The FA Cup proved it's still in rude health - and here's how to make it even better

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The FA Cup had its greatest-ever shock and one of the best third round weekends in recent history.

Macclesfield’s fairytale win over Crystal Palace - the lowest ranked team knocking out the holders - made them the first sixth-tier team to beat a top-flight side in the competition.

There were so many great stories around that tie. They dedicated it to their striker Ethan McLeod who died after a car crash last month. Wayne Rooney's brother John is the manager.

The club’s owner Rob Smethurst buying the club on Right Move after a four day bender in Ibiza. Honestly, if you cannot buy into Macclesfield and enjoy their heroics then you must have a heart of stone. What a fabulous story.

Weston-super-Mare, the semi pro side from Nation League South, put up one hell of a fight after taking 600 fans to Grimsby only to go out 3-2.

Clubs get better, more generous away allocations in the FA Cup . Arsenal filled one end at Portsmouth. Even the all Premier League ties looked better with teams taking bigger allocations. Blackpool had one hell of a day out at Ipswich taking coach loads.

Wrexham on Friday night knocking out Nottingham Forest on penalties with their Hollywood co-owner Ryan Reynolds cheering them on from the stands.

It was a brilliant game with Callum Hudson-Odoi scoring a worldie but Forest still losing with Wrexham keeper Arthur Okonkwo the hero in the shoot-out.

So many good stories. The money is also huge for clubs like Macclesfield and Weston-super-Mare. It is brilliant to see football burst out of the Premier League bubble and enjoy the FA Cup for what it is.

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It is a huge part of English football. A stand alone competition which deserves respect and recognition - plus the realisation of what it means to the whole football pyramid.

The FA Cup allows lower division teams to dream. Their owners relish the spotlight and the much-needed TV cash and prize money.

While the Premier League drags its heels on the “deal” with the EFL, the FA Cup delivers and also puts clubs like Weston-super-Mare on the map.

It was Weston-super-Mare chairman Oli Bliss who pointed out that the FA Cup is huge for non-league because it drives interest.

And two other great things that were wonderful this weekend. No VAR which meant everyone could actually celebrate in the moment without having to wait for the VAR check to tell us whether it was offside, if the ball had brushed an arm or if the keeper had been fouled.

What a joy. It was brilliant. It was refreshing. And glorious. It even made me think - as someone who still stands by VAR as a necessity - that we made one hell of a mistake.

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The other thing is the FA Cup is better without replays. And let me be clear… it’s not fair on lower division clubs to miss out on the extra cash from replays. But that’s something the richer clubs need to fix and comes into the whole “deal” conversation.

But what it does mean is that clubs go for it. They go into games with a win-or-bust mentality. It makes games more exciting and dramatic.

Now for the next step. Ditch extra time. No-one wants it. It would make it even more exciting - and give us even greater chance of upsets.

The FA Cup is all about tradition and history. But we must also move with the times. Those days of big shocks were supposedly gone because of the gap between the Premier League and the rest.

Well, Macclesfield put paid to that. The FA Cup has never been better. Never been stronger. And this has been one of the best weekends it has ever seen.