Tickets and TV: the key to reviving cup magic

Is it me, or does this seem like the busiest festive period football has ever known? The games are coming thicker and faster than I care to remember, and a further full programme of Football League and Premier League fixtures will take place before the FA Cup third round ties are played at the weekend.

With West Ham taking eight point from their last four games, I am in no position to complain, although I do harbour concerns about how the festive fixture pile up will effect FA Cup attendances this week. 

If we’re honest enough to admit it, the old competition has been in steep decline for a number of years now, so sparse crowds at this weekend’s games shouldn’t be a surprise to us. But with most clubs playing their fourth game in less than a fortnight this week, fans should be forgiven if they view the upcoming cup ties as a game too far and stay at home.

January is of course traditionally a time when people close the curtains, turn up the fire and invest their efforts on clawing back the money they splurged on Christmas presents and parties throughout December. Football fans will of course have spent much of that money on watching their team over the Christmas period, and many will deserve credit for sitting through 90 minutes of turgid football whilst fighting off the double onslaught of the biting cold and a raging hangover.

For season ticket holders like myself, cup games are usually no longer included as part of the package, and therefore have to be paid for on top of the already extortionate season ticket prices. With this in mind, my own club West Ham, has admirably made tickets available for our home tie with Barnsley at a very reasonable £15.    

But having seen so much football in recent days, and invested so much money on both tickets and merchandise, I fear that many fans will still stay at home this weekend - despite the inviting incentives for supporters, and a number of high profile ties being played.

Of course, the cost and frequency of football are not the only reasons why we can expect low crowds at games this weekend: there can be no doubt that the FA Cup has lost much of its magic. Sadly, it is no longer the draw for fans that it used to be, and with the glamour and financial rewards on offer from qualifying for the Champions League, a fourth placed finish in the Premier League is now considered a higher priority than winning the FA Cup. 

The cup is not even a priority for those with little or no chance of making the top four, as the threat of relegation and the likely resulting financial problems mean clubs will do anything not to jeopardise their Premier League safety. Similarly, the Championship’s top clubs are wary of becoming distracted from their attempts to fight their way into the cash-rich Premier League, and are now starting to field weakened teams in the cup like only the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool used to.

It’s a sad situation, and one caused by the evolving definition of success in the modern game. The glamour and potential glory of a day out at Wembley no longer qualifies as the ultimate achievement in domestic football; with qualifying for the Champions League and either maintaining or achieving Premier League status now considered the new cup finals.

So is there anything that can be done to revive the competition? There is talk of moving the early rounds to midweek so not to disrupt the league schedule, but I can only see that harming the competition. At least now, managers normally have a week to prepare their teams for cup ties. If fixtures are moved to midweek, it will mean clubs playing three games in a week and therefore increasing the likelihood of managers fielding weakened sides.

Personally, I believe a more prosaic adjustment is needed. Including cup ties in season ticket packages will help to make season tickets at least appear more reasonably priced, whilst also helping to increase attendances on the day of cup ties. Allowing season ticket holders flexibility to forgo use of their seats to allow access to others who usually can’t get to games will help to ensure more casual fans can attend games as well. Family ticket packages could help ease the financial burden on parents looking to take their children to games, whilst also ensuring new generations of fans can access live football. 

Of course, giving season ticket holders more rights whilst offering ample opportunities to families and casual fans is a difficult balance to strike, but it’s one I believe the FA should be working flat out with the clubs to achieve. At the moment, I simply don’t think that is happening.

Lastly, the FA and broadcasters can play their part by working together to ensure televised games are sensibly scheduled. Games at 12.45pm on a Saturday or 5.30pm on a Sunday are now commonplace for the FA Cup, but are also often a nightmare for fans. Football has traditionally kicked off at 3pm because it is the time that best suits fans, and I believe the FA Cup offers the perfect testing ground for relaxing restrictions around televising 3pm games. Yes some fans will stay at home to watch the game, but if the ticketing approach is favourable, a great deal more will head to the game in the hope they see a traditional cut and thrust English cup tie.

So whilst the allure of the cup may be fading, there is still an opportunity to save it. And with ties such as Arsenal v Leeds, Manchester United v Liverpool and, ahem, West Ham v Barnsley; this weekend could well be another chance to see some of that old cup magic.

Going to your team's FA Cup tie this week? Giving it a miss? Have your say below: