22nd February 2005
I'd like to think so.
As a football fan and a traditionalist (where my footie and club is
concerned anyway), I have been disgusted by the rapid deterioration
of the oldest, grandest and most sought after Cup in the world of
football. From Man Utd's disgraceful trip to Brazil to take part in
a mickey mouse 'tournament' to the fielding of youth-teams and reserve
sides, the old Cup has been battered from pillar to goal post. It's
now damaged goods, an inconvenience to clubs and money men in their
insatiable lust for riches. Riches that the FA Cup just don't provide,
apparently...
Not on Tyneside thankfully.
The FA Cup represents Newcastle United's best chance of ending a 36
year wait for some silverware and the only chance to end a 50 year
domestic drought for 2004-05. Hence our 1-0 win over Chelsea was greeted
with joyous scenes both on the pitch and on the stands, unified joy
not witnessed or embraced by the masses for a long long time. Close
your eyes and you'd think we'd actually won it. Make no bones about
it - that was our biggest result of the season and the importance
of the match couldn't have been any clearer.
Had we lost, our season would have been all but over and the calls
for Souness' and Freddy Shepherd's heads would have been far more
audible then they were over in Holland. A trip where we actually picked
up an away win in Europe giving us a great chance to qualify for the
4th round of that competition. Despite the win though, the post match
reaction of supporters was not one of happiness. The post match reaction
to the narrow and hard fought win against Chelsea's reserves however
was one of a sheer collective delight. We want to win the FA Cup,
badly. So badly we daren't contemplate a win or even think of what
might be.
The media of course like to propel a well worn myth that Geordies
would rather win the FA Cup than the League. Bull shit, who do they
take us for - mugs? Nobody in their right mind would swap the Premiership
Title for the Cup... well maybe Shearer would swap his solitary League
Championship medal for an FA Cup one, but that's personal. Would you?
No you wouldn't.
Chelsea wouldn't either, that's why they fielded a weakened team.
Their priority is the Premiership, Champions League and League Cup
in that order. I'm in no doubt Jose Mourinho wanted to win the Cup,
sure, he certainly wanted to win the match that's why he foolishly
pulled out his trump cards and showed his hand. But it back-fired
and I'm glad it did. I'm glad we beat Chelsea and I'm glad they fielded
a weakened team. They don't deserve the FA Cup and nor does Man Utd
or Arsenal or any other team who holds it in contempt.
Neither does NUFC, we'll deserve it if we win it. But the FA Cup deserves
better. It deserves to be treated with respect and shouldn't have
to justify itself to any club. The Cup doesn't need a Newcastle, a
Man Utd, a Chelsea, an Arsenal or even a Bolton. What it needs is
some TLC from the game. The game it has provided with the most memorable
of moments forever etched in the annals of history and folklore, hard
luck stories, rags to riches and of course, helped to make football
the global sport it is today.
A sport that is being devoured from the inside by sheer greed. Pursued
by club Chairmen, Directors, players, managers, agents, legal eagles
and the media alike - all at the expense of the well being of the
game. If the FA Cup is the wishing well of all fans, then they are
robbing us of our dreams, hopes and wishes with every switched fixture,
every overpriced ticket, every weakened team that is put out to play.
The FA Cup used to be the ultimate leveler. The one Cup where every
fan of all clubs, great or bad, big or small, professional or amateur
had a divine right to believe it could be their year. Because that
was the beauty of the Cup. How could the mighty Liverpool fall to
the no hopers of Wimbledon? How could Sunderland defeat the magnificent
Leeds United? How could Hereford dump out our very own Toon? How could
Chesterfield get to the Semi-Finals of the greatest Cup competition
in the World? How did Everton beat Man Utd in 95? The FA Cup is the
one act of football that makes us all equal. A true competition. Unlike
the Premiership or Champions League... or even the UEFA Cup where
Champions League failures are rewarded with entry to it.
I wonder what Chelsea fans made of yesterday's loss? Were they upset?
Were they devastated that their club's name won't be on the FA Cup
this season? If my mail-bag, Internet forums and talk-in shows are
anything to go by I doubt it, they have bigger fish to fry. Well they've
lost more than a match...
The only thing that can save the FA Cup is football. But who's going
to save the game first? |
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