The FA Cup is commonly accepted as the best club competition in the world.

No matter who you talk to, football fans always have their most favourite memory of the Cup.

It may be the day their lowly club humbled top flight opposition. Or it might even be the May afternoon when the captain of their favourites held the FA Cup aloft at Wembley.

Players are no different to fans and if you ask Bradford City manager Paul Jewell about his memories of the Cup, he can immediately recall his favourite times.

Ten years ago this week, City knocked out glamour side Tottenham in the third round and Jewell, who was a substitute that day, has fond recollections of a great day.

However if you ask the City boss what his favourite memory of the competition has been to date, he says: "We beat Tottenham here in 1989 which was a great day for everyone but it was at Wigan when I got the furthest.

"Somehow we managed to get our way through to the sixth round. I don't think we played anyone that special but all of a sudden we were in the quarter-finals."

In the 1986-87 season, Third Division Wigan accounted for Lincoln (3-1), Darlington (5-0), Gillingham (2-1), Norwich (1-0) and Hull City (3-0).

Jewell played in all five games and played a full part in the run by netting four goals while playing alongside former City legend Bobby Campbell.

Wigan's reward was a home tie with fallen giants Leeds United, who had beaten Telford, Swindon and QPR on their way to the quarter-finals.

In those pre-Howard Wilkinson days at Elland Road, Billy Bremner had only a limited amount of money to spend on players and as a result his side was a combination of experienced men like Brendan Ormsby, talented individuals such as John Sheridan and battlers of Ian Baird's class.

Jewell said: "It was a real achievement for us to get that far and we had a big crowd inside Springfield Park. Unbelievably we were only one game from the semi-finals.

"Unfortunately we ended up playing Leeds when they were in form and lost 2-0 at home. It was a great achievement for us though.

"At the end of the day, the FA Cup is a special competition which is a nice diversion for any club. No matter how big or small they are.

"For us this year the main objective has to be the league but if we get a good run in the Cup then I will take that. The more games you win the more confident you become."

One player City are set to face today in their third round tie against Grimsby is Aidan Davison.

The Northern Ireland goalkeeper had a spell at Valley Parade when he played a major part in City avoiding relegation in 1996-97.

He played ten games and pulled off a number of crucial saves which ultimately led to City avoiding the drop.

Jewell, who was part of Chris Kamara's coaching staff at the time, is fulsome in his praise of what Davison did for the Bantams.

He said: "Aidan Davison did very well for us and we were quite surprised when he didn't sign the new contract.

"Gary Walsh has done ever so well since he came to the club in September, 1997. He is a good keeper. Football is a funny game and in the long run, Aidan deciding to leave has helped us because we have a very good goalkeeper.

"Aidan did well though and was a good lad around the club. He also made some vital saves to keep us up and if we had gone down then we certainly wouldn't be in this position now.

"He has gone on to be an international and I am pleased for him."

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