Cod Almighty | Diary

That old cup magic has turned a bit stale

20 May 2019

Trentside Diary was wondering what I would write about this week given that football is over for us and I didn’t watch more than half an hour of the FA Cup final.

This was, in part, because I didn't check what day and time it was on. Gone are the days when you could guarantee 3pm on a Saturday afternoon. I'm not totally against having matches at different times so that more can be shown on telly. What I object to is putting them at times that mean away fans won’t be able to travel; changes made at short notice; and that most matches shown live are not on free-to-view channels, and so only those who can afford to line the pockets of BT or Sky see them. Same with the cricket.

Some think the meddling with the schedule has taken the shine off the FA Cup and it certainly doesn’t generate the same interest it did when I was little. But I believe much of this decline is the FA's own fault. When they encouraged Alex Ferguson and his men to pull out in 2000 so that they could take part in the World Club Championship, to "help England’s World Cup bid", in one action they devalued the FA Cup. I'm not surprised that Manchester United went for it. They were always money-orientated long before it was the done thing to be taken over by a rich business person, but the fans weren’t keen. And we can all reflect on how successfully that World Cup bid turned out.

I doubt very much that the FA gives any thought to the effect of its actions on its most prestigious competition. In the wake of the decline, the pundits try desperately to invoke "the magic of the cup".

Which fan doesn’t like to see their club have a bit of a cup run? Even a loss but good display against opposition from a higher league generates goodwill and might pull a few more through the turnstiles. Look at how proud of the Town team we were after Crystal Palace.

There was little enough last season to take huge pleasure in. A few good spells but no consistency. Some individual performances and a few local youngsters starting to develop but on balance nothing to get the heart racing. Let’s hope it was a period of establishing a platform for success rather than a nothing season. I am still hopeful.

In a tale of 'success' off the pitch, our illustrious non-chairman has been appointed deputy leader of North East Lincolnshire Council and portfolio holder for regeneration, skills and housing. Given his regeneration of our beloved football club, or his forays on to the Fishy and releasing his own press statements, I can see the new council leader has a sense of humour. Or having seen the tweet from the government’s skills minister, maybe the baseline is so low that he impressed with what he has to offer in that department.

Let’s hope somebody proofreads anything Nunty’s involved in writing. The only upside is that the more he is involved in running the town, the less he has for running the football club – which can only be a good thing. UTM!