BECKLES ON JOURNEY FROM
THE FA Cup always throws up a few magical tales – and this one from Shrewsbury Town’s Omar Beckles takes some beating.
The defender, who has come through the non-league ranks to face some of the most famous names this evening, had just decided to take up Grenada’s offer of playing international football.
The centre-back, 28, had done so, partly in memory of his late father Linton, who grew up on the Caribbean island and arrived in the UK as part of the Windrush generation.
Having been weaned on a few tales about his father’s antics as a youngster, the minute Beckles set foot on the island to play for the aptly named ‘Spice Boys’, he went to find out
As manager of the Shropshire club, Ratcliffe – Goodison Park’s most successful captain – masterminded the huge upset in 2003 against a team 80 places higher.
And, in a message to Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, who believes the famous old competition’s importance is waning, Ratcliffe said: “For those who say the FA Cup has lost its importance or magic, try telling that to a club like Shrewsbury.
“Our FA Cup games against Everton and Chelsea in 2003 saw the club’s debt of around £700,000 transformed into a profit of around £600,000.
“That all happened inside a month, with the extra match-day revenue and TV money. That is the magic of it for the lower league sides. “Jurgen Klopp has been going on about scrapping all replays – another effort to diminish the competition. “That comes from someone who clearly hasn’t been involved in the history of it. “It’s sad to see some of the attendance figures, so something has to be done to bring the fans back, although that won’t be the case at the New Meadow against Liverpool. The ground will be packed.” Just as it was 17 years ago. And like today’s Shrews facing Liverpool, back then they were given little chance of creating shock waves in the thirdround tie at the club’s former ground Gay Meadow. But two goals from ex-nottingham Forest striker Nigel Jemson saw the truth. The Shrews star said: “When I played for Grenada, it was good to get rid of the impression of the Caribbean that I had. “I know people who have gone to Jamaica, tried to build a house over there and the next thing you know, it’s been robbed or a highway is being built through their land. But Grenada is one of the safest places I’ve been, such a warm, vibrant feeling. It’s lovely, safe, beautiful, bursting with nature. I loved it.
“I felt a connection with my family. I finally put names to faces. I’d heard about all these people growing up from my dad, loads of stories.
“One time, he was chased by a dog. He was having a pee in a bush and the dog didn’t like it. He ended up with his pants