Switching FA Cup Ties - thats bollocks, that is....

[Artois]

You are not allowed to swap anymore, unless it's on safety grounds.



That's the excuse that Arsenal/Farnborough used. And as I seem to recall, there was this same debate back then.

 

[Meade's Ball]

Easy, i am unsure of a time when integrity was a part of football.
Unfortunately, the wonderment and awe of David hosting Goliath goes hand in hand with the terminal romance of administration. Surely its better to face the realities of modern football.

 

[Easy 10]

It really depends whether you run with your heart or your head. Certainly it would be romantic to see a mighty Premier side slumming it at Withdean but clubs of out stature (not to mention out and out minows like Scarborough) cannot realistically afford to pass up on a golden oppotunity to capitalise on such a situation.

After all, this board is covered with people bemoaning the fact that we have no cash to strengthen the side isn't it.

Wwitching the tie should never be an option, full stop. You play the cards you're dealt. You're not losing out as such by not switching - you're still all but guaranteed a capacity sell-out at your own stadium (and possible TV revenue if its live). You can't lose money you're not supposed to get.

Yes, you'd make more by switching to a larger stadium, but at the cost of sacrificing what little chance you had of causing an upset, and distorting the cup draw, and as a result, removing the "purity" of the competition. Its doesn't ALWAYS have to be about frigging money, money, money all the bloody time, does it ?

 

[bhaexpress]

Possibly yes, like I say, people are constantly moaning that we have no money so if it's an option then why not ?

 

[Sonic The Hedgehog]

If Scarborough want to play Chelsea at Stamford Bridge then they should earn the right by gaining a replay.

Anyway, who's to say that Scarborough (or Chelsea for that matter) are going to win their replay anyway.

 

[Dancin Ninja BHA]

The "purity" of the cup vs financial stability for a minimum of 5 years?

Financial stability everytime

Having seen the Albion in 91/92 (?) in FA Cup 4th rd at Old Trafford (lost 1-0, we played so well that day) I know I would much rather prefer a day out with 4999 other Albion fans in Manchester than seeing the Red Devils at Withdean. We'd lose either way, so much better to make serious money out of the tie

 

[Easy 10]

The "purity" of the cup vs financial stability for a minimum of 5 years?

Financial stability everytime

Having seen the Albion in 91/92 (?) in FA Cup 4th rd at Old Trafford (lost 1-0, we played so well that day) I know I would much rather prefer a day out with 4999 other Albion fans in Manchester than seeing the Red Devils at Withdean. We'd lose either way, so much better to make serious money out of the tie

OK, so where do you draw the line ?
Would you advocate that all Nationwide and non-league clubs have the right to switch the tie to their opponents ground if they are drawn against someone from the Premiership ? Or does it depend on their turnover / how much in debt they are / how many fans they can fit in their own ground ?

If we're moving towards manually selecting the venues for the ties instead of just leaving it up to the draw itself, then some ground rules need to be established.

 

[Dancin Ninja BHA]

If a team drawn at home wishes to switch their tie because of purely financial reasons (ie it will secure their short/medium term future) then I say let them

However, this is all hypothetical, as the FA have said today that teams cannot switch ties on financial grounds alone, there has to be a safety issue (ie Telford drawing Man Utd at home for example)

 

[Safeway]

Didn't bother reading past the first post. Spot on, fella. f*** the day-trippers. Kidderminster took something like 6,000 to Highbury before. Their average home gate is around 1,500. Do the math, it's bollocks.

Quality rant, I wholeheartedly agree with your viewpoint.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

say if hassocks or lewes got through and played southend or someone like that you cant seriously expect that game to be played at the beacon ground or the dripping pan can you?

Have you been to the Dripping Pan lately?

There's a beautiful new terrace - built after Lewes District Council gave it planning permission, despite the fact that it is within the boundaries of the new National Park. A curious decision n'est-ce pas?

And it was officially opened by Steve Coppell.

 

[Easy 10]

As I said before, there should not be an issue of safety. Clubs who cannot guarantee the safety of fans attending an FA Cup tie at their staduim, should not be allowed to compete in the FA Cup, simple as. If the ground has a safety certificate for a capacity of (for example) 4,000 fans, then you issue 4,000 tickets. Police and stewards then take responsibility in and around the ground to ensure ticketless fans do not get in. Whats so hard about that ?

 

[Gary Nelson]

As I said before, there should not be an issue of safety. Clubs who cannot guarantee the safety of fans attending an FA Cup tie at their staduim, should not be allowed to compete in the FA Cup, simple as. If the ground has a safety certificate for a capacity of (for example) 4,000 fans, then you issue 4,000 tickets. Police and stewards then take responsibility in and around the ground to ensure ticketless fans do not get in. Whats so hard about that ?

100% spot on.

 

[Gary Nelson]

Didn't bother reading past the first post. Spot on, fella. f*** the day-trippers. Kidderminster took something like 6,000 to Highbury before. Their average home gate is around 1,500. Do the math, it's bollocks.

Quality rant, I wholeheartedly agree with your viewpoint.

Too f***ing right!!

Incidently, I cannot recall any lower leaguer clubs swopping venues for LEAGUE CUP fixtures against Premiership opposition for financial gains. Can anyone prove otherwise?

 

[bhaexpress]

Anybody remember Lewes drawing Stoke at home a couple of years ago ? Of course, if it was there at the time the game could have been played at 'home' in Falmer rather that the Britania Stadium.

 

[DTES]

The fans.........all want it. What's the problem?

No, no, no. As others have said, let 6000 Albion fans see the game at Withdean, or 5000 at Old Trafford/Stamford Bridge? Are you going to pick the 1000 that have to miss out? Would you volunteer to tell them why?

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Have you been to the Dripping Pan lately?

There's a beautiful new terrace - built after Lewes District Council gave it planning permission, despite the fact that it is within the boundaries of the new National Park. A curious decision n'est-ce pas?

And it was officially opened by Steve Coppell.

what you would have people standing on that bank would you?

 

[Lady Whistledown]

My two cents:

if your ground really, honestly, and on the demands of police, can't stage the tie, I grudgingly admit it's not unreasonable to switch a tie. If all other options have been exhausted. Scarborough in this case could easily play at York, or Hull, or Middlesbrough if they feel their ground is not safe for lots of fans.

But you can't switch a tie just "because our players and supporters would like a day out at Old Trafford"! That is total shit, you are drawn at home, so you play at home. If you don't want to play Man United or Chelsea on your home patch, then piss off and play Rochdale or Bristol Rovers there instead. There are plenty of other clubs in the draw who would be quite happy to play Man U, Arsenal, Chelsea etc at home, only they drew someone shit like Oxford, Scunthorpe or Mansfield, so they never got the chance. I wouldn't mind watching the Albion at Highbury, but I'll sit back and await the next time we actually get drawn to play there, thanks very much, like the fans of every other club.

Take what you get or don't bother entering the draw. Why enter a cup which offers the potential to play bigger clubs (even a club the size of say Bristol City or Huddersfield) if you then claim you can't stage the game when you draw one??

 

[Easy 10]

I couldn't have put it better myself, Edna.