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

[Easy 10]

As soon as the name comes out of the hat, you just KNOW they're going to say it. Russell Slade, manager of Scarborough, on them getting a home tie with Chelsea in the FA Cup 4th Round (if they get past Southend in the replay):

"I don't know what the possibilities would be about switching grounds, but the revenue from playing at Stamford Bridge would set us up for five years".

No. No. NO.
This is NOT what the FA Cup is about at all. If you're drawn at home, you play at home. End. Of. Story. You can't just chop and change venues according to where you fancy playing the tie, or how you can get the maximum amount of cash out of it. We had all this with Stevenage a couple of years back when they were drawn at home to Arsenal, but got it switched to Highbury because of "safety issues" over their ground. Well excuse me, but if your ground is unsafe for fans for an FA Cup tie against one of the big boys, then it's also unsafe for fans for the run-of-the-mill league games. You can't have it both ways. Every ground has an official capacity - it has to in order to get a safety certificate - so you issue said number of tickets for the match, and THAT'S IT. It's then down to organising the police and stewards to ensure its adhered to. I don't accept this "safety issues" argument for a second.

At least Russell Slade is being honest about it I suppose, in focussing straight away on the financial rewards if its switched. But that still doesn't make it any more acceptable, and I'd wager the "safety issue" card will be played if they get through the replay.

Naah, bollocks. Stuff the money and the so-called safety issues. You play where you are drawn. Thats it.

 

[DTES]

Easy10:

 

[BrightonBird]

So what if they want to swap grounds?

If I had the choice to play Arsenal at their ground or Withdean, I would rather go there.

 

[bhaexpress]

Nope, disagree, the FA Cup is an opportunity for small clubs like Scarborough to make some serious wedge so Iwouldn't blame them for switching. Additionally it would give the fans a fun day/weekend away.

I agree with BB, given the choice of Stamford Bridge or Withdean it's a no contest.

 

[Lush]

Difficult one. A nice away tie could give us a day out to Old Trafford and cover the cost of a new winger or two - or we could play Man U on a cold wet afternoon at Withdean in January.

All purely hypothetical of course given our appalling record in the FA Cup in recent years.

 

[sully]

Luck of the draw. They could have got Telford, so should count themselves lucky and get on with it.

Totally agree with Easy's rant.

 

[Easy 10]

Nope, disagree, the FA Cup is an opportunity for small clubs like Scarborough to make some serious wedge so Iwouldn't blame them for switching. Additionally it would give the fans a fun day/weekend away.

I agree with BB, given the choice of Stamford Bridge or Withdean it's a no contest.

But a draw is a draw.
I bet Telford would rather have got Man U than Millwall in the 4th Round, but they didn't. Thats life. Tough shit. Just get on with it.
At this rate, you might as well manufacture the draw so that any club below Division Two can simply "choose" whether they want to play home or away if they land one of the Premiership clubs. Would anyone be happy with that arrangement ?

If you come out of the hat first, you are at HOME, and thats it. Never mind "nice day out". Never mind "lots of money". It warps the integrity of the competition and distorts the nature of the tie, not to mention altering the likely outcome. Its not on.

 

[DTES]

A nice away tie could give us a day out to Old Trafford and cover the cost of a new winger or two - or we could play Man U on a cold wet afternoon at Withdean in January.

But that's all in the luck of the draw. Although I must admit, I'd love to watch Man U at Withdean on a cold, wet day. It'd be an experience for them.

 

[Easy 10]

arse.
QUOTE]

 

[Hannibal smith]

Nope, disagree, the FA Cup is an opportunity for small clubs like Scarborough to make some serious wedge so Iwouldn't blame them for switching. Additionally it would give the fans a fun day/weekend away.

I agree with BB, given the choice of Stamford Bridge or Withdean it's a no contest.

No no no. The whole point is seeing Hernan Crespo's and jimmy Flloyd Hasslebanks face when they see the ''facilities'' for the day. Now that would be priceless.

 

[Inkerman]

Why do smaller clubs want to do well in the Cup? Is it to stand the chance of giving their players and supporters the opportunity to entertain a Premiership "giant" on their own ground or is it to improve their financial position.
It's probably a bit of both but with the financial position of most clubs outside of the Premiership it's got to be no contest.
Farnborough cleared their debts by switching the tie to Arsenal last season - although they then promptly lost Westley when he took his money and moved to Stevenage.
It is up to every Chairman to do what is in the best interests of his club and I trust that ours would do exactly that - if we ever get past the first round again.

 

[The Wookiee]

didn't Farnboro switch grounds last year when they played Arsenal and many fans were unhappy about that.

 

[BrightonBird]

Never mind "nice day out". Never mind "lots of money". It warps the integrity of the competition and distorts the nature of the tie, not to mention altering the likely outcome. Its not on.

Why do you think that?

It's a great excuse for clubs that wouldn't have any other chance to play at Old Trafford, etc. It means so much more to the smaller clubs who have no chance of winning the cup.

 

[DTES]

People complain about the magic disappearing from the FA Cup. Most blame the Premiership, or the influx of foreigners.

Maybe it's things like this.

Why not take Easy10's idea even further, and seed the draw, guaranteeing the lower clubs are drawn at a Premiership side? Or not, because it would be crap.

 

[Easy 10]

Why do you think that?

It's a great excuse for clubs that wouldn't have any other chance to play at Old Trafford, etc. It means so much more to the smaller clubs who have no chance of winning the cup.

I'm not disputing that it's a great occasion for smaller clubs to go and play at one of the big guns, both for the fans and the players. But not at the cost of going against how the draw was actually made, thats simply not right.

If Man U are drawn away at some flea-pit of a non-league football ground, with portacabin dressing rooms and a pot-holed sloping pitch, then so be it. Thats part of the essence of the FA Cup. Sure, United would love to have it switched as well so they can stay in their own luxurious stadium and guarantee themselves a path to the next round with no fuss, and without having to subject themselves to such unpleasant surroundings, but are you saying thats right BB ?

 

[Inkerman]

didn't Farnboro switch grounds last year when they played Arsenal and many fans were unhappy about that.

Yes they did and yes they were - most of them were unhappy because they couldn't get tickets. There was long queues outside the ground and the allegation was that most of them were actually Arsenal fans.
This sort of thing always happens when big clubs play smaller clubs because the big club has so called "fans" everywhere.

Happened at Reading when they played Chelsea in the Carling Cup recently. Reading controlled the ticket allocation pretty well (I think) but I was still surrounded by Chelsea supporters in the home end.

 

[BrightonBird]

No I am saying that if both clubs are happy, why dispute it. I would love to (for example) see the likes of Scholes and Van Nistelrooy playing at some crappy stadium (like the Withdean) but as a fan of the club they will be playing against, I would rather see my tean at Old Trafford. The fans, the club, the players all want it. What's the problem?

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

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?

 

[bhaexpress]

I'm not disputing that it's a great occasion for smaller clubs to go and play at one of the big guns, both for the fans and the players. But not at the cost of going against how the draw was actually made, thats simply not right.

If Man U are drawn away at some flea-pit of a non-league football ground, with portacabin dressing rooms and a pot-holed sloping pitch, then so be it. Thats part of the essence of the FA Cup. Sure, United would love to have it switched as well so they can stay in their own luxurious stadium and guarantee themselves a path to the next round with no fuss, and without having to subject themselves to such unpleasant surroundings, but are you saying thats right BB ?

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.

 

[Robot Chicken]

If a small club draws a Premiership club at home but switches the tie then they are robbing thousands of local people the chance to see a Premiership side play at their local ground. Not everyone can afford to travel up and down the country. This is UNFAIR for the hardcore local fans who support the club week in week out, get a good home tie then the club switches it.

Old Trafford is nice but it's just a ground, people. I've been to better*. I'd want to see Brighton play Man United at Withdean, home advantage and all that.


* The Nou Camp before you ask