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Defying The Odds: Historic Cup Final Appearances By Lower League Clubs
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Defying The Odds: Historic Cup Final Appearances By Lower League Clubs

Defying the Odds: Historic Cup Final Appearances by Lower League Clubs

Cups. We all love a cup run - underdogs defying expectations and reaching new heights through different competitions.

In May, it is that time of the year again, league seasons are ending, and the finals of cup competitions sit around the corner. In the Premier League, the giants of Manchester City face a possible banana skin in Crystal Palace, who will come in as a major underdog.

However, there have been major cup-sets in European football, with some even reaching the finals in romantic fairytales. But who are these teams, and how far did they go?

Real Madrid Castilla (1980):

You’re probably thinking that this is not the Real Madrid that we all love or hate. You would be correct. However, Real Madrid Castilla are the reserves team for Los Blancos, and in 1980, the reserves side went on an extraordinary cup-run.

At the time operating in the Segunda Division B, Real Madrid Castilla were in the third tier of Spanish football. Castilla began their cup journey with victories in the first and second rounds against Gallarta and Alcorcon. But the third round was where this cup run began to become special. Los Blancos’ B team defeated Hercules CF, who were a huge favourite in the fixture, and a team that operated in two divisions above, in the top tier of Spanish football in La Liga.

Castilla already had a great run in the cup, reaching the round of 16, but it got even better for the Madrid team, defeating another club in La Liga, and this time, beating a historic club in the division. Castilla beat Athletic Bilbao on penalties, and this would be a giant victory for the reserves side as they booked their place in the quarter-finals. After beating Bilbao, Castilla next faced another historic Spanish side – Real Sociedad. At the time, Sociedad were at their peak, sitting 3rd in the La Liga table, but it was Castilla that won again, causing yet another major upset.

The B team for Real Madrid found themselves in the semi-finals of the Spanish cup, recording one of the most remarkable underdog stories. But Castilla were not done yet, matching up against and defeating Sporting Gijon 2-1 in two matches to secure a historic place in the final. In the most incredible circumstance, the team that Castilla met in the final was Real Madrid – their own first team.

Castilla became the first and only B team to ever reach a major cup final, and the two teams met at the Santiago Bernabeu, but sadly, their story did not have the perfect ending as Real Madrid came out as 6-1 winners in the final. While they did not win the cup, Castilla had gone on the most incredible cup journey, with the B team also qualifying for European football as Madrid were victorious in both La Liga and the Copa del Rey. However, due to being the B team, UEFA rules prohibited reserve teams from entering European competitions. The run of the reserves also saw several players such as Ricardo Gallego, Pineda, and Agustin promoted to the Real Madrid first team after a superb story.

Calais RUFC (2000):

Next up is the cup run of Calais RUFC, who in 2000, when on one of the most incredible campaigns from the depths of the fourth division in French football. Due to operating in the Championnat de France Amateur, Calais were not even a professional club at the time – players included teachers, dockworkers, and office clerks. Their manager, Ladislas Lozano, was also a so-called ‘amateur’, while being a former player, Lozano worked as a school teacher alongside coaching.

Calais began their Coupe de France campaign, beating Lille in the round of 64 – the now Ligue 1 team, having operated in Ligue 1. Calais drew the game 1-1 with Lille. However, the team in the fourth tier of France football went on to win 4-3 on penalties and produce a first major upset. Next up was a tie against a fellow amateur club in the round of 32. Calais faced Langon-Castets, producing an emphatic 3-0 win.

Now in the round of 16, a major step up awaited the team in CFA, Cannes were the next opposition. Again, Calais provided another upset, with the teams drawing 1-1 after extra-time, and the underdogs beating Cannes 4-1 on penalties to reach the cup’s quarters. In touching distance of the decisive stages and the final of the competition, Calais were gifted with more Ligue 1 opposition in Strasbourg. Another big challenge for an amateur side, sitting three leagues below. Nevertheless, Calais were incredible, pulling off an incredible 2-1 victory.

In the semi-finals, Calais matched with Bordeaux, a then Ligue 1 outfit and quarter finalists of the UEFA Cup in that season. The French giants offered a huge challenge for teachers and office clerks, but unbelievably, it was the amateurs that won again in what was and remains one of the biggest shocks in French footballing history.

A 3-1 upset, Calais were in the final, and they faced FC Nantes. The game was played at Stade de France in Paris, and the fourth-tier side were unfortunate 2-1 losers, with Antoine Sibierski scoring a dramatic 90th-minute winner, but the French underdogs became the first ever 4th-tier team to reach the Coupe de France final, also being honoured with a parade. By reaching the final, Calais could’ve also qualified for European football, but the team did not participate as UEFA only permitted top-flight teams, and cup runners-up only qualified if the winner had already qualified through the league.

Union Berlin (2001):

France is not the only nation that have had an amateur underdog story as Germany’s Union Berlin went on a Cinderella story in the 2001 DFB Pokal. In the modern day, Union might be a team in the Bundesliga, also having placed in Europe in recent years, but in 2001, they were in the third tier of German football.

Led by Bulgarian manager Georgi Vasilev, the Regionalliga Nord side started their campaign with a victory over Rot-Weiß Oberhausen. A tight 2-0 victory over league opposition, seeing the semi-professional Berlin side into the second round. Next up, Union faced a nicer challenge as they played back-to-back Bundesliga 2 opposition in rounds two and three, beating Greuther Furth and SSV Ulm, with an aggregate score of 5-2 to the underdogs.

Vasilev’s side now found themselves in the tournament’s quarter-finals, facing a match-up with Bundesliga side VfL Bochum. Yet again, Union prevailed, winning 2-1 on the night. Advancing to the last four, Bundesliga opposition was expected, but while it was not that, the Berlin side faced a test against a historic club in Borussia Mönchengladbach. Then operating in the second tier of Germany, Mönchengladbach gave Union their biggest test yet, taking the game to a penalty shootout. However, with a bit of lady luck, it was the side in the third tier that won the dramatic shootout 4-2 to send them to the final.

Union Berlin became only the second third-tier team in German history to reach the DFB-Pokal final, following Energie Cottbus’ appearance in 1997. Within the final, Union faced an uphill battle, facing Schalke 04 at the Olympiastadion in Berlin. The Berlin-based side would go scoreline, Schalke using their quality to win the final 2-0. Union may not have won the final, but they captured the hearts of fans, also qualifying for the UEFA Cup for the first time, as Schalke had already qualified for the Champions League. Vasilev’s side was not only a colossal victory on the European and national stage, but the final was also a symbolic moment for East German football, with Union, a team from the east, defying expectations on a national stage.

Bradford City (2013):

Finally, we move to England to look towards the greatest underdog story in English cup history. Over the years, Bradford City have been a constant giant-killer, famously beating Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the cup, but their best cup campaign came in the 2012/13 season. Playing their football in League Two, Phil Parkinson’s team were mid-table at the time, starting their route to the promised land with an extra-time victory in round one, beating League One’s Notts County 1-0 in a cagey affair.

A step up came next in the second round, facing a Championship side in Watford. But Bradford progressed, beating the Hornets 2-1, before struggling in a third-round affair with fellow League Two opposition in Burton Albion – Parkinson’s side winning 3-2 after extra time. However, it was now time for a real test for the Bantams, Bradford facing Premier League opposition for the rest of their run in the competition, with their tie in the round of 16, meeting Wigan Athletic. The Latics, then in the Premier League, took Bradford the full 120 minutes as the League Two side made a phenomenal account of themselves. The game finished 0-0, but the scriptwriters did not want Bradford’s Hollywood story to end as they were victorious in the game’s penalty shootout, winning 4-2.

An enormous win against Wigan, but it did not get any easier for Bradford as they now faced the challenge of playing one of the Big Six. Arsenal were the team to play Bradford, and the Northern side were outstanding, taking the Gunners to extra time, and drawing 1-1 overall. As always, the odds were against the Bantums, but they were victorious in a second consecutive shootout, winning 3-2, and knocking out one of the best teams in the country and one of Europe’s best. At the time, the market value of Bradford’s entire squad cost less than £10,000, while Arsenal’s lineup in the quarter-final had a market value of over £100m.

Cup semi-finals offer two things: a chance to book a ticket at the League Cup final and Wembley. Across two legs, Bradford faced Aston Villa as the Villains remained in the Premier League, beating Villa 3-1 at home to secure a handsome lead before losing away at Villa Park 2-1. But overall, Parkinson’s side had won, overthrowing yet another Premier League giant and superbly securing their spot in the final.

A final against Swansea awaited, Bradford becoming the first team from the fourth-tier since 1962 to reach a major English cup final, and the first ever to defeat multiple Premier League teams en route to a modern-era cup final. However, it wasn’t Bradford’s day, with Swansea thrashing their League Two opposition 5-0 at Wembley, thanks to goals from Dyer, Michu, and de Guzmán for Swansea. Despite the heavy loss, Bradford’s story was outstanding, the Bantams going on to secure promotion to League One at the end of the season through the playoffs, and players such as Nahki Wells going on to have strong careers.

Benji Kosartiyer
Journalist
Josh Wyatt-Jones

Content Writer

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