Richard Sutcliffe: TV cameras hoping to broadcast blushes of Owls and Terriers

When the ITV cameras descended on Histon for the visit of Leeds United in 2008, all the makings of a classic FA Cup giant-killing were in place.

Not only were the home team from a village with a population of less than 5,000, but the visitors had endured a spectacular fall from grace after reaching the Champions League semi-finals in 2001. Throw in a heavy pitch and it was no wonder ITV felt the game was ripe for an upset.

The choice proved an astute one as Histon humbled the fallen giants with a 1-0 victory that, two years on, is considered to be the nadir of United's slide.

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What that afternoon in Cambridgeshire also did was continue the overwhelming trend of non-League opposition inflicting defeat on Yorkshire clubs rather than the other way round.

Histon's win was, in fact, the 18th time one of our Football League teams had been humbled by a side from the Conference or lower since the Second World War. (It would have been the 19th had Wimbledon finished off the job in 1975 by beating First Division Leeds in a replay after forcing a draw at Elland Road. Instead, they lost 1-0 at Selhurst Park in front of 45,071 fans after the tie had been moved from Plough Lane.)

Of those 18, Halifax Town lead the way after falling victim to a giant-killing against sides from outside the League on no less than four occasions. These include a 4-1 spanking by Marine and home defeats to Witton, Kettering and Whitby Town to underline why, that memorable afternoon almost 30 years ago against Manchester City apart, Cup fever has rarely struck the residents of the town.

Elsewhere, York City have been beaten three times by non-League opposition while Hull City, Scarborough, Huddersfield Town and Doncaster Rovers have all been on the receiving end of shocks twice.

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In the Tigers' case, though, their 2-0 loss to Hednesford at Boothferry Park in 1997 was dismissed as not even being an upset by Mark Lawrenson on Match of the Day later that night due to City being near the foot of the basement division.

Completing the list of shame for the county with one defeat apiece to non-League opposition are Rotherham United, 4-0 losers at Macclesfield in 1988, and Bradford City, whose third round loss to Telford United at the start of 1985 was tempered by the impressive form that saw the Bantams crowned Third Division champions the following May.

In terms of the boot being on the other foot and non-League clubs from the White Rose county doing the giant-killing, Scarborough lead the way with wins over Doncaster Rovers, Port Vale and Southend United in 2003-04 en route to meeting Chelsea in the fourth round.

Halifax Town – with a 2-1 win over West Brom – claimed one League scalp when in the Conference, as did Doncaster when beating Southend United.

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Whitby's 3-2 win at The Shay 26 years ago also deserves special mention, though possibly the most spectacular win by a part-time Yorkshire side was that of Emley when defeating Lincoln City on penalties after a replay.

Whether any new additions to shocks involving Yorkshire clubs will be added to this weekend remains to be seen. What is not an encouraging omen, however, is that ESPN and ITV, hoping for a shock, have selected the ties involving Huddersfield – at Cambridge United – and Sheffield Wednesday – at Southport – as the ones for live transmission this weekend.