Jarrow Roofing Boldon C.A.    5-2     Billingham Synthonia.
Preliminary Round                 Jarrow Roofing Boldon C.A     5-4     Thackley F.C
First Qualifying Round            Fleetwood Town                     3-0     Jarrow Roofing Boldon C.A.
Second Qualifying Round      Fleetwood Town                     4-2     Goole AFC 
Third Qualifying Round          Fleetwood Town                     2-0     Warrington Town
Fourth Qualifying Round        Fleetwood Town                     2-0     Wisbech Town
First Round                             Salisbury City                          3-0     Fleetwood Town