Sutton Triumphs in FA Cup

[Surrey Saddler]

Three cheers for my local club :D . Turned over the not so mighty Leeds :D :D :D

[Super Gabor]

Hip hip.....Hooray!

Some great upsets in this round but Lincoln's wind and Wycombe's almost-win stand out.

Hopefully Sutton and Lincoln will get a plum fifth round draw.

[Welsh_Saddler]

Hopefully Sutton and Lincoln will get a plum fifth round draw.

Probably against each other :roll: :roll: Fix? :mrgreen:

[SaigonSaddler]

Three cheers for my local club :D . Turned over the not so mighty Leeds :D :D :D

Bostin result! :D

Dirty Leeds.

[Exile]

Noice. Always good to see cheats strung up.

[yoda]

It's a nice day and a storied memory for the smaller clubs but judging by all the changes Leeds and other clubs have made I'm not sure they're really too bothered. It's all about getting to/staying in the Premiership and to me it looks like little else matters.

I watched Millwall v Watford and as the lions were celebrating a late winner the commentator couldn't wheel out his line quick enough; "You can't tell these fans the FA Cup doesn't mean anything". The stadium looked about less than 1/4 full and it was embarrassing to hear the chap desperately try to talk up the competition his company had paid money to screen.

It seems like the apathy trickles down from the managers of the big clubs to the fans. I wonder if we'll ever get to the day when the cups being tinkered Football League Trophy-style to try and keep it afloat.

[aaaae]

9,772 at the New Den, which is about half full and a touch over last season's average home attendance of 9,108.

The stat that staggered me was from the BBC's pick of the round to televise, Manchester United (yawn). Apparently is the 56th consecutive Man Utd FA Cup tie shown on live TV, a run that stretches back to 2005. 13 seasons.... Don't the BBC has a remit to make TV for all? Not just those supporting one team in Manchester. I'd rather have watched absolutely any match in this round of the FA Cup than that one....

[yoda]

Fair enough, the Den did look a lot emptier (check out the highlights) but I think my point stands that the fanbase weren't quite sick with 'cup fever' as the pundits would have you believe. They've sold that place out many times (I've been there for a fair few).


I've heard that Man U stat before, but I also read today that BBC wanted to show Lincoln v Brighton from the last round but the FA blocked them and insisted they show Man U stroll past Wigan. Apparently from Mr Lineker himself...

[aaaae]

Really? Ffs! Football for all?!

[dobbster71]

Don't forget that the BBC Sport HQ relocated to Salford a few years ago. That's bound to have an impact on which games are shown live (easy for BBC employees to get home after the match).

My solution to restoring the FA Cup back to health is to make all Football League & Premier League teams play at least 8 first team regulars (players that have played in at least 6 of the previous 10 league games). Any player stated as being "Injured" or "Sick" would not be eligible to play in the league match following the FA Cup tie. Got to be worth a try. As it stands the "League of Greed" is ruining the FA Cup.

[Ancient Moaner]

Don't forget that the BBC Sport HQ relocated to Salford a few years ago. That's bound to have an impact on which games are shown live (easy for BBC employees to get home after the match).

My solution to restoring the FA Cup back to health is to make all Football League & Premier League teams play at least 8 first team regulars (players that have played in at least 6 of the previous 10 league games). Any player stated as being "Injured" or "Sick" would not be eligible to play in the league match following the FA Cup tie. Got to be worth a try. As it stands the "League of Greed" is ruining the FA Cup.

Agreed wholeheartedly, all these Premiershite teams playing their reserves is an utter insult to the paying public, and an abominable insult to their chosen opposition. So glad to see so many 'big' clubs getting knocked out as a result of playing their 'youngsters'...........balderdash, just deriding the competition. A similar FA instruction to the above suggestion is a must for next season, otherwise we should just forget the F.A. Cup altogether...lets see if the F.A have the balls to stand up to the big boys!

[dobbster71]

Therein lies the rub, AM. Does the FA have the cojones to stand up for THEIR competition or are they happy to keep churning out the marketing drivel & let the big teams get away with playing their reserves??

I'd be astounded if the FA did anything at all........

[PT]

Supporters love the cup. I certainly do.

Restoring it to its former glory shouldn't be too difficult:-

- 10% of the television pot for the EPL should go into the FA Cup prize fund on top of the money already there. This would create a prize fund of around £200m a year thus making it very worthwhile financially for all teams.
- Low crowds in the early rounds are a symptom of walk up prices increasing massively over the last 20 years or so. More of a ST culture has lead to people having a week off and saving the cash when the cup comes around. Clubs should be given the freedom to charge what they want following consultation between the two competing teams.
- Champions League slot.
-Semis back on neutral grounds
-Final as last game of domestic season kicking off at 3 on a Saturday

Easy!

[Exile]

Supporters love the cup. I certainly do.

Restoring it to its former glory shouldn't be too difficult:-

- 10% of the television pot for the EPL should go into the FA Cup prize fund on top of the money already there. This would create a prize fund of around £200m a year thus making it very worthwhile financially for all teams.
- Low crowds in the early rounds are a symptom of walk up prices increasing massively over the last 20 years or so. More of a ST culture has lead to people having a week off and saving the cash when the cup comes around. Clubs should be given the freedom to charge what they want following consultation between the two competing teams.
- Champions League slot.
-Semis back on neutral grounds
-Final as last game of domestic season kicking off at 3 on a Saturday

Easy!

When do the finalists play their last league game of the season? :D

[aaaae]

Don't forget that the BBC Sport HQ relocated to Salford a few years ago. That's bound to have an impact on which games are shown live (easy for BBC employees to get home after the match).

I think you're right about this. When Salford City qualified the level of coverage they got was obscene. Mind you they got double bubble with the Man Utd gang involved there.

[yoda]

My solution to restoring the FA Cup back to health is to make all Football League & Premier League teams play at least 8 first team regulars (players that have played in at least 6 of the previous 10 league games). Any player stated as being "Injured" or "Sick" would not be eligible to play in the league match following the FA Cup tie. Got to be worth a try. As it stands the "League of Greed" is ruining the FA Cup.

I don't know, that rule isn't too popular in the Football League Trophy. Fans and clubs hate it and theres more often than not fines being issued after a round of games. Just seems to breed resentment.

I see the point but I don't think 'the stick' is the approach to get people loving cups again.