Does the magic of the FA Cup still exist?
So here we are, the third round of the competition everybody supposedly loves.
We have reached the stages where the minnows of the event get the chance to mingle with the big boys, a chance for lower-league fans around the country to get excited about the prospect of watching their team battle against the best the country has to offer and ultimately enjoy a day out.
For some the FA Cup has lost its shine somewhat. You can be certain that the Premier League clubs that get paired with lower-ranked opposition resting their entire first team for the fixture, whilst managers who are determined to succeed in their respected leagues but have no real chance of winning the cup also giving the fixtures no respect with their squad selections.
The FA Cup is an important one, there is no doubt about that, as it is a tradition of the English game, and the way it allows the David and goliath situations to arise is something every fan keeps their fingers crossed for. However, the attitude from some managers towards it is somewhat half-arsed and they, along with the influx of mega-rich youngsters who are arriving in the Premier League at an alarming rate, have dampened the magic that once appeared.
When you watch back to previous fixtures in the cup, as well as hearing Abide With Me, it demands the hairs on your neck to stand and salute. The times before fans were priced out of the game and were still connected to the players, the times before the competition was seen merely as a chance to play your youngsters and give your stars a rest, a time when players played for the shirt they were wearing and not the millions being pumped into their already flooding bank accounts.
For me the magic of the FA Cup is still alive, but the modern game is doing everything in its power to stamp that out.
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