Has the FA Cup lost its magic?
Yesterday at 01:00 AM
Years ago the FA Cup was a truly special tournament that captured the hearts and minds of the watching public — so what changed, and why? John Wilson dives deep...
After our loss to Stoke in the FA Cup 3rd Round last Saturday, (indeed even before) many were left reflecting on the fact that 'they weren't bothered' - as all a cup run could do was hinder the main objective of our season, which is to get promoted.
In fact, as Sunderland fans, we can probably remember quite a few seasons where the FA Cup was a hindrance as opposed to something exciting. We are often involved in relegation struggles or trying to get into the promotion picture as a club - probably more than the vast majority of clubs.
Last season's dismal ending was one of the few I can remember recently where we ended up in an 'obscure' position. So we could argue that we have a unique argument for pushing the FA Cup to one side. But this isn't just a Sunderland problem.
It is well documented that 'the magic of the FA Cup' is slowly fading.
There isn't one answer to this. I've heard many reasons put forward as to why it is losing its appeal to fans and clubs alike. I think the answer is probably hidden in an amalgamation of several contributing factors, although I have my own theory as to the biggest culprit. More of that later.
Firstly, one reason I've heard to pinpoint the time when the magic started to fade, was when Manchester United opted out of the cup altogether in 2000, as they were involved in a world club competition. Not a great signal to send to smaller clubs.
Indeed the 'bigger clubs' are another reason why many of the rules surrounding the cup have changed in recent years. Those involved in European matches cried 'too many fixtures' - 'Please help us!' They enter whatever the League Cup is called these days at a later stage, they got their Under 21 teams involved in The National League Cup so they could develop their younger squad members, and more and more for some teams (certainly not just the top Premier teams) fringe players are used in cup games to save the regular first team players from injury or being overplayed.
SAFC fall foul in this regard as well. If fans know that the club aren't taking competition seriously, the clubs can't expect the fans to turn out in their thousands to watch.
All those reasons surely add to the demise of the magic, but they don't address the reason why such a national heritage as the FA Cup was, has started to become an aggravation to some, more than added excitement to the season.
Over this current season's 3rd round, we still had very 'exciting' ties that only cup matches can throw up. Salford fans went to Manchester City, Accrington Stanley fans went to Anfield, and Tamworth hosted Spurs. Try telling those fans that the magic of the FA Cup has gone. But another negative then reared its ugly head.
Tamworth were level with Tottenham at the end of 90 minutes. In days gone by that would have equalled massive success and a reward of a trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the club. A great memory for the fans and a huge monetary reward for the club. But sadly no - the big clubs don't want further congestion to their season.
No replays please they said. Not that it will stop them from going abroad as soon as the season finishes to play meaningless matches in Australia or the USA. I'm sure that if we had been drawn against a top-tier Premier club, the SOL would have been packed out - so in effect, you could argue that the opposition that the hat throws up can affect a gate.
But that is still papering over the cracks. It got me consulting our history in the FA Cup 3rd round. I went as far back as the early 60s to look for a pattern. Early that decade we played Arsenal then Southampton in the 3rd round at home. Both gates were 58,000 plus. A game in 1963 saw us drawn against Gravesend and Northfleet - only 29,000 attended. Brentford in 1967 brought in 37,000, and Fulham in 1969 attracted 27,000. In 1970 a 3rd round match v Orient was attended by 18,000 folk.
It would be great if I could dictate the narrative and show that depending on who we were playing - the gate directly correlated - but unfortunately that isn't the case. In 1975, at home to Chesterfield, 34,000 attended, and again v Oldham in 1976. But generally, if I were to make a graph of the x-axis being the year, and the y-axis being the attendance - there would be a downward trend, certainly by the mid 80's.
The only possible linked factor to this gradual drop, in my opinion, is the growing trend of football on TV. I think this is where the 'magic' stemmed from for many of us.
Depending on your age, the FA Cup final day ( if not the whole competition) was a whole day's event - and not just if it was your own team. TV coverage would start in the morning, watching the players leave their hotels, walking onto the Wembley pitch in their cup final suits. Interviews and chats with anyone remotely linked to the teams. For me, part of the magic was that there was about to be a live game on the television.
The first final to be televised was in 1938. The first European Cup Winners Cup Final televised live was in 1961, followed by a live recording of the 1962 World Cup. In that same year, one of the TV front runners for football was our own 'Tyne Tees' ITV production of 'Shoot' - a weekly highlights show just for and of the North East clubs.
I remember being glued to the telly on a Sunday afternoon to watch it. There was a chant from the Fulwell End of 'Shoot!... Shoot!' during matches, such was the popularity of seeing football (even highlights) on the 'box'. Match of the Day began in 1964 - still highlights, but nonetheless very exciting.
The key factor was that apart from major events, the FA Cup final was the only live match you could watch during the entire year on your television. The first televised League Cup wasn't until 1981. The BBC televised its first live league game in 1983. ITV and BBC shared the FA Cup final for the first time in 1988.
Then, of course, Sky TV entered the fray. The rest for me, is history. We are now flooded with wall-to-wall live matches from every country. For youngsters today, a live match on television isn't special at all, unless it is your team. My son can practically name every player in La Liga or Serie A. On his computer, he can be a manager, buy and sell players, build his own stadium, and get his team promoted by playing FIFA (or EA Sports FC as it is now if you're down with the kids) If he ventures out of his room and sees I'm watching a match live on tv, he'll watch for a few seconds and then be back upstairs to his room.
The modern versions of interacting online, easily outweigh watching a live match on telly. In fact, when a goal is scored in the match I might be watching, there'll be a thud of feet on the stairs as he comes down to watch a replay of the goal - as he'll already have been notified on his phone that a goal has been scored. Live football is now not just commonplace, but we're drowned in it.
For me, this is the major reason why the FA Cup has lost its magic.
If I were very studious, I would make a graph pitching the progression of attendance v television coverage - and just as my earlier graph would show a downward trend through the years, this graph would also show a downward trend - but this time with a cause and an effect - i.e. television (and more to the point) Sky coverage.
The money it has generated amongst other possible benefits, has only served to make the rich even richer. 44 different teams have won the FA Cup since it started in 1872. In the last quarter of a century in the Sky era (admittedly accepting wins for Portsmouth, Wigan and Leicester) 5 teams have monopolized the cup. Go figure!
There is one word that I think covers all the reasons that the FA Cup is dwindling as a 'magic' competition. Covering the top teams moaning about fixture congestion, Man Utd pulling out, teams putting out weakened sides in favour of a league game, no replays any more, the semi-finals being played at Wembley now as well - and that word is greed - or money if you prefer.
