Why was it played over two days, why at wembley, surely the same ground could have played at the same staudium on the same day, ludicrousI’m not talking about playing at Wembley I’m talking about playing it all and “it really is that simple” that contract is for the money they’d make through gate money sponsors etc not the asinine excuse we have now.
It’s a waste of time and an insult to the fans
I'll be watching itI'm sure Chelsea and Arsenal fans watching at home won't think it's a waste of time.
They are right to finish it, there was no reason to cancel it with the season restarted.
They withdrew from the competition didn't they? No bye.I think the FA Cup lost its place as a 'special' trophy when the FA allowed Man U to go to South America to play in the World Club competition and gave them a by into the next round. All so we could host the 2006 World Cup!!
Would rather that than not winning the cup at all.Not at all would you really want us to win a trophy if you weren’t there. Imagine cardiff with no fans.
It’s a farce
Really you’d want our fa cup win to come like that I think it’s be awful imagine cardiff without any fans. Not for me.Would rather that than not winning the cup at all.
Me too, and this will annoy some people, but I've actually got used to watching non-Boro matches with no fans in the ground.I really enjoyed both semi-finals. The teams were up for it. I don't think the fans of any of the 4 clubs wanted it scrapped.
They withdrew from the competition didn't they? No bye.
I think the FA Cup lost its place as a 'special' trophy when the FA allowed Man U to go to South America to play in the World Club
Agree 100%. Their withdrawal in 2000 didn't help, but it was one isolated event. The CL is what's perpetuated its decline.I don't really think that was a bit factor in the decline of the cup. Often it's been used as a stick to beat Man U with, even through they were pushed to do it, but I think it was a minor detail overall.
What I think really killed it was the fact the big clubs didn't take it seriously, playing weakened teams until the semi-final AND still consistently won it (Man U, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal shared it for 12 seasons from '96--'07), but still considered it less important than 4th place in the league.
I see the CL as the root of the problem; it's allowed these clubs to have squads strong enough to win while playing a weaker side, while also making qualification for the CL more important than winning a trophy.
The rise of season ticket ownership and having to pay top price extra for FA Cup games didn't help.Agree 100%. Their withdrawal in 2000 didn't help, but it was one isolated event. The CL is what's perpetuated its decline.
Probably, but had the FA Cup remained the holy grail for most clubs, as it once was, I think fans would have been more willing to cough up.The rise of season ticket ownership and having to pay top price extra for FA Cup games didn't help.