absolutely fantastic, this is the polar opposite to the run of the mill all premiership cup tie, a late kick off, with second XI's and 20k empty seats
this is all the romance of the cup! those lads will never ever have a prouder professional moment in their life than when they step out of that tunnel, good on all of them,
[quote][cite]Posted By: Imissthepeanutman[/cite]I think the competition needed this.
It still feels devalued in some way and I am not sure why.[/quote]
I know what you mean. I think a big root in the cause though, was the year Man Utd pulled out of the cup citing "too many games in a season". Maybe an element(though only small, as I heard good things about games at the Millenium Stadium from various mates, who attended finals there), is that the majority of the finals in this decade have been away from Wembley? A definite lure for a footballer over many, many years.
One niggle of mine about the FA Cup, was when the FA decided to allow the semi finals to be played at Wembley for a few years. Thus, taking further magic, out of 'The Road to Wembley', & what the competition stands for.
[quote][cite]Posted By: Oggy Red[/cite]Yeah....... not like the good old days when the underdog had a fighting chance.
And 2nd Division teams often reached the final - and sometimes won it.[/quote]
I remember when we played Kettering in the FA Cup in the late 80's. They were in the conference, & had done really well to get as far as they had in the competition. The atmosphere at Selhurstschwitz was electric! Kettering had packed the away end, & we seemed to have way more home fans than we ever seemed to get at the 'home' league games, & many neutrals who wanted to see us fall. It was a great game! A real battle, & Kettering made us work our arses off to get the victory. 2-0 up, but their 'hotshot' striker, Robbie Cooke, grabbed one back & induced many a turtle head(I'm sure!:) as the minutes ticked away, & we just about managed held on to a slender goal advantage to progress in the 4th round.
No fan wanted us to go the way Coventry had to Sutton a year previously in the cup. We got to the 5th round that year, eventually being dispatched by 10 man West Ham at a packed Selhurtschwitz, another match with the 'magic of the cup' stamped across it! The battles against Blackburn, Leeds & Newcastle, & even one against West Brom in the 90's had amazing atmospheres! I think the underdog aspect does still play a part, & if we had drawn a Premier League side, we would have had a sell-out crowd, I'm sure.
Super-chuffed for Havant & Waterlooville! May they pull off the GIANT-EST of killings, when they make the trip to Anfield!:)
Whenever they talk about Havant & W success it has to be added too that going to Anfield is worth £800000. Thats secondary and I am sure important to their finances. But the real gain is the glory of their success for both fans and players. They can talk about it for years to come.
Its the same with promotion/relegation. It all has a price tag which is more important than being part of something that is successful or failure.
I admit to it myself at the Hawthorns on Tuesday. I was gutted we lost but it didnt feel so painful as perhaps it would 20 years ago.
Perhaps the play off finals have replaced the excitement of the FA Cup. Those sequences of games at the end of the season at all levels seem to have more of a feel for cup action the way it used to be. Real drama.
Lineker wound me up yesterday, when he said about Havant & W. it'll be a great day OUT for them....what a patronising tosser. I hate it when people say that. They also love saying they are builders, plumbers, blah blah blah, when most of them have been associated with pro clubs at one time or another, probably apprentices. Can't you just say it'll be a great day for them, when you say day out, sounds like you're taking your Nan down to Margate for the day.
The smug bastards on the BBC only have the FA cup for another 4 months, then it's off to Setanta and...ITV, where the smug bastards will be Andy Townsend and Ally McCoist
[cite]Posted By: Sir John Humphrey[/cite]Havant have been allocated 5,000 tickets for their trip to Anfield.I'm no Carol Vorderman but that isnt 15% of 44,000.
It's not far off though. I think the rules are 15% or whatever can be safely segregated which at Anfield is the entire lower tier of the away end i think.
Also i wonder if Dave Kitson feels a complete prick for saying he doesn't care about the FA Cup. Try telling the Havant players the FA Cup is meaningless.
Man Utd were more or less forced to pull out of the cup by the FA, to play in the club champions thingy in order to appease FIFA when England was bidding for WC 2010.
[cite]Posted By: Algarveaddick[/cite]Man Utd were more or less forced to pull out of the cup by the FA, to play in the club champions thingy in order to appease FIFA when England was bidding for WC 2010.
Comments
what a great day for them going up to Anfield.
Well done, doesnt happen that often in the cup but when it does its always a good story!
this is all the romance of the cup! those lads will never ever have a prouder professional moment in their life than when they step out of that tunnel, good on all of them,
He must be dreading it!
What's that mean, Salad.....?
It still feels devalued in some way and I am not sure why.
Seen it now with squinty eyes when I refreshed the thread. Duh! ;o)
Money - Isn't the competittion part of football totally devalued these days?
Since 1988 only 2 teams outside the current top 4 (everton & spurs) have actually won the competition
And 2nd Division teams often reached the final - and sometimes won it.
It still feels devalued in some way and I am not sure why.[/quote]
I know what you mean. I think a big root in the cause though, was the year Man Utd pulled out of the cup citing "too many games in a season". Maybe an element(though only small, as I heard good things about games at the Millenium Stadium from various mates, who attended finals there), is that the majority of the finals in this decade have been away from Wembley? A definite lure for a footballer over many, many years.
One niggle of mine about the FA Cup, was when the FA decided to allow the semi finals to be played at Wembley for a few years. Thus, taking further magic, out of 'The Road to Wembley', & what the competition stands for.
[quote][cite]Posted By: Oggy Red[/cite]Yeah....... not like the good old days when the underdog had a fighting chance.
And 2nd Division teams often reached the final - and sometimes won it.[/quote]
I remember when we played Kettering in the FA Cup in the late 80's. They were in the conference, & had done really well to get as far as they had in the competition. The atmosphere at Selhurstschwitz was electric! Kettering had packed the away end, & we seemed to have way more home fans than we ever seemed to get at the 'home' league games, & many neutrals who wanted to see us fall. It was a great game! A real battle, & Kettering made us work our arses off to get the victory. 2-0 up, but their 'hotshot' striker, Robbie Cooke, grabbed one back & induced many a turtle head(I'm sure!:) as the minutes ticked away, & we just about managed held on to a slender goal advantage to progress in the 4th round.
No fan wanted us to go the way Coventry had to Sutton a year previously in the cup. We got to the 5th round that year, eventually being dispatched by 10 man West Ham at a packed Selhurtschwitz, another match with the 'magic of the cup' stamped across it! The battles against Blackburn, Leeds & Newcastle, & even one against West Brom in the 90's had amazing atmospheres! I think the underdog aspect does still play a part, & if we had drawn a Premier League side, we would have had a sell-out crowd, I'm sure.
Super-chuffed for Havant & Waterlooville! May they pull off the GIANT-EST of killings, when they make the trip to Anfield!:)
"yeah, they've got Stevie Gerrard, and there's no doubting he is a decent player, but we've got Rocky Baptiste. And he's phenomonal" !!!!
Whenever they talk about Havant & W success it has to be added too that going to Anfield is worth £800000. Thats secondary and I am sure important to their finances. But the real gain is the glory of their success for both fans and players. They can talk about it for years to come.
Its the same with promotion/relegation. It all has a price tag which is more important than being part of something that is successful or failure.
I admit to it myself at the Hawthorns on Tuesday. I was gutted we lost but it didnt feel so painful as perhaps it would 20 years ago.
Perhaps the play off finals have replaced the excitement of the FA Cup. Those sequences of games at the end of the season at all levels seem to have more of a feel for cup action the way it used to be. Real drama.
It's not far off though. I think the rules are 15% or whatever can be safely segregated which at Anfield is the entire lower tier of the away end i think.
Also i wonder if Dave Kitson feels a complete prick for saying he doesn't care about the FA Cup. Try telling the Havant players the FA Cup is meaningless.
That's my understanding anyway.
I believe Salad is a native of Swansea and that they are his second team....
Sounds familiar, but for WC 2006 I think?