The FA Cup may be an unwanted distraction for some.....

[Bring back Bryan wade!!]

But it's making the club plenty of money.

Over £350,000 so far with a further £500,000 from prize money, TV coverage and gate receipts IF we beat Stoke.

Not to be sniffed at on a league 1 budget.

 

[Sussex Nomad]

Seems to be an overdone topic now... no offence.

 

[Gritt23]

It's also the glory, the feelgood factor, the chance of having that BIG day out.

Yes, of course, all the grizzled old "I've been a STH for 97 years, and have the scars to prove it blah blah blah" comes out when a big game comes around, but for me the BIG games are also about drawing in a whole new set of fans. How many people on here were hooked properly by a big day out supporting the club, whether that was promotion in 1979, the FA Cup Final, or more recently trips to West Ham, Spurs or Villa Park?

Without days like these coming round every so often, it becomes even harder to encourage the next generation of fan to choose Brighton over say Chelsea or Spurs, when the best you can offer is that crucial promotion day out at Colchester.

 

[Bring back Bryan wade!!]

Seems to be an overdone topic now... no offence.

Don't contribute to the thread then mate. Simple.

 

[Soul Finger]

It's also the glory, the feelgood factor, the chance of having that BIG day out.

Yes, of course, all the grizzled old "I've been a STH for 97 years, and have the scars to prove it blah blah blah" comes out when a big game comes around, but for me the BIG games are also about drawing in a whole new set of fans. How many people on here were hooked properly by a big day out supporting the club, whether that was promotion in 1979, the FA Cup Final, or more recently trips to West Ham, Spurs or Villa Park?

Without days like these coming round every so often, it becomes even harder to encourage the next generation of fan to choose Brighton over say Chelsea or Spurs, when the best you can offer is that crucial promotion day out at Colchester.

Good point, well made.

 

[Brovion]

It's also the glory, the feelgood factor, the chance of having that BIG day out.

Yes, of course, all the grizzled old "I've been a STH for 97 years, and have the scars to prove it blah blah blah" comes out when a big game comes around, but for me the BIG games are also about drawing in a whole new set of fans. How many people on here were hooked properly by a big day out supporting the club, whether that was promotion in 1979, the FA Cup Final, or more recently trips to West Ham, Spurs or Villa Park?

Without days like these coming round every so often, it becomes even harder to encourage the next generation of fan to choose Brighton over say Chelsea or Spurs, when the best you can offer is that crucial promotion day out at Colchester.

Agreed, they do have an evangelical effect. It's the big Cup games that get old ladies talking in bus queues and make shops have 'Good Luck' displays. Plus even for week-in, week-out fans it's the big Cup games we tend to remember in years to come.

Be interesting to see how Crawley's gates are affected by the Cup factor. If nothing else it's raised the profile of the club both within the town and in the wider community - just look at all the Crawley threads we've had on here!