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The FA Cup: Like A Marriage In Decay

Could you really love someone who dreamed of Budweiser? Andi Thomas profiles The FA Cup, a trophy that like Valentine's Day, is just trying to force the romance...

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Comments 1 - 10 of (12)

wheresmyhair77 (Arsenal) says...

@ delboy, good shout - notice the same thing happening with international football, too? Also I think the Cup Final has a lost a lot of its charm because, after 15 years of pointless moaning "magazine" articles about how overpaid footballers are, its only watched by partizan football fans, and people who live to tutt.

Posted 5:30pm 21st February 2013

RedG says...

I say give a champions league spot for winning the FA Cup to restore some of the magic

Posted 1:22pm 21st February 2013

delboy (Stoke City) says...

If Sky had the rights to the FA Cup it would be the greatest competition in the world. Its only losing its magic because YOU ( the Murdoch owned press) keep telling us it is and how we should all be glued to our tellys watching the champions league instead.

Posted 1:06pm 21st February 2013

Grimupnorth says...

Griff is right when he says its about money, relegation threatened clubs save themselves for important games and likewise teams in the top 6 or 8. The answer would be to give a Champions league pot to the winner and tell 4th place in the league to do one. This would completely over value the FA cup of course. Therefore you need to reduce the amount teams that go into the champions league, to encourage the teams on the fringe of it Spurs/Everton/Liverpool to go for domestic honours. This wont happen as it is now a UEFA cash cow. I am a Chelsea fan and when we won it last it year it didnt get close to how much it meant to when we won it '97, not because in '97 it was our first real trophy for decades (Can't include the Simod cup really!) but because of its stature nowadays. In '97 every team in the league gave 100% to win it, not now though....

Posted 1:00pm 21st February 2013

hump3 (Ipswich Town) says...

@ Cookie Monster... at least it gives us a break from the endless Arsenal / Liverpool not as good as they used to be tripe you write every single day. Oldham and Blackburn. I agree though, it gets tedious sometimes seeing it written day in day out, sometimes you want to see it actually happen on the pitch. Reaffirmation.

Posted 12:49pm 21st February 2013

chelseablue_no1 (Chelsea) says...

The Premiership killed the romance of the FA Cup because it is much more lucrative to stay in the Premiership than to win the FA Cup and possibly get relegated, it is also much more lucrative to try and finish in the top 4 than win the FA Cup, although the top teams usually have good enough players to play and win (depending on opposition) instead of the 1st eleven. Back before the Premiership, I used to watch the FA Cup final like a ritual every year, now I tend to just watch my team in the final if they are there (which had been quite a bit lately). :)

Posted 12:01pm 21st February 2013

mic.m (Manchester United) says...

Where were you last week Andi?

Posted 11:20am 21st February 2013

jericho (Leeds United) says...

Upon first glance at the headline above I read "...... Like A Meringue In Decay". Same thing really! When your team is still in the FA Cup you retain an interest and follow the draw each time to see who you have next and are you home or away. Big fish or minnow? There is a buzz about it. If your team are knocked out your off to the local garden centre to look at the spring blooms to try and save your decaying marriage.

Posted 10:44am 21st February 2013

Griff (Manchester United) says...

Havelange: United dropping out (under pressure from the government, let's not forget) is overplayed as the reason for the FA Cup losing its lustre -- after all, why would that have anything other than a temporary effect? The real reason is simple: money. The trend of clubs battling relegation from the Premier League fielding weakened sides in the FA Cup is a direct reflection of the financial gain achieved from a top-flight place and that of winning the cup. At the other end of the table, UEFA's extension of the Champions League has basically wrecked the FA Cup as a prestigious competition as the top clubs view it as a distant third priority.

Posted 10:19am 21st February 2013

towelmaster (Swindon Town) says...

@cookie_monster Not when they inevitably get knocked out...

Posted 10:15am 21st February 2013

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