FA Cup in midweek?

[The Red Baron]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1253864/FA-Cup-switch-midweek-matches-bid-add-touch-glamour.html

An idea to \"revive the competition.\" Kill it stone dead, more like! You can see where this idea comes from- the big boys of the Premier League who don't like losing the revenue from a blank weekend.

My \"big idea\" is to scrap replays from Round 3 onwards. It would create more interest in the original ties and give the minnows a better chance of glory. You could sell it to the big clubs by saying it would reduce fixture congestion. How likely is it that Rovers would have enjoyed the Carling Cup run in 2005 if we'd had to go to a replay in the Man City game?

[Filo]

I would prefer to go back to the old ways where the replays were on the following Tuesday/ Wednesday and penalty's were scrapped and replays played until we get a winner. I seem to remember Sheffield Wednesday and Arsenal having 4 or 5 replays in the 70`s

[bpoolrover]

scrap replays is a bad idea,remember exeter drawing with man u,they would have lost a huge amount without that replay it only benefits the big boys where the fa cup thrives on the underdog

[The Red Baron]

Who is to say that Exeter might not have beaten Man United in extra time or on penalties? OK, they got a replay and live TV coverage, but they'd certainly have got the coverage if they'd made it to the next round.

The idea of going back to the era of multiple replays is romantic but impractical because of the amount of European football and internationals played nowadays. However, I don't see why they can't be played the week after the original tie. It would keep a sense of momentum in the competition.

[Filo]

The Red Baron wrote:

Who is to say that Exeter might not have beaten Man United in extra time or on penalties? OK, they got a replay and live TV coverage, but they'd certainly have got the coverage if they'd made it to the next round.

The idea of going back to the era of multiple replays is romantic but impractical because of the amount of European football and internationals played nowadays. However, I don't see why they can't be played the week after the original tie. It would keep a sense of momentum in the competition.

It`s only impractical for the big clubs

[Barmby Rover]

The perfect answer is that when it is a draw between a premiership club and anyone else at 90 minutes, they go into a huddle on the half way line, the Prem. players hand over a days wage to the opposition and they win! Seems fair to me, what's the problem? Either that or we tell all the Prem. teams they are no longer under the jurisdiction of the FA, they do whatever they want, but oops, they can't play anybody outside their league and they cannot have players representing England. (Not that they do anyway, it just enhances their marketing of image rights, World Cups are just a career move for them.)

[Donnybob]

I find it hard to buy into the fixture congestion excuse.

Like when was the last time a Premier League club actually put out the first team in the early rounds of the cup?

Most treat it as a run-out for the reserves and that's where the problem lies.

Even the better funded Championship sides field weakened teams.

Let the big clubs opt outcompletely if they wish, but don't let them back in next year when they don't qualify for Europe...

Weakened teams should never be allowed in televised games.

I'm sick and tired of so-called big clubs treating the competition with disdain because they have better things to concentrate on. The image is tarnished and the answer isn't to tamper with the rules, it's to turn it back into a competitive event again. Unfortunately it's so rare for anyone to win the thing outside of the four richest clubs (now 5?) that the third round really is our cup final.

Back in the 60's and 70's all manner of teams won it and it really mattered then. Predictability has ruined it and the same predictability will eventually ruin the Premiership, which is, after all, no more than the qualifying round for the money-spinning European Champions League. As for the also rans, they're only there to pick up the scraps and trying to cling on to the coat tails of the big boys.

When daft Mick fielded a weakened side in a League game at Old Trafford it said it all really. He wasn't remotely interested in trying to compete with a proper Premier team. Can't win, not bothered - I'll save my best players for a massive game against Burnley or Wigan...

There was a time when clubs were punished for fielding weakened sides but the 'squad' scenario has killed that off.

The thing is, Premiership Football equals worldwide coverage and loads-a-money. The Champs League likewise. The domestic cups are mere crumbs at the kings table and those who have gorged on steak and lobster simply aren't interested in a waffer thin mint...

The fact that we're going on bended knee to loan intermediate and reserve players from top clubs says it all. Their money allows them to create third string teams that would compete in the top half of the Championship - which is where those players would have been developing ten or twenty years ago.

Not good for the players, not good for the rest of football but it's this selfish attitude that reduces the chances of real cup upsets anymore, destroys the competition and damages the development of smaller clubs like ours. However, as long as they can maintain the status quo they can drink champagne and eat caviar while the rest of us eke out an existence.

So, in summary at the end of this rambling post, the answer lies not in meddling with the rules of the competition but rather in changing the attitudes and undermining the strength of the richest clubs although in the short term playing the games over 90 minutes, no replays, but in the event of a draw if one team is from a lower league they go through by default would certainly shake up the competition.

[selby]

Make all top teams enter in round 1 instead of 3 take the advantage off them a more open competition and better for the small clubs. If they dont want to enter so be it what comes round goes round and some of todays big boys will not be up there for ever Leeds and Southampton etc.

[Barmby Rover]

Donnybob said: \"The fact that we're going on bended knee to loan intermediate and reserve players from top clubs says it all. Their money allows them to create third string teams that would compete in the top half of the Championship - which is where those players would have been developing ten or twenty years ago.\"


There is a simple one to combat this one too. No club is allowed to have more than 30 players on its books, and only 20 youth team/apprentices. Let's see how many English players would be in the Prem then, I suspect very very few unless that was restricted too. This is a very sick game at the moment.

[Glyn_Wigley]

I'd give the fourth Champions League place to the FA Cup winners.

This would solve two problems in one:

1. The big clubs would take the FA Cup more seriously (ie no reserve teams masquerading as one of the Big Four) if they know they might have to rely on winning it to get that Champions League place.

2. It'd make the Premier League a damn sight more competetive as Big Four into  three Champions League places won't go. No more sights of one of the Big Four, once they knew they weren't going to win the title, just coasting it to finish fourth...

[Filo]

Bring back the European Cup Winners Cup!

[BobG]

The Champions League is entirely a money making event. It started off life as a proper Cup competition. MY entretianment if nothing else, it should have stayed one. I have no sympathy at all with any club finishing 4th in their league, or even 3rd or 2nd. They shouldn't be in the bloody thing. They're not 'Champions' of anything. I'd let the FA Cup winners in instead which would both revive that competition and scre some of the big 4. And that simply has to be screwed beacuse if it's not, it's the end of a competitive anything in this country.

BobG