GIVEN that Middlesbrough have been asked to travel to non-league Nuneaton Borough for an interesting third-round tie and that their Conference North rivals Northwich Victoria have been pitted against Sunderland, the FA Cup continues to lead a revitalised life.

It was only six years ago this month that the famous old competition was at its lowest ebb.

The rust on the historic silverware should have been evidently clear as it stood beneath the Twin Towers for the last time as Chelsea beat Aston Villa.

Manchester United's infamous withdrawal from the competition to play in the much-maligned World Club Championships acted only to devalue the world's oldest club knock-out competition.

While United, who had lifted the European Cup just eight months earlier at the Nou Camp by defeating Bayern Munich, had landed in Brazil to face unknowns like Necaxa and South Melbourne, the rest of the English top-flight were embarking on a route to play in the last Wembley final.

Since that fateful January in 2000, the FA Cup has slowly but surely regained most of the glitz and glamour that made it a global attraction.

The five finals since then have been played at the Millennium Stadium and one of the country's top four clubs - Arsenal, United, Liverpool and Chelsea - have been involved.

Last season's dream final meeting between Arsenal and United, which the Gunners won on penalties after a dour goalless draw, may not have lived up to its billing, but the fixture still highlighted how highly teams regard progress in the FA Cup again.

In light of the main reason why the FA Cup suffered such an embarrassing period in the winter of 1999/2000, it is only right that the team who instigated the whole affair should receive its comeuppance.

Imagine Burton Albion, of the Conference, embarrassingly knocking out the mighty Red Devils in front of the Sky cameras in the early hours of tomorrow evening.

That would be a major blow to a giant club already smarting from a season of discontent.

But whatever the outcome, as Burton, Northwich and Nuneaton look to add their name to the ever-growing list of non-league giantkillers, the FA Cup's reputation remains intact.

To add to third-round weekend there are also intriguing ties between Luton and Liverpool and Torquay and Birmingham, not to mention Mansfield trying to make today Graeme Souness' last game in charge at St James' Park.

Having survived the humiliation of losing one of its biggest competitors six years ago, the Football Association must now work to ensure it does not suffer the indignity of having no spiritual home for 2006.

The Millennium Stadium, although initially criticised, has proved to be a fantastic venue to host such a showpiece finale to the season, but this was the year it was supposed to return to Wembley and this is the year it should.

With the Cardiff venue on stand-by, and with Wembley running behind schedule, there is a strong chance it could be returning to Wales again come May.

But for the FA Cup's sake let's hope not.

Otherwise it could take another six years for it to show signs of returning to its former glory once again.