Liverpool club chasing 'pinnacle' of Sunday football to become England's best

The Shah of Iran presented the Sunday Cup trophy to the Football Association as a gift to mark the centenary of the FA in 1963. The handle-less trophy, made up of Iranian silversmiths, has since become the most coveted accolade in men's open-age Sunday league football 61 years later.

“Into the semis we go. Up The Bargain,” was the tweet on February 18, after Home Bargains FC equalled their best-ever run in the FA Sunday Cup - progressing into the final four.

The post offered a glimpse into jubilant scenes in the dressing room after a hard-earned win in the North East over Belle Vue Rovers. Francis Smith and Mathew Parker were on target in a 2-0 win at Stockton Town - ending their seven-year wait to reach the semi-final.

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The journey began on October 8, beating the Wirral side Dock AFC 5-1. As is common practice, despite its unpopularity, the first five rounds are regionalised and that saw them pulled out of the hat alongside serial winners of their Birkenhead Sunday League.

Soon, they began knocking off teams in their way; Greenhoffs (North Staffordshire) 2-0, Olympic (Bradford) 6-0, The Brow (Liverpool) 3-1.

On the face of it, the Bargain are at least 90 minutes away from reaching a major final. But in Liverpool, the National Cup - or 'the Nash' as its affectionately known - is a different entity.

Preparations for the clash with Highgate Albion haven’t been ideal. Their top-of-the-table clash with Mayfair fell victim to the weather, seven days from the semi-final.

Their previous two outings against FC Dovecot and