A brief history of ... the rise and fall of the FA Cup, England's Super Bowl

The curious fan’s guide to the match that stops a nation. Or the match that used to, at least

With the Guardian’s unstoppable rise to global dominance (NOTE: actual dominance may not be global. Or dominant) we at Guardian US thought we’d run a series of articles for newer football fans wishing to improve their knowledge of the game’s history and storylines, hopefully in a way that doesn’t patronise you to within an inch of your life. A warning: If you’re the kind of person that finds The Blizzard too populist this may not be the series for you.

The FA Cup final is the nearest thing English sport has to the Super Bowl, and Aston Villa and Arsenal will run out for this year’s edition on Saturday. A famous annual jamboree, the showpiece of the nation’s favourite pastime, the culmination of a long season, a quasi-religious affair, a pseudo public holiday for all the family to enjoy. Soccer’s big day out.

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