The FA Cup can still conjure magic – so why won’t broadcasters show it?

The FA Cup third round produced plenty of shocks, writes Lawrence Ostlere, but the TV cameras were trained on many of the same old clubs

Wrexham’s Thomas O’Connor celebrates during their dramatic win over Coventry City (Getty)

The FA Cup’s magic number this weekend was nine: of the 20 Premier League clubs who entered the competition, eight were eliminated and one more will fall when Liverpool travel to Wolves for a replay next week, following their 2-2 draw.

Nine third-round defeats equal the record set in 2008, a record which may be broken outright when League One club Oxford United take on Premier League leaders Arsenal on Monday night.

It was a weekend of surprises and outright shocks up and down the country. “I’m completely and totally speechless,” said Wrexham co-owner and Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds after the non-league club’s thrilling 4-3 win over Coventry City. League Two’s Stevenage Town knocked out Aston Villa, while non-league Chesterfield were seconds away from beating West Brom before a heartbreaking equaliser in a 3-3 draw.