FA Cup

[HatterDon]

I was blooded on English football in the mid-1960s and despite the fact that my club, Luton, was either in a relegation or a promotion fight every year I supported them, the most important matches to me were always FA Cup matches. It's one of the reasons why I'd prefer seeing us play at Wembley than qualify for Europe or finish in the top 10. The FA Cup is stll the greatest sporting competition in the world. In the mid-60s, I'd say most fans felt that way, but I don't think that is anywhere near the case now.

I've heard a lot about foreign managers devaluing the FA Cup, but to me, it's not the managers or the clubs, it's the fans who don't care about it nearly so much as they once did. When you visit a lot of football grounds as I did, and when you subscribed to Jimmy Hill's Football Weekly as I did, and when you bought the News of the World Football Register every August as I did, you learn a little bit about a lot of clubs. One thing that struck me was that, for most teams, the biggest crowd they ever drew was for an FA Cup match -- quite often a 2nd or 3rd round replay.

I could always get tickets to league matches in the 60s and 70s all up and down the country, but it was always much tougher to get tickets to FA Cup matches. Now, even though clubs cut ticket prices -- some significantly -- Cup matches always are more poorly attended than league matches.  When is the last time that Fulham's biggest crowd of the year was for an FA Cup match? I'll bet that their all-time biggest crowd was for one. When is the last time that any top flight club drew its biggest crowd of the year for an FA Cup tie?

I'm not sure why folks won't walk down the road to buy a half priced ticket to attend a match that is part of the one competition that makes English football unique. Me? I'm still up for the Cup.

Opinions? Comments?

[clintclintdeuce]

Maybe the importance of the FA Cup has diminshed with the creation of the Premiership? How about the ability to get scores and streams on the internet, and many games broadcasted on live tv?

I am sure at the beginning of the tournament when the lower level teams in the pyramid are playing, they are pulling the biggest crowds of their season, even I would bet that Kettering Town or Accrington Stanleys biggest crowd would have been us this year and last. But whos really comming down from Bolton for the Spurs replay?? for a season thatl see the teams play 4 games against each other, who could be bothered??

[KCat]

I do ...I go to Underhill to see Barnet from time to time .....but it is very bad for my vertigo trip

I hope you guy have started saving...................a  trip to Wembleeeeeeeee is getting more likely by the day !!!

[Steve_orino]

I do ...I go to Underhill to see Barnet from time to time .....but it is very bad for my vertigo trip

I hope you guy have started saving...................a  trip to Wembleeeeeeeee is getting more likely by the day !!!

I just asked the Missus, "If Fulham make it to Wembley for the FA Cup, could I go?"  She said, "What's Wembley?"  Looks like I've got some 'splaining to do :D

It's obvious to me that the FA Cup is the most unique competition - wish there was something comparable here in the States.  Saturation, like CCD, seems like a very plausible reason though.

[clintclintdeuce]

I do ...I go to Underhill to see Barnet from time to time .....but it is very bad for my vertigo trip

I hope you guy have started saving...................a  trip to Wembleeeeeeeee is getting more likely by the day !!!

It's obvious to me that the FA Cup is the most unique competition - wish there was something comparable here in the States. 

I think the College Basketball "March Madness" is equally as good. 65 teams including 33 confrence champions battling it out for the national championship... surely the National Championship is more prestigeous and means more to the people involed than the FA Cup................

[TonyGilroy]

If you want to watch FFC regularly you'll more than probably have a season ticket so you've already paid for every League game. For a lot of people extra football expense is difficult and it's the travel as much as the match ticket.

My guess is that thats the reason some regulars give cup games a miss.

That and the fact that the Premiere League clubs prioritise the League. Relegation is a disaster so early cup games don't much matter. You could see Roy's focus change after beating Burnley. He sees himself leading us out at Wembley and really wants that badly but only now that relegation is essentially off the agenda.

[HatterDon]

I do ...I go to Underhill to see Barnet from time to time .....but it is very bad for my vertigo trip

I hope you guy have started saving...................a  trip to Wembleeeeeeeee is getting more likely by the day !!!

I just asked the Missus, "If Fulham make it to Wembley for the FA Cup, could I go?"  She said, "What's Wembley?"  Looks like I've got some 'splaining to do :D

It's obvious to me that the FA Cup is the most unique competition - wish there was something comparable here in the States.  Saturation, like CCD, seems like a very plausible reason though.

Sigh. There IS something like that here in the states, Mr. orino: It's called the US Open Cup and they play each year for the Lamar Hunt Trophy. The winning club gets into the CONCACAF Champions League, and each year the fun is the club sides NOT in the MLS/USL combine kicking a little ass in the preliminary rounds. It's actually unusual to have 4 MLS sides in the semi-final.

by the way, it is the SECOND oldest football cup competition in the world behind England's FA Cup.

[Jimpav]

I think it is a number of reasons HD.

Firstly premier league tickets are to expensive. If you can't afford to watch your team on a regular basis you are not going to have a particulary strong bond with your side - not one strong enough to go and watch them play against lower league opposition. Tickets may be cheap at £15-25 but if there are two of you and then children this soon becomes an expensive day out.

Secondly there are a lot more televised matches now and this really does kill a crowd. I guarantee you that if the Palace v Villa game had not been televised this match would have sold out. Much the same as our European matches.

Thirdly football lost a lot of spectators during the 80's. Bad press with regards to crowd trouble and safety gave the sport a bad name for a long time. I'm pretty sure this has had an affect on people and the way they view the sport. The PL has done a good job of getting rid of this element but I think that there is still a way to go before the wider public realise that football can be family orientated again.

All credit to Fulham they have kept ticket prices low, market all fixtures heavily and have tried to continue the family vibe.

Maybe other clubs should follow this lead.

[Steve_orino]

Well Mr. HatterD, I've learned something new today.  Although aware of the US Open Cup, I didn't know that the competition was so extensive.

I've got some reading to do.  Thanks for the heads up.