“They say that the magic of the F.A. Cup is dead and buried beneath the hundreds of millions of dollars that separate the behemoths from the baby clubs in modern English soccer. But nobody told the Blyth Spartans that part-time players cannot have their hour in the limelight of the world’s oldest knockout competition. And nobody told Luís Figo, a winner of all manner of trophies when he played on the wing for Barcelona and Real Madrid, that folklore has lost its appeal. Figo was hooked on the action Saturday, when a local bartender, Robbie Dale, scored twice to put Blyth two goals up at halftime against Birmingham City, a team 120 places above Blyth in the league structures of England.” NY Times