Replays to be scrapped for FA Cup quarter-finals

Assume this will be deemed so successful they will eventually scrap all replays, wiping out income for the lower league clubs.

However, I agree wholeheartedly that the small clubs no longer matter in the post tv English football culture.

The FA Cup holds special memories for many people but my own was as a small child in the 1950's my grandfather was listening to the FA Cup scores on the radio and it came out Darlington 3-3 Chelsea and he remarked "that will have ruined everybody's coupon!"

The Cup Final will be on a Wednesday night soon.

That's what really started to undermine this competition, the phoney bastards. Where was the respect for the fans, when Everton played Liverpool at Wembley with a mid-day kick off?

I loved Mouriniho's suggestion that all the big teams, should play their fixture away from home, when drawn against the minnows, but this latest ruling, just panders to the big clubs and does the exact opposite.

Less games might just make this competition a bit more serious now though?

Almost the perfect final.

0-2 down, cheated out of a clear penalty.
Comeback.

Fat man in a proper suit (not a tracky) evades a string of "Keystones", worthy of Benny Hill "Yackety Sax",

Derek Temple scores the ULTIMATE counter attack goal !

The Blues returned Victorious.
And the City Went Wild !

Reds league Winners (and us Blues were made up for our cuzzies).
TOFFEES everyones favourite club (and we were).
Z Cars the nations fave tv show.
The Beatles.
FA Cup ?
It's "Do or Die" THAT is the bloody magic. Stick or twist..........

I reckon there should be a "Champions Cup" betwixt the League & FA Cup winners as the ultimate season finale, I think that it would enhance the two cups value.

So-called "Big Clubs" moan about having to play too many games. Easy solution... play your reserves more or don't bother with the CL games.

I remember a host of family members sitting in the front room watching the FA cup Final every year in the 70's when I was a kid.
Our mum would bring a load of sandwiches in and lemonade and we would all sit there in awe of the game that was about to unfold, whoever the teams.

Great family memories surrounding one of the best competitions in world football.
I watched the FA cup last weekend and couldn't stop thinking how much they are trying to turn it into the Super bowl.

Whilst Tiny Temper belted out his tunes all that I could think of was telling him to do one so we could get on with a game of football. Very sad!

The powers that be are doing their best to kill the game in search of short term Champions League riches.

As for what I would do, to give it back some importance... Have CL spots go to both domestic trophies and one for champions.

Finish the season two weeks earlier (there's room for more midweek games) and have 2nd through 9th jet off to 4 Asian cities. Play the 4 one off QFs over one weekend. Two semis mid week and the final CL qualifier match on the Sunday.

There would be huge bids from competing cities, the FA get their 39th game and it stops the CL influencing the outcome of our domestic competition.

Though preferably, I'd just have one giant knock out European Cup for all teams who qualify for Europe. All unseeded and into the pot.

This gave advantages to London clubs that was highlighted by this years semi finals with Everton and Utds supporters having to travel down from up north and Watford and Palace supporters already being around or in London.

This latest move just proves that the FA. are not interested in traditions but are controlled by outside financial parties, and money comes before tradition.

Thing is though, Wembley has gone. Gone gone gone. The restaurant and bar complex with pitch attached is a big nothing. I think of it as two fingers up to the FA every time a second half kicks off and people are still in the bar. But then that's what it was rebuilt for... ho hum.

As others mention, in announcing this they justify it on the grounds that "it respects the tradition of the FA Cup."

That strikes me as an oxymoron. Like a succession of decisions over the years by the FA in relation to their globally known iconical asset, this further undermines the value of the competition.

What was once as valued as winning the league by players and fans is reduced to an almost meaningless bauble.

Give it another 5-10 years and all FA Cup replays will be scrapped altogether and any drawn one-off game will be immediately decided by penalties.

Destroying Wembley.
Letting Utd go off on holiday.
7 years at the Millennium.
Replays moved to ten days after first match.
Semi's at new Wembley
Not last match of the season.
Moving kick-off time.
Same top 4 clubs in most finals.
Giving ITV the rights*.

I'm sure there are more, but those are the one's that come off the top of my head.

*What ever people may think of the Beeb it is part of a competition's branding when it is on the BBC. For example, the Grand National is now on ch4 and its lost a little something. And I wont talk of taking many events off free to watch and selling out to Sky.