It's a Game of 12 Halves

Beginning of article

Byline: Compiled by Charles Legge

QUESTION Before football penalty shoot-outs, what was the record of replays to settle a cup tie? THE record to settle an FA Cup tie was in 1971 between Alvechurch of the Midland Combination and Oxford City of the Isthmian League. They met six times in 17 days.

Alvechurch player Graham Allner said: 'We didn't know the Oxford players at the start but we were on first-name terms at the end. We were turning up as if longlost mates.

'It was like going to work every day -- the same teams, the same players, the same result.' The six games needed five different grounds. All but the first and last went to extra time, making a total …