All the magic has gone

[Foster House]

I'm middle aged now, and I remember an F.A Cup that really meant something to everyone. Southampton v Manchester United 1976 was the first final I watched-what an introduction!

If a big team was drawn against a lower league club they played to win, and were very wary of dropping players. A giant killing was not a minor blip. I'll never forget Malcolm Allinsons face after City's exit at Halifax. He looked shamed.

I remember listening under the covers to the match between first division Arsenal and third division Sheffield Wednesday in 1979. It kept going to replays and Arsenal, despite other interests, fielded a team to win.

We'll never see that again.

For me the magic has ended- and it's the comments on here that have clinched it. When supporters of a third division team inherit the arrogance that started in the first it's time to give up on the competition. To suggest that it doesn't matter-even to say it will be good to be knocked out makes it a sad day. The competition once embodied all that was great about being a football supporter, now it amplifies all that is opposite to that.

Who remembers the full strengh Liverpool side that came to the Goldstone for the fourth round in 1984? That 2-0 win and Terry Connor's goal will never leave me. Victory was no hollow crown. Liverpool won the league that year-and the European Cup, yet they still came to the Goldstone with no other intention that to win at all costs. Good times.

R.I.P F.A Cup

 

[Giraffe]

Fine post

 

[Smithy]

Sad but true. The FA Cup is not what is once was.

 

[Paddy B]

Could not agree more. I (used to?) love the FA Cup and I thought that Villa last year had rekindled the magic,7,000 underdogs all singing, ballons etc etc but thearrogant comments before and after the game including those from our own manager really devalue it for me.

Still if we get a decent drawe and get through the replay.......

 

[Napper]

Yes very true.

What also makes this worse is the fact that we could always point to our cup final appearance as something special. Nowadays saying that to someone under a certain age means absolutely f*** all.

This is why only Palace away would be a good draw. Nothing else matters

Shame

I think that year Man U dropped out of the cup was the year it really started to decline. I used to be able to know all the cup final results up to about 1997 but nowadays does anyone actually remember ?

 

[R. Slicker]

Well said, It's sad that teams & supporters see it as a hinderance. How can another game make much difference to professional footballers? It's what they do.
How did teams ever do 'the double' if the cup is so damaging to league form?
Like others have said, I want my team to win every game, so disappointed to see us almost not trying.

 

[Foster House]

Yes very true.

What also makes this worse is the fact that we could always point to our cup final appearance as something special. Nowadays saying that to someone under a certain age means absolutely f*** all.

This is why only Palace away would be a good draw. Nothing else matters

Shame

I think that year Man U dropped out of the cup was the year it really started to decline. I used to be able to know all the cup final results up to about 1997 but nowadays does anyone actually remember ?

I do remember the results since, but, yes, it's more of a struggle. I'm glad you mentioned the Manchester United incident because I was trying to pin point the reasons for the decline. That must have been the biggest contributor at any given point.

 

[Beach Hut]

It has lost all the magic due to the greed of the Champions League

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Also the increasing gulf in class between premiershit and the rest means that giant-killings are much less likely

 

[Jonno]

One way to revive it, at least for the Premiership teams, would be to give the FA Cup winner the 4th Champions League spot, although probably wouldn't be allowed I guess. The Europa Cup is simply not a big enough motivation for the top teams.

 

[Napper]

also how long has the cupp been shit ? might explain why our players under 30 all look like they dont give a shit

 

[Publius Ovidius]

it started to go when Manu opted out to play a nonsense world club championship series of games. that really settled it for me.

Its a shame as one of the best days out I ever had was the 1971(?) cup final when Leeds beat Arsenal 1-0...

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

For me the magic has ended- and it's the comments on here that have clinched it. When supporters of a third division team inherit the arrogance that started in the first it's time to give up on the competition. To suggest that it doesn't matter-even to say it will be good to be knocked out makes it a sad day.

Reckon its a wider sign of the times though, rather than the gormless 'FA Cup doesnt matter' parroting on here. Time was when the FA Cup was a big deal national event and took up about eight hours of Saturday prime time TV on the BBC. Who can even remember who was in this year's final? And in horseracing, the Derby was run on the first Wednesday in June and it was a treat and a jolly boys day out to bunk off work for the day to go up on the Epsom Downs. Now its just another Saturday. Can you recall who won this year's Derby without looking it up? And though the current Ashes looks to be serving up some fine entertainment, the BBC don't even seem to be able to rustle up an evening highlights show of that day's play. The common theme is the big money commercialisation of sport on the telly that we once took for granted. RIP.

 

[Giraffe]

The fact that for many years the FA Cup final was the only live game on telly kept it special. Now it's just lost in the amongst all the hundreds of televised games we have each season.

 

[BensGrandad]

If EUFA brought back the Cup Winners Cup would that bring back the interest, not that they are likely to unless Sky suggest and finance it.

 

[Return of the Rev]

leatherhead at home in the fa cup over 20,000 at the goldstone thats magic

 

[Publius Ovidius]

leatherhead at home in the fa cup over 20,000 at the goldstone thats magic

you have reminded me of that f***ing game!!!!

Kelly the lip

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

In the 1990s, it was a combination of Sky Sports, Champions League and the poor quality of the finals (from 1991 to 2005, were there any memorable finals?) that did for the FA Cup. When Man Utd pulled out the status and appeal of the FA Cup was already on the slide.

 

[The-Libertine]

I think a lot of fans still love the competition - sadly, most of the managers don't. I think they should now add the word 'reserves' after every team which is higher up the league. Shame.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I think a lot of fans still love the competition - sadly, the most of the managers don't. I think they should now add the word 'reserves' after every team which is higher up the league. Shame.

About the only thing that might focus the managers attentions is if the FA and sponsors massively increased the prize money in the earlier rounds. There's plenty of money slopping around the game nowadays, and it'd be a way of ensuring that at least some of that money gets forcibly trickled down into the lower leagues. For many teams on a good Cup run it could transform their finances.