NONE OF US SIGNED UP FOR FA CUP TV SCANDAL

THE FA Cup is about nothing if not tradition. It does not have the riches of the Premier League, it no longer has the prestige. The winner, if not already qualified for the Champions League, is placed in the inferior Europa League, a competition so highly valued, most clubs are advised to get knocked out of it as quickly as possible. Yet each year the FA Cup succeeds in capturing imaginations — particularly its third round, when David and Goliath get a rematch. This year is no exception. Tottenham will visit Tranmere or Southport, Arsenal go to Blackpool or maybe Solihull, Wrexham or Newport will host Leicester, and Woking play Watford. So, in this most time-honoured of weekends, how many of those fine fixtures will kick-off at the traditional time of 3pm on Saturday afternoon? None. Indeed, how many of the 32 games are slated for such a start? Ten. The FA, those noted guardians of the game, last seen trying to flog the national stadium to the Jacksonville Jaguars, have allowed 22 FA Cup third-round matches to be moved from the best loved kick-off slot. For television, obviously. But not your television. On Saturday, January 5, seven games will start at 12.30pm, mainly to accommodate international audiences, another five games are starting at 5.30pm. The next day brings seven kick-offs at 2pm. This isn’t a coincidence. This is football’s greatest cup competition parcelled up for the overseas market, abandoning its customs, its heartland, and done by stealth, too. There was no fanfare to celebrate the FA Cup being sliced piecemeal in this way. No warning that following your team to a not especially glamorous tie in Sheffield, as is required of Luton fans for instance, may require setting off at dawn. Supporters put up with a lot for television schedules, but they understand the benefits, too. With Premier League broadcasting rights now measured in billions, the odd 4pm Sunday start in Cardiff is the price that must be paid. But this? Who signed up for this? Who signed up for the essence of the FA Cup being sold in parcels? In the 1976-77 season, all 32 ties kicked off at 3pm on Saturday, meaning Merseyside Police coped with Liverpool playing Crystal Palace while Everton hosted Stoke City across Stanley Park. Both Manchester clubs were in town, and both Nottingham clubs too. Now it is different. Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday are drawn at home this season, and there is no question of them playing on the same day, let alone at the same time. This is also true in Manchester. So some changes are unavoidable. Not 22, though, 22 means the FA no longer understand what their cup is about, or what makes it special, 22 is a scandal.