Thornton United 4 Hessle Rangers 0

Debutants Thornton United from the Bradford Sunday Alliance made a great start to their Sunday Cup campaign with a 4-0 home win against Hessle Rangers from Hull.

However, despite the convincing score line, this was a very close game and going in to the last ten minutes, there was only one goal between the two sides.

Hessle nearly opened the scoring in the tenth minute, when Thornton keeper Ryan Blythe stopped a certain goal, when he outfoxed a Hessle forward in a one-on-one situation. The home side then went close when they hit the bar six minutes later.


It's kick off time! Thornton United are playing in the white shirts and black shorts.

The opening goal was scored just before half time. Thornton forward Chris Lever showed the opposition how to finish a one-on-one, as he rounded the Hessle keeper to slot home from close range.

Blythe produced another superb save (high and to his right) five minutes after the restart to deny Hessle another certain goal. Five minutes later, it was the turn of the Hessle keeper to come to his team’s rescue, when he pushed a Deroy White effort around the post (the referee and his assistant failed to spot the save and awarded a goal kick instead of a corner!).

Both sides continued to create chances but it was Thornton who scored the crucial goal in the 81st minute, when a cross from the left was expertly side-footed home on the volley to double their advantage.

The Hessle player’s heads began to drop at 2-0 down and the home side saw an opportunity to kill the game off, which they did with ruthless efficiency, as two quick goals secured a 4-0 win.

Three goals in a six minute spell late in the game did not reflect what had been an even contest for the vast majority of the 90 minutes. In fact, you could even make a case for Thornton’s goal keeper to be their man of the match, as he played a significant part in their victory.

This was the 100th time I have watched a game in the FA Sunday Cup and it was fitting that I achieved this milestone at Manningham Mills in Bradford, which was the ground where I watched my first football game, way back in March 1984.


Above is what is left of Manningham Mills stand which was built 80 years ago in preparation for an FA Amateur Cup tie against Northern Nomads. The ground is now home to Campion of the West Riding County Amateur League.

2nd Round Draw

Ties to be played on 25th November with a 1.00pm kick off:

Oyster Martyrs v St John Fisher OB

Home & Bargain v Dawdon Colliery Welfare

Thirly v Burradon & New Fordley

Hetton Lyons Cricket Club v JOB

South Bank (2006) AFC v Bolton Woods

RCA Grangetown Florists v St Sebastians

Suttonfields v Alder

Coxhoe WMC v HT Sports

Poulton Royal v Northallerton Police

Canada v Kelloe WMC

Humbledon Plains Farm Nissan v Newton Aycliffe WMC

Salisbury Athletic v Nicosia

Allerton v Paddock

Loughborough Saints v Wymeswold

Clumber v Hundred Acre

Sporting Khalsa (Sunday) v Bilsthorpe Celtic

Thornton United v Punchbowl

RHP Sports & Social v Whitwick Compass

Advance Couriers v T8's

Stanbridge & Tilsworth v Britannia United or Highfield Social Club

Club Lewsey v AC Sportsman

AC Cadoza v Seven Allstars

Comets Sports Club v Windmill (Yarmouth) or Enfield Rangers

Bedfont Sunday v Manor House

Sungate or El Sol v Upshire or Torrun United

FC Camberley v AFC Kumazi Strikers

Worthing Park Vale or Barnes Albion v Knighton Arms

CB Hounslow United (Sunday) v Dee Road Rangers or Hammer

Marquis Rangers v Lambeth All Stars

Rayners Lane (Sunday) v Belstone (Sunday)

Lebeqs Tavern Courage v The Railway Inn

Sporting Bristol or Kings Tamerton CA v All Saints

1st Round Results

RCA Grangetown Florists 2 v Sportsmans 1
Club Victoria Athletic 0 v Northallerton Police 9
Newton Aycliffe WMC 3 v Winlaton Commercial 1
Dawdon 4 v Hartlepool Athletic Rovers 1
Coxhoe WMC FC 2 v Cleator Moor FC 1
Kelloe WMC 3 Rosegale N&SA 1
Herrington CW 2 v South Bank 4
St John Fisher OB 3 v Oak Tree Pub 0
West Bowling 1 v Thirly 1 (Thirly won on penalties)
Chapeltown Fforde Grene 0 v JOB 2
Thornton United 4 v Hessle Rangers 0
Bolton Woods 2 v Drum 1
Duke of Rutland 2 v Hundred Acre 3
Wymeswold 3 v Pattesons 2
Clumber 3 v Sparta Moshdock 2
Magnet Tavern 2 v T8’s 5
New Salamis 1 Manor House 2
Bedfont Sunday 5 v Broadfields United 2
NLO 1 v CB Hounslow United 3
Worthing Park Vale v Barnes Albion – postponed, due to a waterlogged pitch
AFC Donsville 3 v Belstone 5
Comet Sports 5 v North Wembley Eagles 1
Gadeside Rangers 3 v Rayners Lane 5
Lambeth All Stars 5 v Artois United 0

Preliminary Round Review

FC Labour 0 Sportmans 6

Sportmans of the Hambleton Combination enjoyed their Sunday Cup debut, which involved a 220 mile round trip to Whitehaven, where they notched an impressive 6-0 win at Egremont & District side, FC Labour.

Sportsmans were gifted an early lead, thanks to an own goal, before Col Anderson doubled their advantage at the break. Second half goals from the  Ramsbottom’s Aaron and Andy together with a brace from Scott McNichol, clinched another away tie, against RCA Grangetown Florists.

JOB 4 v Queens Park 3

JOB from the Liverpool Business Houses league came through a thriller against Birkenhead league Sunday Cup veterans Queens Park, courtesy of goals from Mark Styles, Paul Thorpe, Ross McDowell and Jimmy Weincke.

JOB’s reward is a visit to West Yorkshire, where they will face Chapeltown Fforde Grene at Garforth Town’s ground.

Enfield Rangers 2 v London Macabbi Lions 1

Last season, a patched up Lions side were well and truly put to the sword by Falcons, where their 12-1 loss was the heaviest defeat in the first round.

This season they have ended up with the dubious honour of being the first team to exit the competition, as their defeat by Enfield was the only morning kick off in the preliminary round.

Blog Update

Regular followers of the blog will have noticed that recent updates have not been as frequent as in previous seasons. This is due to a combination of factors, the main one being that the hard-drive on my PC died in July.

A replacement was installed but a few weeks later, the computer was then infected with a virus (despite being protected with anti virus software!). Thankfully, years of research were not lost, as most of it was backed up to a disc in July 2011. Unfortunately, all work since then will have to be recreated.

Hopefully things can now return to normal and I will be updating the blog with a match report from the first round game I’ll be watching tomorrow along with the scores from the other games (please email any results you know to me at fasundaycupblog@hotmail.co.uk)

Preliminary Round Results

JOB 4 v Queens Park 3
FC Houghton Centre 2 v AC Sportman 4
Enfield Rangers 2 v London Maccabi Lions 1

Preliminary & 1st Round Draw

Preliminary Round - 30/9 - 2:00pm KO

1 FC Labour v Sportsmans

2 JOB v Queens Park

3 Alder v Lobster

4 FC Houghton Centre v AC Sportsman

5 Enfield Rangers v London Maccabi Lions

First Round - 21/10 - 2:00pm KO

1 Humbledon Plains Farm Nissan v Witton Park Rose & Crown

2 Kelloe WMC v Stockton Rosegale N&SA

3 RCA Grangetown Florists v FC Labour or Sportsmans

4 Herrington CW v South Bank (2006)

5 Hartlepool Rovers Quoit v Burradon & New Fordley

6 Newton Aycliffe WMC v Winlaton Commercial

7 Coxhoe WMC v Cleator Moor

8 Club Victoria Athletic v Northallerton Police

9 Dawdon Colliery Welfare v Hartlepool Athletic Rovers

10 Thornton United v Hessle Rangers

11 Kirkdale v Nicosia

12 Garston v Alder or Lobster

13 Mariners v HT Sports

14 St John Fisher OB v Oak Tree Pub

15 Home & Bargain v Larkspur

16 Suttonfields v BRNESC

17 Pineapple v Poulton Royal

18 Eden Vale v St Sebastians

19 West Bowling v Thirly

20 Bolton Woods v Drum

21 Salisbury Athletic v St Johns

22 Chapeltown Fforde Grene v JOB or Queens Park

23 Paddock v AFC Blackburn Leisure

24 Derby Lane Gym v Oyster Martyrs

25 Liverpool North v Allerton

26 Bilsthorpe Celtic v Premier Sports

27 RHP Sports & Social v Birstall Stamford

28 Whitwick Compass v Sileby Athletic

29 Plough Barfly’s v Loughborough Saints

30 Magnet Tavern v T8’s

31 Clumber v Sparta Moshdock

32 Wymeswold v Pattesons

33 Travellers v Sporting Khalsa (Sunday)

34 Seven Allstars v Pelsall Bush 2012

35 Advance Couriers v Albion

36 Duke Of Rutland v Hundred Acre

37 Punchbowl v Bartley Green Sunday

38 FC Houghton Centre v Co-op Sports or AC Sportsman

39 Britannia United v Highfield Social Club

40 Cube Old Boys v AC Cadoza

41 Crawley Green (Sunday) v Club Lewsey

42 Wycombe Town v Stanbridge & Tilsworth

43 Upshire v Torrun United

44 New Salamis v Manor House

45 Windmill (Yarmouth) v Enfield Rangers or London Maccabi Lions

46 Sungate v El Sol

47 Bedfont Sunday v Broadfields United

48 Comets Sports Club v North Wembley

49 Dee Road Rangers v Hammer

50 Gadeside Rangers v Rayners Lane (Sunday)

51 NLO v CB Hounslow United (Sunday)

52 AFC Donsville v Belstone (Sunday)

53 Rosehill Athletic v Marquis Rangers

54 FC Camberley v Putney Town

55 Lambeth All Stars v Artois United

56 Worthing Park Vale v Barnes Albion

57 AFC Kumazi Strikers v Ajax LA

58 Knighton Arms v Windmill

59 The Railway Inn v Cutters Friday

60 All Saints v Queens Park (Hampshire)

61 Sporting Bristol v Kings Tamerton CA

62 Navy Inn v Lebeqs Tavern Courage

2012/13 Round Dates

Preliminary Round - 30 September

1st Round - 21 October

2nd Round - 25 November

3rd Round - 16 December

4th Round - 20 January

5th Round - 17 February

Semi Final - 17 March

Final - 21 April (provisional)

FA Sunday Cup final - match report

Hetton Lyons extended their own record-breaking run of success in the FA Sunday Cup, as they claimed their fourth title when they steamrollered Canada at a very wet Stadium of Light, Sunderland.

Hetton were dominant throughout and the score line completely does justice to the way they dismantled a very disappointing Canada side, who just failed to perform on the day.

Despite being champions of the highly regarded Liverpool & District Sunday league and having beaten Sunday Cup holders Oyster Martyrs three times this season, Canada went in to this game as underdogs, bearing in mind Hetton’s incredible record in the competition and the fact that they clearly had an advantage in playing the game in their native North East.

Hetton opened the scoring in the third minute, when they took the direct route to the Canada goal. Lyons keeper, Keith Finch, launched a huge free kick from ten yards outside of his penalty area, which was headed on by rangy striker Mark Davison in to the path of prolific goal scorer Warren Byrne, who just managed to beat the advancing Canada goalkeeper, Ryan Brookfield, to the loose ball and give the Lyons the lead.

Byrne doubled the Hetton lead on 17 minutes, when he slid in at the far post to convert right back Kallum Griffiths cross, to leave Canada rocking at 2-0 down.

Canada’s own hot shot Steven Tames found himself with an ideal opportunity to drag his team back in to the game on the half hour mark, as he bore down on goal, following a run from the half way line. Unfortunately for him, he drilled his shot just wide of the post.

Half time score: Hetton Lyons 2 Canada 0

Things went from bad to worse for Canada, as they found themselves 3-0 down in the 51^st minute, when a daisy cutter of a free kick was somewhat fortuitously swept home at the near post by Hetton captain, Daniel Moore.

It was nearly 4-0 a minute later, when Warren Byrne was presented with his hat-trick chance, which he only just failed to take.

A mazy run from the half way line from Stephen Capper, set up Mark Davison in the 59^th minute, and he was unlucky to see his effort rebound off the post. However, the loose ball fell straight to the unmarked Capper, whose superb left foot finish evaded Brookfield’s despairing lunge.

Capper is no stranger to big match football and already has two Sunday Cup winner’s medals, prior to today’s final. He also captained the Republic of Ireland in the FIFA World Youth Championships in 2003 and the following year, he came on as a 13^th minute substitute for Scarborough in their glamorous fourth round FA Cup tie against Chelsea.

There was to be no hat trick for Hetton’s Warren Byrne, as he was substituted in the 66^th minute. Canada then pulled a goal back three minutes later, when Joe Fargan headed home from a corner.

However, this proved to be just a mere consolation and with Canada unable to reduce the arrears further, it was left to Hetton sub Daniel Craggs to complete the scoring in stoppage time, when he sprung the Canada offside trap and rounded Brookfield to score from close range. 

Craggs has another big day to look forward to shortly, as he is a member of the Dunston side who have reached the FA Vase final. No doubt he will look to join Sandor Gyalog who lifted the Sunday Cup and Vase in the same season, back in 1995.

So, in the end, a very easy final game for Hetton and the big challenge they face for next season is retaining the Sunday Cup, which, despite all the success they have enjoyed over the last decade or so, is the one honour they have been so far unable to achieve.

Hetton Lyons 5 Canada 1

Congratulations to Hetton Lyons who comfortably lifted their fourth FA Sunday Cup title at a very damp Stadium of Light this afternoon.

The game was as one sided as the score line suggests. Hetton had a 4-0 lead by the 59th minute and Canada's goal in the 69th minute was a mere consolation on what was a pretty miserable day for them.

Full report with photos to follow shortly.

Final Preview

In the run up to the 48th FA Sunday Cup final, the big question on everyone’s lips is are Canada able to derail Hetton Lyon’s 4th title bid and clinch the Sunday Cup, which they have been chasing for over 40 years?

In my opinion, Canada will start as underdogs and I say this despite the fact that they have recently been crowned as champions of arguably the Country’s strongest Sunday football league, the Liverpool and District.

I think the combination of them going up against the competitions best ever side in Hetton Lyons and having to enter the ‘Lyons den’ as Hetton have ‘home’ advantage in playing the game at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light, will prove too big a hurdle to overcome.

However, Canada have enjoyed their travels this season and have recorded wins at Hull, Aylesbury and Saltash, so know what it takes to win away from home. And in Stephen Tames, they have a quality striker who is in top goal scoring form.

Canada have competed in the Sunday Cup since the early days of the 1960’s and have come close to reaching the final on several occasions.

They were formed in 1965 and spent their early years playing in the Liverpool Business Houses league (they were league champions in 1965/6 and 1966/7) before moving on to the stronger Kirkby Newtown Combination, which was home to many of Liverpool’s strongest Sunday sides (former winners Lobster and Fantail both played in this league).

Canada proved their class by finishing runners up in debut season (1967/8) and were crowned league champions in 1968/9. They were Liverpool’s first Sunday Cup semi finalists the season after, when they went down 2-0 to 1966 champions Ubique United at Dudley Town’s ground.

Canada also reached the quarter final in 1973, where they came up against one of the competition’s legendary sides, Carlton United, who ran out 4-1 winners on their way to lifting the Sunday Cup for the second time.

Canada’s second semi final appearance came in 1987, when they locked horns with champions Avenue from Birkenhead. Avenue were bidding to reach their third successive final and were packed full of Merseyside’s finest players.

However, they Canada a tough nut to crack and after the first game ended in a 2-2 draw, the pair reconvened at St Helens Town a week later, where Avenue narrowly won 2-1.

Their was another 17 year gap to Canada’s next semi final, when they played local rivals Nicosia in 2004 at Marine. Once again, Canada were edged out by the tightest of score lines, losing 3-2.

There was no big wait for the next semi final appearance, as this came the following season, under a new name of Canada Edinburgh Park. This time they cantered to a very convincing 4-0 win against Gossoms End. However, they were removed from the final, following a protest over player eligibility.

Hetton, by way of contrast, have a 100% record from their four semi final matches. They have the same record in the three finals they have contested, all of which were played at Anfield.

However, unlike Canada, they didn’t have to experience facing a local side in the final, as their opponents came from Luton (St Joseph’s in 2006), fellow Durham outfit Coundon in 2008) and Boston (Magnet Tavern in 2010).

Another factor could be the weather, as heavy rain is forecast and perhaps the side that deals best with the conditions will triumph.

Good luck to both sides and lets hope that the weather doesn’t spoil things today.