FA Cup Revamp

[ShearMagic9]

The FA could be set to undergo some radical changes in a bid to regenerate interest in the once-glamorous competition.


FA chairman David Bernstein has sanctioned a think-tank to come up with ways of revamping the cup for the 2012/13 season.


The suggestions so far have included the qualification to the Champions League for the FA Cup winners, the scrapping of replays, seeding the Premier League clubs to ensure a greater chance of smaller clubs facing one of the bigger teams and playing games in mid-week.

The new-style FA Cup will be launched the season after next and could include a new TV deal with the FA cup final being moved from the traditional 3pm kick-off time on Saturday to 5.30pm.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...p-Champions-League-winners.html#ixzz1DwAqeTvp
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[Coledinho]

MULTI BALL ACTION is coming baby!!!!!!!!!

 

[ben_09]

I'm for getting rid of the replays, everything else a massive no.

 

[belfast_bomber]

I like the potential champs league place for the winner, but I understand UEFA are dead set against that.

 

[ShearMagic9]

Only thing I'm against is the squad lists.

If you make Champions League qualification the prize, teams will take it more seriously and play stronger squads anyway, so that kind of achieves that objective.

 

[Coledinho]

My idea would be to pit local clubs v local clubs kind of draw. All London clubs will be seeded for example and drawn out so maybe not derbies exactly but games where the fans all live relatively close to where the games are staged. Drop ticket prices and just sell out as many stadiums as possible. Let the atmosphere/booze do its job from there on I say

 

[SebastianVettel]

I like the potential champs league place for the winner, but I understand UEFA are dead set against that.

That's the bit I really dislike. The country should be represented by the best teams over a 38 game season, not a fortunate cup run.

 

[belfast_bomber]

Well there goes your participation in 05/06 then

 

[ShearMagic9]

 

[Benno_900]

I'd like to see them scrap replays and play all games at neutral venues. May be impossible to implement though.

 

[SebastianVettel]

Well there goes your participation in 05/06 then

A cup run through Europe's elite is a bit different than a cup run through the bottom feeders of the tiers of English carthorse football.

 

[moomba]

Replays are a godsend to smaller clubs. They should leave things as they are.

If they start seeding teams, I just won't bother with the FA Cup any more.

 

[Godzke]

hmmm ... maybe offer them half a Champs League spot?

1. Qual
2. Qual
3. Qual
4. 4th vs. FA Cup winner for qual (4th wins by default should FA Cup winner be a top 4 finisher in the Prem)

That's if the winning club is from the top flight, otherwise...

FA Cup winner = Premier League promotion. No better way to stir the hearts and minds of smaller clubs/players than gifting them a spot in next season's lucrative top division.

 

[DB10]

I think it should follow the rules of Blernsball.

 

[SebastianVettel]

I think they should change it to baseketball.

David Luiz makes FA Cup debut for Chelsea.....

 

[that_dood]

Just on all this, when did the FA Cup become boring and not interesting?

Still a massive tournament and one I want Arsenal to win.

 

[RickSanchez]

I think it should follow the rules of Blernsball.

The blerns are loaded, the count's 3 blerns and 2 anti-blerns, and the in-field blern rule is in effect... right?

 

[belfast_bomber]

I prefer farnarkling personally.

One of the greatest privileges was being able to watch the great Dave Sorensen in action. He seemed to have the grommet on a string as he arkled it with his furby into all corners of the warb.

(showing my age here big time )

 

[Primetime Pricey]

im all for getting rid of the replays but dont agree with the qualification part.

 

[Mr_Bojangles]

What a load pish, leave it as it is for ****s sake.

 

[SBI]

I prefer farnarkling personally.

One of the greatest privileges was being able to watch the great Dave Sorensen in action. He seemed to have the grommet on a string as he arkled it with his furby into all corners of the warb.

(showing my age here big time )

I think the FA can learn from the one-day farnarkling fixtures which nearly ruined the game. Should leave it as it is. Talk about a farnarkling circus.

 

[folester41]

scrap the replays, and play all games at the lower placed teams ground

 

[kid_a]

Just on all this, when did the FA Cup become boring and not interesting?

Still a massive tournament and one I want Arsenal to win.

agree with you here, people spit the dummy to easy when they're teams gets knocked out on here and thus start hating the comp.

obviously replays are annoying in terms of fixturing, squad maintainence, but i think if you aren't beaten away from home then you deserve to get a replay.

the cup is a pure football comp, lets keep it that way

 

[gaelictiogar]

The fact is that the Major European leagues including he EPL are now like the regular seasons in American sport or to an extent the H and A season in AFL or NRL. They are qualification series for the finals series which is soccer terms is the CL/Europa Cup.

Given this fact the Domestic Cup will never regain he prominence it had prior to the European post season era.

they could

1. Stop playing semis at Wembley.
2. Free tix for under 18s to encourage family participation.


This wouldn't solve the problem which is now unsolvable but would help ameliorate the decline.

 

[Bomber Bears]

Surely the most obvious way to boost the prominance and importance of the FA Cup would be to just piss the League Cup off? One Cup competition a season would be better.

I personally love the FA cup, and think if something has worked for 130 years changing it will just ruin it, although I agree putting the semi's back to Villa Park or Old Trafford would be a good move