The magic of the cup? Upsets, comebacks, underdogs, shit changing rooms, bad pitches, and now none of it mattes. A distraction to teams, who make lots of changes and don’t take the competition seriously or give it the respect it deserves.
Ever since Manchester United pulled out of 1999-2000 competition to play in the World Club Championship, becoming the first team to not defend the trophy, we’ve been on a slippery slope to the empty, soulless and meaningless state we see the competition in now.
FA Cup final day used to be a special day, my favourite weekend of the footballing year used the be the first week of January when the 3rd round typically takes place. In the same way the Grand National brings the nation to a standstill the FA Cup final used to do the same, it was a huge day for football but it’s not anymore, and clubs in the Premier League and Championship are solely responsible, it’s a distraction in the pursuit of the money that staying in, and being promoted to the Premier League brings.
The FA Cup has had some great games and amazing moments. The 1953 Matthews final, 1956 Bert Trautmann’s broken neck, the Crazy Gang beating the mighty Liverpool after only being a football league club for 11 years, the Gerrard final, some great finals and it’s produced some fantastic moment too, Seaman’s physics defying save for Arsenal against Sheffield United, Shearer’s semi final screamer against Spurs and Jermaine Beckford at Old Trafford, to name just a few.
Arguably the last great moment in the Fa Cup was Ben Watson and relegation fodder Wigan’s dramatic 1-0 win against Manchester City in 2013.
It’s lost its charm and personality, nobody in the top two divisions plays full strength teams, even for the Final. Cheltenham hosted Manchester City in this years 4th round, the BBC sold it a David vs Goliath, the big rich boys against the minnows, it wasn’t, you could have seen that game in the Papa John’s trophy, only with less coverage, City’s kids and a few fringe players and Cheltenham’s first team, there’s no magic in that, the FA Cup is now on par with the league cup.
What counts as a great moment it seems is Alan Pardew doing a ridiculous dance, the camera loving prick. “Remember when you’re the king you can do what you want.”
Covid-19 certainly hasn’t helped, football at any level is is absolutely nothing without fans in the ground, it’s not the same, it’s lost its sparkle, though it serves as a welcome distraction to the current misery that’s going on in the country and around the world at the moment, and it’s ultimately as is always the case, fans who suffer for teams treating the FA Cup like a secondary competition, they still sell out away ends, buy a ticket that’s not included in their season tickets, travel to games buy programmes, burgers and hot dogs, spending their hard earned money to follow their team, while their best players have a day off.
Fans still love the FA Cup, they love a cup run, their is little else like saying ‘only 2 games from Wembley.’
Ultimately it’ll never get back to those days, there are only a handful of clubs that truly can win the tournament now. Though it’ll never die, the handed down stories from Grandfather to Dad to Son and the tradition of its past will keep it alive even if magical moments are becoming scarce. Like most things in the footballing world it’s become a victim of money, and the only clubs it’s of value to now are Leagues One, Two and below, the prize money helps to keep their heads above water. The FA Cup is the skeleton and the lower league clubs are the crows, desperately trying to find some meat on the bones, hoping for another meal to help keep them alive until the next season rolls around.
When you look back at how important the FA Cup was, and how insignificant it is now, you can’t help but feel sad and yearn for by gone days.
Cheers. The fat man
Fat Lad Sports 