The new 'climax to the season' apart from the Premier Finalés are the play-offs, especially the Championship decider. The FA cup no longer means so much to the elite clubs as European qualification means so much more potential cash and glory; foreign players and managers don't seem to 'get' the FA Cup and recently English clubs have played prominent roles in the final Euro stages. It is simply 'the way things are going'. Internal Cup competitions have never meant much in Europe, we have followed suit. It'll still mean a lot to Wigan though should the unlikely happen and they win today
Completely agree with this post. As a youngster the FA Cup Final was great, a whole day's TV devoted to football, now there is wall to wall football and the FA Cup has been treated badly by the FA itself and lots of clubs. The Magic is tarnished. The Play Offs definitely have taken over in the end of season excitement stakes for me.
If you were in London, the whole week was dedicated to it in the Standard. It was the only football left in the season, it was like a celebration of everything that had gone before, and there was a real romance about being at Wembley. Yes I'm sure it helped that it was the only live football on, but for me it's the failure of the FA to develop the FA Cup in the way the Premier League developed top tier football with Sky is what's caused this. They're impotent and incompetent, and what used to be the showpiece domestic football event has been trumped for whether Spurs or Arsenal will finish fourth. Fourth!!
Get it back to 3pm on the last day of the season, covered on two domestic TV channels. Get it marketed properly, including build up through the preceding week and on the day. (Anyone remember Cup Final specials of shows like Question of Sport?) Keep Wembley for internationals and cup finals (play offs included) only. Give it ridiculous prize money and/or a Champions League place (although the FA won't succeed on the latter for a number of reasons). I think they could also get clubs to declare an 'FA Cup squad' at the start of the competition which they'd have to stick with throughout. Find a USP.
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Man u won the first division
It's a good point that Lincsaddick makes that the play offs have become the end of season cup finals.
Get it back to 3pm on the last day of the season, covered on two domestic TV channels. Get it marketed properly, including build up through the preceding week and on the day. (Anyone remember Cup Final specials of shows like Question of Sport?) Keep Wembley for internationals and cup finals (play offs included) only. Give it ridiculous prize money and/or a Champions League place (although the FA won't succeed on the latter for a number of reasons). I think they could also get clubs to declare an 'FA Cup squad' at the start of the competition which they'd have to stick with throughout. Find a USP.