Freddie Woodman

Freddie Woodman savours FA Cup memories

6th January
First team

The Woodman family have a few fond FA Cup memories to savour, and Freddie Woodman hopes Swansea City can continue their good form and start a good run in this year’s competition when they face Stevenage on Saturday.

The Swans head to the Lamax Stadium looking to continue the momentum of taking 10 points from a possible 12 over the festive period in league action.

That run has left them second in the Championship table and, while Alex Revell’s Stevenage side may be in the lower reaches of League Two, they will relish the opportunity to cause an upset on their own patch.

It remains to be seen if Steve Cooper will rotate this weekend following a relentless few months but, whoever takes the field, the Swans will want to keep up their momentum.

Woodman made his senior debut for Newcastle against Luton at the third-round stage of the competition in 2018, and he remembers the excitement of his father Andy when he and his Oxford team-mates – including former Swan Matthew Bound – were handed an away tie at Arsenal in 2003.

Freddie Woodman

The star-studded Gunners would claim a 2-0 win at Highbury with a certain Dennis Bergkamp among the scorers, and it means the younger Woodman has a keen sense of the significance the cup can still carry.

“The FA Cup is brilliant, I am pretty old-fashioned with it and I love that magic of the competition,” he said of this weekend's tie against one of his father's former clubs.

“I remember as a kid when my dad played at Arsenal in the third round for Oxford in 2003.

“He came home after the draw and he was absolutely buzzing, and it was a big day.

“For me, I made my debut for Newcastle in the FA Cup, so I have always thought it is a fantastic competition.

“We will be giving it the respect it deserves, and we hope we can get a result and keep this good run going.”