FA Cup

[Liverbirdie]

Do the teams that put out the reserves in the FA cup reduce the admission fees accordingly...I doubt it!

Liverpool do, the price yesterday was about £20-25 for an adult, kids may have been £5- £10. The later rounds if we get through may be more expensive. A league ticket is now about £44 minimum, so yes we did. At least the American owners are trying to make it cheap for kids in cup games, with prices as low as a fiver. Compare that to our away league game at Man City where kids tickets were £35.00.

 

[bluewolf]

top top clubs will sell out for any game, just look at your ore seasons abroad for example. But it's a shame that there's probably only 2 clubs in England that can boast that!

Slightly off topic, but the one thing I will never forgive Alex Ferguson for is introducing the phrase "Top top" to the footballing phrasebook.:angry:
I certainly don't remember it being used before his book came out..

 

[Stuey01]

Here's an idea.

Instead of giving out champs league spots to the top 4. Dish out champs league spots to the top 3 in the prem league, and the FA Cup winners. See how important it is treated then!

That'd be ace.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Here's an idea.

Instead of giving out champs league spots to the top 4. Dish out champs league spots to the top 3 in the prem league, and the FA Cup winners. See how important it is treated then!

That'd be ace.

I think the FA are able to do that but I doubt they have the balls to actually do it.

I'm sure there is another country that has the national cup winners in the CL

 

[Papas1982]

Slightly off topic, but the one thing I will never forgive Alex Ferguson for is introducing the phrase "Top top" to the footballing phrasebook.:angry:
I certainly don't remember it being used before his book came out..

Havent read his book yet. But I've always said things like that lol. Mate of mine who likes a fruit machine always mocked me for saying "super super hold" when he got a hold on special features lol

 

[Papas1982]

I think the FA are able to do that but I doubt they have the balls to actually do it.

I'm sure there is another country that has the national cup winners in the CL

I think the champions league is still officially an invite only tournament I remember it had been mentioned Swansea couldn't play in Europe as not an English team playing in English cup. Thankfully uefa made sensible decision. Burin not sure they'd allow a lower league team in cl. Would be marketing suicide. Although think something like 95% of cup winners have been top four in last 20 years.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

In the good old days the Cup Winners Cup was a top quality comp, on a similar standing to the old European Cup. None of these groups but head to head over two legs. These days with cup winners getting shoved into the Europa League, many managers see it as a strain especially for small squads. It was the same for Fulham when we got to the final and PL status was nearly forfeited. I would rather have PL every year but if I could be greedy guaranteed PL survival and the FA cup would be fine

 

[Liverbirdie]

In the good old days the Cup Winners Cup was a top quality comp, on a similar standing to the old European Cup. None of these groups but head to head over two legs. These days with cup winners getting shoved into the Europa League, many managers see it as a strain especially for small squads. It was the same for Fulham when we got to the final and PL status was nearly forfeited. I would rather have PL every year but if I could be greedy guaranteed PL survival and the FA cup would be fine

Sorry Homer, the cup winners cup was never as good as the old euro cup. I would agree that the UEFA cup (The Europa forerunner) was nearly on an equal footing, as it had teams in it who were finishing 2/3rd and sometimes where the next years champions, but the cup winners cup was a poor relation to the other two.

The cup competitions in Europe have always been down the list as a priority, as our FA cup is now becoming, and sometimes the standard of teams reflected this. There was always a chance that you were meeting teams in the 2nd tier of their respective leagues, or mid/bottom of the top tier, whereas the European cup and the UEFA cup where either last years champions or finished 2nd/3rd.

Don't get me wrong it was a good trophy to compete in and win, but not the same prestige as the other two.

 

[Blue in Munich]

Sorry Homer, the cup winners cup was never as good as the old euro cup. I would agree that the UEFA cup (The Europa forerunner) was nearly on an equal footing, as it had teams in it who were finishing 2/3rd and sometimes where the next years champions, but the cup winners cup was a poor relation to the other two.

The cup competitions in Europe have always been down the list as a priority, as our FA cup is now becoming, and sometimes the standard of teams reflected this. There was always a chance that you were meeting teams in the 2nd tier of their respective leagues, or mid/bottom of the top tier, whereas the European cup and the UEFA cup where either last years champions or finished 2nd/3rd.

Don't get me wrong it was a good trophy to compete in and win, but not the same prestige as the other two.

A completely unbiased view. Remind us, how many times did Liverpool win it.........

Seriously, before the European Cup became the Champions League and killed the credibility the Cup Winners Cup had, I would have considered it the superior competition to the UEFA cup. At that time you had to have actually won something to get into the European Cup and the Cup Winners Cup, which you didn't for the UEFA cup, hence the reason I'd place the UEFA lowest of the three, but I would have to agree that there was some distance between the Cup Winners Cup and the European Cup.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

The UEFA Cup was always stronger than the Cup Winners - it contained all the top clubs in the top leagues that didn't qualify for the European Cup. The Cup winners weren't always the strongest teams in the league.

 

[Odvan]

Winners of the Europa League next season qualify for the champs league season after. Should add a touch of seriousness to it next season although fair play to Spurs and Swansea this season for going at it virtually full throttle.

Just sayin.

 

[Papas1982]

A completely unbiased view. Remind us, how many times did Liverpool win it.........

Seriously, before the European Cup became the Champions League and killed the credibility the Cup Winners Cup had, I would have considered it the superior competition to the UEFA cup. At that time you had to have actually won something to get into the European Cup and the Cup Winners Cup, which you didn't for the UEFA cup, hence the reason I'd place the UEFA lowest of the three, but I would have to agree that there was some distance between the Cup Winners Cup and the European Cup.

i would imagine Liverpool didn't win it all that often, what with them being champions quite regularly......
Whilst I agree think the Europa league is now a bit of a joke cup with nobody interested until the later stages. I personally think it used to be better than the cup winners. Yes granted you had to win something to gain entry. But consider all events were resurected today. What would be watched more. Champions league with man UTD in, uefa with arsenal, Chelsea and City or the cup winners with Swansea and Wigan......

 

[Blue in Munich]

i would imagine Liverpool didn't win it all that often, what with them being champions quite regularly......
Whilst I agree think the Europa league is now a bit of a joke cup with nobody interested until the later stages. I personally think it used to be better than the cup winners. Yes granted you had to win something to gain entry. But consider all events were resurected today. What would be watched more. Champions league with man UTD in, uefa with arsenal, Chelsea and City or the cup winners with Swansea and Wigan......

And based on the previous year's league table;

Champions League; Man City, Man Utd, Arsenal, Spurs.
Cup Winners Cup; Chelsea, Liverpool
UEFA; Everton, Newcastle United.

Still looking as attractive? Your general point isn't lost on me, nor Liverpoolphil's point about the UEFA possibly having stronger teams than the Cup Winners Cup, but in the old days when only one winner from each competition gained entry to the European Cup & the Cup Winners Cup, whereas the UEFA was the runners up cup, and for me that was a tag it never shook off.

 

[Papas1982]

And based on the previous year's league table;

Champions League; Man City, uefa Man Utd, Arsenal, Spurs.
Cup Winners Cup; Chelsea, Liverpool


Still looking as attractive? Your general point isn't lost on me, nor Liverpoolphil's point about the UEFA possibly having stronger teams than the Cup Winners Cup, but in the old days when only one winner from each competition gained entry to the European Cup & the Cup Winners Cup, whereas the UEFA was the runners up cup, and for me that was a tag it never shook off.

Everton and Newcastle wouldn't be in it if resurrected as only champions would be in CL.
Whilst i agree that the participants may well have been more worthy of European football as they won something. I don't necessarily think they would have been the better teams. Take the FA cup for example. In the last ten years only portsmouth and wigan would have qualified for the Cup Winners as winners as the other 8 times it was won by a team finishing in the top four. Therefore the runners up (are the worthy) would have qualified, these teams being Southampton, Millwall, West Ham, Cardiff, Everton and Stoke.

For me, i would love to see the Old shool CL back, winners take on winners in a knock out. And then maybe cup winners and 2/3 from table.Could package all comps to sponsors in one hit to gain as large a sponsorship as possible. Then split prize over both events.

 

[Liverbirdie]

A completely unbiased view. Remind us, how many times did Liverpool win it.........

Seriously, before the European Cup became the Champions League and killed the credibility the Cup Winners Cup had, I would have considered it the superior competition to the UEFA cup. At that time you had to have actually won something to get into the European Cup and the Cup Winners Cup, which you didn't for the UEFA cup, hence the reason I'd place the UEFA lowest of the three, but I would have to agree that there was some distance between the Cup Winners Cup and the European Cup.

I can understand why you would think that, but not on this occasion.

Surely teams finishing 2nd and 3rd would generally be better thought of than someone finishing 6/7th and further down who had just won the cup. That is how it is decided now, and probably why the FA dont give the FA cup a champs league place. If all of Wigan/Pompey/Millwall/Southampton had won the cup finals over the last 10 years or so had represented England in the champs league it may have had a negative effect on the UEFA co-efficients, ending up with only 3 representatives from England in the long term.

When the 3 cups became two, which one was binned - the lesser one.

Don't get me wrong the ECWC was worth winning but it was the lesser of the 3. I wish it still was the 3 of them, but sadly not.

I think if you asked fans of the few clubs who have won all 3 could rate them, as they seen fit, the ECWC would be the lesser.

 

[Papas1982]

I can understand why you would think that, but not on this occasion.

Surely teams finishing 2nd and 3rd would generally be better thought of than someone finishing 6/7th and further down who had just won the cup. That is how it is decided now, and probably why the FA dont give the FA cup a champs league place. If all of Wigan/Pompey/Millwall/Southampton had won the cup finals over the last 10 years or so had represented England in the champs league it may have had a negative effect on the UEFA co-efficients, ending up with only 3 representatives from England in the long term.

When the 3 cups became two, which one was binned - the lesser one.

Don't get me wrong the ECWC was worth winning but it was the lesser of the 3. I wish it still was the 3 of them, but sadly not.

Being a saints fan it pains me to agree with that statement, BUT been as we went out first round.........................