The last time my team,Wolves, were in the FA Cup final---winners too---i was two years old and obviously can't recall anything about it.However i have seen us lose in four Semi-finals and they still hurt.It still remains my one hope that i witness Wolves strolling out at Wembley on a warm Spring afternoon in the FA Cup Final.
So why did this great old competition lose it's power over the English football fans to excite and frustrate in equal measure.
Many point to the 1999/2000 season when Manchester United dropped out of that season's cup to partake in the discredited World Team Championship in Brazil,which featured Worldwide renowned teams such as Necaxa,Raja Casablanca,Al-Nassr and South Melbourne...What has never been cleared up with this whole shambles is whether it was at Man Utd's behest or if the FA backed the club into a corner by insisting they participate...
Be that as it may i don't think the demise of the FA Cup as a relevant competition stems from that incident alone,as disgraceful as it was.
No,i think we need to go back a further eight years to the brave new world created by Sky in forming the Premiership with the English FA.Coupled with when UEFA ditched the old style knock out European Cup to the present system in 1991.
Suddenly the system was awash with more money than anyone ever envisaged possible in the game.With the money came greater opportunity but also greater pressure to remain on the gravy train...Thus for a select number of clubs the height of ambition was either getting into the revamped Champions league---Not trying to win the title you understand,just getting to the fabled 4th place--The height of ambition for the rest is just to stay in the Premiership for one more season to keep the coffers topped up.
Where does the FA Cup come into this?
Simply it's now seen as an extra game in which your best players could get injured or suspended and thus preventing a club from reaching their ambition's no matter how limited.With the consequence that many cup ties end up like glorified reserve games.The fans have not been slow to cotton on to this and have mostly decided to stay away.
Yesterday's 5th round game between a revitalised Sunderland and under pressure Arsenal was a case in point.Ironically both teams fielded fairly strong line ups but the gate was barely half of capacity even though prices were dropped.It does'nt help that we're now living in a harsh economic climate but FA Cup gates were dropping even when times were booming a few years back.
Will the FA Cup survive? I imagine so.But it's being ever more marginalised and only seen as a small consolation if won by one of the currant "Big" clubs.Much as cup competitions are seen in other countries.
So will i ever see my team in the FA Cup final? Hell i hope so. but we have other things on our mind for the foreseeable future...
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