Don’t forget Non-League FA Cup views

THE FA Cup debate is raging again. Whether it’s questioning ‘The Magic’, Premier League and Championship clubs resting their best players or the current scrapping of replay arguments, it seems there is always someone sticking the boot into the famous cup competition around this time of year.

It feels like another blow has been landed with Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp declaring his kids will have to play their replay against Shrewsbury, with the first team players on the scheduled winter break. He also says he won’t be in the dug-out.

Premier League managers are moaning about fixture pile-ups and the impact it is having on their bloated squads – they should take a look at what happens in Non-League football!

This week Gary Lineker waded in with his views on the FA Cup and he offered up the idea that third round games should be played before Christmas rather than afterwards.

His solution for getting those games in earlier is to play the qualifying rounds the season before. That’s right, the season before!

There is much to admire about the former England striker and his ‘second career’ as a successful broadcaster. But for someone so good in front of goal, he’s well wide of the mark on this one.

Just thinking about the logistics is enough to make the head ache.

Where these games would fit into an already crammed schedule – that built up because of postponements and cup games – is anyone’s guess.

Then there’s the issue of players being cup tied following the usual high summer turnover of players.

But it also illustrates how Non-League clubs can be forgotten when these debates rage. The movement towards scrapping replays doesn’t take our clubs’ views into account.

For fans, players and managers, the FA Cup is not just about finances. It gives us all a reason to dream.