FA Cup 3rd round draw

That’s not me in my avatar

 

Back in the days where a rough pitch evened things up a bit in the great gulf between the two sides. If memory serves me correctly, didn't Hereford United climb from Southern league right the way through the league pyramid to League 2, now known as the Championship. For those that don't know, promotion from the Southern League was never a given like it is these days, even if you won the league. Not to be confused with Hereford F.C (Hereford United FC).

However, before Hereford United went under, they did leave me one last memory of them. In February 2012, they came to Priestfield for a league game, we were losing 2-4 after originally being 0-2 down and pulling the game back to 0-2. However, in the dying minutes Gillingham, came back and won the game 5-4! Why it is so memorable for me, we had, had a dreadful season and I had been to watch us play EVERY game that season. And some dire matches I witnessed, yet this particular game was on a Tuesday night, I had a new boss that was a total arsehole, and I couldn't get the night off work. I didn't fret because of the shhite I had watched that season. So gave my ticket away. I've never been allowed to forget that night, the only game I missed all season and the most spectacular. We had Gazzaniga in goal back then, and a fantastic little player at that time Gavin Tomlin, doubt any of you have ever heard of him.

On a side note Malcolm McDonald went on to score five England goals against Cyprus, a few years later.

 

Think you are right - seem to remember them in the Championship. The FA Cup used to throw up some real cracking giant killing acts. In those days the top teams used to play their first teams but still got turned over. Remember Colchester beating Leeds Utd in 1971 when Leeds were the top team in England. The standard of the pitches was often atrocious but contributed to the entertainment.

Love the FA Cup and especially the 3rd Round. Its a pity that so many PL managers see it as nothing more than a distraction from their league campaigns. I would actually take the 4th place spot in CL and give it to the FA Cup Winners.

 

Your last paragraph, it's something I've always argued since the evolution of the Champions League from the European Cup, that a place should be given to the FA Cup winners after the Premiership winners. I feel we need to protect the tradition of our Cup competition, that gives even the smallest club the dream. As you said back then, the top teams would play their first teams, and I feel by making the FA Cup winners entitled to a CL place, would ensure the bigger clubs maintain the integrity of our finest trophy.

 

I get the theory but if you get dross qualifying for the CL we’d probably lose our fourth place sooner or later anyway. Saying that if you reduce our number of spots you make the cup more important.

 

If you look at the FA Cup winners over the last decade, there is probably only one team you would now class as dross, that being Wigan. Other than that you had Man Utd, Man City, Chelsea and Arsenal. All it would ensure is that those same teams, take the FA Cup more seriously at the earlier stage. In the same way, the Leeds United of old used too.

Also only one team used to qualify and I'm sure with multiple places now at stake, allocating one to the FA Cup would be a fairer system and would probably boost the coffers of the old trophy. I think alot of this all came to a head over Manchester United in the 1999-2000 season.

 

Good idea. It's usually one of the top few league teams win the FA Cup, though. So that would just mean 4th place would get in the Champions league, anyway.

 

Cups depend on luck, the fairest system is the Fair Play league

http://www.thefa.com/football-rules-governance/discipline/fairplay

 

We are discussing the FA Cup yeah, what's the fair play league got to do with anything?

 

How?

 

The luck of the draw only works so far. It may lead to a reduction of the better teams in the latter stages, allowing some of the weaker teams to get further than they might if it was seeded, but the best team should still win the thing.

Sure in a 1-off game if the better team has an off-day then they may get knocked out rather than an off-day in the league ending up as a minor blot on a successful season. But that's what makes cup competitions so good.

After all the Champions League is ultimately a knockout competition - why not have our best knockout team competing in it?

 

Last season proves it with Man City winning all the domestic cups after drawing 12 pub teams in a row, and getting absolutely nowhere in Europe where that wasn't an option

Best knockout team last season was City?

 

As you know I don't go along with all the conspiracies so they can only beat what's in front of them so well done to them.

 

^^^

Covering his back incase Pool win their 2nd pointless trophy of this season in a month’s time

 

Do you believe winning the FA Cup (2019 route: Rotherham, Burnley, Newport, Swansea, Brighton, Watford) is more worthy of a CL place than coming 4th by consistently outperforming PL teams?

 

The teams you draw are random so irrelevant as equally the route could be all the top teams in the PL. It's luck yes but if bad luck teams have the opportunity to win it the hard way and therefore fully deserve that pot.

 

Not saying they don't deserve the pot I'm saying they don't deserve the CL place. It's also a fact that some cup wins are harder/better than others (also leagues too but far more variables there)

 

It's opinion though, I like the FA Cup being given a CL Spot idea as they are the winners of a major trophy some will see that as more deserving than 4th some wont.

 

Apart from history favouring the FA Cup, why shouldn't the League Cup winners get a CL place as well/instead? The LC has two-legged semis which resemble CL knockouts, plus it's over sooner so if you don't win you know you have to fight for 3rd in the PL.

 

Basically Astro is talking down the FA Cup as it's fecking ages since Liverpool won it, probably because they've been really "unlucky".