There were nearly 750 football clubs that entered the FA Cup for this season. Of that number all but 20 were outside of the Premier League but it is the will of the 20 and not the approximately 730 that counts. Football really has gone to the dogs since the Premier League was formed. Why so many? Simply because of the magic of the FA Cup. The ability to take on the big boys. Attend the big grounds, earn some much needed revenue. The wonderful feeling of watching the third round draw and knowing that a minnow, the smallest and lowest placed team left in the competition could draw the biggest and best and compete with the on an even footing.
So what am I ranting about, getting me hair off about? The totally unnecessary reforms that are being suggested so that the poor old multi-millionaire footballers that play in the Premier League don't get too tired by having to play too many games. It is sickening! Do they not realise that the FA Cup has been in existence since 1871-72? That is 145 years. The Premier League since just 1992. Do they not realise they should be giving it the respect it deserves?
We have heard of proposals relating to the seeding of teams, making the competition a mid-week competition with no replays when a draw occurs. This along with other suggestions about lower league teams playing at home when drawn against higher league teams. Why? What is the point?
I will tell you what I believe the point to be. Simply because Premier League teams do not want to play two games a week. The poor over-paid "stars" get tired. If they have the honour, at least it used to be an honour, of being selected for the English national team, those few English players that actually play in the English Premier League, they may be too tired to play properly in the summertime international competitions because of the previous winter's exertions. Bless them! How do they cope? There is no other reason. Sadly, it would appear that the Football Association have now fallen for this nonsense and are willing to change the rules of their cup competition.
So what about the rag-bag 730 teams that do not compete in the Premier league? Well they really don't matter. The fact that a good cup run brings in hugely needed finance is irrelevant. The fact that for a lower league team to get a tie at a Premiership ground, either via the draw or by earning a replay, can have huge financial benefits along with exposure to the wider footballing audience doesn't matter. In essence, football outside of the Premier League no longer matters to either the Premier League itself or the Football Association.
The Premier League has done little or nothing for football in this country since it's inception and with these changes will help to force non-Premiership football into further decline. Decline you may say with some surprise? Absolutely, decline. It has been declining in importance since the day the Premier League was formed.
I fear for football in this country and the ordinary football supporter should too. Unless of course they feel that the heart of football is he Premier League!
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