FA Cup 5th round replays scrapped

[Pete’s Picture Palace]

I know we've been here before, but I haven't seen any comments on here about the latest travesty to emerge from the FA.

So we currently have 64 teams left in the FA Cup and of those 6 (under 10%) are also still involved in the Champions League and have enormous squads to cope with that exhausting challenge.

To help them out, and this assumes that those 6 teams reserve XI's will make it through to the 5th round of the World's oldest knock-out cup competition, the FA have decided to scrap 5th round replays, in advance of the third round being played.

Can we sink any lower? How about giving these 6 clubs automatic entry to the FA cup at the quarter final stage? That surely would be fairer to them and help them in their pursuit of Europe's biggest prize. That's all that matters now, really.



I suspect these guys would be turning in their graves (unless they're still with us in which case I guess they'll be spitting bullets)

[Dorking]

Must admit that this news escaped my notice.

IMO most of the fans love the FA Cup, however the vast majority of managers care more about the league (going up, staying up,or generally because where they finish in the league dictates how long they keep their job)

Such a shame.

[Davee59]

"IMO most of the fans love the FA Cup" respect your opinion Dorking but I actually think that all the tinkering over the years has almost destroyed what was the World's greatest domestic Cup competition. You only have to look at the attendance figures for most of the games to see that the fans have voted with their feet. The days of Palace playing Sheff Weds at Villa Park in a second replay are long gone but they were marvelous occasions.

[pompeypete]

Davee59 wrote:

"IMO most of the fans love the FA Cup" respect your opinion Dorking but I actually think that all the tinkering over the years has almost destroyed what was the World's greatest domestic Cup competition. You only have to look at the attendance figures for most of the games to see that the fans have voted with their feet. The days of Palace playing Sheff Weds at Villa Park in a second replay are long gone but they were marvelous occasions.

People have voted with their feet because hardy anybody plays their 1st team.

Premiership and even the championship end up playing reserves, youth team players.......they are all running scared

Its Money, money money.....

I wish I could turn the clock back..
_________________
RESPECT..................

Flickr pages in the process of closing......

Happy to forward any info on Pompey...

[Topbidwinsagain]

According to the Press release, the reason for scrapping the replays was to accommodate the mid winter break that the leagues (+ the FA) approved in a recent meeting.

It will be interesting to see what the clubs will do in order to keep the squads fit whilst they enjoy this new break (the whole intent to give the players a rest is it not?)--so,and only maybe, it could be a good idea to play friendly exhibition matches, possibly on an international scale--say USA--only a plebs view of course, and maybe completely wrong and if Wembley is free, why not use our national stadium here at home as well.

If this is a success (£££.s and $$$'s) why not extend it further AND longer and even if the stadiums are half full just think of the Box Office tv fees that will bring in the millions when beamed round the world.

And, with all that lovely money coming in why not make it a competition instead of "friendlies" and bring in more clubs from more countries making billions in the process (for the few). Hey, for a plebs view this is a great idea which we all could share (only on a screen of course) and who knows what could be next.

BUT, I thought this winter break was to give the players and clubs a welcome rest ----WAS IT NOT?

[beaudog]

Having been brought up in the 40s and 50s and with a long history of watching the F.A. cup final live on the box, I must confessI have not sat through a final for a fair few years. The anticipation of cup final day was intense and sitting and watching the pre match build up was an essential part of the day. Now things have changed so much from the old days. This s the modern era but the FA cup has lost a lot of its magic, its attraction. For most players an appearance in a cup final at Wembley was the highlight of a career. Also the supporters, a trip to the capital was a day to remember. Do I long for the days of Stoke city v Bury, playing over 9 hours to decide a tie in the 50s, spread over 5 games,YES and NO. There has to be a compromise, but this is a bit of daft.

[Dorking]

There are numerous ways for a team to play at Wembley, play offs, Johnstones Paint Trophy, Semi Finals, or just playing Spurs away, so it isn't such a massive thing these days

'Normal' teams win it about once a decade now (eg Pompey, Wigan)

The reserves issue mentioned above

A much higher % of fans at clubs in the top divisions have season tickets these days, as it's the only real way to affordably go to most/all the games and get a good seat, so the pay extra for a cup game on top of the £500ish price of a season ticket is too much for many (bearing in mind its the reserves)


Too much football on tv - can easily watch half a dozen live games on tv every weekend

It's not just the FA Cup, but the whole structure of how football is 'consumed' these days, something has to give

[goonerboy]

Pete’s Picture Palace wrote:

I know we've been here before, but I haven't seen any comments on here about the latest travesty to emerge from the FA. So we currently have 64 teams left in the FA Cup and of those 6 (under 10%) are also still involved in the Champions League and have enormous squads to cope with that exhausting challenge. To help them out, and this assumes that those 6 teams reserve XI's will make it through to the 5th round of the World's oldest knock-out cup competition, the FA have decided to scrap 5th round replays, in advance of the third round being played. Can we sink any lower? How about giving these 6 clubs automatic entry to the FA cup at the quarter final stage? That surely would be fairer to them and help them in their pursuit of Europe's biggest prize. That's all that matters now,

Although i understand your sentiment i think a lot of clubs need to be called out on this one. Check the teamsheets for most premier league and championship clubs for FA cup matches and there is a lot of "squad rotation" to put it kindly. Sadly this one is not down purely to the "big 6" but general lack of importance attached by most clubs. After all most of the top clubs can still put out a team largely of internationals whilst a reserve team of the championship or league clubs really does not have the same gravitas.

[Pete’s Picture Palace]

The fact remains that, this season, 5th round replays have been scrapped at short notice because there are 6 teams involved in European cups, not because everyone else chooses to rotate their squads.

It won't be long before there are no replays at all.

Incidentally, the term "Big 6" is an interesting one. Through football history, the 6 top clubs would change cyclically perhaps every 20 years. For instance, 20 years ago, Manchester City were sliding towards Div 3. The Big 6 may have included Leeds and West Ham. 20 years before that, Nottm Forest and Villa were in there and Chelsea were bankrupt, while Spurs had just got out of Div 2.

But today's "Big 6", Man City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs and er Man Utd, are probably destined to be "Big 6" clubs for aeons.

[Five and In]

It's sad how the greatest Cup competition in the world has been reduced to the level it now finds itself at.

Attending the 1981 FA Cup Final is still the best footballing day of my life (one of my four FA Cup Finals attended) and like many of us I can rattle off line ups from the 60's, 70's & 80's, but struggle to name the teams for the last ten years or so.

I dedicated a chapter to the demise of the FA Cup in my book and personally believe that the first nail in the coffin came when the FA made Manchester United drop out of the competition to play in a competition in Brazil instead of defending the Cup that they had won the previous season. The FA sold their souls in a bid to win friends with a World Cup bid, but fatally damaged their own competition in the process.

Now, two decades later, most teams play weakened teams in the FA Cup, a lot of the stands are only half full, the kick off time for the Final is all over the place etc. and I can't see it changing anytime soon sadly.

[chorlton63]

Give these 6 clubs a bye because they are tired? Fuck me they play no more than 2 games in a week the lazy little overpaid knobheads! I am 55 and work 4 12 hour shifts on the bounce. I don’t need time off. It’s this attitude that is turning the British public away from the game. If it want for the tourists most the grounds would be half empty

[MATT RUSH]

I agree with just about every comment on here especially beaudog. I'm from the same era and I well remember as a schoolboy the excitement generated by the Stoke v Bury "saga", I couldn't wait to get on my paper round the next morning to see the result and reports of the latest replay, it was the talking point of the schoolyards and probably the pubs all round the country. That sort of interest and excitement no longer exists in the FA Cup for all the reasons already stated. Cup final day was a magical day with schoolboys and older lads making camp in front of the telly from about 9 am and watching every moment until well after the cup had been presented and then watching the highlights programme later that night and then again the re-run of the whole match on Sunday. All that's gone never to return I'm afraid, hardly any "shock" results due to more "billiard table" surfaces, more reserves and second strings until teams start to think "hey lads we may be able to win this" and then take it seriously from about the quarter final onwards. No more big clubs going out to minnows on a quagmire of a pitch as it will "spoil the game as a spectacle ref?". A good cup run was a life saver to a small club and often kept the wolves from the door for another season. And while I'm at it what about travelling to away games and looking forward to a replay at home in two or three days time and huddling round a radio at work on Monday lunchtime to see who the next opponents may be. It's all gone now even down to the big boys playing in their FA Cup away kits when there is no colour clash. I could go on but most of you lads will understand why the greatest cup competition in world football no longer holds much interest for me , I'll continue to watch all the matches though, I'm a football fanatic!!!!
p.s. beaudog I also remember the antics of Arthur Bottom in York City's great cup run in the 50's.

[Flaming Pie]

Here’s a section from The Daily Sketch 8 May 1945 , VE Day. It’s interesting to see Luton’s resolution for a League Cup to replace the FA Cup was withdrawn. Clubs also asked the F A to look at the possibility of third to sixth round FA Cup ties to be played over two legs.

[Topbidwinsagain]

Flaming Pie wrote:

Here’s a section from The Daily Sketch 8 May 1945 , VE Day. It’s interesting to see Luton’s resolution for a League Cup to replace the FA Cup was withdrawn. Clubs also asked the F A to look at the possibility of third to sixth round FA Cup ties to be played over two legs.

In 1945/46 the FA cup was played over two legs(both home and away) from the 1st round onwards but not the semi-finals or the final.

The Fa cup reverted back to single ties in 1946/47 presumably due to the Football League back up and running with a full league programme---it was a good decision because, due to bad weather, the league fixtures did not end 'till the 1st week in June 1947.

[beaudog]

I remember York's semi final games against Newcastle united and the disappointment when David was not the victor. A year earlier our local team from the Potteries almost made it to Wembley against West Bromwich but Goliath triumphed again, the Valiants losing out by 2-1. That was in the days of dodgy refs, with no instant replays, but the Vale supporters really did think we was robbed. Lovely memories, when I was a ten year old.

[MATT RUSH]

beaudog Exactly my point, these cup ties and cup-runs literally gripped the nation usually season after season as every cup campaign threw up a new set of heroes. Only happens once in a blue moon these days and usually doesn't generate enough interest to blow a candle out. Such a shame for a great old competition, I wonder what time the final will kick-off, it may be Spurs at Wembley, it may be Saturday, it may be am or pm depending on how many premier league(lower case letters intentional) games are being played the same day which will surely take priority. I'm getting cynical and sarcastic now, I'd better go. Happy New Year to one and all.

[Dorking]

I don't disagree with any of the comments on this thread.

3rd round and only about a third of the games are on the Saturday at 3pm

Palace v Grimsby is at 5.30 for tv. Yet it's not even on tv over here, it's on tv overseas only

Now of course anyone over here with a little bit of nous can find a streaming website and watch it for free, but my point is that its been moved to a less good time slot (from the point of view of match going fans) no no real good reason


Apparently in return for this inconvenience, Palace and Grimsby get £50k each


We should have told them to shove it. In comparison a Prem game pays £2m+ per game, so that tells you the worth of FA Cup games to broadcasters in comparison

[pompeypete]

For interest, next weekend FAC games are played on.......

Friday

saturday

Sunday

& Monday

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm

PS did anyone notice how many players were wearing Gloves on match of the day.

What will they do when the cold weather comes ????
_________________
RESPECT..................

Flickr pages in the process of closing......

Happy to forward any info on Pompey...

[goonerboy]

This has been happening with the PL for years sadly. A few weeks ago I noticed that Fulham played at Anfield on a Sunday with a midday kick off and there are a myriad of other ridiculous TV oriented/fan unfriendly times. All very sad and i am sure it has impacted the number of new fans attending games.

[Flaming Pie]

Pompeypete, this was the first time l ever saw a team wearing gloves. Tranmere v Chelsea Jan 1963. You can see from this pic the gloves on Bobby Tambling .From memory they were yellow. It must have been Tommy Doc’s idea and he was a tough guy. The hard cases in the Tranmere team, Dave Hickson, Johnny King and the others must have had a giggle when they ran out at Prenton Park with the gloves on. . Mind you, as you can see from the pic, it was heavy snow and about minus 20!. If I’d have been in the Chelsea team and been offered gloves , I’d would have worn them as well. Can’t think of any other team wearing gloves before this.