FA Cup changes

[saintstowin]

This makes me angry. 

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2024/apr/18/fa-cup-replays-and-premier-league-winter-break-scrapped-from-next-season

I don't see any motivation for this apart from benefitting the bigger clubs. And the FA being weak and/or seeing no alternative but to give in. 

Clubs happy to play 15+ games in Europe but not one or two more (maybe) in the cup.

I love the FA Cup.

 

Edited April 19 by saintstowin

[Stripey McStripe Shirt]

2 minutes ago, saintstowin said:

This makes me angry. 

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2024/apr/18/fa-cup-replays-and-premier-league-winter-break-scrapped-from-next-season

I don't see any motivation for this apart from benefitting the bigger clubs. And the EFL being weak and/or seeing no alternative but to give in. 

Clubs happy to play 15+ games in Europe but not one or two more (maybe) in the cup.

I love the FA Cup.

 

Meh. I love the FA Cup, but I don't think I've ever been excited by the prospect of a replay (for Saints or any other teams). 

[Bob60]

Replays Keep some small clubs afloat for years, just money before the game by the big clubs again.

[CSA96]

After having to watch us play that fucking Watford team four times this season, no replays doesn't sound so bad...

[Badger]

16 minutes ago, CSA96 said:

After having to watch us play that fucking Watford team four times this season, no replays doesn't sound so bad...

You don't have to attend, but as Bob60 says this is a lifeline to smaller clubs. I remember Exeter saying their ties and replays against Man Utd one year kept them going for a couple of seasons. 

[VectisSaint]

39 minutes ago, saintstowin said:

This makes me angry. 

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2024/apr/18/fa-cup-replays-and-premier-league-winter-break-scrapped-from-next-season

I don't see any motivation for this apart from benefitting the bigger clubs. And the EFL being weak and/or seeing no alternative but to give in. 

Clubs happy to play 15+ games in Europe but not one or two more (maybe) in the cup.

I love the FA Cup.

 

Not surprised its been mooted for years. Thought the winter break was brought in by the big clubs, so not sure how scrapping that benefits them, though the way it was brought in was a nonsense, in any case other leagues that do have a winter break use it to arrange friendlies so it was always totally meaningless.

I don't know why you are having a go at the EFL. Can't see this is anything to do with them, all down to the FA and the PL. The EFL looks to benefit as a whole, though individual teams will lose out, the EFL have no say on the FA Cup. 

[saintstowin]

I meant the non Premier League football authority, so yes FA rather than EFL. I would edit but I've haven't got time to replay posts and need to save energy for messages on a more important forum.😇 

I've certainly wondered about the fixture congestion when Saints get a draw in the cup. My view is it is low down on the things that might affect our season negatively. And I'd rather a replay than ET and penalties. 

But overall it's the bigger picture I care about. 

Edited April 18 by saintstowin

[Ted Bates Statue]

Funny how nobody thinks to scrap the endless pre-season friendly matches held in far-flung continents.

It would never happen, but my preferred rule-change is if the higher-ranked club can't beat a lower division side over 90 minutes or AET, then they should forfeit the match in favour of the lower-ranked side progressing.

[david in sweden]

Changing the Cup Final date ..!   Nonsense.    This is a fixture that every fan (and many neutrals) look forward to at the end of a season.

Also very short-sighted as many times top-end clubs are often one / both of the finalists,  but what happens in a season (like now example) 

where one club is also a contender for the league title?  ..or worse ...trying to avoid relegation?.  The Cup then merely becomes - a distraction.

 

Many clubs (like Saints) have had the opportunity of a trip to Wembley,  yet never dream of breaking " the top six barrier"  or having a shot at

winning the Prem. title.  The Cup Final should be the what it sounds like ..the Final game  of a long season, and not a distraction whilst more 

serious issues (promotion / relegation) still remain unresolved after  " the greatest day "  in the football calendar. 

Edited April 18 by david in sweden
anger rant

[The Cat]

Bullishit move to placate the big clubs who moan about fixture congestion while ignoring that some of the most important moments of the cup come when a small team gets a replay away at a big team and earns a crap load of money.

[SaintNewForest]

2 hours ago, CSA96 said:

After having to watch us play that fucking Watford team four times this season, no replays doesn't sound so bad...

Try telling that to the likes of Havant & Waterlooville. Beat Swansea in a cup replay (in itself, incredibly lucrative) and set up a tie at Anfield. 

They'd have never got through and got that dream tie without that replay. 

But as ever, the big clubs say jump and everyone else says how high. Fuck our footballing traditions in this country. 

 

[SaintNewForest]

1 hour ago, Ted Bates Statue said:

Funny how nobody thinks to scrap the endless pre-season friendly matches held in far-flung continents.

It would never happen, but my preferred rule-change is if the higher-ranked club can't beat a lower division side over 90 minutes or AET, then they should forfeit the match in favour of the lower-ranked side progressing.

Tottenham & Newcastle are flying off to play each other in Australia at the end of the season.

That's okay to do, clearly, but the mere possibility of an added game in which they're likely to play their reserves anyway? Not allowed. Fuck the smaller clubs. Fuck the non league. 

[CSA96]

2 minutes ago, SaintNewForest said:

Try telling that to the likes of Havant & Waterlooville. Beat Swansea in a cup replay (in itself, incredibly lucrative) and set up a tie at Anfield. 

They'd have never got through and got that dream tie without that replay. 

But as ever, the big clubs say jump and everyone else says how high. Fuck our footballing traditions in this country. 

 

It was not a serious response, thought that much was obvious.

 

2 hours ago, Badger said:

You don't have to attend, but as Bob60 says this is a lifeline to smaller clubs. I remember Exeter saying their ties and replays against Man Utd one year kept them going for a couple of seasons. 

Yep, do agree.

[SaintNewForest]

8 minutes ago, CSA96 said:

It was not a serious response, thought that much was obvious.

Clearly not. 

[Lighthouse]

More than happy to see the back of replays, 99% of the time nobody gives the tiniest crap about them. All of this talk about minnows getting a big pay day is once in a blue moon stuff. For a start, the minnow involved is almost never good enough to earn a draw. Secondly, the original tie should be a big enough pay day anyway, saying you need to play it twice is just greedy. Thirdly, the smaller team has a much better chance of going through in a single game that goes to penalties, than in a replay.

 

These were the third round games replayed this year. Who actually cares about any of these games?

Bolton vs Luton

Blackpool vs Nottingham Forest

Wolves vs Brentford

Bristol Rovers vs Norwich

Birmingham vs Hull

Bristol City vs West Ham

Everton vs Crystal Palace

[Fan The Flames]

13 minutes ago, Lighthouse said:

More than happy to see the back of replays, 99% of the time nobody gives the tiniest crap about them. All of this talk about minnows getting a big pay day is once in a blue moon stuff. For a start, the minnow involved is almost never good enough to earn a draw. Secondly, the original tie should be a big enough pay day anyway, saying you need to play it twice is just greedy. Thirdly, the smaller team has a much better chance of going through in a single game that goes to penalties, than in a replay.

 

These were the third round games replayed this year. Who actually cares about any of these games?

Bolton vs Luton

Blackpool vs Nottingham Forest

Wolves vs Brentford

Bristol Rovers vs Norwich

Birmingham vs Hull

Bristol City vs West Ham

Everton vs Crystal Palace

I don't get what you mean by nobody gives a crap, all the fans of those teams do. The fact that random other fans might not isn't any measure of their value.

For what it's worth I think replays have had their day, but it's undoubtedly a shame for the smaller clubs who get the cash out of them.

[Kenilworthy]

It isn't going to stop here. Next step will be for the big clubs to avoid the inconvenience of being knocked out at the early stages and seeded in to the later rounds/

[Lighthouse]

6 minutes ago, Fan The Flames said:

I don't get what you mean by nobody gives a crap, all the fans of those teams do. The fact that random other fans might not isn't any measure of their value.

For what it's worth I think replays have had their day, but it's undoubtedly a shame for the smaller clubs who get the cash out of them.

How many replays have there actually been in the last, let’s say 20 years, which could actually be classified as ‘smaller clubs cashing in’?

Most of the fans of those teams listed DON’T want a replay for their own team though, that’s the thing. Who can honestly say they were happy to play Watford twice and were glad it didn’t just go straight to penalties the first time?

[HarvSFC]

They seem to be changing the FA Cup final dates every other year these days, one year it's played the week after the season, the next it isn't. The argument is lost a little, when as already mentioned Newcastle and Tottenham are playing a friendly in Australia three days after the Premier League season ends. Two years ago Manchester City played Barcelona in a friendly three matches into the season, which was also bizarre.

[Fan The Flames]

11 minutes ago, Lighthouse said:

How many replays have there actually been in the last, let’s say 20 years, which could actually be classified as ‘smaller clubs cashing in’?

Most of the fans of those teams listed DON’T want a replay for their own team though, that’s the thing. Who can honestly say they were happy to play Watford twice and were glad it didn’t just go straight to penalties the first time?

We're obviously looking at this differently, because just a quick look at the FA Cup games this season and there are around 12 games where a smaller club has earned another game, which is another pay day.

Are you thinking about the big league 1/2 games at Anfield etc, but these aren't the only ones. Bristol City had 25k fans at their replay with West Ham, which had 62k at it.

[whelk]

2 hours ago, Lighthouse said:

More than happy to see the back of replays, 99% of the time nobody gives the tiniest crap about them. All of this talk about minnows getting a big pay day is once in a blue moon stuff. For a start, the minnow involved is almost never good enough to earn a draw. Secondly, the original tie should be a big enough pay day anyway, saying you need to play it twice is just greedy. Thirdly, the smaller team has a much better chance of going through in a single game that goes to penalties, than in a replay.

 

These were the third round games replayed this year. Who actually cares about any of these games?

Bolton vs Luton

Blackpool vs Nottingham Forest

Wolves vs Brentford

Bristol Rovers vs Norwich

Birmingham vs Hull

Bristol City vs West Ham

Everton vs Crystal Palace

Scrap basketball. I don’t give a shit about it

[Jimmy_D]

More changes creeping in a direction I don’t like. I miss when the FA Cup Final was the centrepiece rounding off the domestic season, and watching lower league teams fight to try to get to a replay has always been enthralling to me. As well as that it gives a small amount of balance to the luck of the draw, being able to hold on and flip the home advantage.

(Not to mention these have also applied to me when I’ve done Football Manager LLM challenges  )

[FarehamSaintJames]

Let the big six fuck off now.

Absolutely bored season after season of all the “drama” that is made through the media around these clubs.

Let them go have their Super League governed by a load of old, greedy, money hungry men, and leave the real sport to the fans.

[Baird of the land]

Disgusting move. As always the big clubs will cry 'too much football' and then turn round and expand their champions league games.

[S-Clarke]

7 minutes ago, Baird of the land said:

Disgusting move. As always the big clubs will cry 'too much football' and then turn round and expand their champions league games.

And also play glam friendly's, 3 days after the end of the season half way around the world.

The changes are nonsense because it removes a chance for those lower league clubs to take a big side to a replay, you see it so often - massive money spinner for these lower and non-league clubs as the replay is more likely to be selected for tv etc. This just removes that opportunity and sucks the money back to the teams who have it all anyway.

I heard that this decision was made without any consultation with lower league, non league and grassroots football - an absolute slap in the face of 'real football'.

Check out Tranmere's statement, I think it says all that needs to be said -

Club Statement: FA Cup replays - News - Tranmere Rovers Football Club

[Lighthouse]

3 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

And also play glam friendly's, 3 days after the end of the season half way around the world.

The changes are nonsense because it removes a chance for those lower league clubs to take a big side to a replay, you see it so often - massive money spinner for these lower and non-league clubs as the replay is more likely to be selected for tv etc. This just removes that opportunity and sucks the money back to the teams who have it all anyway.

I heard that this decision was made without any consultation with lower league, non league and grassroots football - an absolute slap in the face of 'real football'.

Check out Tranmere's statement, I think it says all that needs to be said -

Club Statement: FA Cup replays - News - Tranmere Rovers Football Club

But it greatly increases the chance of those clubs actually winning the tie and then also getting the prize money and revenue from being in the next round. Let’s say Leyton Orient manage a 1-1 draw in the third round at OT. Are they more likely to win a penalty shoot out or a replay?

[S-Clarke]

9 minutes ago, Lighthouse said:

But it greatly increases the chance of those clubs actually winning the tie and then also getting the prize money and revenue from being in the next round. Let’s say Leyton Orient manage a 1-1 draw in the third round at OT. Are they more likely to win a penalty shoot out or a replay?

I don't think the non-league clubs ever have any aspiration for winning the thing or getting that far, so sticking as many games as they can into any run they have is beneficial. More ticket revenue, more TV money if it's selected. If they get a draw at OT they get to take them back to their patch, sell out and get a massive ticket bonus plus TV revenue for the home game. If they lose they lose, they've just made a fortune.

It's about the revenue for the lower league clubs and the replays provide that.

Who gives a shit if Haaland or Foden are a bit tired because of their trip to Madrid the week before.

Edited April 18 by S-Clarke

[Lighthouse]

23 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

I don't think the non-league clubs ever have any aspiration for winning the thing or getting that far, so sticking as many games as they can into any run they have is beneficial. More ticket revenue, more TV money if it's selected. If they get a draw at OT they get to take them back to their patch, sell out and get a massive ticket bonus plus TV revenue for the home game. If they lose they lose, they've just made a fortune.

It's about the revenue for the lower league clubs and the replays provide that.

Who gives a shit if Haaland or Foden are a bit tired because of their trip to Madrid the week before.

But you get an extra game if you win, plus the prize money of being in the next round. Then the team you get in the next round is more likely to be better and have a large stadium. In the vast majority of circumstances a team will be better off financially by winning the tie on penalties and going through to the next round.

Everyone keeps imagining some League 2 side getting a draw at home to Man Utd and going back to OT for a big cash bonanza but how often does that actually happen? What if you’re the chairman of Leyton Orient; you draw 1-1 at home to QPR in round 3 and the winner goes to OT in round 4 - would you prefer a penalty shootout or a replay?

[Jimmy_D]

13 minutes ago, Lighthouse said:

But you get an extra game if you win, plus the prize money of being in the next round. Then the team you get in the next round is more likely to be better and have a large stadium. In the vast majority of circumstances a team will be better off financially by winning the tie on penalties and going through to the next round.

Everyone keeps imagining some League 2 side getting a draw at home to Man Utd and going back to OT for a big cash bonanza but how often does that actually happen? What if you’re the chairman of Leyton Orient; you draw 1-1 at home to QPR in round 3 and the winner goes to OT in round 4 - would you prefer a penalty shootout or a replay?

There’s a fair few.

Exeter vs Man Utd in 2005 

Burton Albion vs Man Utd in 2006

Leyton Orient vs Arsenal in 2011

Stevenage vs Spurs in 2012

Cambridge vs Man Utd in 2015

Exeter vs Liverpool in 2016

Rochdale vs Newcastle in 2020

Shrewsbury vs Liverpool in 2020

Not sure on near misses averted by late goals. There are more where it’s a huge gap between teams with the bigger team not being one of the top teams.

[Eric The Red]

I really don't see why it's any of the Premier League's business whether there are replays in rounds 1 + 2, that surely have ben subject to EFL and National League consultation rather than by decree. I also xan't see how having replays in R3 is a problem for the Prem. They happen mid January, before Euro fixtures restart and rarely cause disruption (unless it clashes with SFL Cup semi finals (which could/should be sorted if the Prem and EFL could reach an agreement over funding).

I think R4 on you can make the argument about fixture clashes, and if L1 and L2 teams have got that far then they've probably done OK financially but then coming to a sensible agreement require people to listen to each other and to look for compromises, something football bodies have been singularly rubbish at.

[Saint_clark]

To offset the potential loss of earnings for small clubs from replays, they should change the way gate receipts are split so that they are 75/25 in favour of the team lower down the leagues, and still split 50/50 for teams in the same leagues. 

[the colonel]

Big club bullying. FA curtailing to rich premier league. EFL ignored, even though they provided more than 3/4 of the clubs participating in the later stages.

Another showing of the gulf between the haves and have-nots growing. 

If the big clubs think they are playing too many games then they should go back to UEFA and demand the European tournaments go back to knockouts rather than mini-leagues. And we all know that won't happen.

[AlexLaw76]

The glory clubs could buy better players in their squads…

 

[Turkish]

17 hours ago, Ted Bates Statue said:

Funny how nobody thinks to scrap the endless pre-season friendly matches held in far-flung continents.

It would never happen, but my preferred rule-change is if the higher-ranked club can't beat a lower division side over 90 minutes or AET, then they should forfeit the match in favour of the lower-ranked side progressing.

Exactly what i was going to post. The same clubs and managers that whinge about too many fixtures will happily fly to America, Asia or Australia to play in a preseason tournament.

 

 

[Lighthouse]

9 hours ago, the colonel said:

Big club bullying. FA curtailing to rich premier league. EFL ignored, even though they provided more than 3/4 of the clubs participating in the later stages.

Another showing of the gulf between the haves and have-nots growing. 

If the big clubs think they are playing too many games then they should go back to UEFA and demand the European tournaments go back to knockouts rather than mini-leagues. And we all know that won't happen.

The CL used to be two group stages until some time around 2000-2002, they changed it to its current format because it was too many matches, so if anything it's gone the other way. The UL chnaged it's format to match this because it seems to be a popular standard for most knockout tournaments. Without the group you end up with half the teams knocked out after one round, like we were in 2003.

 

As for pre-season games in Asia, nobody cares if anyone complains about that because it's a choice. Besides, they're exhibition matches with plenty of squad rotation, I can't recall any club every saying their players were exhausted from their own pre-season.

[farawaysaint]

20 hours ago, saintstowin said:

This makes me angry. 

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2024/apr/18/fa-cup-replays-and-premier-league-winter-break-scrapped-from-next-season

I don't see any motivation for this apart from benefitting the bigger clubs. And the EFL being weak and/or seeing no alternative but to give in. 

Clubs happy to play 15+ games in Europe but not one or two more (maybe) in the cup.

I love the FA Cup.

 

From what I understand per the EFL statement they did not get a say. This negotiation was linked to the pay deal but when that fell apart the EFL were excluded from this decision.  

[Fan The Flames]

14 hours ago, FarehamSaintJames said:

Let the big six fuck off now.

Absolutely bored season after season of all the “drama” that is made through the media around these clubs.

Let them go have their Super League governed by a load of old, greedy, money hungry men, and leave the real sport to the fans.

It's not a question of letting them go, they don't want to go. At the moment they get double bubble, domestic football and European football, both swell their coffers. 

Also their fans don't want them to go, fans prefer domestic football. Most fans would prefer domestic plus straight knockout European football over just European football.

[Fan The Flames]

13 hours ago, Lighthouse said:

But you get an extra game if you win, plus the prize money of being in the next round. Then the team you get in the next round is more likely to be better and have a large stadium. In the vast majority of circumstances a team will be better off financially by winning the tie on penalties and going through to the next round.

Everyone keeps imagining some League 2 side getting a draw at home to Man Utd and going back to OT for a big cash bonanza but how often does that actually happen? What if you’re the chairman of Leyton Orient; you draw 1-1 at home to QPR in round 3 and the winner goes to OT in round 4 - would you prefer a penalty shootout or a replay?

I've said already its not just about the glamour replays, there are 10-15 replays each FA where a smaller team is guaranteed extra cash. There aren't guaranteed anything going into a penalty shootout.

You mentioned some scenarios where the new system may work for the smaller club, but in balance it's financial worse for them.

[Lord Duckhunter]

The FA cup is done, time to put a fork in it. It’s about as relevant in today’s football world as Vera Lynne is to modern music. Killed by greed and apathy, and that’s not just the big clubs. It needs a serious re vamp & nobody is prepared to take the necessary steps needed to make it relevant. 
 

I’m just glad I was around to see it when it was a proper meaningful competition. 

[Saint_clark]

12 hours ago, Saint_clark said:

To offset the potential loss of earnings for small clubs from replays, they should change the way gate receipts are split so that they are 75/25 in favour of the team lower down the leagues, and still split 50/50 for teams in the same leagues. 

While I still think this is a potential workaround I didn't realise that clubs and league organisations outside the Prem weren't consulted about these changes beforehand. This change should be put on hold until a proper consultation and vote has taken place with every club that participates in the FA cup getting a vote. 

[East Kent Saint]

18 minutes ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

The FA cup is done, time to put a fork in it. It’s about as relevant in today’s football world as Vera Lynne is to modern music. Killed by greed and apathy, and that’s not just the big clubs. It needs a serious re vamp & nobody is prepared to take the necessary steps needed to make it relevant. 
 

I’m just glad I was around to see it when it was a proper meaningful competition. 

Vera Lynn , kind of relevent today , Taylor Swift also very popular but is terrible to listen to . At least Vera had the war nostalgia !

[East Kent Saint]

Re FA Cup and money for lesser clubs , I thought the gate was 50/50 plus the bonus for each round of the FA Cup so not difficult to make an adjustment for smaller clubs now replays are history.

[stevegrant]

3 hours ago, Lighthouse said:

The CL used to be two group stages until some time around 2000-2002, they changed it to its current format because it was too many matches, so if anything it's gone the other way.

It was too many matches back in a time when the broadcast contracts weren't anywhere near as lucrative as they are now.

Man City earned around €130m from the Champions League alone last season, effectively €10m per game played in the competition. Meanwhile, as PL champions, they get about £180m as a result of 38 games' work.

And next season there are more games, because UEFA has realised that more games now equals more money - 8 group stage games in a weird single group table where each team plays two games against teams in each of the 4 pots, but not the same teams. There is also an extra knockout round for those who finish 9th to 24th in the 36-team group stage, so it is these potential extra four games that have led to the Premier League bribing the FA Cup competition committee into removing replays. Solely at the behest of up to 8 PL clubs, only one of whom have had to play multiple FA Cup replays in the last decade.

[S-Clarke]

1 hour ago, Fan The Flames said:

I've said already its not just about the glamour replays, there are 10-15 replays each FA where a smaller team is guaranteed extra cash. There aren't guaranteed anything going into a penalty shootout.

You mentioned some scenarios where the new system may work for the smaller club, but in balance it's financial worse for them.

Yep, exactly that. Replays against whoever still generate revenue, these clubs down in non-league rely solely on footfall - so more games, more finance. It's a bad move for the non-league clubs and takes away that romance of it a bit in my opinion, bigger clubs won't play as weak a side either as they know they won't get a 2nd chance - so there will be much less chance of a shock.

[macca155]

Appalling decision purely to benifit the so called top teams. Not a thought for the teams that supported many of their players as they developed. This is part of a continuing creep by the EPL to Americanise football. Next will be a reduction in promotion and relegation you can see that coming down the line.

Being knocked out of a lucurative cup by a lower tier team is a big inconvenice for these rich owners.

Greed greed greed

The EPL has become a poor league over recent years. Look how dismal it was for Saints last year and our board spent a fair bit (badly). Nobody has a right to survival, particularly when you play as shit as our team did, but the league has to be competitive.

I'd like to think our board had the minerals to oppose this but I bet they don't. They won't want to rock the boat with promotion still a possibility.

However football fans are useless. Leeds charge us £47 for an away ticket, clearly outrageous profiteering and should be boycotted by Saints fans. What happens pretty much sold out. They'll be a lot of noise about this but in the end nothing will happen the EFL will roll over.

The Championship should set up in opposition to the Premier league, negotiate their own TV contract incuding matches on BBC/ITV. There won't be the money initially but I guaratee that over time the competitive nature of the league will make it more attractive.

[Fan The Flames]

The FA Cup isn't over, it's just not as special as it was, but what is. This year's FA Cup has been brilliant so far.

[Lymington Saint]

Think it would have been simpler to make the league cup just for EFL clubs and stick with replays in the FA cup. This would free up midweek dates early in the season for Prem teams if that is what they want

[Lord Duckhunter]

1 hour ago, macca155 said:

Being knocked out of a lucurative cup by a lower tier team is a big inconvenice for these rich owners.

They don’t give a shiny shite whether they’re knocked out or not. Given the chance I reckon most top sides owners would pull out of the FA Cup if they could. The Manchester United manager won’t get the sack if they lose to Coventry & make the top 4, he’ll get it if they win the Fa Cup and don’t though. 
 

It’s not just the big teams though is it. The rest of the EPL play weakened sides as do half the championship. It’s no wonder the competition is downgraded, it’s no longer about the glory. All smaller teams want is the fucking  money, I’m sure they’d rather earn a reply at old Trafford then beat them on penalties.
 

Look at us, Poch & Koeman had sides that could beat anyone on their day, and they couldn’t care less about the FA cup. 
 

Our cup competition was different than other European leagues, it isn’t now. We care as little about ours, as they do theirs. 

Edited April 19 by Lord Duckhunter

[Weston Super Saint]

2 hours ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

 

Our cup competition was different than other European leagues, it isn’t now. We care as little about ours, as they do theirs. 

I was in Bilbao last week when they had a parade for winning the Copa del Rey. It was a good show from the fans to be fair. About five miles along the river was absolutely packed on both sides. I know wearing "colours" is contentious but when 90% of the population are wearing red and white stripes it did look good.

[AlexLaw76]

16 hours ago, macca155 said:

Appalling decision purely to benifit the so called top teams. Not a thought for the teams that supported many of their players as they developed. This is part of a continuing creep by the EPL to Americanise football. Next will be a reduction in promotion and relegation you can see that coming down the line.

Being knocked out of a lucurative cup by a lower tier team is a big inconvenice for these rich owners.

Greed greed greed

The EPL has become a poor league over recent years. Look how dismal it was for Saints last year and our board spent a fair bit (badly). Nobody has a right to survival, particularly when you play as shit as our team did, but the league has to be competitive.

I'd like to think our board had the minerals to oppose this but I bet they don't. They won't want to rock the boat with promotion still a possibility.

However football fans are useless. Leeds charge us £47 for an away ticket, clearly outrageous profiteering and should be boycotted by Saints fans. What happens pretty much sold out. They'll be a lot of noise about this but in the end nothing will happen the EFL will roll over.

The Championship should set up in opposition to the Premier league, negotiate their own TV contract incuding matches on BBC/ITV. There won't be the money initially but I guaratee that over time the competitive nature of the league will make it more attractive.

You say about greed, what about saints?

we played a very changed team at Watford, and had to bring people on to save the tie.