[Football] The magic of the cup

[Simster]

Alright I know it isn't what it was, but these days I get the feeling our fans are quite keen on it. Taking 6k to Charlton in the other (lesser) cup and now having sold our Stoke allocation pretty much illustrates the point. But is it that we like the cup, or is it just that we have a genuine chance of winning it? I mean, if we were fighting relegation or in the division below would we be that arsed? I'm quite interested on what people's take is on this.

People are quick to moan that the cup isn't what it was, but in the end I think it has a lot going for it. Controversial I know, but I quite like the one-off nature these games have evolved into. I also like the fact that tickets are cheap and whilst gates aren't as good as league attendances, they're still acceptable when you compare them to the gates of the 1980s. That said, Stoke will expect about 15,000 tomorrow when a 5th round game between these two in the 1980s at the Victoria Ground would probably have been around 18,000. Of the 8 games being played, I reckon half of them will be 90% full.

 

[jcdenton08]

I think at the end of the day, short of getting relegated and having a crack at winning the league in a lower division, cups are all we will ever have. And the same goes for about 86-87 other clubs in the football leagues.

We will never win the PL, so upper mid-table and pushing for Europe is a huge success League wise. This gives us FA Cup, League Cup and possible Europa League/Conference League.

I was quite pissed off to go out to Charlton in the League Cup because realistically as an Albion fan cups are our only hope of any silverware.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

FA Cup Final appearance is there for the taking this season - just so long as we manage to swerve Man City along the way

 

[Simster]

FA Cup Final appearance is there for the taking this season - just so long as we manage to swerve Man City along the way

People have been saying that but it's pretty far from "there for the taking" in truth. It's not just City. Man Utd would be a sub optimal draw, and I really don't fancy Fulham or Spurs away either.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

I think it's simply that football fans love cup competitions.

The reason attendances dropped off for a bit was largely due to high ticket pricing (mostly this is better now) and crap scheduling (scheduling still crap).

Away allocations tend to be better as well. so many Albion fans see cup competitions as a better chance for a day out with a load of mates than a league away game.

 

[Hotchilidog]

There is no doubt that we feel we have a genuine chance to win it and this has added to the excitement. Our league position means we are no longer feeling threatened by relegation so as a fanbase our gaze is now looking up rather than down.

There is a real buzz about us at the moment and we are genuinely fun to watch. You have to make the most of these excitement levels whilst you can, we have no idea how long they will last. I'm glad the team will get decent backing tomorrow night and I cannot wait for the game. Reading the Oatcake site they all seem very pessimistic, we should surely take advantage of this and progress to the quarters and keep the dream alive.

 

[Giraffe]

I love the FA Cup and all it stands for. I hate what has happened to it.

Would be easy to get it back to the good old days:

1) Replays for every round
2) Champions League spot for the winner
3) FA Cup Final last game of EVERY SEASON, Saturday at 3pm

 

[Simster]

I think at the end of the day, short of getting relegated and having a crack at winning the league in a lower division, cups are all we will ever have. And the same goes for about 86-87 other clubs in the football leagues.

We will never win the PL, so upper mid-table and pushing for Europe is a huge success League wise. This gives us FA Cup, League Cup and possible Europa League/Conference League.

I was quite pissed off to go out to Charlton in the League Cup because realistically as an Albion fan cups are our only hope of any silverware.

I fully agree. We are never going to win the league but the dividend for making up the numbers in the Premier league club ought to be to have the ability to go deep in the cup competitions. THAT is why a club of our size should want to be in the top division, otherwise we may as well aspire to stay in the Championship where the football is largely decent but unpredictable and therefore a bit more fun at times.

 

[Simster]

I love the FA Cup and all it stands for. I hate what has happened to it.

Would be easy to get it back to the good old days:

1) Replays for every round
2) Champions League spot for the winner
3) FA Cup Final last game of EVERY SEASON, Saturday at 3pm

I don't miss the replays that much. In fact I wish they'd just make all rounds the same - 90 mins, extra time, pens. Agree with everything else though, especially #2. I think UEFA block it though, but I wish they wouldn't.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

I love the FA Cup and all it stands for. I hate what has happened to it.

Would be easy to get it back to the good old days:

1) Replays for every round
2) Champions League spot for the winner
3) FA Cup Final last game of EVERY SEASON, Saturday at 3pm

You missed FA cup final build up on TV starting at about 7:30 in the morning with cup final "it's a knockout" etc

 

[Stat Brother]

I think at the end of the day, short of getting relegated and having a crack at winning the league in a lower division, cups are all we will ever have. And the same goes for about 86-87 other clubs in the football leagues.

We will never win the PL, so upper mid-table and pushing for Europe is a huge success League wise. This gives us FA Cup, League Cup and possible Europa League/Conference League.

I was quite pissed off to go out to Charlton in the League Cup because realistically as an Albion fan cups are our only hope of any silverware.

It would seem our 'quite pissed off' is nothing compared to RDZ, who's still banging on about it...





...which is nice.

 

[Paxton Dazo]

I don't miss the replays that much. In fact I wish they'd just make all rounds the same - 90 mins, extra time, pens. Agree with everything else though, especially #2. I think UEFA block it though, but I wish they wouldn't.

Worth remembering English’ clubs performances in UEFA competitions go towards our coefficient. Although more often than not a top 4 finishing side wins the FA Cup so point 2 would make little difference but if you had a Wigan in the Champions League (most recent example I can think of) it wouldn’t do it any favours. it’s one of the factors a 6th/7th place finish will get Brighton in Europe (we hope).

Agree with the sentiment of this thread though. The FA Cup is massive and I love it.

Would also add taking semi-finals away from Wembley too as a way of improvement. Maybe I’m just stuck in my ways though!

 

[Sheebo]

Always loved the FA Cup from nostalgia purposes as a lad. I think the predictability of it dampened it a bit - or should I say Chelsea / Man City etc ruined it a bit. But I made a weirdly conscious decision to throw myself into this seasons event and so far it’s proving successful for us. If we were to win tomo, I will take great interest in all 7 other 5th round ties and then be hoping to avoid a tough draw. I’ve watched both draws with great eagerness this season that involve us and have a feeling we may just get to a Wembley semi. Loving it.

 

[BNthree]

Also think it is a chance for those that don't usually get to do away days to do one.

 

[Simster]

Worth remembering English’ clubs performances in UEFA competitions go towards our coefficient. Although more often than not a top 4 finishing side wins the FA Cup so point 2 would make little difference but if you had a Wigan in the Champions League (most recent example I can think of) it wouldn’t do it any favours. it’s one of the factors a 6th/7th place finish will get Brighton in Europe (we hope).

Agree with the sentiment of this thread though. The FA Cup is massive and I love it.

Would also add taking semi-finals away from Wembley too as a way of improvement. Maybe I’m just stuck in my ways though!

People tend to be against change and get misty-eyed over the good old days. Certainly I don't really think replays are worth the aggravation, although wouldn't complain if there was just one replay per tie. The Wembley semi final is an interesting one. I was dead against it for years, but we played a semi final there 3 or 4 years ago and filled our end. So did Wolves and Watford that season.

It's not ideal but is only a thing because Wembley needs paying for. Blame that idiot Ken Bates. We should've build the national stadium near Coventry or Birmingham for a quarter of the price, then we wouldn't have had this issue.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

People have been saying that but it's pretty far from "there for the taking" in truth. It's not just City. Man Utd would be a sub optimal draw, and I really don't fancy Fulham or Spurs away either.

The draw was actually pretty poor.

All the inform teams left avoided each other and there isn't much chance of a shock for United or City, the two favourites.

FA Cup is great when it gets to this stage, I'm not against the doing away with replays after 4th round either.

 

[Simster]

The draw was actually pretty poor.

All the inform teams left avoided each other and there isn't much chance of a shock for United or City, the two favourites.

Yes, before the draw was made it did feel as if the tournament had opened right up, but as you say it now looks as if we'll get 7 Premier League teams (with probably 5 of the best 6 or 7 clubs in the country), plus Burnley who are as good as Premier league all through to the last 8.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

People have been saying that but it's pretty far from "there for the taking" in truth. It's not just City. Man Utd would be a sub optimal draw, and I really don't fancy Fulham or Spurs away either.

Every one of these teams is do-able IMHO apart from the one with Ginger Kev and Ugly Kid Haaland

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

I love the FA Cup and all it stands for. I hate what has happened to it.

Would be easy to get it back to the good old days:

1) Replays for every round
2) Champions League spot for the winner
3) FA Cup Final last game of EVERY SEASON, Saturday at 3pm

Champions league spot for the FA cup gets Rolled every time in this conversations.

How many of the past 20 winners haven't qualified for the CL through the league?

I'm pretty sure UEFA will also say nah

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Yes, before the draw was made it did feel as if the tournament had opened right up, but as you say it now looks as if we'll get 7 Premier League teams (with probably 5 of the best 6 or 7 clubs in the country), plus Burnley who are as good as Premier league all through to the last 8.

The only shocks I can see happening are Spurs at Sheff and Leicester and Blackburn

Both are flakey away from home and will be in a Northern Shithole