E

ven if you “don’t like football”, there's something special about the FA Cup. Spring is in the air, summer’s in the post and the FA Cup has a track record for springing a few sporting surprises.

If you don’t manage to bag a ticket to the game, settle in for an entertaining afternoon at one of these pubs and bars that really go to town on Cup Final day.

Cafe Kick in Shoreditch, London, is for all footy fanatics – even if you prefer your football to be played across a glass-topped table. It might not be the largest bar in the world, but the big screen downstairs certainly makes up for it – plus you can nip upstairs for a halftime game of babyfoot’ on one of the umpteen football tables.

Alternatively, why not head to Liverpool, that great footballing city where only two teams matter: ‘Red’ (Liverpool) or ‘Blue’ (Everton). The best places to watch the final here are Ma Boyles or Ye Cracke, which have enough large screens between them to make any Premier League player jealous.

And if spring really is in the air by the middle of May when the final takes place, there are usually big outdoor screens set up in the competing teams’ towns, so you could always experience the big crowd atmosphere without big game prices.