It is a phrase still used on Match of the Day and by journalists covering the competition but “the magic of the cup” has become something of a well-worn cliché for many. Fans of league clubs – especially those at the higher end of the pyramid seem to treat the FA Cup as an afterthought, at the very best.
Those further down the nation’s football hierarchy still regard the oldest national football competition in the world with respect, however. There is no way that a team from the sixth or seventh tier of English football will ever lift the famous trophy at Wembley one sunny May afternoon – but there are other elements at play that keep the FA Cup as something more than just a nostalgia boost.
Local sides Aveley, Tilbury, and Grays have all departed this season’s competition well before the first round proper, so there will be no one in other countries learning how to bet on soccer and frantically scanning their maps to see where on Earth the clubs are once the big teams enter the fray. But all three of those clubs will have eagerly looked forward to the draws and games this season – because they are so important to non-league sides.
There was a time, of course, when the FA Cup was the biggest show in town. Obviously, the winners of the then First Division were rightfully lauded and considered the champions of the land. But it was the cup winners that everyone remembered. The final was shown across the globe and is credited by many as being the best advert for the English game since football was first introduced to other parts of the world at the end of the 19th century.
There were a number of reasons for the FA Cup final being so special. Firstly, even up until the late 1980s, it was one of the few games that was shown live on television. With precious few channels to choose from in those days, the promise of live football was enough for some. The fact that it regularly brought together two of the best teams in the country was just a bonus.
Another reason why fans were interested in the FA Cup back then was that it was also hugely important to the clubs and players. With the Premier League still just a mere twinkling in the eye of David Dein and his ilk, there was no reason to prioritize other competitions because of money-making opportunities. There was even a European competition open only to cup winners from the UEFA nations. It may not have been quite as important as winning the league – but it was a close second.
However, as soon as the big money deals were made for the new Premier League, other competitions quickly became less important to the big clubs. Television money became the priority and it was swiftly decided by the powers-that-be that a cup competition in which there was a likelihood of big clubs being knocked out by “minnows” without the chance to bring in satisfactory income was something that could be left to wither and die.
Many fans still point to Manchester United withdrawing from the FA Cup in the 1999-2000 season as the moment when the magic of the cup truly died. Although the club was rightly criticized for pulling out in favor of participating in FIFA’s World Club Championship in South America, blame should also be heaped on the FA and Premier League for allowing it to happen. It was the starkest message yet that the FA Cup no longer mattered.
But the magic of the cup somehow lives on. It is true that many fans of Manchester City, Arsenal, and Liverpool will only become interested in the competition once their club’s berth in the final is assured. But there are millions of other supporters up and down the country that eagerly await the draws for the rounds as early as August each year. There were 442 clubs who entered this season’s FA Cup in the Extra Preliminary round. Those fixtures were played on August 3rd, meaning that the cup dream was over for 221 sets of fans before many had even set off for their summer holidays.
Although it is a travesty how little bigger clubs seem to think of the FA Cup these days – and the Football Association has hardly covered itself in glory by cow-towing to wealthier governing bodies either – there is light at the end of the tunnel and another reason why the magic of the cup lives on.
Those 221 clubs that won their Extra Preliminary round games at the beginning of August not only had the excitement of another cup draw to look forward to but could also bank £1,125 in prize money. That amount can probably be earned by some Premier League stars in a matter of minutes but, for smaller clubs that are the center of their community, it is a very welcome financial boost. The winnings increase through the rounds and if a club makes it all the way from that initial round to the first round proper, they will have received over £20,000. That is before match day income and potential television money are added.
Early round prize fund money can be a lifeline for many clubs further down the pyramid and a very welcome boost even for the few that are relatively safe from red letter bills. But the fans enjoy the FA Cup journey as well – and that has to be the real magic of the cup. Our local clubs may have to wait another year for another shot at that but it is guaranteed that they will be eagerly awaiting the draws for the early rounds next summer.
