Who Killed The Magic Of The FA Cup for Southampton – Southampton News

Who Killed The Magic Of The FA Cup for Southampton
Thursday, sixth Feb 2025 09:17

Once I began watching soccer, the FA Cup was greater than the League in lots of respects, the gates could be greater than for a League recreation and a day trip at Wembley was reachable for many golf equipment, however slowly 12 months by 12 months that has dissipated.

My first ever FA Cup recreation was my first ever recreation on the Dell, in January 1972 Manchester United arrived for a third spherical recreation, there was a just about full home for the sport and each side performed their full first group, for United that included George Greatest, Bobby Charlton & Denis Regulation & for Saints Mike Channon, Terry Ache & Ron Davies have been all on present, there was no resting gamers.

Again then there have been replays and no penalties, so after the 1-1 draw on the Dell, the groups met once more a number of days later at Outdated Trafford, that was a 4-1 defeat for Ted Bates aspect, but when it was nonetheless tied at 90 minutes, then it will have been additional time and if nonetheless tied then it will have gone to a different replay and probably as many replays as have been wanted.

Actually as we entered the 1990’s the magic of the FA Cup was nonetheless there, within the third spherical of 1990, Saints travelled to Tottenham Hotspur with 9,000 supporters to witness a 3-1 win and we had excessive hopes of a superb cup run and reaching Wembley, this was to not be and we departed the competitors at Anfield 3-0, however we had a bought out away allocation of 5,000.

This was the norm for FA Cup recreation, much more followers travelled to away ties than would go for a league recreation and again then with grounds not often full and enormous away ends that might be allotted quite than away sections, it was not unusual for 10,000 away followers or extra to journey, in 1976 we had 12,000 up at West Brom.

However the writing was already on the wall, we had simply failed to note it, way back to 1984 after we reached the semi finals, video games have been being moved to a Friday night time and a Sunday for TV, that 12 months we went to Blackburn on a Friday night time taking round 4,000 followers and Sheffield Wednesday on a Sunday taking about 12,000.

The arrival of the Premier League and the redevelopment of stadiums was maybe the subsequent nails showing within the coffin, there was nonetheless the chance for big crowds and away followings, nevertheless it was extra sanitised some groups would offer you extra allocations than others, technically groups have been entitled to 25% of the bottom, nevertheless it was not often carried out resulting from all seater stadiums and the diminished sizes of away ends and so forth.

The magic was nonetheless there in 2002/03 after we reached the ultimate, however once more the indicators have been there, the go to of Spurs within the third spherical in January 2003, noticed each golf equipment discipline full sides, however the attendance of 25,589 was greater than 5,000 fewer than had seen the 2 golf equipment play within the Premier League solely 3 days earlier.

So why the lesser crowd, in any case Saints had gained 1-0 within the League and have been flying in sixth place, the reply was in all probability that the kick off was 5.30pm on a Saturday night.

In spherical 4 we drew Millwall and there have been strict ticketing rules to cease Millwall followers getting in house sections, however there have been nonetheless 23, 809 current.

However by now followers have been starting to grasp that the probabilities of anybody profitable the FA Cup who wasn’t one of many then “Huge 4” was really slim, in 1987 we had seen Coventry Metropolis win it and the next 12 months Wimbledon, each have been high flight golf equipment, however very a lot underdogs, however within the subsequent 20 years the underdog would not often triumph, Everton in 1995 have been a Premier League membership, however a struggling one, however other than that the one different groups that might win it have been the Huge 4 of Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea & Arsenal with Spurs having a solitary win in 1991.

Since then the competitors has slowly however certainly diminished, there was the odd upset, Pompey in 2008, Wigan in 2013 and Leicester Metropolis in 2021, however except for that since that Everton win in 1995, they’re the one 3 exceptions to the rule in 30 years, with the addition of Manchester Metropolis 26 of the 30 winners have come out of simply 5 golf equipment.

So supporters have now woken as much as the truth that the FA Cup not provides the chance of glory, the League Cup reveals an analogous sample, it can solely worsen, with a so known as Huge 7 now and solely restricted European locations obtainable, the 2 cup competitions provide the insurance coverage of qualifying for Europe when you’ve got a nasty season within the League.

So slowly however certainly the Magic of the FA Cup has had the life squeezed out of it by a mixture of points, fashionable stadium, domination by the large golf equipment, TV spreading what was a Saturday fixture over 4 days typically, semi finals at Wembley diluting the magic of an precise remaining, groups taking part in weakened sides and eventually ticket costs.

Southampton used to make the early rounds of the FA cup low cost costs, offers for season ticket holders making it £10 or roundabouts and low cost tickets for teenagers boosting crowds.

In 2018 for the third spherical we hosted Watford and 25,195 have been current, Saints have been having a nasty season and would solely keep up on the ultimate day, the followers have been rebelling, however nonetheless a giant crowd turned out, why ? low cost tickets inspired not solely the regulars to go, however the followers who not often attended, together with households who baulked at spending the most effective a part of £100 to take a household of 4 to a Premier League recreation, however might go to FA Cup video games cheaply.

3 years in the past we werent doing that properly both, but 30, 512 noticed us beat League one Coventry, boosted by 5,000 away followers within the subsequent spherical 28,343 noticed a night televised win over West Ham and 29,000 the defeat to Manchester Metropolis.

Two years in the past we have been heading to relegation, but 20, 665 got here for the go to of Blackpool at St Mary’s, at the moment supporter confidence within the membership and it is then supervisor Nathan Jones was at an all time low, but nonetheless the followers got here.

Within the subsequent spherical League 2 Grimsby arrived for yet one more cup tie modified to a Monday night time, 27, 584 turned out.

Final season 22, 627 have been in attendance within the third spherical for Walsall, so why solely a 12 months later did we host Swansea Metropolis in entrance of 12,000 and sure a crowd not a lot greater Burnley on Saturday.

Sure the aforementioned causes have all contributed to this, however why such a giant hole within the area of solely a 12 months..

Sport Republic and the Southampton FC board ought to take word, the followers really feel they’re being not simply taken without any consideration, however exploited, they really feel the membership put a number of thousand kilos in entrance of the supporters, sure they’ve constructed fanzones and so forth, to encourage followers, however they’ve did not recognise extra vital components.

Firstly closing the Kingsland Stand, essentially the most densely populated space of the traditional Saints supporters, was firstly decimated when the away part was moved and people nonetheless there had their minds made up once they weren’t allowed to purchase their very own seats and informed that they may purchase a seat elsewhere, primarily ones in areas of the stadium with poorer views than their common seat.

Then there are the ticket costs, as talked about earlier it’s not simply concerning the common fan and right here it’s even worse as a result of our help has been wonderful within the League, but has abandoned in droves for the FA Cup, keep in mind that for the League cup tie with Stoke over 16,000 have been in attendance for a night recreation.

The explanation right here is notion, as I’ve mentioned, the followers understand that they’re being ripped off by the membership, that they’ve turned up week in week out house and away, but nobody within the membership recognises this, that they do not simply shut their common stand, however overcharge them to observe a decrease division membership.

They do not see fanzones as one thing that “Provides to the matchday expertise” they see it because the membership attempting to squeeze more cash out of the followers, supporters who’re like most on this nation are feeling the pinch in elevated costs for every thing.

So sure the membership does have a bit little bit of an excuse, however not in the way in which they’ve carried out it, the buck right here has to cease on the CEO Phil Parsons, he’s answerable for the membership on a day after day foundation, not Sport Republic, they do not set the ticket costs, that’s method beneath their involvement, it’s right down to the board and which means Parsons & his co executives.

It’s too late now for this season, however classes right here should be discovered, not simply within the FA Cup however going ahead.

I need to sit in a stadium that’s full or at the least someplace close to being so, when it’s 2/3’s empty I have a look at the explanation why and that’s fairly clear the place the issue lies.

The FA Cup is shedding it is magic for quite a lot of causes, to see the final nail in it is coffin being hammered in for Saints followers by a faceless govt within the Southampton boardroom is shameful.

All Images Through Reuters

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dirk_doone added 09:53 – Feb 6 I agree, Nick. Closing the Kingsland is a silly determination, which reduces the gate by a number of thousand. Whoever is accountable for that needs to be fired.

mascott514 added 10:05 – Feb 6 Love the fan zones I can go in for a quiet drink while the terrible racket performs exterior! They’ve overestimated the FACup- however primarily this season has been brutal- and we would like a number of weekends again. If the soccer was goodie would need to see extra of it.

Bowlercow added 10:36 – Feb 6 Because the PL killed soccer as a working man’s sport the European Tremendous league that is coming, will drive the final nail into its coffin 20k plus for Burnley simply by knocking a fiver off the value with beneath 16 for a fiver and the opening of the entire floor

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