Televised FAC 4th Round Games

[ferrarilover]

I really doubt that, I have to say....

Is it only Ma, Pa and me who watch any and every football match on TV, regardless of who might be playing? I have followed the likes of Man Utd and the Mighty Fulham for my whole life, but it is exceedingly rare that I will find something else to watch simply because one or another of my preferred clubs isn't featured. Indeed, I would be happy to watch more L1 football, which is the division I feel is totally lost on the public at large. At least in L2, you have the trapdoor to non-league just below you to maintain the public interest. In L1, there is sod all to play for, promotion to the Championship is a nice step up, but hardly the same as from the non-league to L2 or Champ to Prem. Relegation from that division also means little in divisional terms, so why worry about it at all? It seems to be no-mans-land, which is a very sad state of affairs, but not the argument in which I shall overly involve this thread.

I will say that, in my experience, Sunday late afternoon football is a little like the Queens speech, something of a tradition. It's either that, or Countryfile or the Antiques Roadshow or million year old eipsodes of Last Of The Summer Wine which weren't bloody funny the first time round. A no-brainer for me is the Sunday late afternoon match.

Matt.

[Richinns]

Very predictable, sadly. As if there isn't enough Premiershite on tv already they just continue to strangle the life out of it.

The rich get richer and the teams who achieve great feet's in reaching the 4th round get 7 seconds on the highlights.

The people that be need to revisit the traditions of the FA Cup as they currently far from honour it.

Chelsea v Everton is an average Premier League game which you can see week in week out.

Predictable yet still disappointing.

[oldpedant]

ESPN and ITV are commercial tv stations. They rely on advertising revenue during the matches and possible sell-ons to other countries. Unfortunately, the tv audiences will be far bigger for premiership clubs than us, and so they will be able to charge far more for advertising slots during a Man Utd game than one of ours. Also who in Thailand, say, would want to watch us?

Yes, the selections were predictable, and if there is still another game to be shown, then it will be either West Ham v. Forest, or Notts. Co. v. Leicester or Man City, for those same reason.

Tradition, passion, etc., simply don't come into it.

[Richinns]

ESPN and ITV are commercial tv stations. They rely on advertising revenue during the matches and possible sell-ons to other countries. Unfortunately, the tv audiences will be far bigger for premiership clubs than us, and so they will be able to charge far more for advertising slots during a Man Utd game than one of ours. Also who in Thailand, say, would want to watch us?

Yes, the selections were predictable, and if there is still another game to be shown, then it will be either West Ham v. Forest, or Notts. Co. v. Leicester or Man City, for those same reason.

Tradition, passion, etc., simply don't come into it.

This is exactly what is wrong with football and why grass-root football is dying.

[ferrarilover]

Absolutely right Richinns.

[GulldenBoy]

To be fair I can understand Saints v Man U (potential giant killing), Everton v Chelski (holders potentially knocked out), and Fulham v Spurs (London derby with two teams who play attractive football).

I do think they've chuck the Arsenal/Leeds v Huddersfield game in just because it's Arsenal. I hate Leeds normally but I'll be cheering them on to put two fingers up at ESPN when they have Leeds v Huddersfield live!

With Crawley being the last Non-league team I do expect them to give us extended highlights at least! But then again, it is ITV!!!

[ferrarilover]

Hmmm, ok, they're a division apart, but I would suggest that Crawley beating us reprersents more of a giant killing than Southampton (a Premier League club in all but name) beating a disinterested Man Utd reserve side.
As for Chelsea, so they're the holders, really, who cares if they get knocked out, especially by another, fairly good Premier League side?

The argument can be made that Fulham v Spurs is worthy of a place on TV, but then, we can see them play each other twice a season, every season, what we can't see on TV twice a year is TUFC v Crawley Town. Nor Arsenal (or Leeds) v Huddersfield, which arguably makes it the most worthy of the ties which will be or have already been chosen.

I'm not naive, I know that the TV companies have extortionate salaries to pay their top execs and, as such, they must maximise income from advertising during these games and, as such, Man Utd are a better team to broadcast (because, let's be honest, idiots would tune in to watch a dog have a shit if the dog was wearing a Man Utd shirt) than TUFC, but money and advertising revenue are precisely the kinds of things which the FA Cup should not, and never used to, represent.
Football was (and perhaps still is at our level and below) the people's game. Sadly, money hungry businessmen have been allowed to pervade our game and are systematically ruining it with their trillion pound take over deals and unsustainable wages. I will laugh like a drain the day the Premier League has to shut down because people steadfastly refuse to pay £1000 for a back seat at Old Trafford, simply because this is the only way Malcolm Glazer can afford to pay Wayne Rooney Jr £1,000,000,000 a week.

No, don't give me all that nonsense, it's not jealousy because these guys earn a fortune, I have all the cash I need thanks and more besides, it's these 'get-rich(er)-quick owners who will pay with their fortunes, and it can't come a day too soon.

Matt.

(Sorry, got a bit carried away)

[Fonda]

I can't understand the surprise? Certainly ITV are bound to choose one of the 'Big Boys'. They don't have the rights to Premier League football - so when deciding which tie to put on, they think only of the game they are led to believe would get the most viewers. There is no 'romance' about picking these games - as with everything else it's about cold, hard cash. ESPN perhaps ought to be a little more creative in their thinking - as they show Prem games anyway, but as soon as someone in the meeting brings viewing figures into the equation, i'm afraid the decision is made. If we can't get 3,000 of our own fans to have an interest in our games, why should the TV execs think it will be a winner with the the TV watching 'neutrals'?

[HRG]

let's be honest, idiots would tune in to watch a dog have a sh*t if the dog was wearing a Man Utd shirt

Quote of the day. Well done that man

[cambgull]

Quote of the day. Well done that man

Wasn't that dog called Cristiano Ronaldo?

[happytorq]

Is it only Ma, Pa and me who watch any and every football match on TV, regardless of who might be playing?
Matt.

In the UK, maybe, but remember these games are broadcast all over the world. ESPN are not going to want to broadcast two lower league teams in the USA, or in China or whatever. It's sad, but the foreign markets really don't care a huge amount about Torquay against Crawley because they haven't heard of either team. But Man Utd, well, yeah, they know that team.

It's sad, but there's not really anything we can do about it.

[ferrarilover]

Buff, you robot ****. **** the **** **** off.

Yours respectfully,

the human race.

[ferrarilover]

Happy, mate, I know exactly what you mean and exactly what is your point, but you are missing mine (it's very easily done, mine is usually hidden under 25 or so layers of total bollocks.)

My point is that the FA Cup never used to be about prestige and money. It used to be about tiny little teams beating bigger teams. It used to be about the magic of the non-league minnows getting to go to Old Trafford for a day out. Giving brick layers and postmen THAT day of which they would speak on their death beds.
Now, I'll grant you, TUFC v Crawley is not exactly a deathbed memory, but it's a much better approximation than Southampton v Man Utd, or, worse still, Everton v Chelsea.

To be absolutely to the point, I don't give a **** about China or America, Johnny Foreigner can go **** himself. It's my FA Cup, I'm English, I live in England and I pay handsomely for the priviledge. ESPN are American and can **** off too, give the Englishmans Cup to the Englishmans broadcaster and see which game they show with no advertising revenue to worry about.

Matt.

[ferrarilover]

Triple postage is for winners.

Cambgull,
While I'm certain that, in private life, CR is a complete and utter cock, there really is no denying that, with a ball at his feet, he is as close to George Best (the greatest footballer ever to live, and a man I considered a friend, PM if you want a boring story) as any man is likely to get ever again.

Matt.

[Trojan 67]

Buff, you robot c**t. f**k the f**k f**k off.

Yours respectfully,

the human race.

Someone had better remove Buff the Bag from view before Matt goes full on handbags.