For fans who think football started when the Premier League was launched in 1992, the FA Cup is often viewed as an unwelcome distraction.However, the world’s most iconic knockout competition

Manchester City is the only thing standing in the way of a soccer fairy tale in the FA Cup. Take away City — the behemoth of the English game over the past decade — and the clubs remaining in the famous old competition heading into this weekend's quarterfinals have not won a major trophy between them this century.

Manchester City are favourites to win this season's FA Cup and salvage something from a troubled season but the seven other clubs left in a wide-open draw may never have a better opportunity to win the trophy.