Op-Ed \ Andrew Rogers

Despite big interest, FA Cup is losing some of its luster.

SUNBURY ON THAMES, England (Friday, March 24, 2006) -- When Charles Alcock, noted player, journalist and administrator proposed the first FA Cup competition in England in 1872, few would envisage that it would go on to become known as the greatest club knockout competition in Association Football. In front of 2,000 persons, Morton Betts scored the winning goal for The Wanderers, a team made up of educated loafers and university students.

An estimated 500 million people will tune in to watch this year's final. However, the impression in the home of soccer is that the FA Cup is not what it once was. In an unprecedented move, the FA moved all four quarterfinal playoff fixtures to the midweek in order to accommodate the World Cup preparations for national sides. This provided an ideal snapshot to assess the health of the competition.

Much of the glamour and excitement the competition has created throughout its history has been attributed to the notion that the smaller sides can, and do, upset bigger and more prestigious clubs. In recent years, it has been suggested that these "giant killings" have disappeared and that the competition has become too predictable.

The reality is that the upsets do occur, and with reasonable frequency. If anything, it is surprising, given the redistribution of capital from the TV network, which has created an increasingly acute disparity since 1992. What has evolved recently is the intensity and saturation of football with media attention, placing an unrealistic expectation on the "giant killing." This year's competition produced two amazing shocks; Brentford and Leyton Orient from Leagues One and Two, respectively, defeated English Premier League opposition.

However, the increased coverage has exposed a fall in attendance in relation to crowd sizes for league games. Stadia that are usually full are often televised with banks of empty seating, and attendance figures generally show Cup ties on the whole draw fewer spectators than can be expected on average.

This does not reflect badly on the competition. In the Premiership, season tickets range in price from around $700 to $1500. Economically, it makes complete sense for fans to not want to incur the cost of attending an extra game, especially against pliable opposition, especially given there is a good chance the game could be highlighted on the tube. A similar pattern emerges when assessing the lower leagues, although naturally the attendance does spike when the big guns arrive.

Another area of concern has been the game's atmosphere. The recent West Ham United Cup matches conclusively proved that the noise the games can generate cannot be equaled. In both matches, spurred on by the crowd, the sides threw off their defensive shackles producing stirring end-to-end football that encapsulated what fans across the world love about the competition. Despite the ground not being full to capacity, the stadium roofs where happy for their reinforced steel.

Chelsea and Liverpool games did not replicate this, but supporters will always find it difficult getting excited over one-sided affairs. Thus the perception of a lack of atmosphere or attendance simply correlates with the fixture, rather than the decline in supporter's conviction, regarding merits of the competition.

One therefore has to ask what drives this opinion and what, if any, basis does this argument have?

Firstly, as previously alluded to, the coverage of football is in rude health. With radio phone-ins and 24\7 news coverage, there is a requirement to promote debate and conjecture about the world's favorite game. The deep history and romance of the competition conjures wonderful memories of packed crowds and great football. When this does not happen, it is because A) The fans cannot stretch their budget or B) One side dominates another. What is left for the networks to talk about? Suggesting the FA Cup just produced another result is unlikely to sell, so more emotive questions like the health of the competition will arise.

More revealing evidence as to the nature of this perception can be found in the economics of the trophy. Between 2004-07, nearly $2.4 billion will be invested into EPL clubs and the UEFA Champions League guarantees roughly $20 million to each of the last 16 teams. Conversely, the FA Cup offers around $400,000 if you make it on to TV, while $1.6 million or $3.2 million go to the runnerup and winner, respectively. The prize money in the early rounds would struggle to cover Kieran Dyer's weekly wages or medical insurance.

On this basis, it is understandable as to why clubs from the Board down might feel their priorities lie elsewhere. However, despite the financial realities of English club football, the thirst for FA Cup glory has not diminished. West Ham coach Alan Pardew fielded weakened sides to prepare for FA Cup ties in two recent Premiership fixtures at a loss of six points. This will potentially cost the club at least $3.2 million as a consequence of a lower league position (each place in the league is worth $800,000). When one then builds in the increased effort and distraction from the league, the club is faced with the prospect of dropping more points, prize money and losing out on a place in the UEFA Cup.

Pardew's decision not only reflects the allure of the Cup, but offers an implicit indication that the trophy is far from dead. Financially, it would be prudent to concentrate on the league, but English football is ultimately driven by community, pride and the pursuit of glory.

Pardew's strategy is also consistent with his history as a player. Having played against the formidable Liverpool at Anfield in its 9-0 demolition of Crystal Palace, he would later that season score the overtime winner in a 4-3 victory against the same opposition in the FA Cup semifinal in 1990. Stunning.

Clearly, the spirit and romance of the world's most prestigious club knockout competition is alive and well. The FA Cup is still epitomized by giant killings, end-to-end football and charged atmospheres. Consequently, the football world around the FA Cup has evolved in order to emerge from the huge shadow its glory has cast and takes for granted.

Andrew Rogers, a regular contributor to the United Kingdom's League Paper and Non League Paper, lives in Sunbury on Thames in England. Formerly the director of communications for the Long Island (N.Y.) Rough Riders, he is a UEFA 'B" license coach and plays semi-professionally with Spelthorne FC. E-mail Andrew Rogers.

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