Rochdale laid a new pitch and made a lot of friends

THIS was threatening to become another weekend in which the FA Cup was devalued. That was until Rochdale rode to the rescue. Those scenes of jubilation as Steve Davies drilled his side to a replay against Tottenham and a trip to Wembley are what the Cup should be about. Not lengthy delays as incidents are reviewed by video technology, wavy lines indicating an offside call or draws made before teams have even played. This prestigious competition should not be used as a testing ground for technology. Fortunately, the video assistant was nowhere to be seen at Spotland. Late yesterday we were treated to a proper Cup tie at an old-fashioned ground — but there was nothing old-fashioned about this Cup shock. How many times have we seen upsets caused by the leveller of a pitch? Rochdale did the opposite, spending £500,000 on a new surface and playing attractive football. This was a really good advert for League One — a division in which they are rock bottom! For some young Rochdale supporters, Davies’s goal could well be the spark that inspires them to become professional footballers. This grand old competition is the reason I became a player. I remember watching the 1974 Cup final between Newcastle and Liverpool as a spellbound seven-year-old. The sea of people, the quality of football, the drama — I desperately wanted to be a part of it and was finally able to fulfil my dream with Arsenal in 1998. With their heroics last night, Rochdale’s players have proved that no one can kill the magic of the Cup.