The best cup competition in the world (FA Cup)

Member Name: cpf1993

Product:	FA Cup
Date:	25/09/00 (15 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Excitement

Disadvantages: Less upsets than there used to be & the F.A. involvement

The F.A. Cup is the greatest cup competition in the world and the thing which I would love my team (Crystal Palace) to win more than anything else.

It is amazing the number of times that you hear managers state that the league is the most important thing for a club. Granted you need to maintain a good position in the league, but for a mid-sized club for whom winning the league isn't a realistic proposition the cup offers a genuine hope of silverware, given a half-decent draw and some lucky breaks.

A buzz goes around with the F.A. Cup. For me this starts when the draw for the third round is made - you get nervous about you will be paired against! Should you progress that feeling continues with every round.

There is something special about going to a ground for an F.A. Cup tie. Games have little bit more spice as everyone wants to do well in the cup. It is good for a club's profile (and bank balance for that matter too).

Most of all what the fans want are cup wins, progression through the competition and a chance to walk up Wembley way. I've been lucky enough to do it once, in 1990, and I'll never forget it. It is a day steeped in history and tradition, and for the most part the prize does not stop the finals from being good.

The cup has had it's fair share of drama over the years too. Last gasp equalisers and winners are commonplace. There are incidents aplenty. You're never short of talking points with the cup, whether they be good or bad, the cup just seems to produce moments of great drama.

These all produce moments the fans love to remember. Ask any football fan for their favourite cup moments and they will probably go on for ages.

On the downside the Football Association is very much involved with the tournament, which leads to ridiculous ticket prices in the semis and the final... if of course you can get one for the final. While the teams involved now get slightly more than
50% of the seats available the number that go to people other than fans is scandalous.

Also one of the things which used to make the cup great was the Third Round, when the big clubs used to have face smaller clubs on a regular basis. Quite often there would be upsets, but now with the vast gap in financial resources these upsets are still few and far between.

It doesn't stop it being the greatest cup competition in the world though.

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