Has the world's oldest football association tournament lost it's spark? If so, how and why has this happened? In my opinion, The FA Cup has changed, and not for the good. No longer is it seen as the pinnacle of English football, it is now for many 'just another cup competition'. For me, things began to change when the old Wembley played out it's last FA Cup final (Chelsea v Villa) in 2000. For the following 6 years the final was played out at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff and this was seen as a travesty in itself for many fans - the idea that England's most famous domestic football tournament staged it's grand finale in Wales! With the opening of the New Wembley in 2007, it was a return home for the FA Cup final - however, things just didn't quite feel the same. Firstly it was the change in semi-final locations - traditionally played out in England's larger club grounds such as Old Trafford, Villa Park and Hillsbrough. For semi finalists, playing at these grounds was like a warm-up to the ultimate main event - Wembley! However, the FA's decision to play semi finals at Wembley as well as the final has completely ruined the magic of that one day visit to Wembley stadium for both fans and players - in my opinion it's also played down the stadium's significance as well. No longer can fans sing 'we're on our way to Wembley' after knocking out their semi final opponents - because, well, they're already there! There are a host of other reasons why I believe the FA Cup has lost it's spark and i'm sure others have more as well: - Scheduling the final before the Premier League season has finished - Scheduling Premier League matches on the same day as the final - Changing the final's kick-off time from 3pm - Having the Champions League final on the last Saturday in May, essentially stealing the FA Cup's spot as the football season's last weekend fixture - Increasing amounts of top clubs fielding weakened teams - Having teams scheduled to play at the same time but in different rounds of the competition (e.g Chelsea this season). I believe the FA Cup is dying and I would urge the FA to seriously contemplate revamping it - or we'll eventually face loosing one of England's proudest football institutions.
Too many competitions. Without the League Cup and Europa League, the FA Cup would be taken a lot more seriously. As it is, too many teams have too many games to play.
The FA Cup Final should be at 3pm on a Saturday and it should be the last game of the domestic season as well.
I'm not making any sarcastic remark here when I suggest you could have written this post as long as 10-15 years ago. The FA Cup has been being quietly edged aside ever since the formation of the Premier League. There was a time when to be the FA Cup holders was almost on the same level as being the League champions. It is an old, traditional competition and it has just a niche interest in modern football. The FA Cup will go the same way as the League Cup. Supporters, these days consider the League Cup as a bit of a waste of time yet, in its time, it was considered a very worthy competition, only less prestigious than the FA Cup. Now some supporters laugh at it, and they will eventually do the same the latter competition. I'm not an expert in business or marketing, I only observe, but its plain to me that the FA Cup is on a one way street. It's s shame, because my generation used to sit down at 12pm or earlier, and watch BBC or ITV sift through the pre-match trivialities as if they were gold dust, and then we'd settle down for a match at 3pm, usually between two teams I personally wouldn't waste 5 minutes on, normally. But it was the occasion that did it. It was Abide With Me, it was the marching bands, it was that Wembley stadium of the two towers. That's all gone. It no longer gets a day to itself, in the calendar, and even the start time has changed because its not important. Occasionally you'll hear pundits express genuine regret of the demise of the FA Cup [and League Cup, if you're listening], but they know which side their bread is buttered.
Did you know that Bradford played 65 games this season before Chelsea reached that mark recently..? I think they may end up playing more games in total. I wonder if Bradford fans are complaining..?
While I agree with most of what has been said, dont you think there is still magic in seeing a lower league side beat a premiership team? It also generates much needed money for smaller football clubs that are struggling financially.
Who here wouldn't love to see Saints win it next season though? It'd have to be coupled with not getting relegated obviously, but it would still be a fantastic achievement.
Oh yeah. I'd love a League Cup victory too, but the problem is I wouldn't particularly care until we got to the semis, and by then we'd probably have thrown away points in the league due to fatigue or injuries. FA Cup is something I definitely think we should take seriously though.
Nothing is as good as it used to be, nothing is vibrant or shines and sparkles as it used to, nothing is as big or as important as it was, nothing tastes like it used to. In fact the whole world is a large grey pale imitation of the past and the young have no idea how great things were. I know where I would rather live (and I frequently do). One day, when I am no longer a part of this overbearing blandness, todays youngsters will look back from their newly acquired maturity to these dour and unappealing times and recall nothing but it's colours and its glories. C'est la vie!
There was a time when the FA Cup Final was about the only domestic game shown live on TV, that and the build up to the 3pm kick off on a Saturday when all the other football domestically had finished for the summer was one of the attractions of the day itself. I remember my first ever visit to Wembley on that May day in 1976 and what a special day it was for us Saints fans. Since the arrival of Sky and the money taking the game away from the working class traditions of the game it is just another of those inconveniences by those running the game that do not care about tradition only how much profit is in for them.
1. Scrap the League Cup 2. Champions League qualifying spot for winner of FA Cup 3. Don't let ITV broadcast it 4. Last game of the season, 3pm kick off, Stuart Hall presenting It's a Cup Final Knockout in the morning 5. Rush goalies. SORTED.
and in the same vein: My grandpa notes the world's worn cogs, And says we're going to the dogs; His granddad in his house of logs, Swore things were going to the dogs; His dad, among the Flemish bogs, Vowed things were going to the dogs; The caveman in his queer skin togs, Said things were going to the dogs; But this is what I wish to state- The dogs have had an awful wait.
Have to agree. The final was looked forward to but these days unless your club si involved it seems of minor importance. Most are more concerned with Sundays matches!
The League Cup is an interesting one. When it was first introduced it was meant to be part of a package aimed at reducing the number of games played. They wanted to decrease the size of the leagues but brought in the Cup to compensate for the loss in revenue. Then the famous football powers that be kept the Cup and threw out the rest of the package, thereby increasing the number of games played. Maybe we should get rid of the JP Trophy and have the League Cup for the lower division sides plus, maybe, the under 21 sides of the top two divisions.
Yeah, but they've had some genuinely exciting, cracking moments this season, by beating top division opponents.
