[Football] FA Cup attendances

[Simster]

If we played Crewe, there would be less than 20000 guaranteed.

Yes. We might even struggle to break 6,400 like Derby did if it was a round one game.

But I'd hope that if we played them in round 3, the club would do what it could to ensure a healthy gate of 16,000-18,000 and that I don't think enough clubs seem to care about the alarming drop off for FA Cup games.

 

[VAL1850]

About time Brighton gets a home cup draw......

 

[Lenny Rider]

The FA could do more to help.

You aren't allowed to give out comps to anyone let alone school children for FA Cup games as it apparently interferes with the gate money process.

Imagine if Derby had been allowed to give out 12,000 'parent and child' comps?

You clearly wouldn't have got another 24,000 through the gate, but it would have been far more than the 6,000 or so who did attend, but its also giving some kids that all important first live football experience.

Get them hooked young!

 

[Flounce]

About time Brighton gets a home cup draw......

As long as Manchester United get a 13th consecutive home Cup draw all is good with the world though

 

[ElectricNaz]

About time Brighton gets a home cup draw......

Tbf our last FA Cup game (that wasn't at Wembley) was at home!

I think a lot of lower league (and even Premier league fans) don't care because
1. Cost of living crisis
2. They won't win the cup anyway
3. Promotion / relegation battle is worth more
4. Not that bothered unless they get drawn against one of the glamour clubs
5. It's winter atm so it's bloody cold and rainy out there

I know I never went to FA cup games when we were in the championship and below, apart from the Arsenal home game. Just wasn't overly bothered by it all.

If they included it in STs, there will be a backlash of some sort because fans like to have the option. I think Man United and maybe Arsenal did it (or still do it, not sure) and forced people to pay for the home cup games regardless of if they wanted to go or not. And if we did it like a europa pack type thing, it's impossible to judge because you don't know how many, if any, home games you're gonna get then the club have to deal with that from an admin perspective.

The way we do it, the ones who want to go can go, the ones who don't can save a bit of money.

 

[jessiejames]

The FA have Devalued the competition.

 

[Brok]

If we played Crewe, there would be less than 20000 guaranteed.

Yeah...
Crewe is a bit of a strange one. Nice little ground in the middle of town, good parking everywhere, next door to the station, 2 or 3 decent pubs close by, yet the attendance is poor.
Last time I went, against local rivals Port Vale, I'm sure the home supporters were outnumbered.

 

[Farehamseagull]

To put the question another way, why should the attendances be high?

There is so much football, why should fans shell out for another game in a competition that for the majority of clubs and fans holds very little interest for 95% of the season.

I actually think the FA and media do a very good job of promoting it but if the interest isn’t there from punters what can you do?

I’m 41 and have always been a massive football fan so I grew up on my dad’s stories of 1983, the all day cup final stuff and Wimbledon/Hereford history etc but to be honest, and I know this isn’t a popular opinion on NSC, personally I find the FA Cup dull and an unnecessary distraction and I did when we were shit too.

Grimsby was fun last year but I didn’t make an effort to get semi final tickets and sacrilege as it is to say it here, I would take league success and Champions League qualification over an FA Cup win as I enjoy the CL a lot more as a competition. When so many other fans feel the same, which they do, low attendances are to be expected.

I’m ready for the pelters!

 

[Sorrel]

They're popular when it's a smaller team against a Premier team: look at the crowd at the Amex from Grimsby or Coventry in recent years. Equally, though, there was that cold night when we played Palace.

Hopefully getting rid of replays in all the rounds will improve things. Much better to have one match with a guaranteed result.

 

[albionalex]

They're popular when it's a smaller team against a Premier team: look at the crowd at the Amex from Grimsby or Coventry in recent years. Equally, though, there was that cold night when we played Palace.

Hopefully getting rid of replays in all the rounds will improve things. Much better to have one match with a guaranteed result.

Not for the smaller teams e.g Horsham this week

 

[Peacehaven Wild Kids]

People tend to concentrate on the negative when it comes to attendances however taking just Cray Valley and Horsham as examples, in one match they’ve had a TENFOLD increase in attendance and with TV money, merchandise and a general knock on this’ll sort them for a good few seasons.

 

[Lenny Rider]

The FA have Devalued the competition.

Unfortunately it’s not just the cup though, in a certain way live football has been devalued.

There is simply too much of it on TV now, I like Chilli Con Carne but I couldn’t eat it 7 days a week

The horse has well and truly bolted so it’s never going to return to an acceptable level again.

 

[nicko31]

If we played Crewe, there would be less than 20000 guaranteed.

Imagine if that had been written 15 years ago

 

[Brovion]

Unfortunately it’s not just the cup though, in a certain way live football has been devalued.

There is simply too much of it on TV now, I like Chilli Con Carne but I couldn’t eat it 7 days a week

The horse has well and truly bolted so it’s never going to return to an acceptable level again.

That's so true. It is worth (re)stating that back in the old days the FA Cup final was the ONLY live, televised domestic club match. Now they are almost literally ten-a-penny. And it wasn't just a match of course, if was a whole televised daily event that started in the morning with footage of the players having their breakfasts in their hotels. The cachet of it being the only live game and being such a national event percolated down through the early rounds.

 

[Colonel Mustard]

I prefer the German model where the first big round is seeded so that a 'small team pot' side is drawn at home against a 'big team pot' side. You always get giant killings and it ensures money for the smaller club.

 

[Simster]

To put the question another way, why should the attendances be high?

There is so much football, why should fans shell out for another game in a competition that for the majority of clubs and fans holds very little interest for 95% of the season.

I actually think the FA and media do a very good job of promoting it but if the interest isn’t there from punters what can you do?

I’m 41 and have always been a massive football fan so I grew up on my dad’s stories of 1983, the all day cup final stuff and Wimbledon/Hereford history etc but to be honest, and I know this isn’t a popular opinion on NSC, personally I find the FA Cup dull and an unnecessary distraction and I did when we were shit too.

Grimsby was fun last year but I didn’t make an effort to get semi final tickets and sacrilege as it is to say it here, I would take league success and Champions League qualification over an FA Cup win as I enjoy the CL a lot more as a competition. When so many other fans feel the same, which they do, low attendances are to be expected.

I’m ready for the pelters!

Those pelters never really arrived.

Attendances should be higher because the FA Cup IS still a major trophy despite the fact that the FA have allowed Premier league and UCL money to marginalise it. They haven't lobbied to allow cup winners into the UCL. Why not? This surely affects other countries too. They also allowed the country's biggest club to opt out of playing in it one year. And frankly, they should have made the competition a one-off game years ago (to ease fixture congestion, allow pitches to recover). Even though people romantically like replays, I think they've had their day. It's a tough decision our drippy FA has avoided for years.

Ultimately, they've done little stem the tide.

So the reason attendances are low is that the competition has been devalued and it feels to me that the fixing that is far harder than maintaining it properly in the first place.

 

[Farehamseagull]

Those pelters never really arrived.

Attendances should be higher because the FA Cup IS still a major trophy despite the fact that the FA have allowed Premier league and UCL money to marginalise it. They haven't lobbied to allow cup winners into the UCL. Why not? This surely affects other countries too. They also allowed the country's biggest club to opt out of playing in it one year. And frankly, they should have made the competition a one-off game years ago (to ease fixture congestion, allow pitches to recover). Even though people romantically like replays, I think they've had their day. It's a tough decision our drippy FA has avoided for years.

Ultimately, they've done little stem the tide.

So the reason attendances are low is that the competition has been devalued and it feels to me that the fixing that is far harder than maintaining it properly in the first place.

I agree a Champions League place should be awarded for winning it (although 99% of the time it will be won by a time who have already qualified for it) and that replays should be scrapped.

The other controversial thing I would do though is scrap the League Cup. There is too much football played anyway, why we think we need two cup competitions in this country is beyond me. Getting rid of that will automatically boost the FA Cup as it will be THE cup competition in this country. Most nations only have one, why do we need two?

 

[Simster]

I agree a Champions League place should be awarded for winning it (although 99% of the time it will be won by a time who have already qualified for it) and that replays should be scrapped.

The other controversial thing I would do though is scrap the League Cup. There is too much football played anyway, why we think we need two cup competitions in this country is beyond me. Getting rid of that will automatically boost the FA Cup as it will be THE cup competition in this country. Most nations only have one, why do we need two?

Not controversial to me - I'd do exactly the same. Or alternatively, merge it with the lower league competition and make it optional entry to the clubs in the top 2 divisions.