Who cares about the FA Cup?

[LMcD]

Well, recently released statistics, and the sight of swathes of empty seats on TV, strongly suggest that fans of Premier League clubs in particular are definitely not that interested. The risk of injury to key players who will be required for more important matters (promotion, qualification for European competitions, retention of league status) or burn-out leads to the fielding of what are often virtually 'second elevens'. And, as far as I know, winning the FA Cup doesn't get you into Europe as it once did.
(Attendances at 3rd round matches this year were reportedly 43% down on last year).

[Old Grumpy]

Not me, for sure - but then l'm no more disinterested in this than any other football match!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Several factors here:

- The rise and rise of the Champions' League
- Congested fixtures leading to managers selecting second tier teams for cup competitions
- Demise of European Cup-Winners' Cup. (The Europa League is a runners-up trophy, so has little prestige.)

I would suggest the abandonment of the League Cup, but perhaps adapting the FA cup to include two legs in the quarter and semi-finals.

[zola]

And, as far as I know, winning the FA Cup doesn't get you into Europe as it once did.

It gets you into the Europa League but most teams seem to regard that as more of a curse than blessing anyway.

[cloughie]

It gets you into the Europa League but most teams seem to regard that as more of a curse than blessing anyway.

Apart from Man U who used it as a ticket to the Champions League. It has proved a curse to clubs with small squads leading to poor league performances in the first half of the season from which they never recover and lead to relegation. Chelsea's league success last season was not unrelated to not having European commitments, after finishing 10th following the 'Special one' losing the will to play from his overpaid, underachieving professionals!

[Stanfordian]

I care about it! But it's those eternal replays that annoy. One game with penalties after normal time if a draw. This should give lower teams more chance of winning. Semi-Finals to be at neutral grounds. Wembley for the final only. I can't see the FA Cup being given an automatic Champions League place.

[Alison]

Quite looking forward to Posh v Foxes a week on Saturday.

It was a bit painful to have those 0-0 games dominating the BBC schedule in the last round.

[Padraig]

That's a good question, LMcD, to which I have not given much thought since my team, Tottenham Hotspurs, was knocked out of the competition in the first round. That would have been '47 or '48, as I was still at primary school. Oh, I should mention that it was the Subbuteo Cup Final. A very exciting competition: players with jerseys of real clubs; referee decisions by agreement; no send-offs; players of each side subjected to extreme verbal abuse; highly skillful manipulation of play - one of the factors in the humiliation of Spurs. I resigned as manager and have not looked back. I don't know what happened to Spurs since, though I do hear the team mentioned occasionally and I simulate a sentimental sigh.

[Lat-Literal]

Until this year, Arsene Wenger.

(Arsenal - FA Cup Winners : 2014, 2015, 2017)

[Serial_Apologist]

There are already enough things to worry about without footie adding unnecesarily to them.

[LMcD]

That's a good question, LMcD, to which I have not given much thought since my team, Tottenham Hotspurs, was knocked out of the competition in the first round. That would have been '47 or '48, as I was still at primary school. Oh, I should mention that it was the Subuteo Cup Final. A very exciting competition: players with jerseys of real clubs; referee decisions by agreement; no send-offs; players of each side subjected to extreme verbal abuse; highly skillful manipulation of play - one of the factors in the humiliation of Spurs. I resigned as manager and have not looked back. I don't know what happened to Spurs since, though I do hear the team mentioned occasionally and I simulate a sentimental sigh.

'My' team won the old 1st Division title in 1962, the FA Cup in 1978 and what is now the UEFA Cup (I think it used to be called the 'Inter-City Fairs Cup) in 1981. Since then....one 2nd place in the Premier League quite a long time ago and most recently 15 - or is it 16? - successive seasons in the Championship.
The BBC isn't helping to promote the competition, having chosen a hat-trick of goalless draws.

[teamsaint]

There are already enough things to worry about without footie adding unnecesarily to them.

I find that worrying about football for 90 minutes is a kind of antidote to the kinds of worry that you are probaly suggesting, The problems with modern football are in part to do with it being 24/7 distraction from important issues.

And in answer to the OP, nobody cares much as a rule until about the 6th round, and then it becomes important.

[teamsaint]

'My' team won the old 1st Division title in 1962, the FA Cup in 1978 and what is now the UEFA Cup (I think it used to be called the 'Inter-City Fairs Cup) in 1981. Since then....one 2nd place in the Premier League quite a long time ago and most recently 15 - or is it 16? - successive seasons in the Championship.
The BBC isn't helping to promote the competition, having chosen a hat-trick of goalless draws.

We have one of your lot at work. He finds other sports to get his excitement as one season of mediocrity merges into another.
Is Mcgoldrick on the mend yet?

[Pianorak]

Don't really care for or know enough about football. If it's on the box that gives me a chance to catch up listening to my CDs. TV on mute - CD on - last night I listened to Mendelssohn's Elija. Not sure I'd have sacrificed that much time listening to Elija if it hadn't been for the footie.

[EdgeleyRob]

I care about it! But it's those eternal replays that annoy. One game with penalties after normal time if a draw. This should give lower teams more chance of winning. Semi-Finals to be at neutral grounds. Wembley for the final only. I can't see the FA Cup being given an automatic Champions League place.