Football
9y

Alan Pardew denies dismissing FA Cup while at Newcastle

Alan Pardew insists he did not dismiss the FA Cup during his time in charge at Newcastle -- despite a dismal record in the competition throughout his tenure at St James' Park.

The 53-year-old takes his Crystal Palace side to another former employer as the Eagles face a tough fourth-round tie at Southampton on Saturday, having already matched his win record at Newcastle following victory over Dover in his first game in charge.

With cup humiliation coming with defeat at Stevenage in 2010 and Brighton knocking out the Magpies twice in successive years, many could point an accusatory finger at Pardew for his approach to the competition.

A 2-1 success against Blackburn in 2012 was his only victory in the competition in a four-year spell on Tyneside, which came to an end when he left in December to fill the managerial vacancy at Selhurst Park.

But Pardew maintains he always gave his best and understood what delivering silverware to a trophy-starved Newcastle fan-base would have meant to the city.

"That is the perception but it wasn't the case," he said when asked if he took the competition lightly in the past.

"It was just at times we were unlucky in terms with selection of teams. We had a couple of bad results in that competition and, of course, the way it is with cups and their longing for a trophy after all these years, the hurt at going out was magnified each time.

"Unfortunately I have to accept that but I can assure you we didn't plan for it. I have always done the same with cups.

"I have tried to make sure the team is competitive and sometimes you do have to look within your squad and give people the opportunity, as we did at Dover. Then hopefully you find out things about players, sometimes for the good and sometimes for the not."

Pardew does hold fonder memories of cup runs both as a player and a manager, having reached the final of the showpiece event during his time in the Crystal Palace midfield.

He scored the winning goal in the 4-3 semifinal victory over Liverpool in 1990 and played both the final and the replay as the Eagles were pipped to the trophy by Manchester United.

And he would suffer final heartbreak 16 years later when he took West Ham to the Millennium Stadium, with the Hammers taking the lead twice against Liverpool before Steve Gerrard equalised in injury time and led the Reds to a penalty shootout victory.

And now, if he can lead Palace to an unlikely win over high-flying Southampton at the weekend, Pardew will have already eclipsed his Newcastle record in the cup and will be dreaming of going one better than in 1990 and 2006.

^ Back to Top ^