The FA Cup ghosts have last laugh.

[ted1965]

If anyone wondered when the F A Cup would finally regain it’s glamour and glitz they need wait no longer. This weekend has once again shown why it’s the best cup competition in the World and why it should never be tainted by playing extra games in January, allowing the biggest name a year off so they could compete in a money making exercise, it’s for me this season shown that not all in football is greed induced and simply down to the weight of your bank balance.

When was the last time one of the so called big four didn’t reach the semi finals, can’t honestly remember but I am sure it hasn’t happened in the last decade, though I wait to be corrected. The last 15 years or so the cup had become predictable, one of the so called big four were in the final year in or year out, in some finals two of them and boy have most of those games been dull.

The competition was slowly being throttled to death, even playing weakened sides in many rounds the big four were still coming through and dominating the latter rounds when they would play their top players. The FA Cup was losing it’s appeal even for smaller clubs.

Then this season it has really come to life again, just as the Premiership clubs start talking about adding an extra game in January, which seemed to indicate the best cup competition in the world was being marginalized even more. It’s almost like the ghosts of the past said, you know what we ran our hearts out for this competition, we played with broken necks in finals to make this competition the greatest of it’s kind in the world and you want to devalue it even more. Well here’s a little reminder of why you should never marginalize the FA Cup and why you will never be able to take it for granted.

I am sure the pundits will say it’s a terrible cup year, no Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea or Arsenal. I am sure the money minded at the FA will be ringing their hands now in despair, how can we have an FA Cup without one of those in the semi finals. I would pint out it used to be a regular occurrence and it didn’t seem to do the competition any harm and maybe this seasons wake up call to them will breathe new life into the cup and allow it to once again take it’s place as the premier cup competition in world football.

How nice it will be to see real supporters in the semi finals, though it may cause the money men to rethink playing both semi finals at Wembley, to me only the final should be played there, after all that’s what it is there for, that was what made the cup final like the holy grail. The chance to play at Wembley, that’s why we sat heartbroken after falling at the final hurdle two years running as we had never played there before.

So good luck to Barnsley Bristol Rovers yes even Cardiff and the Brazilians, you have all along with many others made this cup year memorable and lets hope it finally shows all those who would bin tradition that this is what we strive for as football supporters. The days when the big clubs are sat with their heads in their hands bemoaning their luck, refereeing decisions but more than anything that the FA Cup came to life and took them out of their complacent comfort zone.

[Rigpig]

Hear hear! Wise words Ted.

[Stick It On Cort's Head]

And to make it EVEN better, odejayi's goal was OUTJUMPING the keeper , normally a foul would've been given because he was "obstructing the keeper".

Barnsley mental looked good

[y_oh_y_delilah]

The problem is though Ted is that it HAS become a seriously devalued competition when most Premiership clubs play weakened sides in the early rounds. It seems that the Prem clubs all have 'bigger fish to fry', whether it's going for the Champions League, EUFA qualification or simply staying in the top flight. Only Portsmouth seem to have bucked this trend. When you get no-hoper's like Bolton and Reading playing their reserves, then you're increasing going to get situations where lower league sides win through - because they do take the competition seriously. Despite John Motson and the BBC 'bigging it up' year after year, the FA Cup has become something of a side-show to a point where we might as well be watching the Johnston's Paint competition. A major problem with the so-called elite is their utter arrogance towards 'lower league' clubs and the competition itself by playing weakened teams solely designed to just win through without risking their 'star names' and then expecting still to win through and when they don't crying their crocodile tears in front of the cameras.
If it sounds like sour grapes, I suppose it is, because no matter what the situation or who we play, it NEVER seems to be us causing the upset!!

[tijuanabrass]

Good post, Ted.
I can't believe that they are playing the semis at Wembley.
None of the competitors are even from the Capital.

[ted1965]

I agree on that point YOYD, hopefully one day it will be us heading to Wembley for the final though I wont hold my breath just in case it takes a little longer.

[y_oh_y_delilah]

Ted, I've been holding MY breath for nigh on 50 years and now I'm starting to turn a little blue in the face!

[ted1965]

38 for me mate, maybe we should breathe out a little now and then before we both expire

[beagriestache]

I agree with Y-o-Y, the FA Cup is becoming like the League Cup, a chance for almost all Prem clubs to try out players safe in the knowledge that there are more important competitions to compete in (including just being in the Premiership).

Sad, but for me the FA Cup died during the mid 90s around the time Man U beat Liverpool. That match actually meant something cos it was for the double which used to be a rare feat. Nowadays, (this season excepted) it's almost the norm for the league winners to be competing for the Cup as well. Boring.

[Olgrligm]

The semi-finals are ruined by being at Wembley. Part of the extra-special aura of the final is lost, attendances will be lowered and whatever happened to the day out at Villa Park or Hillsbrough?

[Olgrligm]

Guaranteed a non-Premiership team is in the final now. Good stuff. There isn't a team from London left in it either, which is almost as good.