In around five months, Port Vale could be playing fourth-tier football whilst also being FA Cup champions. The Stoke-based side are currently rock-bottom of League One, and are eight points adrift of Northampton, who are 23rd in the table. However, the Valiants do have the small matter of an FA Cup quarter-final away at Chelsea to look forward to.
Admittedly, relegation is rather more likely than FA Cup glory for Port Vale. Some might say infinitely more likely, in fact. But for now, Port Vale and their fans can continue to dream. And if nothing else, the money earned from this cup run is sure to give them a huge boost in the years ahead, especially if they do, as seems likely, drop down a division.
Results and Draw
Drink it in, Valiants! #PVFC | #PVFC150 | @EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/K72jJHLp6T
— Port Vale Football Club (@OfficialPVFC) March 8, 2026
Port Vale were not the only side recording an upset in the fifth round of the FA Cup, and nor are they the only non-Premier League club through to the final eight. Vale did brilliantly to overcome Sunderland, winning 1-0 at home, with Championship side Southampton winning away at Fulham by the same scoreline earlier on the same day.
The other six ties, however, largely went as expected. First of all, on Friday evening, Wolves were convincingly beaten on home soil by Liverpool. On Saturday, three more of the Premier League’s biggest clubs advanced, though none of them had it quite as easy as the Reds.
Arsenal won 2-1 at Mansfield, though the League One outfit were drawing 1-1 until the 66th minute. Wrexham gave Chelsea a real scare and were probably the better team in Wales but lost 4-2 in extra time, their cause not helped by a harsh VAR red card in stoppage time of normal time. Finally, Man City won at St James’ Park, prevailing 3-1 in the end but only after Newcastle had taken the lead.
The final two games saw Leeds beat Norwich with room to spare on Sunday evening and West Ham get the better of Brentford on home soil after a penalty shootout. Leeds made several changes but swept the Canaries to book a spot in the last eight of the FA Cup for the first time since 2002/03. The Hammers put their woeful home league form behind them to edge past Brentford on penalties after the game finished 2-2 after 90 minutes and remained that way after 30 more.
Quarter-Final Draw
See you soon!
— Port Vale Football Club (@OfficialPVFC) March 9, 2026
The draw for the last eight was made shortly before the kick-off of the Monday night West Ham versus Brentford game. Ties will take place between the 3rd and 6th of April.
- Southampton v Arsenal
- Chelsea v Port Vale
- Man City v Liverpool
- West Ham v Leeds United
Each of the four ties has its own fascinating storyline. The first two are genuine David versus Goliath clashes, though the chances of David slaying either Premier League giant are slim. The two London clubs boast a massive 22 FA Cup wins between them. They have been especially dominant over the last 30 years, with 15 of those coming since the Blues beat Middlesbrough in 1997.
If you prefer out-and-out glamour to romance and prefer to see Goliath battling Goliath, the Etihad is the place to be, with rivals Man City and Liverpool meeting. That may be the clash that most excites neutrals, but West Ham versus Leeds could also be a cracker. When the draw was made, West Ham sat 18th in the Premier League table. Leeds are up in 15th, but just three points separate the two. They meet in the final game of the season, a match that seems likely to be crucial for at least one of them. That means that the chance to score an early psychological blow in the FA Cup adds extra spice to this tie.
Has a League 1 Side Ever Made the FA Cup Semis?
Port Vale are a historic side, established in 1882/83 and one of the founder members of the Football League’s Second Division a decade later. Their best performance ever in the FA Cup came in 1953/54 when they made the semis.
That same season, they won the Third Division North, which was effectively the third tier at that time. So the short answer to this question is yes, if by League 1 we include all previous names of the third tier. So if the Valiants can somehow find a way to upset Chelsea, great achievement though it would be, it would not be history in the making, and nor in fact would it be new club history.
They are not the only club from the third tier to have made the semis, though. In 2000/01, Wycombe Wanderers made the last four and held Liverpool to 0-0 for 78 minutes before eventually losing 2-1. At that stage, the third tier was called Division Two, while Chesterfield also made the semis back in 1997, with Boro needing a replay to see them off.
However, the most recent club from the third tier to make it all the way to the final four was in the League One era. In 2013/14, Sheffield United saw off PL sides Aston Villa and Fulham, as well as two Championship teams, en route to the semis. They lost 5-3 to Hull in a thriller at Wembley, and who knows, maybe they can inspire Port Vale to great things against Chelsea.