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CHARLTON v MIDDLESBROUGH FA CUP BIG MATCH FACTS
It doesn't seem like long ago that we were last at The Valley. Steve McClaren famously made nine changes to the team two Sundays ago and Charlton completed a Premier League double over us, there only win and only goals in five outings.
Boro hold a 100% record against Charlton in the FA Cup. We've only been drawn together twice previously but have actually played four replays. The first time we were paired together was in 1930, a tie that took three replays to resolve. Our most recent FA Cup meeting was fourty-one years ago in the fourth round when Ian Gibson and Don Masson scored in another Ayresome Park replay.
Charlton go into this match on the back of Saturday's 3-0 defeat at Arsenal. FA Cup glory must now be their priority, but Boro provide their biggest test yet. The Addicks have reached the last eight with victories away to Championship strugglers Sheffield Wednesday and at home to League Two Leyton Orient and League One Brentford.
The Londoners have made the quarter-finals for the first time since 2000 but have not qualified for the semi-finals since winning the trophy for the only time in their history in 1947. They beat Burnley 1-0 in a final that is remembered for the ball bursting. It was the second final in a row that the ball burst and Charlton also made it to Wembley in 1946 losing 4-1 after extra time to Derby County. They were Charlton's only two final appearances.
Tonight will be the sixth time that Boro have visited London this season and so far, we ahve lost the lot, 2-0 at Tottenham, 2-1 at West Ham, 1-0 at Chelsea, 7-0 at Arsenal and most recently 2-1 at Charlton. That's a record of played five, lost five, scored two and conceded fourteen.
Boro's run to the quarter-finals has seen us beat Nuneaton Borough and Coventry City, both victories coming after a replay was required and Preston North End away from home. Boro's FA Cup record is poor with just one final appearance, two semi-finals and nine quarter-finals to speak of.
If tonight's match ends in a draw after ninety minutes, there will be a replay at The Riverside on Wednesday 12th April which will be played to a conclusion with extra-time and penalties if necessary.
The semi-final will be played at neutral venues and not at The Millennium Stadium as some reports have suggested. These venues will be confirmed after the draw for the semi-finals has been made at the FA's Soho Square headquarters tomorrow at 12.55pm UK Time. West Ham, Liverpool and Chelsea await the winners of tonight's match.
Tonight's referee is Mike Dean who also took charge of Boro's third round tie at Nuneaton, and the Premiership games away to Aston Villa and West Brom.
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