No replays in the FA Cup from the First Round.

[Shipley Ram]

 

[EtoileSportiveDeDerby]

What really ducks me off is the hypocrisy of the PL and how weak the FA are. Too many games blah blah blah. What about the pre season games in the US, Asia, Oz, the endless and meaningless rounds of European matches, sorry I meant mini leagues, to makes sure the big clubs don’t get knocked out early. The problem of the FA cup is that it does not pay enough compared to the rest and those greedy barstewards prefer playing friendlies vs Al Kerching from the Saudi league than lower league clubs. Rant over.

Not quite, ducking hate Sky as well

i said it before and will say it again, I’d rather see the Rams winning the FA cup than seeing my country win the World Cup (again)

[Gee SCREAMER !!]

Not all in agreement. Our old manager and Farke seem ok with it.  

"The truth is because I'm German, and in the German Cup, we never had replays as far as I can remember. I like it," he said. 

"It is one game, and it is live or die. I like this. This is the case now apart from that it's always difficult as a manager if the schedule for the next few weeks is not clear because you don't know if you or your opponent has a replay - this is very challenging as a manager.

"In general, I like one game, and you go through it or not. This is something which excites." 

[Gee SCREAMER !!]

1 hour ago, LazloW said:

"Player welfare" - drives me nuts. Notwithstanding the fact that we are talking about playing football here, the Premier League teams all have massive squads and already rotate like mad. Nevertheless, this comes down to the managers and coaches not managing their squads appropriately.  If you have to play 65 games a year, then you train and play like a team that plays 65 times a year. They should be able to manage that with their huge team of coaches, fitness gurus, health and nutritionists and all the technology at their disposal. Here is an idea too - play a style that doesn't need them to run 30 miles in a match. Adapt. Overcome. It really does p*** me off.

Why also not just be truthful? Its about a few big clubs making more money. If its all about 'player welfare' then ban all foreign trips and extra friendlies. But of course, that wouldn't benefit the Big 6.  Sickening.  Hope they have to do an embarrassing climb down.

In the meantime, clubs in League 1 and 2 are forced to play their U23's adding to their own fixture congestion and injury list in a competition worth about as much as a happy meal.  Here's a plan, use some them U23's in a replay against Stockport.  Much the same fecking thing. 

[S8TY]

It wasn't long ago that the FA was bleating on about how to re-invigorate the FA Cup to make it special again and be more traditional

This latest decision along with the fact the semi finals are played at Wembley make the competition as far away from the FA Cup i remember as a kid as its ever been......one of my fondest memories was the epic Sheff Weds v Arsenal marathon where it went to several replays it was a brilliant competition

Now the FA Cup is a mere shadow of what it used to be led by idiots making decisions without even consulting the EFL members !!!

 

[maydrakin]

This is another example of why my love for the game becomes a little more tarnished.

I’m proud of the fact that I have become an old-fashioned bitter football fan and I have no idea of what is happening in the first division, nor do I have any idea on who is still in Europe.  I don’t even know what the format of the European competitions are nowadays, and I really don’t care.  It’s all predicated on greed for the biggest clubs and every rule appears to be geared towards maintaining an “elite”.

I looked at the England squad not so long ago, and it had a number of players who I had never heard of.

I love Derby County and not much more, to be honest.

I love the fact that in the lower divisions, there are probably 16 or so teams at the start of the season who think that, if things go well, this could be their year.  However, that gap is becoming wider and wider each year due to the top echelons being governed by greed.

The fact that so many teams are going so close to the wire and getting points deductions is down to fear of slipping off the gravy train therefore eye watering amounts of money creates eye watering amounts of greed.

For me, a top level footballer should earn a maximum of what a CEO or a doctor would earn.  Why should they be earning that sort of money a week?  And why shouldn’t they get another job after they have retired?

Anyway, the FA Cup used to be a flagship event that everyone used to watch.  Everyone who is around my age will have seen Coventry Vs Tottenham and can probably list a good number of players from each side that day - they were very special occasions.  Now, the competition is dying a death of a thousand cuts, where it’s now just an irritant to the big teams, who will inevitably win it.  I don’t even know who is the current holder, but I think it is monopolised by of a tiny handful of teams.

Anyway, apologies for my rant.

[Mucker1884]

Post of the week...

Have a massive Thumbs up...

 

 

 

 

 

19 minutes ago, maydrakin said:

This is another example of why my love for the game becomes a little more tarnished.

I’m proud of the fact that I have become an old-fashioned bitter football fan and I have no idea of what is happening in the first division, nor do I have any idea on who is still in Europe.  I don’t even know what the format of the European competitions are nowadays, and I really don’t care.  It’s all predicated on greed for the biggest clubs and every rule appears to be geared towards maintaining an “elite”.

I looked at the England squad not so long ago, and it had a number of players who I had never heard of.

I love Derby County and not much more, to be honest.

I love the fact that in the lower divisions, there are probably 16 or so teams at the start of the season who think that, if things go well, this could be their year.  However, that gap is becoming wider and wider each year due to the top echelons being governed by greed.

The fact that so many teams are going so close to the wire and getting points deductions is down to fear of slipping off the gravy train therefore eye watering amounts of money creates eye watering amounts of greed.

For me, a top level footballer should earn a maximum of what a CEO or a doctor would earn.  Why should they be earning that sort of money a week?  And why shouldn’t they get another job after they have retired?

Anyway, the FA Cup used to be a flagship event that everyone used to watch.  Everyone who is around my age will have seen Coventry Vs Tottenham and can probably list a good number of players from each side that day - they were very special occasions.  Now, the competition is dying a death of a thousand cuts, where it’s now just an irritant to the big teams, who will inevitably win it.  I don’t even know who is the current holder, but I think it is monopolised by of a tiny handful of teams.

Anyway, apologies for my rant.

 

[BaaLocks]

15 hours ago, StaffsRam said:

Agree. 

I get the fixture congestion line that's always trotted out with this kind of thing, but there are far better solutions than this. Why not increase the Premier League squad lists from 25 to say, 30, and make them actually play some of the vast amounts of talent that the Premier League clubs hoover up from the lower leagues?

As a point of reference, re fixtures - Man City played 61 games in total last year. Winning the treble. In 71-72 we won the league, and neither the FA Cup, or League Cup, and had no European impediments, and we played 60 games. 

To the point on fixture congestion - didn't seem to impact the pre-season trip to the States did it? Not sure Borehamwood or Colchester got an invite.

[BaaLocks]

1 hour ago, maydrakin said:

This is another example of why my love for the game becomes a little more tarnished.

I’m proud of the fact that I have become an old-fashioned bitter football fan and I have no idea of what is happening in the first division, nor do I have any idea on who is still in Europe.

Your just getting old mate - Harry Maguire had played for England before I'd ever heard of him. Back in 1990 I was losing sleep over whether or not Andy Sinton was the twenty third pick in the squad. Happens to most of us I am afraid.

[Jayram]

I absolutely loath the Premier League and in particular the so called ‘big 6’. I would love for them to all just f*** off to a Euro Super League where they play each other 6 times a season for their target audience in Asia and leave the rest of us to enjoy English football as it once was. For a start, all money would be distributed fairly, there would be no ‘Premier League’; just Division’s 1 to 4, the FA Cup become the showpiece event played on the Saturday after the season finishes at 3pm at Wembley (no semi finals at Wembley) with replays. If the ‘big 6’ decided they wanted back in they would all have to start at the bottom of the pyramid and have restrictions on how much they could spend on players/wages. If they didn’t like it they could all f*** off again and play each other a 6 team mini league or something. I couldn’t care less about them or their fans. They have robbed football of its competitiveness and it’s money for too many years. 
As for the latest disgrace around the FA Cup replays I really hope that EFL clubs boycott next seasons competition en masse. A concerted boycott would ruin the FA’s finances and they’d back down in the face of it. Whether clubs have the balls to go for it is a different matter. 
 

[Ram-Alf]

2 hours ago, maydrakin said:

For me, a top level footballer should earn a maximum of what a CEO or a doctor would earn.  Why should they be earning that sort of money a week? 

A great post except for the above

I'm an ex Senior Union Official and fought for the rights and earnings for others, Players are no different to film stars or pop/rock stars, They have a talent that's worth people paying vast sums to watch them perform if they choose too.

Who's to blame...we the fans as we demand more and more each season.

[archram]

I feel so sorry for the older fans of the ‘big6’. They are the ones who love their club, like we do ours, but have been taken over and priced out of the game. I have no wish to join that elite. Give me David Clowes over a rich sheikh any day!

[Ram-Alf]

Murmurs already that EFL clubs could and I say could with a big spoonful of scepticism are considering a boycott of the FA Cup, Government are now asking questions.

Football did belong to the fans, It now belongs to the rich, As those down the road said when not re newing their season tickets...there will be other customers who'll take up this offer

[Bessie1]

The big clubs have enough players to put out a reserve team if they want - their 25th best player would likely be paid more than the whole of a lower league’s first team.  So IMO it’s not fixture congestion, it’s just that they don’t make enough money playing against little teams.  Selfish, selfish, selfish.

[EtoileSportiveDeDerby]

FA cup semi final between 2 of the biggest teams in the country and there are quite a few empty seats . 5.15 kick off at Wembley for the semis, another great idea. Long way back to Chelsea I guess

[cstand]

On 20/04/2024 at 07:16, maydrakin said:

This is another example of why my love for the game becomes a little more tarnished.

I’m proud of the fact that I have become an old-fashioned bitter football fan and I have no idea of what is happening in the first division, nor do I have any idea on who is still in Europe.  I don’t even know what the format of the European competitions are nowadays, and I really don’t care.  It’s all predicated on greed for the biggest clubs and every rule appears to be geared towards maintaining an “elite”.

I looked at the England squad not so long ago, and it had a number of players who I had never heard of.

I love Derby County and not much more, to be honest.

I love the fact that in the lower divisions, there are probably 16 or so teams at the start of the season who think that, if things go well, this could be their year.  However, that gap is becoming wider and wider each year due to the top echelons being governed by greed.

The fact that so many teams are going so close to the wire and getting points deductions is down to fear of slipping off the gravy train therefore eye watering amounts of money creates eye watering amounts of greed.

For me, a top level footballer should earn a maximum of what a CEO or a doctor would earn.  Why should they be earning that sort of money a week?  And why shouldn’t they get another job after they have retired?

Anyway, the FA Cup used to be a flagship event that everyone used to watch.  Everyone who is around my age will have seen Coventry Vs Tottenham and can probably list a good number of players from each side that day - they were very special occasions.  Now, the competition is dying a death of a thousand cuts, where it’s now just an irritant to the big teams, who will inevitably win it.  I don’t even know who is the current holder, but I think it is monopolised by of a tiny handful of teams.

Anyway, apologies for my rant.

I can remember a long time ago watching England school boys play Scotland at Wembley just after the formation of the Premier league and it was a really enjoyable game.

After the match they interviewed the MOTM and asked him about his future ambitions in football.

Without any hesitation he said being a millionaire was his ambition, I was shocked that someone that young was more interested in the money rather than winning the FA cup or Premier league or having a long and distinguished career playing for England.

I used to love going to England games home and away and watching them on TV.

I hardly know when the next fixture is nowadays or who is in the squad.

The early rounds of the FA cup is about the only real enjoyment I get from football nowadays apart from watching the Rams and now the FA have ruined that now as well.

 

[Ram-Alf]

32 minutes ago, cstand said:

I can remember a long time ago watching England school boys play Scotland at Wembley just after the formation of the Premier league and it was a really enjoyable game.

After the match they interviewed the MOTM and asked him about his future ambitions in football.

Without any hesitation he said being a millionaire was his ambition, I was shocked that someone that young was more interested in the money rather than winning the FA cup or Premier league or having a long and distinguished career playing for England.

Whoever he was wasn't wrong...imo, This is where we are in life today, You mention winning the FA Cup or Premier league, How many England World Cup Winners sold there 1966 World Cup Medals? or other memorabilia, Trophies mean didley squat in todays game, When an agent talks to representatives of a team who want to sign his player...the 1st thing on the agenda is £££££s.

Is it wrong to want a nice house, Drive a plush car, Go on those holidays that some can only see in broachers, Give security to your family...nope not for me...todays world and his was/is driven by money.

 

[angieram]

Good old Nigel! 

 

[SSD]

That Coventry Vs Man Utd could have gone down as one of the greatest semi finals in FA Cup history. 3-0 down and Cov brought it back to 3-3. They scored in the final minutes of extra time but VAR ruined it by disallowing the goal due because the Coventry lad had bigger sized boots. To rub salt in the wounds, Man Utd win the shootout and proceed to taunt the Coventry players. Zero respect.

It summed up modern elite football for me and why I don't watch Premier League football anymore. VAR making a mess of the those precious moments and then the footballers / managers who get paid absolute fortunes to moan about playing too many matches. If you don't want to play because you are tired, sod off and let some young talent have a game. These financially abundant teams have so many resources to deal with multiple matches yet have the nerve to pile on the FA (who themselves are a disgrace) to scrap the replays, because poor old £300k a week Bruno ran 1k less according to a huge team of data analytics. 

The European competitions, many Premier League teams don't play their best players until after Christmas anyway. And then none of them play in the League cup until the winter and then no FA Cup until January. But they're very happy to go on the Asia tours and fly around everywhere all summer because they've got sponsors to please.

Go and play in your European Super League and open the competitions up to football clubs who genuinely want to play domestic football.

[TimRam]

Glad Villa and Newcastle spoil the party.